thisistheverge:

How the 808 got its cymbal, and other musical tales from NAMM’s geeky underbelly

Trent Wolbe explores the weird side of NAMM:

On the floor of any other trade show this walk down memory lane would have felt forced and awkward. But here at NAMM, it was just a way to say “Hello, we are every bit as nerdy as you are but we have been this way for longer than you have probably.” Where CES abandoned character in the pursuit of profit long ago, the NAMM show has maintained a healthy balance between the two, firmly planted on the right side of the very thin line that separates gearheads from mere consumers, since its first exhibition in 1901.