Fender and Fatar? Hmm.

[MisterE]

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In the first 60 seconds of this Fender at NAMM 2026 video, we learn from Oscar from Fender that the new Motion controllers utilize pads designed by Fatar.

What else is Fatar known for besides pads? Why yes, keybeds! As in basically one of if not the best ones.

Never has there been a more crying need for less compromised keyboard controllers than the present moment.

Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?

If you go there, Fender, please be one of the few to release a 73 or 76 key version.

Oh, and yes, I did notice the no guitars at Fender NAMM. Perhaps Fender has more up its sleeve than guitar sims after all?

 

[sintil8]

@MisterE
Interesting statement about Fatar doing the dev on the pads...and your thoughts of future gear?

No guitars? I suppose the guitars are covered all year round by various stores doing in store events?

Bemusingly, did they purposely avoid going into any depth about SP., it was very nicely glossed over?
This was obvious as none of the usual suspects, we all know and love, were there to represent the Daw integration with the hardware on display?

I said bemused...
Folk on here have various opinions about SO1/SP the transition, there are mixed feelings, but user know they have re-upholsterd the furniture.
It comes across as though they were avoiding the subject. Maybe I am misreading what was going on, sometimes maybe I over think things and it's not really that deep?

Bemusedly my best regards.

 

[MisterE]

@MisterE
Interesting statement about Fatar doing the dev on the pads...and your thoughts of future gear?

No guitars? I suppose the guitars are covered all year round by various stores doing in store events?

Bemusingly, did they purposely avoid going into any depth about SP., it was very nicely glossed over?
This was obvious as none of the usual suspects, we all know and love, were there to represent the Daw integration with the hardware on display?

I said bemused...
Folk on here have various opinions about SO1/SP the transition, there are mixed feelings, but user know they have re-upholsterd the furniture.
It comes across as though they were avoiding the subject. Maybe I am misreading what was going on, sometimes maybe I over think things and it's not really that deep?

Bemusedly my best regards.

Hey. Alas the joy of kidney stones has prevented me from going in person like I was planning on doing and giving eyewitness reports or I could have sussed out which way the bemusing transitional winds are blowing.

 

[sintil8]

Hey. Alas the joy of kidney stones has prevented me from going in person like I was planning on doing and giving eyewitness reports or I could have sussed out which way the bemusing transitional winds are blowing.

Oh what joy kidney stones, sorry you couldn't make it.

Next stop, get them sorted!!!

Taking into account your thoughts on Midi 2 and keyboard integration, I would have enjoyed reading your takeaway.
Perhaps you might you have posed such questions, I know I would have politely asked?

I dare say there will be more video's in coming days.

One passing trivial thought, it appears these days the only constant in life is change.

Kindest regards

 

[Davey]

I can't be the only one who thought "Ooh, Fatar do pads!"

 

[MisterE]

Taking into account your thoughts on Midi 2 and keyboard integration, I would have enjoyed reading your takeaway.
Perhaps you might you have posed such questions, I know I would have politely asked?


One passing trivial thought, it appears these days the only constant in life is change.

Kindest regards

My thoughts on MIDI 2 have been swinging around more to Vocalpoint's, that it's going to take a while to sort it all out, as in I've discovered in the last week that a lot of the early MIDI 2 hardware and software adopters have just added some "pre-plumbing" that doesn't quite take advantage of the new protocol's full specification. The key to untangling things on the PC side (Mac is supposedly rolling right now) is that Microsoft has announced plans to release its revised MIDI stack within the month. So yeah, things are moving, but not in the fast lane.

On another note, consider a keyboard controller product decked out with Fatar pads (I know, news to me, too!) and a fabulous feeling Fatar polyphonic aftertouch keybed that's fully MIDI 2 capable boasting the deepest of the deep integration with FSP. Would I be the only taker?

Fantasizing one step further, I'd stick to 49, 71, and 73/76 key boards for the simple reason that so many companies have already pushed the envelope coming up with piano feel 88-key boards. The 88-key piano feel keyboard controller market is not underserved. The 73/76 key market most definitely is. And it would be a lot easier to only have to design around one semi-weighted keybed in different sizes.

Fender: so you want to be a big player in the studio hardware game? Here's your golden opportunity.

 

[sintil8]

My thoughts on MIDI 2 have been swinging around more to Vocalpoint's, that it's going to take a while to sort it all out, as in I've discovered in the last week that a lot of the early MIDI 2 hardware and software adopters have just added some "pre-plumbing" that doesn't quite take advantage of the new protocol's full specification. The key to untangling things on the PC side (Mac is supposedly rolling right now) is that Microsoft has announced plans to release its revised MIDI stack within the month. So yeah, things are moving, but not in the fast lane.

On another note, consider a keyboard controller product decked out with Fatar pads (I know, news to me, too!) and a fabulous feeling Fatar polyphonic aftertouch keybed that's fully MIDI 2 capable boasting the deepest of the deep integration with FSP. Would I be the only taker?

Fantasizing one step further, I'd stick to 49, 71, and 73/76 key boards for the simple reason that so many companies have already pushed the envelope coming up with piano feel 88-key boards. The 88-key piano feel keyboard controller market is not underserved. The 73/76 key market most definitely is. And it would be a lot easier to only have to design around one semi-weighted keybed in different sizes.

Fender: so you want to be a big player in the studio hardware game? Here's your golden opportunity.

Yeah, I've been following the Midi 2 develoment and what MS with Pete Brown are hitting on about, however they have had one or two bumps in the road, but are hopefully going to get it released into the wild at some point.

In the mean time...
It's become bit of a chicken and egg situation. Without H/W running Midi2 spec., testing the protocol is limited, the K/Board and controller manufacturers should be moving on this, I'm sure there is a golden opportunity out there for them.
The other side of the coin Midi2 is built on the foundation of the existing Midi protocol, this is to keep old midi H/W relevant so when it is released folk can still use their old Midi gear. Which in essence removes any pressure from Midi H/W gear manufacturers to take advantage!

Anyway I'm not going to ramble on. Folk, me included, will be waiting and watching in hope.

Best of regards

 

[MisterE]

Yeah, I've been following the Midi 2 develoment and what MS with Pete Brown are hitting on about, however they have had one or two bumps in the road, but are hopefully going to get it released into the wild at some point.

In the mean time...
It's become bit of a chicken and egg situation. Without H/W running Midi2 spec., testing the protocol is limited, the K/Board and controller manufacturers should be moving on this, I'm sure there is a golden opportunity out there for them.
The other side of the coin Midi2 is built on the foundation of the existing Midi protocol, this is to keep old midi H/W relevant so when it is released folk can still use their old Midi gear. Which in essence removes any pressure from Midi H/W gear manufacturers to take advantage!

Anyway I'm not going to ramble on. Folk, me included, will be waiting and watching in hope.

Best of regards

Pete Brown is pretty darned heroic fighting for MIDI 2, ARM, and low latency on the PC side. Say what you want about Microsoft, but they let him interact with PC users and disclose intentions on Gearspace and the Cubase forum. He's Micorsoft's Head of Audio development, or some similar title to that effect.

I see what you mean about the lack of pressure on MIDI H/W gear manufacturers to take advantage of MIDI 2.

In the meantime, as I crave a lightweight controller with at least another octave, I'll probably just pick up a second hand Arturia Keylab 61 mkII to replace my existing Keylab 49 mkII for the simple reasons they're cheap now, the keybed suits me, and I the find the faders useful.

 

[sintil8]

I had a scan earlier today and came across an Andertons Store duo doing a roundup of the Fender Custom shop setup in a Hall !!!

I found it a bit weird to watch two grown men salivating over guitar paint jobs, I'm still in bit of a state, it was almost a guitar porn show.
The hall was full of vintage motors and neon signs. Anyway here ya go.

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I managed about 8 minutes than cut out.

Kindest regards

 

[MisterE]

I had a scan earlier today and came across an Andertons Store duo doing a roundup of the Fender Custom shop setup in a Hall !!!

I found it a bit weird to watch two grown men salivating over guitar paint jobs, I'm still in bit of a state, it was almost a guitar porn show.
The hall was full of vintage motors and neon signs. Anyway here ya go.

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I managed about 8 minutes than cut out.

Kindest regards

I could go on about the supposedly vaunted Custom Shop guitars, but suffice it to say that I'm not impressed in the least at their atmospheric price points and living in LA I get to play way more of them than most people.

I'm sure someone's gonna chime in with how much they love theirs, but, hey, I'm not trying to take your joy from having holy grail pickups hand wound by the Dalai Lama himself and $5,000 worth of relicing and/or racing stripe away from you. Go right ahead and bask in the wonder. Not for this kid, though.

My reservations aside, apparently God loves Fender because he's blessed them with the ability to sell uncountable amounts of Stratocasters and Telecasters over the past 75 years with no end in sight and to persuade a decent amount of folks that Custom Shop guitars are actually worth ten times the price of their regular lines. Whether I love them or not, the sales figures are certainly impressive!

 

[lokeyfly]

[....Oh, and yes, I did notice the no guitars at Fender NAMM. Perhaps Fender has more up its sleeve than guitar sims after all?

Fender guitars are at NAMM. Only you're right, not in that building. They are at Highway 39. A fun 50's events place nearby.
They're displaying a lot of their guitars over there.

 

[sintil8]

Fender guitars are at NAMM. Only you're right, not in that building. They are at Highway 39. A fun 50's events place nearby.
They're displaying a lot of their guitars over there.

I could go on about the supposedly vaunted Custom Shop guitars, but suffice it to say that I'm not impressed in the least at their atmospheric price points and living in LA I get to play way more of them than most people.

I'm sure someone's gonna chime in with how much they love theirs, but, hey, I'm not trying to take your joy from having holy grail pickups hand wound by the Dalai Lama himself and $5,000 worth of relicing and/or racing stripe away from you. Go right ahead and bask in the wonder. Not for this kid, though.

My reservations aside, apparently God loves Fender because he's blessed them with the ability to sell uncountable amounts of Stratocasters and Telecasters over the past 75 years with no end in sight and to persuade a decent amount of folks that Custom Shop guitars are actually worth ten times the price of their regular lines. Whether I love them or not, the sales figures are certainly impressive!

@lokeyfly
Yeah I imagine the amount of space being used would have choked off a lot of the smaller independent companies and the alloted floor space.
It's as tho' this newer venture with the rebranding is still seen as a seperate venture being placed in the main Namm building?

@MisterE
I wonder if the team that sits and distresses the paint jobs on those custom guitars were banned from attending...Those vintage motors
might have got the Fender custom look.

Best of regards