Rock Paper Scissors Creates First Music Innovation Hub at NAMM 2026
Rock Paper Scissors is uniting some of the most intriguing and inspiring music innovators at this year’s NAMM Show, concentrating a big dose of music innovation in one handy spot. At a shared booth that will act as a temporary portal into the future of music making and enjoyment, eight wildly original companies will show off how they envision we will create, play, and experience sound in new ways.
Though innovation abounds at NAMM, it’s often dispersed and can be hard to spot for non-experts, tucked here and there among a profusion of more traditional offerings. This struck RPS CEO and founder Dmitri Vietze, who often found himself wandering through a forest of metronomes, guitar pedals, and deafening drum halls in search of what’s next in music gear and instruments.
“We’ve been going to NAMM year after year wondering how we could better support the innovators, who are creating the culture of the future,” says Vietze. “We’ve worked with some great partners and organizations over the years, in hopes of setting up a hub, a fun place to rotate around, for entrepreneurs who are building new ways of playing with sound. This year, we’ve landed on our own booth where we could showcase and curate new gear.”
RPS reached out to its community, and eight companies answered the call to join the very first music Innovator Hub (aka Booth #10607). Visitors to the booth can expect a throng of next-gen musicians, sound designers, and social video creators upping the energy at the booth, along with retailers looking for the next big thing to attract music lovers.
Though visitors will see devices shaped like spheres, boomboxes, bands of light, payphone receivers, and something eerily akin to an alien calculator, new form factors are just the beginning. This year’s innovators are making music creation and learning multisensory. They have designed playful teaching tools that benefit musicians at all stages, from first lesson to career rockstar. They have embraced analog devices from tapes to payphones and given them new and expanded life. And they draw on embodied experiences to transform how we play and encounter music.
Meet the Pioneers of the RPS Innovator Hub
Blipblox myTRACKS from Playtime Engineering is a sequencer, sampler, and drum machine designed to bring the magic of music creation to anyone, anywhere. This year at NAMM, Playtime Engineering will be showcasing the growing myTRACKS Sound Pack library designed to provide instant inspiration for all ages.
Dog Paw is a new expressive instrument built for musicians who want the physical feel of a real playing surface with the flexibility of modern music software. Designed for both creative exploration and reliable performance, Dog Paw pairs its tactile interface with an expandable app system for unlimited features.
Groove Thing is the world’s first internal music player, combining high-fidelity audio with intimate tactile sensations that radiate from inside your body. This new way to feel music as touch turns your body into a concert hall, creating a deeply personalized, pleasurable, and transformational connection to music.
Litejam is the world’s first RGB fretboard smart guitar that visually lights up notes, chords, and scales in real time, making guitar learning intuitive, interactive, and fun. Designed for beginners through professionals, Litejam bridges music education, performance, and technology in one connected instrument.
Omega is a spherical sensory musical instrument that transforms inherit touch and movement into musical expression. It’s designed to support therapists and educators who need adaptive, engaging creative tools — as well as individuals living with disabilities, Gen Z wellness and music enthusiasts.
Trash Talk Audio Trash Talk Audio creates plug-and-play telephone microphones that bring gritty, lo-fi character to studios and stages alike. Built with authentic payphone handsets and rugged dynamic microphone elements, Trash Talk mics deliver the iconic telephone sound naturally, no effects, plug-ins, or post-processing required.
We Are Rewind creates beautifully designed, sleek yet rugged cassette players and accessories. Its new Blaster boombox turns analog nostalgia into a chic, satisfying musical experience.
Soundtrap is a cloud-based music and audio creation platform that lets anyone record, edit, collaborate, and produce songs or podcasts in a web browser with built-in instruments, loops, effects, and real-time teamwork tools.
“Innovation is really about seeing and hearing something essential yet overlooked in how we engage with music,” reflects Adam McHeffey, Chief Creative Officer at RPS and former CMO at legendary instrument company Artiphon. “Our innovators’ focus on physical and tactile experiences, music learning as a lifetime endeavor, and rethinking past technology speaks to where music gear is heading. We want everyone to come and explore this thrilling frontier.”
About Rock Paper Scissors, Inc
Rock Paper Scissors, or RPS, has pushed the boundaries of music PR and marketing for two decades. More than a publicity agency, RPS partners with innovators, entrepreneurs, and established brands to crystallize their stories and get their products and services to new audiences through media relations, marketing, business development, and influencer campaigns.