My Favorite Products from NAMM 2026 for Church Audio Teams

NAMM 2026 had a massive show floor, and the sheer volume of new gear can be overwhelming.

Instead of trying to cover everything, I want to share the products that stood out to me. Specifically the ones I think matter most for churches running small to medium-sized audio setups.

Wireless microphone questions are the number one thing I get asked about from churches, and the new Shure SLX-D+ line is going to change a lot of my recommendations.

The headline feature is ShowLink Ease, which is a dedicated Bluetooth LE control link between the receiver and transmitter. This previously only existed on Shure's flagship Axient Wireless line. It lets you remotely change transmitter settings (frequency, power level, lock/unlock) all from the receiver or the Shure Wireless Workbench mobile app.

I watched a demo at the booth where the system detected RF interference and automatically recalculated and switched frequencies. It took about 3-5 seconds to go from audible interference to clean audio.

Every SLX-D+ receiver also ships with Shure's Digital Feedback Reducer built in, which is similar technology to the standalone DFR units Shure used to make, but now embedded right in the receiver. Don’t worry, it is switchable if you don’t want to use it.

Handheld systems start at $789, and the quad receivers can cascade antennas across up to three units without a separate antenna distribution system, meaning 12 channels of wireless on one set of antennas.

If your church is looking at wireless for the first time or upgrading from a budget system, SLX-D+ should be near the top of your list.

This is one of those products where I immediately thought This is going to change how multi-campus churches handle audio.

Mixing Station Anywhere is a collaboration between BoxCast and Mixing Station that lets you control a digital mixing console remotely, in real time, from anywhere with an internet connection. It works with over 60 mixers like Behringer, Midas, Yamaha, Allen & Heath, and more. If your church runs an X32, a WING, or really any major digital console, this works for you.

The easiest way to set it up is with the BoxCast Spark encoder, a plug-and-play hardware box with the Mixing Station Agent built into the firmware. No extra computer needed. It even has an HDMI input so your remote engineer can see the stage.

I tried this at the booth. They intentionally made the demo difficult, routing through a server on the opposite coast on shared convention center internet maxing out at about 5 Mbps. Even with all of that, control latency was around 50-200 ms, and audio/video preview was about 1 second.

Here's where it gets practical: a more experienced engineer can remotely help a newer volunteer during a tricky service, a dedicated broadcast engineer can mix your livestream from home, and multi-campus churches can have one experienced person supporting multiple locations.

If you've never used a measurement tool to see what your PA system is actually doing in your room, the Smaart RTA app is one of the easiest ways to start.

This is Rational Acoustics' professional-grade RTA engine, the same algorithms used in their desktop Smaart Suite software, but running on your iPhone or iPad. You get a Real Time Analyzer, a spectrograph, and an SPL meter.

I've been using Smaart for years, and my favorite thing about this app is how easy it makes finding feedback frequencies. Open the app, cause the mic to feedback, and with 1/48th octave banding you can see the exact frequency that's ringing. Switch to 1/3rd octave and it lines up perfectly with a standard 31-band graphic EQ.

Your iPhone's built-in microphone is reliable enough for frequency response measurements. Walk around your room during rehearsal and see how your PA coverage varies by location. And the SPL meter gives you more than just a number, paired with the RTA and spectrograph, you can see exactly what frequencies are contributing to the overall level. That's way more useful than a simple dB reading.

Any time I'm mixing, I'll open up the app on my iPhone or iPad and leave it up the entire time.

I have more Smaart content planned for the coming months.

This one caught my eye because it solves a problem most of us never think about. Back when everything was analog, an engineer could feel where a knob was set by touching it. Digital consoles changed that. Encoders all feel the same regardless of value, and almost every parameter lives behind a screen.

DiGiCo partnered with the Audio Accessibility Alliance to develop DiGiVoice, an accessibility software layer that gives blind and visually impaired engineers audio feedback when they interact with a mixing console. Touch a fader and the system speaks the channel name and current value. Touch the mute button and it tells you the status before you confirm the action.

This one hits home for me personally. I'm blind in my left eye, and while that's a different challenge, it gives me a real appreciation for how inaccessible mixing consoles can be. The fact that DiGiCo made DiGiVoice open source means any manufacturer can adopt it, which is what makes this significant.

I cover all of these products in more detail in the full blog post - including Alclair IEMs, Digital Audio Labs Dante personal mixers, and the pricing breakdowns.

Until next time,

Drew

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