Best of NAMM 2026: Bass Pedals That Defined the Show
Every January, the NAMM Show brings together manufacturers, artists, retailers, and media from around the world for the largest and most influential music industry trade event. For gear companies, NAMM is the ideal stage to unveil new products, gather real-time feedback from players, and set the tone for the year ahead. New releases debuting at NAMM often reflect where technology, design, and player demand are heading, making the show a reliable snapshot of the future of music gear. Our Best of NAMM 2026 series highlights the most noteworthy bass pedals launched at this year’s event—tools that stood out for innovation, tone, and real-world usefulness for working bassists.
The Aguilar TLC DLX takes the company’s well-regarded compressor pedal and transforms it into a full-featured dynamics and tone tool for bassists. Designed with studio-style control in mind, the TLC DLX offers adjustable threshold, ratio, attack, release, output, and blend controls, giving players precise command over their dynamics.
An integrated gain-reduction meter provides clear visual feedback, making it easy to dial in subtle compression or more assertive limiting. Parallel compression via the blend control helps retain natural feel and punch, even with heavier settings.
In addition to compression, the TLC DLX includes bass and treble tone controls inspired by Aguilar’s classic preamp circuits. This allows players to shape their sound after compression, effectively turning the pedal into a compact channel strip that works equally well on stage or in the studio.
