Curtis Schwartz looks back on the highlights of this year's APRS exhibition

For the second year running Olympia II was the venue for the annual APRS show. Among the many product updates and variations unveiled were several new mixing consoles.

DDA's DCM-232 console is their first in-line console which comes complete with VCAs, automation and a VDU screen. It has the ability to monitor two 32-track machines in remix and will come with a price tag of around £50,000.

Soundtracs also have a similarly priced new console which they have called Eric. This is a large split console without VCAs or level automation but with automated muting and routing to its 24 groups. It also has tape transport controls and two LCD graphics displays for track sheet, routing and MIDI songpointer information.

Raindirk Audio unveiled their new Symphony console, which was attracting a great deal of interest from all sides due to its extensive facilities and very affordable prices. It is a large 40-channel in-line console with eight auxs, two stereo cues, six-band EQ and both small and large faders on each channel. It also has nine stereo effects returns, digital status switching, a huge patch bay and prices starting at £21,000.

Harrison's upmarket Series 10 console was being demoed non-stop throughout the three days of the APRS using a multitrack of Mike Oldfield's forthcoming album. There have now been 12 Series 10s sold worldwide with the two more sales being finalised.

Yamaha's DMP-7 digital mixer was also attracting a lot of interest as were their brand new Rev 5 and Rex 50 digital effects processors. While the Rex 50 is a budget unit, the Rev 5 is a high quality and heavily updated version of the Rev 7. It now operates with a full bandwidth and the facility for mixing effects, as well as having programmable EQ, stereo pitch change and will retail at £1,349.

Yamaha also launched their first SMPTE/MIDI synchroniser. Called the MSS-1, this device works with all standard SMPTE/EBU codes to provide a master MIDI clock for controlling drum machines and sequencers.

Sound Technology were showing the new Bokse SM-1-synchroniser. This is a budget-priced version of their popular SM-9 without the contact closures and cues for remote tape transport control, but with six parallel MIDI output ports and a retail price of only £390.

Also on the Sound Technology stand was the new Symmetrix 571 'Sound Pressure Level Computer' as well as the news of a 16-bit drum machine and an eight-track MIDI sequencer from Alesis. The drum machine is understood to have 64 sampled sounds, 16 voices, velocity sensitive pads and a retail price of just under £500, while the sequencer will be without disk-drive but will cost only £300.

There were quite a few DAT machines to be seen around Olympia II. Sony were showing the PCM-2500 for the first time. This is a pro-studio DAT machine which unlike its portable counterpart, the PCM-2000, is in two parts — the bottom one being a sort of Propak providing XLR line-level connectors and digital inputs and outputs, while the top part looks rather similar to the DTC-1000 domestic DAT machine but with recording at 44.1 as well as 48 and 32kHz. HHB were demoing the domestic DTC-1000 on their stand, and I was particularly impressed by its exceedingly fast accessing time between tracks.

HHB will, it was announced, be the second distributor for the Fairlight CMI.

This move marks Fairlight's desire to expand into the realms of digital mastering and audio post-production in which HHB have had many years of experience.

Roger Quested unveiled his largest monitoring system yet, the HM415 which weighs in at no less than 300 kilos. It was immediately snapped up by Black Sabbath who are building their own recording studio in the heart of Sussex.

Britannia Row were showing a selection of the highly acclaimed range of Westlake studio monitors. These were attracting a great deal of attention as were several other new items on the Brit Row stand, such as Summit Audio's hybrid valve stereo dual programme EQ, the PEQ200, and the first production model of the Electrospace EX1. This is a stereo limiter/compressor/de-esser/up-down expander which will retail for £524.

Also on the Brit Row stand was the BGW GTA power amplifier which provides 900W/channel and as such is the most powerful amplifier to yet come from the BGW stables. Talking of stables, the American brochure actually quotes the GTA as having '1.2 horsepower/channel...'

Casio launched a range of cheap MIDI guitar synthesisers. Stepp were also showing their new and cheaper guitar synth, the DGX. This is similar to their DG1 except that it has no on-board synthesiser and consequently it will retail for only £1,575.

Otari's new semi-budget priced (£21,000) MX-80 multitrack was attracting a great deal of attention as was Tascam's ATR-80 two-inch, 24-track machine which has now had its price fixed at £26,000.

The excellent Soundcraft Saturn was enjoying a great deal of attention from all sides due to its impressive array of features, functions and specifications. Soundcraft's vastly improved 762 Series III 24-track machines will not be replaced by the Saturn and will still be current in Soundcraft's improved range of multitrack machines. Soundcraft were also showing off their new TS12 in-line console's optional automation system which is retrofittable for only £7,500.

Another British company, Nemesis Electronics, were demoing their multi-channel studio foldback system (reviewed on page 53) as well as their excellent parametric EQ units, the Q4 and Q4-D.

For the first time in over 19 years Ampex have re-vamped the packaging on their 400 range of magnetic tape.

This will now provide a uniform look to the entire Ampex audio and video lines as well as have the practical advantage of indicating the tape type on both the outside of the box as well as the spool.

Other news announced at the APRS was Stirling's entry into the hire business. Their range of hire equipment will be mostly based on their sales stock list.

Everyone whom I spoke to agreed that this year's APRS was a great success, the only disappointment being that it will be the last to be organised by Edward Masek who retires this year.