From the sands of California to the pebbly beaches of Brighton the numerous members of the pro audio industry will be meeting up at the 1986 batch of exhibitions, conventions and shows.

Last month it was Midem, this month it's the Frankfurt Musik Messe and in March it's the AES in Montreux — three crucial conventions for producers, manufacturers, distributors and customers.

The shows, although differing widely in character and objectives, offer a unique opportunity for ideas to be expounded, dialogue initiated and general communication within the industry to be improved.

These shows are vital to the development of the industry.

In some cases, the very insularity and hard work needed to sustain the momentum of a company or studio means that, for many business people, the conventions become lifelines to the outside world.

It also gives Sound Engineer + Producer a unique opportunity to reflect and report on what happens at these gatherings.

In the same way that many manufacturers unveil new products at the shows in an effort to elicit critical response, we hope that you will also make your views on this magazine known to us so that we too may modify our product.

We welcome your comments, criticism, advice, even praise on the content and overall appearance of the magazine. Tell us how we can fine tune Sound Engineer + Producer to meet the needs of a dynamic and multi-faceted industry.

If we haven't met you yet, come along to our stand and sound us out.