From MXR to AKG

It seems likely that AKG microphones will be easier to find in your local music shop, following Atlantex Music's announcement that they are to distribute these items to retailers in the U.K. Atlantex are probably best known for their distribution of MXR units and Whirlwind accessories. Prices of the AKG mics involved range from £10-35 for a dynamic moving coil type, to over £1,000 for a condenser. Well worth checking out is the new AKG D80, which sells at £29.33. If you want to know your nearest shop, or need more information, contact Atlantex Music, (Contact Details).

Renowned Peavey

A 160 watt 2 x 12 combo is the latest addition to Peavey's Solo Series — it's the Renown, and it should sell for around £325 (plus VAT). The Renown's two channels can be used separately, or they can be combined using the Automix footswitch, which comes with the combo. The Normal channel features pre- and post-gain plus active three-band EQ (incorporating a middle parametric shift), while the lead channel has traditional three-band EQ plus presence, and includes Peavey's 'Saturation' overload facility. Both channels have push-pull treble and mid-range boosts. The combo's reverb effect also has a footswitch, and you'll also find FX patching jacks, an impedance-matching output transformer, and an external speaker jack. The Renown joins the 120 watt Special and the 50 watt Bandit in the Solo Series. Peavey Electronics (UK) Ltd, (Contact Details).

Phil's golden face

The tape manufacturer Ampex recently gave Phil Collins one of its 'Golden Reel' Awards for the album 'Face Value', which was recorded at London's Town House studio using Ampex 256 tape. Awards also went to Linda Gamble for the Town House, and to the engineers of the record, Hugh Padgham and Nick Launay. To mark the award, Ampex donated $1000 to UNICEF, the charity nominated by Collins. Ampex International, (Contact Details).

Jazz this Easter

The Jazz Centre Society's ever-popular Easter Jazz Course will be held at Morley College in London this year, on the 13-16 April, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The four-day course covers all instruments, and the tutors are all well-known jazz players and excellent teachers — this factor has done much to ensure the success of previous courses, which have often been over-subscribed. 1982's tutors are: Geoff Castle (keyboards); John Etheridge (guitar); Peter Ind (bass); Bryan Spring (drums); Ian Carr (trumpet); Claf Vas (alto sax); Bobby Wellins (tenor sax); Eddie Harvey (trombone). The curriculum includes time for individual and group tuition, practical playing and technique, and there are classes in harmony, arranging and composition. The fee is £30 if you're under 21, otherwise it's £35. Contact the JCS immediately if you're interested — places go very quickly.

Easter Course, (Contact Details).

PRS: Computers and campaigns

The chief of the Performing Right Society, Michael Freegard, recently outlined the society's aims for 1982. High on the list of priorities is the desire to obtain increased payments from broadcasting companies who use members' music — particularly Independent TV and Independent Local Radio. Freegard said that the PRS also want to persuade the British government to revise current U.K. copyright legislation, and to this end was seeking to create a greater public awareness of the society's role. Internally, a five-year plan was underway to transfer the huge filing systems of the PRS to one centralised computer.

Freegard placed the problems of PRS members in the context of world markets, saying, "We must invest resources in educating government and public opinion. We must urge the governments of the developing countries to enact copyright legislation to protect their own creators. And we must campaign to see that in such areas as Latin America, where there are good laws, a great deal more is done to enforce them".

The Performing Right Society Ltd, (Contact Details).

Pink Sox and the TSB

The Regional Finals of the Trustee Savings Bank's Rock School Competition take place between 25th February and 17th March, for which 63 groups have been selected from over 250 original entries. The winning group at each Regional Final will be presented with a framed silver disc and will go on to the National Final, which will probably be held in early April. Winners of the National Final will receive a gold disc and a prize to the value of £2,000, with awards totalling a further £2,000 for the runner-up. Yamaha will be donating £1,000 of musical equipment to the winning school, while the Premier Drum Co will provide a drum kit for use at the various finals. The drums will be amplified thanks to C-Tape, who have provided C-Ducer tape-mics for the finals. Here at E&MM,our favourite group names from the 63 Regional Finalists are Pink Sox (from the Ballymena Academy in Co Antrim), Ltd Pryde (from Bannerman High School, Beillieston in Glasgow), and Oily The Squid (from the Duke of York's Royal Military School in Dover). On the day, the entrants will be needing more than a good name, of course. Which should prepare the participants for life in the real world...

Paradise in Poland

It's just possible you could spout a long list of problems associated with being a musician in the U.K. in 1982. Well, spare a thought for your fellow music makers in Poland who, one can only assume, have seen an increase in their immediate problems just lately. The Rotosound string company in Bexleyheath were sent this photo that might show that all is not glum in Poland — but then again, it might not. It was sent to Rotosound by Zbigniew Zabowski, and shows his Paradise Band. Zbigniew is the one with the Rotosound T-shirt on. But they're all... OK, Zbigniew is the one playing the Flying V, a tasteless badge of capitalist oppression if ever we saw one.