The latest news from the music industry—first.

Neve-r Forever

Neve Electronics have just signed up another customer for the Neve DSP. They will be supplying the National Sound Archives with a two-channel Digital Sound Processing unit based on Neve's existing digital technology, but specially tailored to enable the restoration of archive sound material. At the moment, most of the NSA's collection is stored on wax cylinder, disc or magnetic tape.

The NSA desk will also allow field recordings made on the Sony PCM F1/Betamax combination to be directly interfaced to the digital sound processors and then re-recorded via the F1 for archiving, without the necessity for the multiple analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue conversions that characterise traditional analogue technology. The system will enable the NSA to update software to achieve new sound processing effects without the need to replace the current hardware.

Besides this order, Neve are negotiating a number of orders for it's digital desk — conservative estimates put the known potential of orders at £3M.

Microsound '84

The Microsound 64 is a British music package aimed at the Commodore 64 user and consisting of a full-size four octave keyboard and sound control program. The keyboard connects to the Commodore via the games port and requires no external power supply. Two slide controls are provided each of which may be independently patched to the various sound generation parameters for real time control. The sound control program displays the synthesizer's status and allows single key commands for control while playing. For each of the Commodore 64's three oscillators any combination of triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waveforms can be selected. The ADSR's can also be modified, as can the many filter parameters. Sounds can then be stored or recalled from either disc or cassette.

A recent addition to the Microsound's software is a 200 note step time sequencer. Three sequences may be played simultaneously and an on-screen tabulation provides a graphic display of the sequencer with the ability to perform on-screen editing. Perhaps the most interesting development is the forthcoming digital sampling system which will allow any sound sampled to be used as a sound source for the keyboard and further synthesising. We will be reviewing the standard system in a future issue.

On The Right Track

Tascam have just introduced a number of new models in their range of high-quality reel-to-reel tape recorders. A new 40 series has been introduced and all three machines are aimed at the medium level professional user. The range comprises the 42, a two-track stereo master recorder (¼", 7½/15ips) and the 48 eight-track (½", 15ips). The 40 series can be linked to all the popular time code synchronisers and feature fast locking up times. There are also internal search-to-zero, cue and search-to-cue features using the real-time counter. The capstans are made of a ceramic-based material to avoid excessive head wear and a similar transport system is used throughout the range.

A new move by Teac is to make the 40 series compatible with both the traditional Tascam operating level (-10dBV, unbalanced) and the high level format (+4dBV, unbalanced). Each machine has both phono and XLR connections.

Tascam have also taken the opportunity to update the 50 series, popular with small recording studios. To come into line with the 40 series the 52 stereo master recorder and 58 ½" 8-track recorder now also have both -10dBV phono outputs and balanced +4dB connections. In addition, the 52 has been given front-mounted input and output level controls with pre/post fader switching for the metering. The UK distributors are Harman (Audio) UK Ltd, (Contact Details).

Music For Apples

Yes folks, yet another music program aimed at Apple users, the Music Mate distributed in the UK by Microcomputer Products International. The Music Mate is designed to run under the CP/M and MS-DOS operating systems making it suitable for a number of computers besides the Apple — models like the Sirius and other expensive computers. However, the software is currently being rewritten to allow the program to run on a BBC micro, which should bring the package into the price range of more of our readers.

The manufacturers claim that the Music Mate allows the user to type in the score on the computer keyboard, instrument by instrument, to transpose parts of the score, to make up scores of any size, and to print parts from which individual musicians can play. It will also automatically make corrections to pitch and key signatures, etc. The system requires an Epson Matrix Printer to print out the music scores. The Music Mate program costs £150 and is available direct from MPIL or its appointed dealers. Microcomputer Products Int, (Contact Details).

Tandberg

The Norwegian electronics company, Tandberg, launched its newly formed Professional Products Division at the 75th Convention of the Audio Engineers Society (AES) in Paris. The new division which is based in Oslo, will be known as Tandberg Professional and this follows the the company's withdrawal from the mass market in the face of heavy Far Eastern (popular euphemism for Japanese) competition. A new reel-to-reel and cassette deck are the first results of this new development.

Their new series TD50, ¼" 2-channel tape recorder comes in three versions: a studiomaster, a broadcasting machine and an editing machine. All three models are based on a newly developed 3-motor tape drive and can accommodate NAB, DIN, and CINE type spools up to 12" diameter. The TD50 series has a microprocessor controlled tape transport, LED real-time counter, return-to-zero, return-to-start, search-cue, fader start and tape dump functions. Three tape speeds are available, 3¾, 7½, and 15 ips. At the back of the recorder are connections for a speed control panel, a remote control time code unit, RS-232 interface and VU panel.

The TCD900 cassette deck comes in playback and record variants: The record version has microprocessor controlled transport, LED counter, cueing, search, cue points and fader start, connections for remote control, fader and balanced in/out, and options for RS232 data in/out and auto locator. It also has azimuth adjustment of record head and fixed playbacks head. The playbacks machine has the same functions as the recorder, but has pitch control and azimuth adjustment of playback-head with fixed head as option.