Vote SLP

Dean Markley string manufacturers extraordinaire, have just released news of a new series of strings which have apparently been two years in the testing and research stage. All this R&D has resulted in the SLP range, ('Super Long Play') a nickel/iron alloy string which is claimed to be highly resistant to going dead. They also offer a fuller bottom end than most strings, and have the useful knack of not corroding in humid climates; ideal for that tour of the Borneo rain forests. On a more realistic level, they could well make your string changes much less frequent — useful in the studio, when overdubs can be done with exactly the same tone as the first take.

As You Like It

The North's finest studio gear suppliers, Audio Services of Stockport, have finally finished their new showroom and offices. The place is a converted school situated on the edge of the pretty bit of Cheshire, and the building itself has been decorated in an extremely flash manner, including a suspended staircase in the middle of the downstairs showroom, lots of smoked glass, stripped boards and deep pile carpets. The gear itself covers everything you might need for your octaves-to-oxide exploits big or small; everything from a Cannon plug to a computerised 48-track mixing console. And they're well qualified to advise you on your needs, whether you want a Fostex X15 portastudio and a mike or a complete digital studio.

But the other news from the gear gurus is that they've diversified into the top end of the instrument market, covering only the best and most high-tech stuff from manufacturers such as Roland, Yamaha, Oberheim, 360 Systems, Linn and Sequential Circuits; plus the computers that run so many of the brand new top-line bits and pieces. So anyone within reach (and people from Cornwall to Dublin seem to use it as their local shop) ought to pop in and checkout the stock and the prices; not to mention the service department, one of the best qualified in the country.

Ring Audio Services on (Contact Details).

New Kids in Town

Lots of openings, additions and completions to the world of musical service industries this month. First off, we go over to Wigan where the fame of Eddie Waring has been momentarily surpassed by Back Alley Music, a new and wonderful shop in Bretherton Row, off Arcade Street. (Contact Details).

Down in Tavistock, Devon ((Contact Details), to be precise) Light Years stage lightning has started to make a name for itself in the world of fresnels and follow spots. They can put a 100 kilowatts of lights on the road; an impressive amount for a new company. Phone them on (Contact Details).

In the medium-range ballistic recording studio field, another name has appeared - Soundmill studio. Situated at Abbotts Wood Mill, Heathfield Road, Burham, Buckinghamshire ((Contact Details)) it's set in seven acres of private woods and is equipped with such bits of electronica as a Soundcraft TS24 desk, an Otari multitrack machine, Sony digital or Soundcraft analogue mastering, Eventide, Drawmer, Aphex and Lexicon processors, and lots of studio instruments like a Bechstein grand piano, Simmons kit, Linn drum machine, Yamaha synths, and Peavey or Marshall amps. Only 45 minutes from London, it looks ideal for the band who need a little peace and quiet (or a lot of trees).

Meanwhile, up at t'other end of the country in Leeds, The Billiard Room recording studio has gone from eight-track to full pro standard 24. Soundcraft is once again the chosen marque of desk and machine, and other gear includes an MXR 01a digital reverb, Yamaha DX7 synth and Simmons SDS kit. The eight track option will still be available if you don't need all 24 tracks, and it's soon going to be possible to hire a portable eight-track package as well. The Billiard Room is at (Contact Details).

Night Flight sound and lighting is even further North, being based at (Contact Details) but for the band heading for those snowy climes they can arrange up to 20,000 watts out front PA plus 5,000 foldback, with all professional frills such as Soundcraft (again) desks both monitor and main, Studiomaster and HH amps, Gauss, ASS, Scott and Vitavox speakers, AKG, Crown Amcron PZM and Shure mikes... and so on. The lighting side is more than adequately catered for with up to 200k rigs complete with effects easily available.

And finally, tidings have come from the West that Westar rehearsal studios have completed their largest room, Studio One, and are now letting it out to people who need a space 43 feet by 21 in which to practise their Dave Lee Roth high-jumps. It also features a mirrored wall so you can see yourself pose, and a 2,000 watt PA should you want to actually play anything. Westar also offers four more studio of varying proportions and correspondingly mixed prices, from £9 per hour for the big one to £3 for the smallest. All rates are negotiable if you book masses of time, of course, and attached to the same premises at Abbottsbury House, Priory Way (off Western Road) Southall, Middlesex, is a recording studio known as The Yard so customers can go straight from rehearsing to recording should they so desire. Contact Westar at (Contact Details).

Square Reels

If you're a Manchester music maker, I'd advise you to start from Square One. Not that I doubt your expertise at all — just that there's a new studio opened under that name which sounds just the place to launch your megastardom from.

Square One studios opened in December, and include such posh bits as Sony digital mastering, three AMS effects units and an Amek desk — not budget gear by any means and well worthy of owner 'Trevor' Taylor's claims that it will give the area's other big studios (Pluto, Strawberry, et al) something to worry about.

Contact the Square ones at (Contact Details).

Won't Get Mixed Again

One of the latest lucky recipients — or buyers, in fact — of a Soundtracs mixing desk is ex-Who main man Pete Townshend. Pete's 16-8-16 is an example of the 'outrageously successful' desks that have captured quite a lot of the smaller mixing desk market for the Surbiton-based company.

Contact Soundtracs at (Contact Details).

Independence Dave

Export expert Dave Martin, a music business 'name' whose most recent post was as European sales manager for Selmer of America, has branched off on his own to form a company called Dave Martin International which purports to offer a complete export sales and marketing service for the business.

Enquiries about his services, which includes the European, American, Australian and Far East markets, should go to him at (Contact Details).

Rockin' Both

The range of Hotlicks musical instruction tapes is continuing to expand — the latest additions include a special one-tape course on every technique the aspiring HM hero might need, such as behind-the-nut bends, whammy-bar techniques, right and left hand harmonics, and rapid-fire licks. Just the ticket for the Van H fans.

Others in the newest series include acoustic lead guitar, and classical guitar specially designed for rock guitarists learning the nylon-stringed art.

And for the hungry synthesist, there's a mouth-watering course called the Keyboard Chopbuilder which is designed to build up your technique and style — by such means as warm-up, independence, diminished and 'rolling octave' exercises. Each tape costs £8.95, or £52 for a course of six, and if you want any more information on the tuition, contact UK distributors Labtek International at (Contact Details).

The Light Fantastic

A brand new lantern has appeared out of the darkness - or rather out of Pulsar, the Cambridge firm. It's a 650 watt fresnel (ah, I always wondered what one of those was - Frank Muir) and has an aluminium and steel case, ribbed for maximum heat and stress resistance and complete with lots of features for maximum ease of use and safety. This de luxe lamp costs £44 plus VAT, and is available from main Pulsar dealers or the firm themselves at (Contact Details).