'Lite' up the show with MIDI

If you're into the idea of adding a MIDI-controlled automated lightshow to your musical show, BCK Products can now supply you with an eminently affordable MIDI-to-light controller.

The LiteShow is a compact integrated controller which can convert MIDI data into signals for controlling 8 x 300-watt lamp outputs. Working on the same principle as MIDI drum parts, the unit responds to individual note numbers, eg. note number 60 controls lamp 1, note number 61 controls lamp 2 etc. Lamp brightness is governed by note velocity, with 64 steps of intensity to ensure smooth fades.

The LiteShow also contains 80 preset lamp 'scenes', including dynamic chases and fades, which can be called up using MIDI patch change numbers. Clearly, the possibilities for use with MIDI sequences and programmable auto-accompaniments are many and varied.

The LiteShow doesn't require further light mixers or fader units; all you have to do is plug a MIDI cable from your sequencer's MIDI Out to the LiteShow's MIDI In, connect up to eight 300-watt bulbs to the industry-standard multi-pole outputs, and away you go.

Oh yes, the price: just £199.99 including VAT.

More from: BCK Products, (Contact Details).

Producer CDs to CD-ROM

AMG have just announced a set of CD-ROMs based on their popular Producer Series of sample CDs. The first batch includes Danny Cummings' & Miles Bould's Rhythm Of Life and Neil Conti's Funky Drums From Hell. They are available for the Roland S-700 series now and will be out for the Akai sampler series within a few months. Prices vary from £149 to £225, and there are also bundle options available.

More from: AMG, (Contact Details)

Spawny get

Amid the customary fanfares, the winner of August's Wavestation SR competition was drawn from a pile of thousands. Lucky bast... er, winner Ian Colvin from Stanmore, Middlesex will receive a Korg Wavestation worth stacks - all for the price of a stamp.

The answers to the competition were:
1. The Wavestation is 1U high
2. The Korg M1 shares its name with a famous motorway (well, the M1 bit anyway) 3. The X3 is Korg's newest workstation.

Easy huh? If you think all this is a hoax, look out for pics of Ian being presented his new toy in the next issue.

Roland's prices reduction

Its not all gloomy news on the economic front. The pound is apparently doing quite well against the lira, and this has led to all Italian-manufactured Roland products being reduced in price by up to 25%. Products affected are the DJ70 sampling workstation (now down to £1595 from £1839), the E-series of home keyboards, the A30, the ST50R and ST100DR guitar combos and the PC200GS keyboard.

More from: Roland, (Contact Details).

A case in point

Fed up with lugging equipment around in cases that are heavier than the equipment? Or is your gear outgrowing your racks? CP, with their lightweight expandable case, could have the answer to your prayers. Just launched is a low-cost 19" rack case for lighting engineers, musicians and DJs. The EMS Modular Rack Case grows upwards in unit size, by the simple addition of side panels. The Cases come in 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 unit heights. The 3U rack comes assembled; the larger racks come flat-packed for DIY construction. Modular panel kits (in multiples of 3U) can be added when needed to accommodate additional 19" equipment. Butterfly catches and sprung handles are already fixed, and bolt-on wheelboards, corner bumpers, stacking feet and a small mounting kit for mixers can also be added. Described as lightweight and sturdy by its manufacturer, the EMS retails for £93.50 (inc VAT) for the 3U and £117.00 (inc VAT) for the 6U.

More from: CP, (Contact Details).

The tidy alternative

If your studio looks like a bomb has hit it - speakers lying around on the floor, modules stuck on rickety shelves and computer monitors balanced precariously on thick books - you may be interested in a new high-tech furniture product from Strata and Counterpoint.

The Computer Music Workstation has been designed especially for the music industry and education. It has a 4-way mains splitter attached, and braked castors, so that the whole system can easily be moved by removing just one plug. It also has a cable management tray under the rear work surface to keep the workstation tidy.

More from: Strata, (Contact Details).

Educating teacher

Yet more music technology courses for teachers. Are they really that far behind?

Counterpoint have just released details of this year's courses in computer music. They have been running the courses for more than three years, and last year ran more than 20 for around 125 teachers. Autumn Term Courses are running at Gatwick, Swindon, Cambridge and Exeter, and include training in Notator and Cubase.

More from: Counterpoint, (Contact Details).

More for less from Time+Space

As well as releasing two more sample CDs this month, Time+Space are also reducing the prices on two existing ones.

Killer Horns, the first of the new releases, was put together by Best Service in Germany and features bandleader and studio professional Albie Donnelly. The CD includes many riffs, licks, stabs, falls and swells and includes a variety of sax, trombone and trumpet sounds. The CD costs £49.95 and there's also a CD-ROM version at £139.

The second release is Percussion Incognito by DNA featuring Armando Borg. A wide variety of percussion and tempos are covered, and for a limited period the CD will come with a floppy disk containing the MIDI files that make up the loops on the CD. It costs £54.95.

The price reductions apply to the X-Static Goldmine and XL-1 Double CDs. Both have been reduced to a highly attractive £49.95 each.

More from: Time+Space, (Contact Details).

Doctor T revives distribution

Following the collapse of Zone Distribution, Doctor T's Music Software have appointed Key Audio Systems as UK distributor for their professional and amateur music software and hardware for the Atari, Mac, PC, Amiga and Falcon platforms. Avalon Music Developments have also been called in to coordinate the technical support for the Omega II MIDI Composition System.

Omega II combines drum machine style recording, graphic note and song editing, MIDI mixing, MIDI machine control and music notation and printing in one package. Other features include 48 tracks with 126 Sequence segments/patterns, real-time graphic editing and a multi-program environment. The package now runs on the Atari Falcon 030, ST, Mega and STe.

All present users of Doctor T products are being encouraged to contact AMD to confirm their name is entered in the UK database.

More from: AMG: (Contact Details); Key Audio Systems: (Contact Details)

Chronologie Quiz winners - MT 82

David Langley, Orpington; Kendal May, Faversham; Jon Corlett, Birmingham; Ruth Rowlinson, Tooting; Andrew Beckett, Middlesbrough; Mrs C. Harrison, Nottingham; Robert Dyer, Oxford; Tomas Mulcahy, Cork; John Moore, Upminster; Mr S. Robertson, Dundee; Mr R.D. Chmura, Isle Of Wight; Jonathan Ewing, Basildon; Georgina Molloy, Nottingham; Simon Arnold, North Ascot; Ben Howes, Godalming; S. Graystock, Wakefield; Joy Spence, Oldham; Eric Stavorley, Brighton; Paul Thinkwell, Truro; Mr S. Scott, Glasgow. Answer: La Defense

No audio cards required

OSC, the collective of music and post-production professionals based in San Francisco, have released Deck II software which provides four tracks of CD-quality direct-to-disk recording and visual waveform editing on the Apple Mac Quadra 840AV and Centris 660AV.

Since its introduction in 1990, Deck has been used extensively for music recording, multimedia, video and broadcast production.

More from: OSC, (Contact Details).

Good evening in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets Community Education in East London is just about to start a Music Technology course aimed at 14-25 year olds. The course is based around Cubase, the S950 sampler, a Roland D10 and other keyboards, a Spirit Folio mixer, Technics turntables, outboard gear including Aphex, and mastering on DAT. So far, the course is planned for one evening in the week with the possibility of more depending on uptake. The course costs £21 per half-term (£3.15 for unwaged).

More from: Rikki Blue, The Woodseer Music Project, (Contact Details).

SeqWin direct

Lowrie Woolf Associates (LWA) are now distributing their SeqWin sequencer directly. The sequencer runs on a PC under Windows 3.1. Version 2 (of the sequencer) is now available along with SeqWin MultiMedia. With the latter, it's possible to loop, trim and clone multimedia sequences as well as record vocals in real-time while the SeqWin plays the multimedia part. LWA are asking existing users to contact them to make sure they get the latest support and upgrade information.

More from: LWA, (Contact Details).

'Ello, 'ello...

Yamaha have just launched Hello Music, a dedicated music hardware and software package aimed specifically at the computer user.

They have been producing dedicated PC-compatible sound cards for some years now, and the Hello Music package features the CBX-T3 GM tone generator (which incorporates a built-in MIDI port), plus software including Cubase Lite, Steinberg Musicbox, 20 MIDI songs and a tutorial disk. The CBX-T3 module features an AWM tone generation system which includes 192 instrumental voices and 10 drum and percussion kits.

Hello Music retails for £399.

More from: Yamaha-Kemble, (Contact Details)

Finale support

Users of the Coda FINALE music processing program for the MAC and PC now have a support service available to them from a company called New Notations.

Subscribers to the FINALE support system can get support in several ways: a telephone support line; instant analysis and response to faxed queries; and tutorial/workshop sessions which cover specific areas in greater detail.

A year's subscription costs £175, with a concession price of £116 for Certified Academic Version users.

More from: Andrew Aird or Stephen Ferre at New Notations, (Contact Details).

Expanding SAE

The School of Audio Engineering is continuing its expansion with the purchase of three new Sony multitrack tape recorders and 10 SoundTools II digital hard disk studios. Their courses aim to train graduates in all aspects of sound engineering, "not just how to operate a recording studio". With this in mind, they take students to 'locations' and involve them with musicals such as the John Lennon tribute Glass Onion. Their operation is not just limited to their London base - if you're thinking of emigrating, they have colleges in Hamburg, Paris, Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur.

More from: The SAE, (Contact Details).

HHB secures more DATs

DCC and Minidisc may well be the latest fashion for domestic players, but DAT is still hanging in there in professional circles. The search for suitably specified professional DAT machines is getting tougher, but fear not: London-based HHB Communications is taking delivery of a supply of Aiwa XD-S1100 DAT recorders. The S1100 features a reinforced double construction chassis with increased antivibration insulation, a 3-motor drive mechanism, full digital I/O, 1-bit digital audio converters and wireless remote control.

More from: HHB, (Contact Details).

Dance musicians on course

The Islington Music Workshop has set up a starter course for all dance music fans - from ragga to rap, from techno to bhangra. The course covers computer sequencing, sampling and an introduction to MIDI and programming. It costs £29.38 (unwaged), £64.63 (waged) and £47 (Islington residents).

More from: IMW, (Contact Details).

Ministry of Soundvision

Soundvision Professional Sound & Lighting will be presenting a product demonstration at the Ministry Of Sound club, Gaunt St, London SE1 on the 17th October. There will be in excess of 20 sound and lighting companies attending.

Soundvision see it as "a unique opportunity for the mobile disc jockey to meet the leading name manufacturers and national distributors of the top of the market - all under one roof and to demo 'hands-on' style at the same time".

There will be special appearances from DJs Carl Cox, Jumping Jack Frost, Paul (Trouble) Anderson from Kiss FM and Justin Berkmann, resident DJ of the Ministry.

For more information on the event call: (Contact Details).

Smoke and mirrors

Clubtech company Batmink Ltd launched a number of new lighting and smoke products at the recent PLASA Show. The Lampo low-smoke machine is the first smoke generator to produce a low-level sea of smoke without the need for dry ice and a heavy refrigeration plant. Working on the principle of combining two fluids, the Lampo can cover an area of 150 metres in 30 seconds. Patents have been obtained for the fluids, and the machine has passed all necessary EC regulations on safety. If low-level smoke is what you want, the Lampo will cost you £1111 plus VAT.

Other new products include the Lamp Columbus projector featuring eight colours, eight interchangeables gobos, variable strobing and blackout (£985 plus VAT for the Halogen 650-watt version, £1260 plus VAT for the MSR400 version) and the Griven Smile, which features an 800-watt Roundlux lamp reflected on five flat mirrors to produce five static cones of light and five moving cones which are animated to the beat of the music (£866 plus VAT).

For more information contact: Batmink Ltd at (Contact Details)

Hear ye! Hear ye!

It's another MT Demo Forum...

This year's London Music Show at Wembley Conference Centre will be the biggest so far, with more exhibitors, performances and guest appearances than ever before. MT's presence will be underlined by a special MIDI Village, showcasing the very latest in high-tech musical products and offering you the chance to get those hands on. And with live appearances from the country's top techno acts there promises to be a great atmosphere and much to savour. The show takes place on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th November.

Once again, MT's Demo Forum will be happening on each day of the show, with a celebrity panel from the world of high-tech music assessing your best efforts on tape. So the time to get those tapes in is NOW. Five will be selected for each day, and those responsible will be invited to the show as our guests. Send them to: Demo Forum (LMS), MT, (Contact Details).

The Otari Digital Audio Recorder

Following the successful DTR-90 DAT recorder, Otari have produced the DTR-7 Digital Audio Recorder, available from Stirling Audio Systems Ltd. Aimed primarily at the professional market, the DTR-7's features include XLR connectors, selectable 48/44.1/32 kHz sampling frequencies, wireless remote control, and EIAJ/DAT format to assure compatibility with other machines. It is 19" rackmountable and has a 3U rackmount adaptor.

The DTR-7 is described as ideal for studio sub-master use and costs £1299.

More from: Stirling Audio, (Contact Details).

A well packed MaxPak

Version 2.0 of Arbiter Pro's MaxPak is now available with five pieces of MIDI software, including the SeqMax windows sequencer, the LibMax librarian, TapeMax, MixMax and JukeMax for gigs and karaoke. No MadMax, though...

Arbiter believe the new version will assume the flagship status previously held by Cadenza for Windows.

More from: Arbiter, (Contact Details).

Seeding the future

If you want to experience what all this multimedia/desktop video/virtual reality/cyberwotsit stuff is like in the flesh, so to speak, be sure to get along to Bagley's Studio in York Way, London N1 (an old industrial site round the back of King's Cross station) on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th October. If you do, you'll be in on the launch of a regular monthly 'cyber-club' called Cyberseed.

Billed as "Britain's first cyber-festival", Cyberseed aims to draw together state-of-the-art virtual reality systems, computer graphics, film SFX, cyber art, electronic gaming systems, comix, cyber groups, robots and cyber fashion. According to organiser Brian Davis, you can expect "a mind-blasting fusion of street art and computer artists drawn from ex-Mutoid Waste Company, Hex, Trip Media, Zap Factor and others, plus video scratch artists, electrifying performance and the leading edge of TV, commercials and animation production plus a visionary mix of ambient trance and hard-dance, cyberdelic bliss". Phew.

Banks of monitors and projectors and a video wall will present computer graphics and experimental film, plus real-time animation, VR, CD-i, video effects and manga movies. Hex and other video artists will be in effect to provide live video mixing. Also promised are desktop VR systems, VR immersion systems with the latest virtual reality games, and interactive furniture and sound sculptures. Sound systems and live music are also on the menu, with cyberpunk group Antibody playing each night accompanied by "giant robots thrashing throughout the club" (!). And if you want to take some of this experience away with you, specialist stalls will be displaying the latest in cyberpunk fashion, brain machines and cyber tapes, toys and videos.

Cyberseed, it seems, has it all - even William Gibson will be putting in an appearance - and on the second day you can expect to have a close encounter with some cybersex!

Now for some cyber fax: times are 8pm-6am on both Friday and Saturday, and the admission charge is £15 per night. Daytime exhibition workshops are also planned. You must be aged 18-plus, and the dress code is "Go Cyber"!

More from: Brian Davis, (Contact Details).