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Frankfurt Musik Messe 1984

Article from Electronics & Music Maker, February 1984

The largest event of its type in Europe, Frankfurt is the showcase for all that is new and innovative. This three page preview looks at some of the products that will be there.



For those who have never visited the Frankfurt Music Messe, the attention graced upon it by the British Music Industry would seem a little overblown. Airport lounges choked with migrating retailers manufacturers, journalists and the attendant masses lead into a stay at one of the largest single rooms in Europe. Halle 5, Halle 6 and the various other areas of the exhibition add up to an area around five times that of the Wembley pitch. Onto this vast space are placed a myriad of stands, with exhibitors from literally all over the world, while the interested flock to view the latest innovations.

1981 saw the Frankfurt Fair at a low ebb - though the British contingent showed spirit and some excellent new products, and some lowered prices to care for the reduced spending powers of the foreign competitors.

1982 was a little different, the Americans making some inroads, and the synthesiser developments taking more attention (at last) from the incredible numbers of 'copy' guitars. Personal keyboards were also there in 1982, but their potential in the 'serious' music stakes was all but dismissed.

The order books were filled, but the expectations of many of the exhibitors there was one of resignation to a world market that would take some time to recover.

1983 however showed some signs of life. The European markets regained some of their previous buoyancy, and the products that really were 'neu!' (and not just 1982ers with a new fascia panel) were exciting. Midi showed its face and caused a stir, the Steinberger was accepted, the Yamaha developments (kept fairly close to the chest previously) were shown to great effect, and the British contingent took their share of the attention with an impressive display that featured the best of British speaker manufacture and sound equipment. Again, home grown keyboards and guitars were thin on the ground.

This year, the Fair looks set to regain some of its former glories. The equipment listed below that will be shown there is new, and can be seen to be a step on. Foremost in the flag waving stakes are MPC with the Music Percussion Computer, and their new stage pads, the revitalised Vox range, some exciting new products from Soundtracs and... well, lots of everything!

Allen & Heath Brenell (Contact Details).
AHB, as they are affectionately known, will be displaying their collective force in all types of recording equipment. Including the famous Allen & Heath mixers and the Brenell series of recorders. In addition, they will have a selection of their accessories for multitrack recording, and PA mixing.

Alligator Amplification (Contact Details).
Under the auspices of the Musicians Direct Supply company, Pete Tulett and associates will be demonstrating the Alligator range of combo and back line equipment. The wide range of guitar, bass guitar, keyboard and general purpose amps and cabs will be on display, as will a new guitar... of which full details will appear in March E&MM.

Atlantex Music, (Contact Details).

Carlsbro Sales Ltd., (Contact Details).

CBS/Fender (Contact Details).

Always a popular stand at exhibitions, Fender continue their trend of showing new equipment at fairs and exhibitions and will be showing a whole new selection of products at Frankfurt. The largest of these is the Fender Pro Range of sound equipment, including powered mixers, mixers, three speaker systems, power amps, and three new microphone series.

On the guitar front, they will be showing the new Elite Series, and also some new products under wraps at press time. These are rumoured to include some semi acoustic guitars, and a range of set neck solid body guitars.

Beside these will be their recent models of Standard Series guitars, Sidekick Amps, and the Hi Tech and All Tube ranges of amps.

Cerebrum Lighting (Contact Details)
EFS Celco memory lighting desks, and specialist lighting boards for pro lighting applications, Thomas stage lanterns and accessories (Par 36, 46, 56, and 64 models) and trussing, plus Powerdrive speaker and lighting stands are just a few of the many lighting items that will be on show from Cerebrum.

Cliff Electronic Components Ltd., (Contact Details).
Manufacturers of a wide range of accessories and components, Cliff will be exhibiting jack sockets and plugs, faders, low cost knobs and allied units, a new range of Electronic solid state Bargraph displays and Vu/PPM meters, plus a wide range of cables and XLR connectors.

Cliff also manufacture a huge selection of cabinet fittings and finishings, such as corners, handles, recessed plates, loudspeaker and baffle clips and clamps, metal speaker grilles, terminal strips, various sizes of cabinet feet, power sockets and frequency equaliser components. All are illustrated in their new catalogue - available from the address above.

Court Acoustics (Contact Details)
This is the first time that Court have been at Frankfurt - this time if coincides with their 10th anniversary. On show will be the Proflex range including the 350 (new model), 200 and 100 models, plus the System 7 range, and the TRM3 full range cabinet. On the electronics side they will have the GE60 and GE30 graphic equalisers, balancing boxes, hi and lo Z boxes etc. They are also supplying the sound for the Simmons Electronics stand. Lighting on both is by Theatre Projects Lighting Hire.

Custom Sound (Contact Details)
Custom Sound will have their largest ever stand at this years fair, to display the full ranges of Roost, Custom Sound and Trucker amplification, plus some very new additions. The new 727 Keyboard Combo offers 100W in a specially designed unit for stage use, while from Roost there will be a new selection of valve amps with cabs. The Trucker range of combos will also be there, including the 45W compact Truckers, in a selection of speaker sizes.

DSN Marketing (Vitavox) Ltd., (Contact Details).
Vitavox will be unveiling a new range of speaker systems and components at this years fair, including The S5, a compression driver with a rating of 60W and featuring an aluminium voice coil; The Blacknight, a high power phase aligned horn loaded flying system. This has a 15" LF driver loaded in a flare, a 10" mid range driver and the new S5, the unit is triamped. The Flyingboxer is a three way 600W cabinet with 15" and 10" cone drivers, plus a music motor compression driver. It has been designed for monitoring work.

Fane Acoustics Ltd., (Contact Details).
Fane Professional, the pro audio side of the Fane Acoustics Ltd, will have an enlarged stand at the fair, with a special sound proof booth where customers will be able to evaluate the full range of Fane products. In addition to their existing range of studio professional 10", 12", 15" and 18" chassis speakers, they will also be introducing 5" and 8" high power chassis units, a 24" high power 8 ohm sub woofer, a bullet super tweeter (the ST5022 - a development of the ST5020), a new HF horn driver the CD400, two constant directivity horn flares, and a full range of speaker grilles for all their products.

They will also be showing a range of professional crossover units, and a range of pro speaker systems, including two extended range studio monitors.

General Music Strings (Contact Details).
Utilising a sound booth on their stand, GMS will be showing their new stainless steel guitar strings, that were designed and constructed in conjunction with Electric Wood Ltd - the manufacturers of the WAL series of bass guitars.

P + N Stands will also be on the GMS Stand and they will be showing both microphone stands, and keyboard stands, the new models of which, the 377, takes two keyboards and retails for around £29.95 inc.

Terry Gould International (Contact Details).
A new range of safety belt guitar straps are on offer from TGI, made from English saddlers leather. These have a locking device made from leather and several patents are pending on this invention.

Terry and Linda Gould will also be displaying a wide selection of accessories for guitars and drums.

Adam Hall Supplies (Contact Details)
Cabinet fittings, case hardware, passive crossovers, ASS horns, rack equipment, and a wide selection of accessories will be on show.

James How Industries (Contact Details).
After many years apart, Rotosound and Superwound have now amalgamated under the James How banner.

With a massive selection of strings between them, they will be launching a new range of 'Funkmaster' bass strings, Double Six twelve string sets in light and super light gauges, and a new line in double ball end strings, for use of the Status and Steinberger ranges of basses and guitars.

Leech Manufacturing Co., (Contact Details).
Leech will be exhibiting a large number of speaker enclosures for a myriad of applications. PA stacks from 100-3W will be on show, in addition to backline equipment for specific instruments. Cabs from Leech are available either loaded or unloaded.

A new attraction will be a special compact plywood 200W cab and a new 100W 1 x 10 + Horn cab.

Martin Audio, (Contact Details).

McKenzie Acoustics Ltd., (Contact Details).
Among the many types of chassis speakers and allied products, McKenzie will be unveiling a new 10" drive unit at the show.

The HE 10 200 is capable of 200W RMS and will be shown alongside some new pressure die cast aluminium chassis, which has been designed to improve their Disco and Studio 12" models.

On hand to offer information and advice will be Glyn Baxter and Kevin Mart.

MTR (Contact Details).
The Cutec range of recording equipment, including the MR402 four track cassette recorder at £450, the dual digital delay, 12/2 mixer, power amps and graphics: Shiino Vesta Fire studio and stage effects: TC Electronic parametric equalisers: Star Sound low cost mixers and; Aces crossovers, graphics, reverb units, and low cost power amplifiers (1000W £454) and multitrack mixers and tape recorders, are just a few of the many lines that will be on the MTR stand this year. Tony Reeves has also lined up an impressive array of new products including new Cutec Digital Delay, 12/2 mixer, variable crossovers, all valve pre amplifiers, rack mounting disco and broadcast mixers, new Shiino effects including digital delays and introducing the new Shiino Kozoh digital delays and aural exciters. Some new amplifiers and combos from McGregor, plus their own MTR range of mixers (6:4:2 £226, 12:8:2 £320) complete their stand.


Musimex (Contact Details).
Musimex have expanded the companies that they represent, and this year will see them exhibiting Armstrong Effects, Bandive mixers and digital sound processors, Electrospace Developments Time Matrix, the Status range of six and bass guitars, MPC's The Kit and the Music Percussion Computer plus Reunion Blues leather bags and cases.

They will also be showing Burman, Trace Elliot and Session amplifiers, plus Tubby Drum pickups and synth systems. Both Tony and Derek Morris will be in attendance, along with Pam Morris and representatives of their individual companies.

Ohm Amplifications, (Contact Details)

Piano Manufacturers Association
(Contact Details).
While the PMA will have a small stand at the fair, they will not be exhibiting any products, leaving that side to their many members. The PMA forms a contact organisation for all types of piano makers.

Premier Percussion (Contact Details).
A massive stand will hold many of the drum and drum accessories that Premier are famous for. They will be showing a new selection of Resonator equipment and drumsticks.

Promark (Contact Details).
A new name on the pro audio and recording front, Promark will be exhibiting their new MX3, a home studio multi track mixer with a wealth of facilities including mic and line in, balanced lines, direct out, overload indicators, 3 way EQ sections, 2 aux, linear faders and pan tape returns. All this is in the 8:4:2 configuration.

Other products will include their pro-power amps (MOSFET), 3 and 2 way stereo crossovers and 27 band and dual 11 band graphic equalisers. (A brochure of all the Promark range is available from the address above).

Recording Studio Design(Contact Details)
A massive selection of their mixers for all types of applications will be on show this year, in addition to their new News Gathering Mixer, MOSFET power amplifiers, and the popular Studiomaster guitar combo.

On the stand will be Jason Larson (Marketing Director), Mark Jones (UK Marketing Director) and Carol Chaffee (Asst. Marketing Director).

Rose Morris (Contact Details).
The new Vox Venue range of restyled amplifiers and combos will be on view, including the Keyboard Venue (500W, 15" speaker and horn), the Lead Venue (100W, 12" speaker), the Bass Venue (100W, 15" speaker) and the Vox PA Venue (120W) and the specially designed speakers that accompany it, rated at 80W each.

Also on show will be the Vox range of guitars in a new styling, which are to be called the Vox White Shadow Range.

Rose Morris will also show, Berg Larsen Mouthpieces, James Galway Whistles, Dulcet Chime Bars, Limpet Practice Pads etc.

Rosetti Ltd., (Contact Details).
Pride of place on the Rosetti stand will be their range of Pro Amp amplifiers, including the Viper and Venom combos, and the latest addition to the range - the 15W Demon combo which will be available in reverb and non reverb models.

Especially exciting is the new range of accessories to link with the Seiko range of keyboards.

Simmons Electronics, (Contact Details).


Soundtracs (Contact Details).
Since May 1982 Soundtracs have been developing the first English Digital Mixer. Of modular design, the CM4400 includes a microprocessor controlled routing system, and is also interfaceable with any personal computer.

The Soundtracs stand sill also display a simulated studio control room to show off their 16:8:16 and will have displays of the many other mixers and allied products that they manufacture.

John Hornby Skewes Ltd., (Contact Details).
Odd one out here, because JHS will not actually be exhibiting at the fair - but they will be all there! Members of their sales teams will be stationed on their suppliers stands: with a large contingent on the Kawai stand, the IMC (Hondo) stand and the Eko (organs) stand.


Soundcraft Electronics Ltd., (Contact Details).
A very wide range of mixers and multitrack equipment will be on show from Soundcraft, including their Series 200 portable mixers, in 8, 16 and 24 configuration, and they can be used to provide either two stereo outputs, or four mono, making them suitable for PA and recording.

The Series 400B will also be there, in two formats. The 400B standard, designed for pro live mixing, and for home recording, and the 400B Monitor, designed primarily for monitor mixing.

In addition they will be showing the Series 800B modular system, The Series 4 - which is expandable up to 40 inputs, and their low cost producer packages (which will be on the AKG stand).

Turbosound, (Contact Details).

Yamaha (Contact Details)
Yamaha Europa's stand at the Fair will tend to reflect some of those items that were shown for the first time in the East at the Tokyo Fair in the Autumn. They have promised certain new MIDI and DX compatible computer items, which are being kept under wraps.

They will have a new digital delay system, some new combo amps, and the KS15 and KS25 keyboard monitors.

Centre stage, of course, will be the DX series of keyboards, as well as some new additions on the guitar front. They will also have a large display of their drums and accessories.

Zildjian (Contact Details)
A cymbal testing room forms part of the Zildjian stand, where they will be displaying some of their many cymbals and accessories.



Previous Article in this issue

Boss DE-200 Digital Delay

Next article in this issue

Roland Cube


Publisher: Electronics & Music Maker - Music Maker Publications (UK), Future Publishing.

The current copyright owner/s of this content may differ from the originally published copyright notice.
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Electronics & Music Maker - Feb 1984

Show Report

Previous article in this issue:

> Boss DE-200 Digital Delay

Next article in this issue:

> Roland Cube


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