Firstly let me say what an incredible response we had to the Aphex Aural Exciter competition, but why did so many of you think that Aphex was based in Neasden? On these very pages the lucky winners will be disclosed, along with some of those slogans that didn't quite make it.

Last month we ran another competition but you still have time to get in your entry if you're quick. John Hornby Skewes are kindly providing a Teczon Dub Multi 4x4 4-track cassette recorder as the prize. All you have to do is to answer a few simple questions about it and give your reason for wanting one.

Meanwhile, we're kept busy as ever. No sooner have we started to tackle the mountain of new products unleashed upon us at the Frankfurt music show when the APRS show and the British Music Fair start to loom on the horizon. Already rumours abound concerning ever newer and more exciting products that may be on show. One may wonder just where the industry is going from here. Naturally, lower prices are welcome, allowing musicians and recording enthusiasts increased access to professional facilities. Recently, prime examples have been the effect of introducing the Alesis MIDIverb and the Yamaha SPX-90 on to the market. However, there are also great improvements still to be made in the areas of user friendliness, particularly when considering programmable equipment.

Currently, big growth areas seem to be in MIDI sequencing and sophisticated drum machines, but how many would be users are discouraged by the machine code mentality required to operate them? The same folly that made the Yamaha DX7 the worlds most popular preset synth is once again standing firmly in the way of musical creativity. Writing music or creating new sounds using increment/decrement buttons can be compared to trying to paint a masterpiece through a keyhole. Isn't it about time that someone opened the door?