This year's Frankfurt Music Messe - the premier exhibition of the year - takes place at the Frankfurt Expohalle at the beginning of this month. A special three-page survey of the new products from British manufacturers appears on page 20.

Among the many products at the show, will be a new keyboard combo from Custom Sound. Entitled the 727 Keyboard Combo, the unit has been specifically designed with stage keyboards in mind.

The amp has three channels, and each one features vol, bass, treble, and built-in reverb. There is a master vol, and master presence control.

The speaker used has been specifically designed for the 727 by Fane, and is rated at 100W, while a horn is added for extra high frequency response.

Details from, Custom Sound, (Contact Details). Also at Frankfurt will be the new Cutec MX1210 12:2 mixer, distributed by MTR, of (Contact Details).

The mixer, which is designed for stage use, has level fader, (with peak indicator), treble and bass controls, foldback (pre), effects (post) and pan on each of its 12 channels. Two inputs are supplied, for line or mic., and there are a further two sets of inputs for two phono units. Outputs are L and R, while there is mono out for foldback. On the master section is a stereo 5-band graphic equaliser, twin VU meters, effect return control, a horizontal pan fad fader (plus an extra one for phono mixing) and 2 stereo disc volumes in addition to the left and right master faders.

Thoughtfully, a headphone socket is provided, with volume control and the compact unit it designed so that one operator can control all units, and ensure the connections are true, without tedious circumnavigation of the desk.

The Cutec 12/2 is £358 inclusive, and details are available from MTR, (Contact Details).

Two very low cost guitars and a range of low cost amplifiers are also set to be introduced by British Music Strings this month. The Kay electric guitar will retail for around £79.95 inc VAT, while the bass version will cost just £89.50. The guitar features three pickups on the traditional shape, Schaller copy machines and standard hardware, trem, and three pickup selector.

The new amplifiers are also Kay. The K30 combo is £69.50, the K50 is £89.00 and the K50B (bass) £99.00. They also have a top of the range mixer combo, The Londoner, which features two sections — one for organ/bass, and one for guitar (lead or rhythm). A master volume and presence is included, as are bright and normal inputs on both channels. The guitar section additionally features parametric Eq, and reverb. Rated at 100W, the Londoner will retail for £176.50. A new budget price electric piano has just been released by Jen, distributed in the UK by British Music Strings. The Jen Piano 73 is touch sensitive and ranges across six octaves. It contains piano, clavichord, spinet, bright and mellow presets with the addition of phasing and vibrato effects. These two effects are variable, the phase speed and the vibrato depth under control.

A 20W internal amplifier is fitted, with two speakers for home use (it also has a headphone out), but offers a PA out for stage use.

The Jen Piano 73 is available for around £345 inc. VAT, sustain pedal, chrome stand and cover.

Details are available from British Music Strings Ltd., (Contact Details).


Korg are to introduce a new metronome into the UK in late February, through their UK distributors, Rose Morris.

The KM-50 is an electronic metronome, with a pendulum arm, and 2 tone sound generation. A quartz crystal oscillator generates the reference frequencey, and in this way, the unit may also be used as an electronic tuning fork.

A meter and reference frequency selector allows the user to switch between 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 beats per measure, while this same control switches between 439, 440, 441, 442, 443 or 444Hz (for middle A) in the frequency mode.

The tempo control allows the setting of the number of beats per minute, while tempo can be indicated by both pendulum and sound, or by sound only. An earphone jack is fitted, which cuts out the main speaker when in use.

The KM-50 can be used on battery or mains (a special adaptor is available), and the tempo range runs from 40-208 BPM. The makers claim an accuracy of +/-0.04%.

Priced at £59.95, details are available from Korg, (Contact Details).

John Hornby Skewes recently introduced a new, low-priced, digital delay unit, The Digitec S1024 to the UK. The unit offers a delay time variable from 1ms to 1,024ms over a full bandwidth.

A low frequency oscillator, variable through 0.1Hz to 10Hz gives precise speed and depth controls of modulated effects such as ADT, Chorusing, Flanging and Phase. A feedback control, with a switchable hi-cut filter and modulated delay is also available. Bypass can be facilitated either through the switch on the frontpanel, or through a patched footswitch.

The S1024 features a hold circuit, which allows the storage of up to 1,024ms of information for constant repeats with no drop in signal quality. A VU meter gives indication of the input levels, maximising signal to noise, and reducing distortion to a minimum.

Free standing or rack mounted (19") and will retail for around £275 inc, and further information is available from John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd, (Contact Details).

Please note: A full review of the JHS Digitec S1024 will appear in the March issue of E&MM.


A new low cost transistor tester, the Model 4500, is the latest addition to the 4000 Series of hand-held testers, from Osborne Electronics.

The self-contained unit simplifies the testing of P.N. junctions of discrete semi conductors (whether they are in or out of circuit).

PNP or NPN transistors, diodes and open or short circuits junctions can be identified with the unit - even up to 270 ohms or 33 microfads. The 4500 measures 32 x 22 x 100mm and weighs around 75 grams.

Prices are £16 for a single unit, but there are reductions for larger orders (ie: £12 each for orders over 11).

Details from Osborne Electronics, (Contact Details).