GON BOPS BOP BACK

Gon Bops, arguably the top name in Latin percussion gear, are available once again for British drummers and percussionists, following a short period when these US-manufactured drums weren't being imported.

The people to thank for this move are retailers Allbang and Strummit (great name, isn't it!) who are based at 22 Earlham St., London WC2 (not far from Cambridge Circus and Shaftesbury Ave.).

The Gon Bops range stocked by Allbang will comprise just about everything in this Californian-based maker's range, stretching from bongos through congas, 'walking drums', cajas, African-type drums, Requinto and Reconga types, timbales (brass and chrome), tarolas (wooden timbales), cuicas, tamboras, all types of cow bells and so on.

Particularly important in the Gon Bops range is a huge selection of accessories and hardware which enables users to adjust their drums to the price-range/quality best suited to their needs (given that Gon Bops are a fully pro-quality product and aren't too cheap in the first place). The idea here is that the drum shells are all to the same high quality and you use the hardware you choose from the range.

A large shipment of Gon Bops should be arriving with Allbang and Strummit just as you're receiving this issue of IN TUNE, and you can get more details by writing to them, calling into the shop, or 'phoning John or Mike on (Contact Details).

SIMMONS PRICE WAS 'IT' MADNESS

Apologies to readers who, after reading our review last month, thought that a sudden rush of suicidal generosity on the maker's part had brought the price of the Simmons EPB Sampler and Prom-Blower down by some £300. This was due to a typesetting error and, of course, the correct price is £392.04, not £92.04, as stated! The guilty party is currently being forced to listen to Wham!'singles for the whole of the New Year!

Meanwhile, a happier note from the States, where the magazine The Retailer lists Simmons' SDS-8 as the best-selling percussion product for November. Can't be bad when a British designed and made product tops the American charts, can it?

More info on Simmons products from Simmons Electronics Ltd., (Contact Details).

GETTING 'BUGGED' WITH MPC - AND NEW PRODUCTS GALORE

New from electronic percussion specialists MPC are 'Bugs', small piezo-electric acoustic transducers which can be used to trigger electronic drum sounds from acoustic kits. In fact, MPC claim, you don't have to be restricted to acoustic drums - you can fit the Bugs to more or less anything and use them to trigger drum synth modules with either pad inputs or audio signal trigger inputs, e.g. MPC Drum Synth Modules, Simmons, M&A, Tama, Dynacord, Digisound, Linn etc. The cost? Just £13.50 per Bug inc. VAT. Also available new from MPC is the D.S.M. 8+ (Auto Tom) Tunable Module. With an RRP of £199.95, the D.S.M. 8+ offers a good range of differently pitched sounds, triggered by either the pad or an external input. Fully variable pitch, number of steps and number of settings, up and down - sounds like it's got potential, doesn't it?

But the new goodies from MPC don't stop here. Also available is the Programmer/Controller-8, this interfaces with Spectrum and Commodore 64 computers and is claimed to give total programme ability (sequencing facilities) to just about any make of electronic drums with either trigger input or pad input. The unit will also, 'IT' gathers, link to synths or sound sampling devices. Also available this month (January'85) is the DSM 32, which has 128 programmable memory presets. It also features new ring modulation facilities which, MPC claim, 'allow a fantastic array of new sounds to be achieved'. Final MPC introduction in this flood of new gear is the MPC 'Super pads' series which will feature a large glass drum and newly shaped 'futuristic-looking' pads but which, the makers say, retain the dynamic feel of existing pads. Priced at around £20 each for regular sizes, the bass drum will cost around £30-£35.