PEAVEY WOOFER — NO DOG

The growing use of PA speakers capable of handling ultra-low frequencies is likely to grow even faster following the recent announcement of a new sub woofer from Peavey; the 415. Describing it, Peavey say, 'this is no "mild mannered" subwoofer. This cabinet is for those who want to add mighty, thundering, extended low frequency response to 40Hz to their existing sound reinforcement system.'

The 415 uses four Peavey-made 15" 'Scorpion Plus' speakers with heavy duty perforated metal grilles for on the road protection. Designed to complement the successful Peavey 3020HT 4-way systems, this LF monster can also be used with any other systems. Suggested retail price is to be £539, and those who feel they've got the bottle to handle it should contact Peavey Electronics (UK) Ltd. for more details. They're to be found at (Contact Details).

Snyder Tours for Roland

One of the undoubted high spots of the British Music Fair was the demonstration of Roland's new Boss RPS-10 Digital Pitch Shift/Delay by the incredible drummer-vocalist-instrumentalist Tommy Snyder. Those who weren't lucky enough to catch the man's remarkable three-part simultaneous vocal harmonies might think it's an impossible feat — but those who were there won't forget seeing (not to mention hearing) it done. Fortunately, there's a second chance to see the man and machine in action on the forthcoming Tommy Snyder tour, taking place this month. The shows will feature Tommy plus Mark Wood and Robbie Bums and are taking place as follows. Monday, Nov. 10th Newcastle Crest Hotel, (Contact Details). Tuesday, Nov. 11th Edinburgh Liberty's, (Contact Details), Wednesday, Nov. 12th Manchester A1 Music, (Contact Details), Thursday, Nov. 13th Birmingham Portland Club, (Contact Details) and Friday Nov. 14th. London Logan Hall, (Contact Details).

The shows all start at 8 pm (doors open at 7.30) and will run for around 1½ to 2 hours each. Admission is to be £3, or £1 to MU members and the unwaged (does that include me! —Ed). A further workshop/Master Class is also lined up for Tommy, promoted by Roland in conjunction with the respected drum teacher Francis Seriau of Drumtech. This will take place at Ronnie Scott's Club, (Contact Details) on Saturday, Nov. 15th. Admission here will be £5.00.

More details from Roland (UK) Ltd., (Contact Details).

ALLIGATOR IN 'NICKERS' ATTACK!

Yet again, musical instrument and equipment thieves have struck, this time at leading sound equipment manufacturer Langlois, producers of Alligator amplification and PA gear. Langlois's John Lally tells us that several thousand pounds' worth of Alligator equipment was stolen, and he's offering a £500 reward for information which leads to the recovery of the missing gear. John added that he knew his gear was popular, but he didn't expect people to break down his front door to get their hands on it!

Any IT reader offered Alligator gear from a dubious source, or hearing anything in connection with this story, should call John Lally on (Contact Details) or write to him at Langlois, Son and Partner Ltd., (Contact Details).

Indian Attack from JHS

The past few years have seen Taiwanese and Korean companies challenging the established Japanese low cost guitar makers, but news from Hondo distributors JHS shows that India is now entering the race, kicking off with a new 'you know what' copy for Hondo, destined to carry an RRP of just £99. The really good news, incidentally, is that the new guitar (a three single coil pickupped model) has Japanese made hardware and was designed in the USA. JHS point out that India has no shortage of excellent timbers and that their new Hondo — available in Pearl White or Racing Orange — is a 'really hefty guitar, likely to stand up to the roughest treatment'.

Meanwhile, also new from JHS is a more up-market 'Superstrat' class guitar from their bargain-priced Encore series. Called the Hunter, it comes with either chrome or black hardware (at £149 and £159) and is available in White, Black, Metallic Red and Transparent Blue. The new axe features what JHS call the 'King B' fulcrum tremolo and offers twelve permutations of pickup configuration from its two single coils and one bridge mounted humbucker. Apparently the humbucker features an extra toggle coil tap plus a 'rotary resonant frequency control'. When tapped, the rotary acts just like a conventional passive pot, but when the humbucker is set to twin coil operation it shifts the actual resonant frequency of the pickup.

Readers can get more gen on both models from John Hornby Skewes &. Co. Ltd., (Contact Details).

Martin On Tour

Legendary acoustic guitar makers C.F. Martin (see IN TUNE issue 10) take to the road this month for a series of special roadshows bound to be of interest to any guitar player — particular those using acoustic guitars. Featured at every venue will be Chris Martin (C.F. Martin IV) and Manhattan-based singer/songwriter Diane Ponzio, who will be there to both demonstrate and explain the philosophy behind these ultimate-quality instruments.

Venues and dates for the Martin shows are: November 8th — SWAG, Sturdee Rd., Plymouth; November 9th — Street Corner Music, Camborne; November 10th — City Music, Birmingham; November 11th - A1 Music, Manchester; November 12th — Foulds Music, Nottingham. Tickets for all the venues are free, and are available from the individual shops concerned.

Chris and Diane will also be at the Guitar Weekend at London's Barbican Centre, on November 14th-16th.

More details from Martin's UK distributors, the Dreadnought Guitar Co., (Contact Details).

LEADING EDGE?

Well known pro audio outfits Turbosound and Brooke Siren Systems recently amalgamated to form the Edge Technology Nx-Group Ltd. Both companies are known for their PA/sound reinforcement activities, Turbosound mostly for PA hire and its renowned speaker systems, Brooke mainly for crossovers and signal processing units. Both companies will continue to operate separately, but the group will have offices in London, New York and Tokyo, the London address being at (Contact Details).

AKG's Headline

Ideal for the growing number of musicians who like the thought of using a headset mike is AKG's new condenser C140. For an RRP of £155 it has been designed (naturally enough!) for vocal use, and weighs a mere 25.5 grams. Particularly appealing is the use AKG have made of an extremely lightweight flexible plastic for the head-band. This comes in a non-reflective black finish and allows for the ideal positioning of the mike capsule, about 2" from the singer's mouth. It also has an optional pop windscreen. Specifications are claimed to include a frequency response of 20-20,000Hz. and an impedance of 300 Ohms. The C140 has an operating voltage of 9-52 volts, phantom powered.

Info from AKG Acoustics Ltd., (Contact Details).

PORTA II ADDS MIDI!

Announced too recently to effect our conclusions about Yamaha's MT1X (see this month's review), Tascam have now added an uprated model to their best-selling Porta One, the RRP £629 Porta II. Although too new for us to have yet tried it, the Porta II certainly looks good on paper. Importantly, it's the first Tascam to offers a MIDI (FSK) sync facility with a complete set of in/outs and relevant circuits assigned to reserve Channel 4 exclusively for MIDI recording.

The new Tascam also has six input channels, each with twin stage Eq and effects send for simplified FX connection. The returns patch directly onto the stereo bus for mixing down and can be used for both mono and stereo FX, automatically sharing the signal between left and right channels when used stereo. Another useful feature is the provision of pre-fade and Eq. 'insert jacks' (using three pin jacks) on Channels 1 and 2. These facilitate the use of dedicated FX (such as limiters and compressors) and provide swift channel access channel when required. Other extras on the Porta II include 4 channel record and an input select system which allows inputs 5 and 6 to be assigned directly to any of the four tape tracks. Additionally, the recorder will run on either mains or battery power (a mains adaptor is included) and there is now space above the faders for input labelling.

More on all Tascam equipment from Harman (UK), (Contact Details).

AKAI'S AUDIO TRIGGER

Latest from Akai is their ASK90 Audio Trigger Interface Board for the best-selling S900 Digital Sampler. The ASK90 will convert any form of audio input signal to MIDI code (including velocity data), thus turning the S900 digital sampler into what Akai describe as the 'ultimate drum controller'.

Capable of converting 8 independent channel inputs simultaneously, taking triggers from sequencers, drum machines and pads, contacts etc., the Akai's input sensitivity can be assigned low (AC/DC 10v Max) or high (AC 200mV p-p Min). Independent channel sensitivity can also be achieved via control of the gain and threshold levels. MIDI signals emerge from the MIDI out port simultaneously during conversion, allowing users to employ the ASK90 for combined use on, say, drum machines and keyboards.

Complete with an operating manual, internal software enabling 'Utility Mode' on the S900 plus a disc containing three drum programmes and 12 samples, the Akai ASK90 has an RRP of £169 inc. VAT.

More from Akai (UK) Ltd., (Contact Details).

Bartolini Boost from Allbang

Top US pickup makers Bartolini (they made the original Alembic pickups, among others) are at last to be widely available in the UK, thanks to London's Allbang and Strummit who have just secured distribution of this prestige product to add to their existing Hamer guitars and Gallien-Krueger amp lines.

Apart from the Alembic connection, Bartolini have a major reputation in the States for producing pickups capable of rivalling any in sound quality and general performance. They're widely fitted to American-made custom guitars and have a lot of top pro users.

More details on Bartolini from Allbang and Strummit, (Contact Details). Trade distribution will be via Scott-Cooper Marketing, (Contact Details).

Fostex Announce

Brand new from Fostex is the 160 cassette multitracker, a compact mixer/recorder offering high speed operation and Dolby C noise reduction at an RRP of £549.95 inc. VAT.

Obviously aimed as a direct competitor to Tascam Porta-One, the 160 runs standard cassette tapes at the 'high' speed of 3¾ ips via a servo assisted transport mechanism aimed to improve wow and flutter, frequency response and signal to noise ratio performance. Dolby C operates on each of the four channels, and 13 segment bar graphs display levels. A nice touch is that remote punch in/out controls are included as part of the package. The four channels each have hi/lo tone controls, panning and aux, FX send and insert connection.

More on Fostex from Bandive Ltd., (Contact Details).

HANDS ON SHOWS HOW

With eight increasingly successful years behind it, the Hands On Show, Britain's only recording show for musicians, is nearly upon us again — this year's venue being the Strand Palace Hotel, The Strand, London WC2. The dates are set for November 22nd and 23rd from 10 am to 6pm. As in previous years, just about ever conceivable product for both home and small studios will be on display, with the emphasis very much on 'hands-on' demonstrations: in other words, you can get to try the equipment for yourselves. Companies whose products will be available to try include Akai, Fostex, Tascam and Yamaha multitrackers plus FX from ART, Alesis, Symetrix, Electrospace and more. In addition to sampling the equipment, live recording demonstrations, seminars, workshops and personalities talking about their approaches to recording will be main features of the event. Topics will include home acoustics, getting the most from Portastudios, stretching multitrack with MIDI plus reviews of the latest in electromusic.

Extra events recently added to the already impressive roster include the presence of Turnkey's 'Dr. Revox' who will be on hand throughout the Hands On Show to give your Revox A77 or B77 a physical. There's also an Akai roadshow event, as well as selected sessions from the respected Gateway studio courses on locking sequencers and multitrack, optimum effects use and more. Entrance to the Exhibition Hall is free, but there is a registration charge of just £4 for the seminars. Judging by the previous attendance figures at these, IT readers are strongly advised to book their places in advance. The price covers entrance to any number of sessions that you want to join in, and if you're interested you can write to the organisers, Turnkey, at (Contact Details) (from whom you can also get more details on the Hands On Show itself). Alternatively, you can call (Contact Details) for the latest update on planned events. If recording is your scene, don't miss this major event of the year!

Fender Four

Fancy a Fender? If you do, there are four new models to check out, the Contemporary Strat, Squier Contemporary Strat, Contemporary Telecaster and a new Squier Jazz Bass.

The Rosewood fingerboarded Contemporary Strat features two single coil and one humbucking pickups controlled by a 5-way selector. It sports the Fender System 1 tremolo which incorporates a conventional nut lock system with knife-edge pivots and roller saddles. Four colours are available: Black, Metallic Frost White, Metallic Pewter and Burgundy Mist. The Squier Contemporary Strat meanwhile also has the one humbucker, two single coil pickup arrangement plus a Rosewood fretboard but has the 'basic' traditional Strat trem. Two colours are offered, Black and Turio Red.

The Contemporary Fender Tele is quite a departure from a traditional Tele, having two single coil and one humbucking pickups controlled by a volume, three flick switches for coil tapping the humbucker and a TBX tone control (Fender's excellent non-active but active-sounding tone circuitry). The guitar also has a System 1 tremolo and a Rosewood board. Just three colours are available: Black, Metallic Frost White and Metallic Pewter. Rounding off the introductions, the Squier Jazz bass has two Jazz style pickups with twin volume and single volume controls. Two colours only — Black and Arctic White.

More on Fender from Arbiter Musical Instruments Ltd., (Contact Details).

GOODIES IN STORE

They've been there since 1895, but a recent tour around the newly re-vamped F.D. & H. music store in London's Charing Cross Road showed your IT team (invited there to partake of the reopening celebrations, not to mention a modicum of liquid refreshment!) that their stock of gear is more akin to 1995. One of the sights guaranteed to delight the eyes of any player is a room devoted to Gibson — complete with some of the cheapest Les Pauls we've seen for years. Did you realise that current Gibson prices are starting to make some Japanese guitars look way over-priced? On show (but regrettably not for sale) is a Gibson made specially for F.D. &. H. back when they were this maker's British importers in around 1936! Apparently it cost £14 19s. 6d. in those days!

One of the nicest features of the new store (apart from its generally more spruce appearance) is a massive book and magazine section. The back issues of US mags alone is worth a look, but the range of books in stock is pretty incredible, likewise sheet music.

The main ground floor showroom houses all the printed matter, plus amps from KMD, Marshall and Carlsbro, along with a wall covered in acoustic guitars and lower priced instruments (some of which, like a £99 S***t copy, looked particularly good) and a huge range of brass and woodwind, strings etc. Downstairs is a separate room for drummers (F.D. & H. have the exclusive West End franchise for Yamaha's 9000 and 8000 ranges) plus drums from Premier, Pearl and Sonor, and cymbals from just about all the big names, likewise sticks, hardware and all those unusual Latin percussion bits which today's drummers seem so enamoured of. On the same floor is that Gibson room we mentioned earlier, plus a fully working home studio complete with mixers, FX etc.

Worth a visit? We'd say so. You can find F.D. & H. at (Contact Details) (for equipment and instruments) or (Contact Details) (sheet music).

HH = Half Hundreds?

Following on from the launch of their 100 Series, HH announced that their new 50 Series (first seen at the British Music Fair) is now available in the shops. Three 50 models are offered, the L50 (for guitar) at RRP £207.70, the B50 (bass) at RRP £198.40 and the K40 (keyboards) for RRP £213.90.

The L50 features a 12" speaker, twin channels with pull bright on One and distortion/heavy switching on Two, plus pre-set Eq, an Accutronics spring reverb, 3-band Eq, headphone and line out sockets. The B50 is similarly speakered, but has high and low gain inputs, compression, bass, mid and treble Eq, treble pull bright, headphone and line-out sockets. The third new 50 watter from HH is the K50 which features a 12" dual cone speaker and twin independent channels, each having two inputs with individual gain, bass and treble controls. Reverb is switchable on every channel, and both line out and headphone sockets are fitted.

Details of all HH products from H.H. Electronics Ltd., (Contact Details).

TANTEK LAUNCH MIDIVERTER

Tantek's excellent Tanrak series of modular audio processors has just been expanded by the introduction of the T48 Midiverter, a MIDI-analogue converter responding to pitch, pitchbend and velocity. Tantek say that it's the ideal companion for their Tanrak T45 Digital Sampler-Delay. The Midiverter produces two independent sets of pitch CV and Gate outputs, each adjustable for different makes of synthesiser or CV sampler. Two panel controls adjust the scale of the second CV pitch output and the velocity 'feel', the latter output as another CV. Should an analogue synth not afford access to its VCAs, the Tanrak T46 Fader-Panner can be pressed into service to achieve dynamic control, as well as pitch or velocity controlled stereo positioning.

The Midiverter allows MIDI keyboards or sequencers to control any of the Tanrak CV modules (eg their T59 Infinite Flanger, T55 Modulation Oscillator and T46 Fader-panner) in sympathy with pitch or velocity. FX mixing so that effect depth is proportional to velocity is also possible. An 'auto channel search' facility allows any of the 16 MIDI channels to be easily selected, and user selectable parameters include variable default MIDI channel, continuous or gated velocity CV. highest or last note priority and legato re-triggering. Users can even 'cascade' several Midiverters, affording true polyphonic control of several synths or CV samplers.

Details of all Tanrak equipment from Tantek, (Contact Details).

PAISTE ADD PREMIER POWER

In a move described as 'not a merger or simple distribution arrangement but... a manufacturers' co-operative', two of the great names in percussion, Britain's Premier and Switzerland's Paiste, have joined forces. Since April this year Paiste have been handling Premier's drum and percussion products in Germany and Switzerland, and now Premier are reciprocating, looking after all Paiste cymbals and gongs for the UK. Simultaneously, Paiste have announced what they describe as a 'new cymbal range concept', comprising four separate ranges of cymbals: 3000, 2000, 1000 and 400s, each with its own sound characteristics and at descending price levels.

Explaining the four ranges, Paiste say that their 3000's are 'an advancement beyond the legendary 2002' and that they provide 'an unusually broad frequency range'. They are also claimed to be 'more responsive to your touch'. Paiste 3000 cymbals are also available in their well regarded 'Rude' version and come in the largest range of sizes of any of the four introductions. The 2000s are said to combine the best qualities of the 505 and 2002 types, and provide 'an unusually dynamic cymbal' the makers say. 2000s are available in both standard and Paiste's remarkable 'Colour Sound' finishes. The third new cymbal range from Paiste, the mid-price, 1000 series, is, like the 3000 range, offered in both regular and Rude versions. As with the 2000s, they're claimed to provide a wide dynamic range and have a 'brilliant, concentrated sound energy'. Standard and Rude versions, again, are being offered. At the beginner's level come the 400s, available in standard and Colour Sound versions. These are not only well priced but are said to offer a particularly good sound and appearance for the money.

More on Paiste Cymbals from Premier Percussion, (Contact Details).

NEW FROM FANE

They might have sacked Geoffrey Boycott (utter sacrilege!) but Yorkshire still offers some of the finest around in the shape of Fane Acoustics, whose latest products include a range of co-axial speakers and two new passive crossovers. The new speakers are 12" and 15" 'full range' co-axial types called the CX12 and CX15, and both are claimed to be suited for studio and stage monitoring, keyboard systems and even high quality domestic use. Built on rigid cast alloy chassis and designed so that their fixing holes suit European and US standards, the bass diaphragms use wide, single roll, high compliance PVC edge termination and the constant coverage 60° x 40° HF horn is driven by Fane's new MD2050 compression driver, which is mounted on the bass unit's magnet system.

The bass unit has a low mass 45mm diaphragm with an edgewound aluminium voice coil, and a frequency response of 22 kHz. The Studio CX Models are designed for use in tuned or infinite baffle enclosures, with bass coverage down to 32Hz for the CX15 and 40Hz for CX12. Both models are rated to handle 250 watts. The bass unit from the CX15 is also available on its own (ie minus the horn) in which condition it becomes the 'Studio 15 Monitor Bass'. In this role, Fane tell us, it is suitable for a wide range of applications in both 2 and 3-way systems.

The new Fane Xovers, meanwhile, are both passive types, the HPX7 and HPX8; and although primarily intended to be used along with Fane's new 1" compression driver, they have considerable alternative uses. The HPX7 is a dual section 2-way Xover operating at 2.2kHz, with 12dB HF roll-off and 18dB HF roll-off, with a claimed insertion loss better than 1dB. the unit features six separate resistors which the user can optionally wire in circuit to provide a series of H.F. sensitivities, enabling optimum HF/LF balance to be secured, the HPX7 has a power rating of 250-400 watts depending on the chosen amount of attenuation. The HPX8, meantime, is a 5kHz high pass filter designed for use with Fane's MD2050 driver when used as a tweeter. Roll-off is said to be 18dB per octave. The unit has a power rating of 250 watts.

Fane Acoustics Ltd. can be contacted at (Contact Details).

Full Marx for Martin!

The IT Cat's 'ambitious venture of the year' award goes to Martin Audio and London-based ACS Rentals, for their supply operation in the USSR which will actually involve flying a complete system from gig to gig. The system involved comprises 12 Martin RS1200 Compact Systems, backed up by 10 Martin LE200 Wedge monitors — the conglomeration powerful enough to handle the expected 100,000 seater venues. And who are the lucky Soviets going to be listening to through this ultra-quality rig? The Nolan Sisters, that's who! Hmmmm. More on Martin Audio Ltd. from them at (Contact Details).

Sumo You Gonna Like This!

Catch! The shout caught the Ed's ears and he turned to see what looked like a gigantic suitcase flying straight at his head — run, duck, get out of the way at any cost? He needn't have worried, as the case bounced harmlessly off his back, weighing just under 6lbs despite its huge size.

That first exposure to the fantastic new Sumo instrument case had us hooked, and our guess is that this revolutionary new case will be a common sight among musicians within the next six months. The British made Sumo Case has an amazing capacity — it'll swallow up to 3Us of 19" rack mounting equipment which it cossets against shock, humidity and temperature fluctuations. Constructed from "2" impact polyethelene foam and covered in waterproof nylon, the Sumo weighs 5.9lbs and measures 17.6" x 17.6" x 5.6" (internal) and just 22" x 22" x 10.4" externally. With a heavy-duty lockable zip, carrying handles, document pouch and a stowable shoulder strap the Sumo seems ideal for safe transport of both racked and non-racked equipment. Customised polyester foam liners are also available for gear including mikes, recording machines, video recorders, drum machines, sequencers, samplers, disc drives, effects, computer gear etc. The price? The Sumo has an RRP of £79.35 inc. VAT.

Details from Q-Audio Marketing, (Contact Details).

Fernandes in New Deal — Prices Down 25%

Highly rated Fernandes guitars and basses may be, but their prices have undoubtedly deterred players who've found them prohibitive since their launch over here. The good news, therefore, is that a new distributor (Pete Tulett's P.B.T. Distribution) has just been appointed and that he's announced immediate and very substantial price cuts — up to 25% less in fact! Examples of the new prices include the superb-looking RST40, down from its previous RRP of £341 to a new figure of £264, and the 'Revolver' FR120, dropping from RRP £972 to £725. The carbon graphite necked Revolver bass, meantime, drops from £937 to £725.

Pete Tulett told IN TUNE that he has appointed Nick Odell to set-up every single model sold, so we can be sure of getting good quality instruments professionally adjusted. Nick has some 18 years' experience both making and repairing stringed instruments, and every Fernandes guitar will have his signature on the guarantee card, just to show that he's set it up personally.

More details of Fernandes instruments can be obtained by contacting Pete Tulett at P.B.T. Distribution Co., (Contact Details).

Dynamic Peaveys

Two new up-market vocal quality dynamic mikes have just been announced by Peavey Electronics: the PVM38 and PVM45. The PVM38 offers small size and low weight (7oz.) and has a dual internal pop filter claimed to virtually eliminate wind and breath noise distortions caused by close-up use. The PVM45 has a hypercardioid pickup response pattern and is also said to be suitable for vocal use, the hypercardioid response helping to eliminate unwanted 'bleed' from instruments and backline sound sources.

The two newcomers come complete with external foam pop filters, stand adaptors, tough carrying cases and high quality 25' low impedance cables.

Info from Peavey Electronics (UK) Ltd., (Contact Details).

MOVING MUSIC?

An ingenious new idea for home recording fans is the Trolley Bus from Rosewood House. A Trolley Bus is a mobile storage unit, fitted with 'Easyglide' castors and internally mounted hooks so that spaghetti wiring etc. can be safely contained inside it while the unit is moved around. Two Trolley Bus models are offered, the £99.95 Troubador and the £74.95 Minstrel, both with sufficient room to house a recorder, mixer, outboard equipment and even a small keyboard. If desired, the two models can be linked together to provide a single mobile station for a larger system. Both are supplied in flat packs for home assembly.

The Troubador, measuring 28"(h) x 39½"(w) x 23"(d), comes in a Rosewood finish and offers various accessories including internally connected four-way mains supply extension, a recorder/monitor stand with with gooseneck mike stand, tape storage drawer, cable/headphone tidy hooks, table top music/book stand and more. The smaller Minstrel has two shelves to take outboard equipment, and a large rear-mounted tray to hold spare or stored leads.

More details direct from (Contact Details).

HHB On The Move

Pro-Audio suppliers HHB have just moved home to a new 13,000 sq. ft. site. They can be reached at (Contact Details).

STEPP OUT!

It's here at last — the guitar synthesiser that you can play just like a conventional guitar, that really does work, and which can produce the sounds that you've previously heard only in your dreams — it's the Stepp DG1, it doesn't cost the Earth, it's entirely British and it's available now!

The Stepp DG1 ('Digital Guitar 1') was recently shown to the press at London's Mayfair Recording Studios, where inventor Stephen Randall and Go West's Alan Murphy put the Stepp through its paces before us assembled reptiles — and what paces! It's easy to go over the top about any piece of new technology, and too often true that time shows how over-enthusiastic one's been. But it's hard to contain the excitement generated by the Stepp, and impossible to see it as anything other than the first complete guitar synthesiser — not a MIDI add-on (with those inherent string tracking and note delay problems), not an instrument that demands a new playing technique; just a handsome, high-tech guitar which works as a true synthesiser. Our photo shows the 100% thermoplastic (but wood-feel) Stepp DG1 complete with its LSU1 ('Life Support Unit'). We'll try and explain the package in detail as we heard and saw it demo'd.

The Stepp comprises two fundamental components: the Life Support Unit/guitar stand, and the guitar itself. The LSU contains the synthesiser voice boards, the power supply and communications interface on which the DG1 depends, allowing the instrument itself to have just three simply mastered and understood controls and thereby feel comfortably familiar to any guitarist.

The basis of inventor Stephen Randall's original 1982 concept (later developed at the cost of £1.5 million!) was to design a guitar synth that would play like a guitar, not an instrument that imposed a keyboard player's approach and style on its guitar-familiar user, nor one that had to be plugged in to outboard synths to work. It's that true guitar feel above all else which makes the Stepp so successful. The synth section is fully user programmable, always responding to the individual way in which the guitarist plays but capable of reproducing piano, brass and violin sounds (among many others) just as accurately as a keyboard based synth. Equally to the point, it can sound like an acoustic or electric guitar just as easily, enabling users to switch (as we saw demonstrated) from acoustic guitar through to pure synth sounds with no difficulties. It needs no connected synths or outboard units to do this, of course, as all the required sounds exist inside it and the LSU. In fact you can plug the unit straight into any amp and play it: it's that complete.

Unlike systems where a pickup attempts to scan string vibrations, the Stepp uses an 'intelligent fretted', 'live' neck. These frets detect when a string is in contact with them and also whether or not that string is bent. Because the frets 'read' only contact and not pitch, it doesn't even matter whether the strings are tuned — which is, to say the very least, disconcerting when it first dawns on you! In fact there are two sets of strings on the DG1, the first set terminating at the end of the neck, the second set being those which you pluck. This, and the fact that the Rotosound-produced strings on the demo'd Stepp were all of the same gauge, does create a slightly odd feel, but it's a feature that seems to be quickly accommodated in practice according to players we spoke with who'd used the instrument.

The fret-collected digital data is transmitted instantaneously to the DG1's three computers and thence to the synth voice boards, power supply and communications software which live in the LSU. Moreover, because it's digitally based the Stepp can never go out of tune, even though a full 8 octaves (with programmable tunings) are available. And any of these parameters can be stored in the instrument's 100 item memory locations, so that, as Stepp say, 'an open E tuning with a Blues Strat sound with ascending frets' can be stored and recalled at the touch of a button. Further, the 'tremolo' arm can be set to operate either as a conventional trem or to a variety of pre-set functions, e.g. pitch bend or volume.

Perhaps the real key to why the Stepp works so well lies in its software, developed, apparently, with some 25 man years of brain power, and which emulates the algorithm of a plucked string. It's this that makes the Stepp capable of reproducing all the subtle nuances of a guitarist's individual playing style, providing an expressiveness which no keyboard-operated synth can ever hope to compete with.

The DG1's synthesiser section is fully user-programmable, featuring what Stepp call 'Active Performance Software' which allows players to create synth sounds or patches in accordance with the way in which they play. Being a true synthesiser in its own right, the Stepp doesn't need MIDI to drive an external synth, although a MIDI facility is provided for when the player wants to drive other products. The key point, however, is that the Stepp functions on its own without MIDI, producing superbly 'real' non-guitar sounds without needing to drive an outboard synth to do it. If you want MIDI control it's there, enabling the instrument to be used as a controller or expander for keyboard synths plus synching to drum machines, video and recorders via SMPTE codes; but MIDI isn't vital, which is just as well because MIDI is essentially a keyboard-rooted system which doesn't suit the subtlety of expression possible from a guitar.

The demonstration given at the Mayfair Studios launch (including the presentation to each of us of a real-time recorded demo cassette of what we'd heard the Stepp doing) undoubtedly convinced us all. Now, having had a couple of weeks to digest the demo we saw, we have to conclude that the Stepp DG1 is the way forward for the guitar, capable of doing all that a keyboard-based synth will do and more — especially where those vital guitar-based qualities of 'feel' are concerned.

Don't expect to see the Stepp DG1 on your local retailer's wall as yet. It is available, but so far only direct from the makers, who are understandably up to their ears in coping with the rush demands of pro players. Later on some dealers may have it, but for now any interested readers will need around £3,500 to spend and will have to contact Stepp direct. A lower cost version may come later, likewise dealer stockists; but for the present, the future of the guitar will be coming direct and at a price which (especially when compared with the cost of add-on MIDI units and the synthesisers they need to drive) makes the Stepp seem almost under-priced to our minds.

Hopefully we'll have a review DG1 to try soon. Until then, any guitarist looking to the future should at least avail themselves of the full details of this remarkable instrument, which can be obtained direct from the makers, Stepp Ltd., at (Contact Details).