As we come to the close of 1985 we must say goodbye to our old friends the mechanical tape counter, to the chinagraph pencil and the twelve-inch ruler, for 1986 will be 'the year of the synchroniser' and such simplistic means of finding a place on tape will be laid to rest leaving your hands free to pick up the latest brochures about the new Fostex Synchronisers.

From a company who have no history of making digital watches, comes what promises to be three of the most exciting time pieces of the new year! The Model 4030 Synchroniser is a SMPTE timecode based generator/reader which supports 24, 25, 30 fps and drop frame all with a resolution of 1/100th of a frame, and spends its life synchronising audio or video tape machines. To get the best out of the synchroniser, the Model 4035 Controller is available and offers features such as full transport control with 10 position autolocate, selectable pre-roll of up to 99 seconds, programmable punch-in/out and individual transport control of one master and three slave machines.

Taking things a step further is the Model 4050 Synchroniser/Autolocator which combines the world of SMPTE timecode with MIDI and allows you to sync MIDI instruments to tape. The built-in autolocator provides full transport control and enables cycling between programmed cue points and movement of the bar measure of a MIDI sequencer or drum machine to the new location. The 4050 also incorporates its own internal memory for MIDI information which would otherwise be stored in a sequencer, and finally you can interface the 4050 with a microcomputer to store complex edit decision lists. The Fostex Synchronisers are soon to be released in the UK and further information is available from (Contact Details)

The very latest low-cost stereo digital reverb from Alesis, the XT:c, is due into the country this December.

Based on the comments of XT owners, Alesis have made several improvements that add more flexibility to the front panel controls. Bandwidth remains the same at 14kHz, as does the dynamic range at 90dB, but parameters such as predelay (which was fixed on the original XT) are now continuously variable up to a maximum of 250ms. The High Frequency cut has now also appeared as a variable control which affects top end response from 14kHz down to 3kHz.

In the program department the new XT: c has four basic types each with a selectable modification to extend the total number of programs to eight. These include: small room, large hall, plate, huge space, forward gated effect and reverse reverb. Add to that the new infinite hold facility and stereo input and that just about sums it up. (Contact Details)

Digital effects seem to be the direction in which many equipment companies are heading and Lexicon are no exception. The new PCM 70 is an effects processor/digital reverb that features dynamic MIDI control of every parameter, be it delay time, feedback, wet-dry mix, filtering, room size etc. All parameters can be assigned to vary with key velocity, pressure or after-touch from a suitable MIDI keyboard and each setting stored in memory.

The 'Soft' control knob on the front panel enables you to call up different parameters in the display window for editing and memory assignment. With a total of 90 programmable memory locations, the PCM 70 is shipped with 40 preprogrammed effects which include chorus, echo, multiband delay, resonant chords, infinite and conventional reverb.

Spec-wise the Lexicon accepts a mono input and generates a stereo output with a 15kHz bandwidth and 80dB dynamic range. The arrival of the PCM 70 does not affect the established PCM 60 which will continue in production and we are told, be reduced in price early in the new year. (Contact Details)

There's no chance of hiding an ace up your sleeve when it's as large as the new ACES B1816 range of mixers.

Designed for those who have a budget in mind, the mixer features 18 input channels with all the usual facilities like 4-band EQ (2 with sweep), 6 auxiliaries, 16-track monitoring and grouping. The B1816 comes in an expandable frame which allows a further 4 channels to be added at a later date. (Contact Details)

Musical instrument amplifiers are often as much a part of any recording set-up as they are for live work. Dynacord are now in full production with their new Reference Series 500 and 1000 amplifiers which offer the rather interesting facility of MIDI control... Yes, guitar/ keyboard amplifiers with MIDI!

Available in three design formats, you have a choice of either a standard Combo with 12" speaker, stand-alone amp top or more interestingly for studio control room use, a 19" rack-mounted version. This is probably the first rack-mounted valve amplifier there has been and shows an acute awareness on Dynacord's part of how individuals and studios record instruments.

Each style of amplifier is available in the Reference 500 (65 watt) or Reference 1000 (120 watt) version and all incorporate 4-band EQ, spring reverb and master volume control.

The MIDI side of these amplifiers allow 16 different front panel settings to be stored in memory to give instant access to 'sounds' for either live or studio use. Further applications of MIDI include the ability to have a MIDI controllable effect such as echo or reverb automatically switch settings when you select a new program memory on the amplifier. The usefulness of these facilities within a studio environment are certainly worth thinking about. (Contact Details)