Music - Prodikeys

Creative, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for PC users, has created and launched the Prodikeys. The first integrated music and PC keyboard, Creative Prodikeys caters to anyone who wishes to play, learn and create music in a fun and entertaining way.

"The Creative Prodikeys is an innovative and revolutionary product that brings a new dimension to interactive music entertainment," said Sim Wong Hoo, CEO of Creative. "We would love to equip every home and school PC with a Creative Prodikeys. We have combined our music and audio expertise to create an affordable, fun and easy interactive way to learn and play music for the mass market."

This unique and revolutionary interactive keyboard is a standard, 104-key PC keyboard with 37 touch-sensitive MIDI keys embedded. The included Creative Prodikeys software allows anyone with or without a musical background-novice or professional-to play, learn and create outstanding quality music quickly and easily. While in "Learn" mode, users can even learn to play a song in five simple lessons. Intelligent Chord Accompaniment will fill in the right chords and a full orchestral band when playing a melody with just one hand. With Creative Prodikeys, users can even record and save their performances in MP3 to send to family and friends.

Creative Prodikeys can be connected easily to any desktop PC via the standard PS/2 port. The Prodikeys' design allows it to fit comfortably onto the user's desktop without taking up additional space, making it convenient to work and play music on the PC.

Features & Benefits

# Integrated music and PC keyboard for playing, learning and creating music easily on the PC.
# 104-key standard PC keyboard.
# Music keyboard with 37 touch-sensitive keys, "Fun" button, volume control, pitch bend wheel and an ergonomic wrist rest.
# Realistic audio quality of up to 128 different musical instruments and effects-change the instrument, tempo, or rhythm with the touch of a button.

Bundled software features four modes designed for learning and playing music easily:

# Impress mode: Play impressively even without musical background.
# Penta Tunes for playing a tune with the 5-tone scale and matching rhythm, effects and instrumental fill-ins.
# Fun Tunes' Professional Deejay mixes for creating impressive music grooves just by holding down the music keys.
# Learn mode: Learn to play at your own pace.
# Easy Play mode: Play with full orchestral accompaniment using just one hand.
# Perform mode: Perform in style and produce your own music.
# Customize your own performance settings with chords, instruments, rhythms, tempos, etc.
# Record and save your performance in WAV, MIDI or MP3 files.
# Import a MIDI or sequence file for multi-track recording.

100 different music styles under 10 categories: Ballad, Slow Ballad, Pop, Dance, Rock & Roll, Old Latin, Modern Latin, Jazz, World Music and Folk.

# Compose and sequence your own music with other MIDI sequencing software.
# Works with any desktop PC (Pentium 233MHz or higher and standard PS/2 port).
# Can be combined with Creative's award-winning Sound Blaster® audio cards to experience excellent, realistic sound quality of a wide range of musical instruments and sound effects right at the PC.

The Yamaha RS7000

The Yamaha RS7000 is without doubt the most intuitive, musically powerful, easy to use integrated sampling sequencer ever to hit the market. It boasts every feature required for producing professional quality dance grooves in a single box, a truly hands on approach to music making, a combination of integrating loops and samples, over 1000 onboard synth voices, 63 drum kits and 6 filter types and 18 assignable knobs allowing you to bend and twist your way to dancefloor fame with the minimum of fuss.

According to the highly influential DJ magazine, the Yamaha RS7000 "...will go down in modern music making history, pushing the boundaries of live / DJ performance. It features just about every conceivable thing you could possibly need for professional level dance music production in a single box, it also an awesome desktop studio."

Building pro tracks couldn't be easier, MIDI and audio can be seamlessly integrated, sample scan easily imported from a variety of formats, brand new loops and phrases can be created from original samples or even the internal sounds can be re-sampled for total creative flexibility.

The 18 assignable knobs and pads provide real time control over sounds,
samples and MIDI sequences.

The RS7000 brings all aspects of professional music making together in one easy to use creative tool. Everything you need for professional level music production particularly in dance, techno, Hip Hop , R&B and ambient styles.

Probably the most powerful and unique aspect of the RS7000 is its ability easily mix audio and MIDI data. The 4-Mb of onboard sampling memory is expandable to a massive 64MB. New loops and phrases can simply be created using a variety of sources, samples, internal sequenced sounds. The integrated sequencer automatically breaks the samples down into discrete parts based on amplitude peaks and generates a corresponding MIDI sequence.

Audio beats of differing tempos can then be synchronised and processed with unique features and tools such as theg rid groove function.

The 6 distinct types of onboard filters include phat, resonant low pass, band pass and high pass - all easily controllable with a sophisticated multi-stage envelope. Advanced LFO modulation capabilities include numerous BPM synchronised waveforms plus a number of user programmable waves allowing easy creation of unique BPM synchronised effects.

The onboard recording functions offer 16 sections of 16 tracks each, and a 200,000 note-per-song linear sequencer. The RS7000 features advanced editing functions and patterns can be auditioned in real time.

The RS700 is the ultimate boys toy for pro music production and according to DJ magazine is "an awesome addition to live DJ performance".

Yamaha RM1x

Are you a live remixer/producer? Do you work in a studio and demand that the session runs smoothly? Are you fed up with sequencers that have the timing capabilities of a sundial? Does the term General Protection Fault ring any bells? Praying for the day you can make some serious music on a device not designed to do word processing? Say hello to Yamaha s new box of tricks, as your prayers have been answered!

Start playing the new RM1x Sequence Remixer from Yamaha, and you won t be able to tear yourself away. This is no ordinary sequencer. It s a tweakable, playable music gener-ator with remarkable editing and performance features that take you into new realms of sequencing heaven. You ll be amazed at how easy it is to create and perform tunes that never drop a beat (unless you tell them to).

As a sequencer, the RM1x extends on the features found in Yamaha s acclaimed QY700. You get 700 onboard voices, 960 aggressive preset patterns (with room for 800 user pat-terns), and up to 16 full tracks of sound.

But what s best about the RM1x is the way you can control editing and realtime performance by playing the user panel. The 16-key microkeyboard makes it easy to build great sequences, and lets you switch patterns instantly during realtime performance (And it won't crash with a general protection fault in the middle of a gig!) The 8 realtime control knobs give you dynamic control of the sound on each track, and can be reassigned on-the-fly. The large number of buttons and controls invite experimentation, and reward you with a remarkable stream of driving, swinging, ever-changing pattern and song play.

Of course there s even more. Like great visual feedback from an large backlit LCD, a four-digit beat counter, 32 flashy LED indicators, and excellent MIDI support that lets you input sync signals and control an external sampler or tone generator. Plus SMF support to ensure compatibility with your crash prone PC should you want it!

Oh... and a built-in floppy drive for easy data saving and loading.

Realtime Control of Play Effects

Control play effects on each track in real time during performance simply by turning the control knobs. For example, use TIME STRETCH to gradually change your bass-drum tempo from 4 beats to 8 beats. No need to go into editing mode or to use the cursor.

Realtime Grid Grooves

This features lets you control the groove at 16th-note intervals in real time. Use this feature to con-trol Note Offset, Clock Shift, Gatetime Offset, and Velocity Offset during performance. The Note Offset groove, in particular, gives you the same kind of phrase composition offered by analog step sequencers.

Realtime Voice Editing

Control cutoff, resonance, EG-decay, pitch-bend, and more in real time.

Large Backlit LCD

A large backlit LCD with great graphical displays for editing, setup, and performance monitoring. Four dedicated dials allow for rapid, intuitive data entry.

Mute Memory Use

this feature to memorize groups of tracks that you need to mute. You can apply or release the mute for each group at the press of a button. Sections Each style consists of 16 patterns, or sections ("A" to "P"). You can switch sections on-the-fly simply by pressing the corresponding section key (on the microkeyboard). You can also select whether switching occurs on the nearest 16th note or on the next full measure.

Sequencer

A full 16-track sequencer with resolution of 1/480 quarter note. You can use the LCD to view the event list, to control mixing, and more. The internal FDD lets you save your sequences in SMF format.

Arpeggiator

The RM1x arpeggiator produces some very cool arpeggios. And you can make them even cooler by adding play effects and grid grooves. And again, you can control the arpeggios in real time.

MIDI

With ample MIDI support, the RM1x can control playback from an external tone gener-ator or sampler, and can synchronize with the MIDI clock of an external sequencer or with MTC (MIDI time code) from multitrack recorder such as the Yamaha MD8.

Roland SP-808EX emix

The original SP-808 was a classic Roland product that offered something that no-one had thought of before. A ZIP disk based hard disk recording workstation with a powerhouse effects unit bolted on, and innovative real time performance features such as the D-beam and an onboard mono-synth. The dance fraternity, who went straight for the classic Roland filters and blistering scope of the effects, particularly took the product to heart.

We now unveil the latest revision of the SP-808, the SP-808 emix studio, which builds on the concept of the 808 but takes it into a new direction. The SP-808 is such a unique product that its uses do not stop with the dance scene. We envisage the SP-808EX sitting in a wide variety of situations, from post-production work to theatre, adopted by live radio and software houses alike.

To help achieve this vision, the capacity of the ZIP drive has been increased to 250M and the amount of onboard effects has been increased by 50%, to 150 preset and 150 user algorithms. Innovative effect algorithms such as a Vocoder and guitar based effects means that the SP-808EX is at home in a variety of applications.

Further versatility is provided by the addition of an OP-2 expansion board, which offers SCSI, Coaxial and optical digital in and out, as well as four XLR track output connectors. Of course, all the original features such as the D-beam and on board mono-synth [and those blistering effects] are still present. The rethink doesn't stop "under the bonnet" either, since the SP-808EX now comes in a translucent casing, allowing you to see into the heart of the machine.

Quote: "Another dance favourite gets upgraded and broadens its horizons at the same time. Software houses, for example, can use this as an excellent tool for speech scripting in their games, and theatres will benefit from its portability, without compromising on quality. A future classic!"

Alesis airFX

Alesis Studio Electronics introduces airFX, an innovative musical device that processes incoming audio or generates sound effects in reaction to movement. airFX features 50 quality-preset programs that modify any audio signal from CDs and vinyl to live performance in real time. While the performance-oriented nature and high-quality effects of the product appeal to DJs, remix engineers and musicians, airFX is simple enough to be enjoyed by anyone who wants to make their own music.

airFX is the first product from Alesis to incorporate patent-pending Axyz (pronounced ax-is) technology. Developed by co-founder and CEO of Alesis, Keith Barr, Axyz technology consists of an infrared beam that can be manipulated in three dimensions, along the X, Y and Z axis. Using triangulation, up to five different parameters can be controlled in each preset program.

Designed to draw more people into the world of making music, airFX is easy to operate because 'playing' it is largely based on human intuition. According to Barr, "The exciting thing about airFX is that anyone can play it - from the avid music buff who has never touched or played an instrument to the club DJ who's looking for a new sound to set him apart. Virtually anyone who wants to be part of the musical process now has the power to make music themselves and they'll find out how truly fun it is. Kids can simply hook it up to a stereo in their bedrooms, wave their hands and they've made new music. airFX makes the process seem almost magical."

airFX eliminates the learning curve associated with playing a traditional instrument or learning a piece of audio gear and provides immediate gratification. The simple interface consists of a single knob, which is used to select, engage, by-pass, freeze, and release a given effect, and an LCD that indicates the current program. 'Playing' airFX involves pressing the knob to engage the effect and then moving a hand through the invisible infrared sphere to create sounds or to alter the incoming audio signal.

The 50 preset programs include effects like panning, flanging, pitch shifting, and resonance filtering. airFX offers a host of other esoteric digital signal processing effects that include programs like Vinylizer(tm) a scratchy vinyl simulator, and a scratching effect that emulates the sound of 'rocking' a vinyl record as it plays on a turn-table. airFX also features real Sub-harmonic synthesis (which creates low frequency harmonics for very low bass sounds), vocoding, synthesizer and percussion/effect sounds. airFX program names include: Haunted Landscape, Gender Bender, Decimator, SunSpot, Tokyo Phase, Percolator, Overdrive, Psychofase, Ghost Flange, Phasors on Stun, Pitch Transporter, Snake Bite and Bow Wow.

One of the first Alesis products to feature the company's new industrial design, the unit also features stereo RCA inputs and outputs, a frequency range of 20Hz-20kHz, 24-bit converters and ships with a 9-volt DC external power supply. Alesis Corporation manufactures a full line of professional audio and musical instrument products capitalizing on its strengths in digital, analog, vacuum tube and transducer technologies. From groundbreaking ADAT digital recording technology to innovations in keyboard technology, Alesis delivers revolutionary product solutions to the music and audio production industries.

Sonic Foundry Acid Software

ACID PRO 2.0

ACID PRO 2.0 is the revolutionary, loop-based music production software that offers musicians and media professionals unprecedented creative flexibility. Its simple and elegant "paint and play" interface helps you create custom, royalty-free music in minutes. Use ACID PRO's multi-genre library of over 400 professionally-recorded loops, or those you create yourself. Preview loops against your song in real time, without ever worrying about matching tempos ACID PRO does it all for you. Click and drag to add or delete loops within an unlimited number of tracks. To assure the perfect mix every time, adjust the volume, pan, and effects for each track. And, with DirectX Plug-In compatibility, save precious time and revisions by previewing effects before you apply them. Generate and chase MIDI Time Code for use with your favorite MIDI software. ACID PRO also supports multiple audio outputs and multiple sound cards.

ACID Music 2.0

Express your musical creativity with unprecedented ease and flexibility with ACID Music 2.0. ACID Music is the perfect and affordable software solution for creating original, royalty-free music quickly and easily. Create music in any style imaginable with its multi-genre loop library containing over 600 loops. "Paint" your music without messing with MIDI, complicated sequencers, or musical instruments. Enhance each individual track with great-sounding effects that are sophisticated yet simple to use. After you're finished with your tune, burn it to CD with ACID Music's Track-at-Once CD burning, export to MP3, or publish online to ACIDplanet.com.

ACID DJ 2.0

If you want to create pounding, heart-racing, original dance music on a budget, look no further than ACID DJ 2.0. It's the perfect software-even if you're new to digital music creation. You won't need lessons to discover how exciting it is to create intense house, techno, industrial, and trip-hop music that's sure to make people move. Music creation couldn't be simpler ... just select a drum beat and paint it in. Add bass, phat analog sounds, pulsating synth lines, DJ scratching, and more-effortlessly. We give you over 700 great-sounding dance loops to choose from-all professionally recorded and royalty free. The loops you choose work together automatically because ACID "beat matches" tempo and pitch. Once you're done with your tune, save to MP3, RM, or WMA. Publish to ACIDplanet.com or stream it on your own Web site. The world will be your stage!

Roland BR-8 Multi-Track Hard Disk Recorder

The hugely popular Roland VS-840 provided a low cost introduction to 8-track hard-disk recording, wielding a dedicated guitar input as well as widely available, inexpensive storage. Incredibly well received, its combination of low price and diverse, really useable effects ensured it found favour with thousands of guitarists across the world.

The BR-8 looks set to repeat this success, being designed from the ground up to be highly intuitive and easy to use, as well as being the most inexpensive way of getting that top quality BOSS sound. The BR-8 assumes no knowledge of the recording process, allowing you to get on with what matters most - your music.

But the simplicity ends there, since the BR-8 is host to a plethora of powerful features simply unheard of in a product at that this price. Any guitar based recording product needs powerful effects, and the BR-8 provides classic COSM based effects modelling which catapults your sound into a league of its own. Guitar amp simulation, bass modelling, acoustic, vocal transformation, multi effects and an equaliser are all present and correct, and because the BR-8 is a truly digital machine, the only time you'll hear a grainy sound is when you ASK for it.

A phrase trainer is provided for you to practice at half speed without affecting the pitch of the music, whilst a dedicated on-board backing track provides the rhythm to guide you without eating into your hard disk space. A built-in chromatic tuner ensures that you stay in perfect pitch wherever you go, and when you are ready to record your work, the optical digital output means that poorly recorded demos will be a thing of the past.

Homemix DJ System

Stop 10 kids in the street today and many of them will be aware of the international stardom that follows such names as 'Fat Boy Slim', 'Pete Tong' or 'Roger Sanchez'. Now many of these youngsters themselves aspire to be the next superstar DJ's, and instead of playing air guitars and singing into their hair brushes, can be seen mimicking strange wrist movements - which no doubt mean that they are mixing.

This sudden rise in fame of the humble DJ to the dizzy heights of pop status is a far cry from the good old days when they were on the same level as glass collectors. There now exists a need for products that can feed this hungry audience, allowing them to cut their teeth and master the skills necessary to make that million.

The Homemix DJ system from Acoustic Solutions taps directly into this vein of energy, and provides the first level of DJ tools required to start along this rocky road to stardom.

Styled for the street, the Homemix is the first DJ product that crosses the boundaries between consumer electronics and the Pro Audio sector.

This product will be sold in national high street shops not normally associated with DJ type products, and also in the traditional Pro Audio stores. The level of functionality that the Homemix offers is unsurpassed, and provides all necessary facilities to start DJ'ing at under £200.

The system is based around a twin CD mixing package that offers pitch control to allow beat matched mixing. A comprehensive mixing desk is included, and an amplifier is built in. With the addition of a mic channel and a split cueing facility, the Homemix gives the aspiring DJ everything required to start performing.

Available from mid October, the Homemix DJ system has already created quite a stir, and will no doubt feature on many Christmas lists this year. The first 5000 Homemix's will come complete with SP1 monitor speakers, headphones and mic free of charge. Also some lucky Homemix owners will find a fun camera inside the box, send in photos of you in the mix, and you could be the next face of Homemix.

Roland EF-303

The EF-303 is a stand alone effects processor that has been designed to allow DJ's/Producers to take their performance to another level via use of an innovative series of effects.

Eleven of these effects can be synchronised to BPM and a turntable can be plugged into the unit directly, allowing for easy integration into a DJ set. This, combined with a BPM counter, as well as a MIDI Start/Stop function, means that you can drive a MIDI compatible sequencer or Groovebox quite easily, allowing you to use your own material as part of the performance.

A 16-part step modulator, complete with 16 memories, allows construction of complex motion effect sequences that just aren't possible using conventional methods such as knob tweaking. A monophonic synthesiser is included, controlled via the step modulator, providing the opportunity to write your own basslines in time with the records on the decks.

The Grab switch from the DJ-2000/1000/MC-307 has been included to allow the introduction of effects rhythmically in time with the music.

Roland HPD-15 Electronic Hand Percussion

The Roland HPD-15 Hand Sonic is an electronic hand percussion multi pad with incredible triggering capabilities based on V-drum technology. The HPD-15 comprises of a 10" pad which is divided into 15 parts allowing the hand percussionist to play up to 15 sounds simultaneously.

Real-time controls surround the pads, including the fantastic D Beam and two ribbon controllers, providing the percussionist with the opportunity to personalize almost anyone of the 300 on board sounds. The sounds cover a huge range including Latin, African, Indian/Middle east, Dance, Orchestral and SFX but to name a few. There is a built in pressure sensor enabling the player to perform muting and pitch bending of the on boards sounds.

Additionally, Roland have ensured that the positional sensing is so good that it can produce even the most subtle of timbre changes. On top of all that, the HPD-15 boasts a built in sequencer to help when you wish to practice, as well as recording real time performances, when you are feeling especially creative.

Clearly then, a truly impressive and powerful addition for any drummer, regardless of his choice of technology, and an additional step into a very innovative area of the marketplace for Roland.

Quote: "Expression, 'feel', 'touch' (timing!!) are all integral to getting the best performance from a drummer. It is even more critical when using percussion to use those skills. Well for the first time drummers and percussionist have now got a one box solution for all their percussion needs; and to help them we've added a few electronic surprises that will make them want to keep going and never put it down."

Dance eJay 3

Dance eJay 3 has hit the shelves, turning thousands of PC's across the UK in to a virtual mixing desk and bedrooms in to recording studios. Dubbed 'The Club Machine', Dance eJay 3 is the long awaited successor to the best selling Dance eJay 2 and with a list of new and enhanced features as long as your arm and a price tag of just 29.99.

With a tough act to follow, eJay has been working overtime to ensure Dance eJay 3 meets the expectations of the army of eJayers across the world. Users will instantly feel at home with the easy to use interface, a signature for all eJay products, but will quickly find that Dance eJay 3 is the 'next generation' in every way the software boasts an amazing 5,000 original and royalty free samples and features that includes a 32 track sound mixer and for the first time a Sequence Generator.

With generous enhancements in every area, aspiring DJ's and producers only need a PC to create a professional dance track in perfect CD quality. Dance eJay 3 comes complete with 32 tracks each with panorama control, exclusive sounds and loops in hi-fi stereo quality, FX studio, music animator, drum computer (with 500 drum samples) and the latest incarnation of the eJay Groove Generator.

All features are designed to give total creative freedom over users music production. The enhanced FX studio allows sounds to be extensively processed and is compatible with any WAV file or recorded voices and sounds, which can then be manipulated to form new samples using the much-anticipated Sequence Generator. The 10-band equalizer adjusts samples to fit the mix and the Wave Editor means tracks can be processed or cut with no loss of quality. If more sounds are needed the package includes a Web button which connects users to www.eJay.co.uk where they can download from the sound archive using a drag and drop interface. Also available at the site eJay NetRadio, free MP3's, dance music news, exclusive DJ mixes and much more.

The Music Animator has become a firm favourite in the latest wave of eJay releases, which brings the tune to life and completes the production. During playback effects can be accessed at will, colour modified and the whole thing can be exported as a standard .AVI file.

Once again eJay has come up with the goods with the most feature packed product of its kind. Leaving its nearest rivals standing, its little wonder that eJay is Europe's leading interactive dance music brand.

Features at a glance

32 track sound mixer
Time stretcher
Enhanced FX studio
Web connection
5,000 exclusive and royalty free samples
Drum computer (including 500 drum loops)
Music Animator
eJay booster
10 band equalizer
Groove Generator 3
Sequence Generator
Wave Editor
Easy to use interface

Roland MC 307 Groovebox

The MC-307 blurs the boundaries between DJing and playing your own music as part of a DJ set. Building on the success of the sound engine of the acclaimed MC-505, the MC-307 takes the pattern-based sequencing pioneered by the original MC-303 in 1996, and steers it in an entirely new direction.

The first look at the MC-307 will tell you that this product is aimed squarely at DJs, with the ubiquitous pitch control slider on the right hand side, as well as push and nudge buttons, which have been designed to emulate the operation of a turntable. This makes mixing in tracks from a live source so intuitive and familiar, that you will treat the MC-307 as a third record deck, only one that's playing your music.

User operation has been completely revamped from the MC-505, and confusing sub menus have been totally eliminated, leaving an easy-to-use operating system, which lets you get straight to the heart of the matter...writing the music.

Another new feature is the grab function, brought in from the acclaimed DJ-2000 mixer, and allows the user to rhythmically switch the effects in and out of the performance at will, which is perfect for timing those flangers to perfection.

Also making a debut appearance is the isolator function, which strips out the mid, low or top end of the music, perfect for those atmospheric build-ups. From a technical point of view, the MC-307 offers 64-voice polyphony, 24 different multi-effects, over 800 sounds [double the wave memory the MC-505] and 40 different drum kits, including genre-defining appearances from the TR-808 and 909 series.

A new mode of recording, TR-rec, emulates the step input mode of the original 808 and 909 for added authenticity, This is the natural evolution of the Roland Groovebox project, and the most balanced yet. Since most Grooveboxes sold by Roland end up gigging in the clubs, this represents our most ambitious move yet, allowing DJs to start producing their music, while staying in a familiar, non confusing environment.

Quote: "The 307, for me, highlights the future of music production. I love the concept of a DJ turning up to play a set, plugging a 307 into the mixer, between the decks and blending their own material into the mix. DJ set or live PA? Both. More scope then cutting an acetate, but just as immediate"

Tag McLaren F1-600

The F1 -600M single-channel (monobloc) amplifier is designed to a performance level matching the stunning F1 AvantGarde loudspeaker, which audio reviewers world-wide regard as one of the best speakers available. It will be able to drive any loudspeaker to high levels for extended periods.

Power output is conservatively rated at 300W rms into 8 Ohms, 600W rms into 4 Ohms, 1000W rms into 2 Ohms and o massive 17QOW (IHF burst) into 1 Ohm, combined with very high reliability and full protection against any mishap.

The F1 -600M is a balanced output architecture design, this approach drives both output terminals with signals in anti-phase, increasing the slew rate, reducing noise and dramatically reducing susceptibility to external electrical fields both internally and in loudspeaker cables.

The F1-600M has one of the most accurate quiescent current controls ever implemented. This stabilises quiescent current against output level and load changes, mains voltage changes and ambient temperature changes which can all moke significant differences to performance from hour to hour as well as from one room or abode to another.

The output devices are bipolar iunction transistors chosen for maximum linearity, in terms of sustained current gain at high collector currents. The advanced MT-200 package used gives a greater degree of heat transfer than the traditional T03. This reduces Iunction temperatures for greater reliability and reduces dynamic temperature change.

The TAG McLaren Audio Straight-Line Technology concept, where LF bandwidth definition and DC control are implemented by o servo system rather than series capacitors, is fully implemented in the power amplifier sections

A single ended and a balanced input are standard, the advanced CAST (Current Audio Signal Transmission) interface is available as an option. All inputs are switchable manually or by remote control. Switching is implemented as a 10 millisecond cross-fade rather than an abrupt cut, eliminating clicks and spurious transients.

The single ended RCA phono input uses an unusually high input impedance without compromise of noise performance, the input is via a high quality, heavily gold-plated, RCA phono socket with PTFE insulation. The balanced input is via a metal-bodied XLR connector with gold-plated contacts. The input draws on professional practices to give a high degree of common-mode relection.

A 'ground lift' switch has been added to allow disconnecting the amplifier's audio ground from the chassis safety ground to enable difficult ground-loop problems to be dealt with correctly and safely.

The inclusion of the TAGtronic Communication Bus allows for future expansion of facilities, such as multi-room and room automation, and field upgrades (even via the Internet using a PC) as all of the F1-600M'a firmware is stored on a re-programmable memory device. Firmware upgrades will be available from the TAG McLaren Audio website or from authorised TAG McLaren Audio retailers.

The Minipod

Is is an alien egg case? A robotic snowman? No, it's actually the Minipod speaker from Blueroom Loudspeakers.

Blueroom Loudspeakers are launching eight new and exciting finishes in the Minipod speaker. The Lucente Minipod and omnimount wall bracket in transparent cobalt blue and translucent anthracite - as seen on the set of the Big Breakfast, is part of the new range to be launched 21st 'September at Live 2000.

Blueroom are also unveiling the Minipod Bass-Station prototype, the ultimate Minipod accessory! The Minipod reproduces the most refined 100 watts of pure sound you'll ever hear. Innovative and stylish, this speaker is a new concept with a new dimension. Out goes the black square box and in comes an aurally stimulating and visually stunning object d'art. Available in a range of metallic and matt finishes, the Minipod lends a stylish touch to any interior.

Yamaha DJXIIB

Have you ever listened to Fatboy Slim, Phats & Small, Judge Jules and thought "I wish I could do that". Well, now's your chance, with the Yamaha DJXIIB making your own dance tracks has never been so much fun and affordable. It's all there for you, all you need is an idea!

Whether you're a garage purist, a progressive house head, trance tiger or drum n' bass basher the DJXIIB from YAMAHA is all you need to start making funk-ridden beats and mesmerising dance grooves. This new concept in music making with its on-board scratchpad, samples, filters and patterns is worthy of any dancefloor or bedroom. It's a brilliant way to get started in music and features many sophisticated, yet easy to use functions normally associated with dear used bv pro-DJ's.

Priced at 199, it will appeal to wannabe DJ's and more accomplished groovemeisters alike. Create hundreds of your own great tracks with consummate ease by tapping, pushing, sliding a scratching! The DJXIIB is a doddle to use, modelled on a 12" record flightcase it looks fantastic with it's heavy duty corners, it's big buttons, faders and scratchpad ensure intuitive operation of all functions.

Looks are only skin deep so this box is crammed with the best of today's sounds, grooves and samples and no doubt some of tomorrows!

The 70 on-board patterns can be modified in real time using the filter and resonance controls and up to II separate effects including ring modulation, flanger, slicer and delay can be applied. Switching and mixing between patterns and samples couldn't be easier with the big central fader. There are plenty of samples to choose from covering virtually every type of scratch, sample and effect. The onboard patterns have been developed in association with some of Europe's top programmers and DJ's.

No extra gear is required, DJXIIB comes fully loaded with a stereo speaker system which can of course be connected to external (louder!) systems and the console is fully MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) compatible for use with computers and other equipment.

When Yamaha introduced the original keyboard based DJX in 1998 it caused a sensation and now it's back. Louder, meaner, fatter and funkier then ever before.

The original DJX introduced a whole new generation of people to music making and the DJXIIB is set to grab the imagination of anybody who has dreamed of following in the footsteps of their clubbing heroes.

Yamaha music production products are the choice of many of the most popular and influential pioneers of today's dance scene and DJXIIB is based around many of the key features of Yamaha's proproducts.