STUDIO

STUDIOSOUNDAND BROADCAST ENGINEERINGJune 1989Volume 31 Number 6ISSN 0144 5944EDITORIALEditor: Keith Spencer -AllenAssistant Editor: Julian MitchellCo- ordinating Editor: Ann HoranProduction Assistant: Guy CracknellSecretary: Elaine SweeneyConsultant: Sam WiseColumnists: Barry Fox, Martin Polon (US)Regular Contributors:Janet Angus David HastilowJames Betteridge Mike LethbyMike Collins David MellorBen Duncan Terry NelsonDave Foister Francis RumseyNeil Grant Patrick StapleyYasmin Hashmi John WoodgateADVERTISEMENTSAdvertisement Manager: Steve GriceDisplay Sales: Shane DuffyClassified Sales: Peter MoylanCopy Controller: Eileen McKeonSecretary: Dawn BoultwoodCIRCULATIONCirculation and Development Manager:Colin EndersonControlled Circulation Manager:Sally WhiteEnquiries: See classified advertisementDirector: Doug ShuardAssociate Publisher: Steve HaysomEDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICESLink House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA,UKTel: 01 -686 2599Telex: 947709E -mail: 78:DGS1071IMC: STUDIOSOUND-UK/USFax: 01 -760 0973AMERICAN OFFICEPublishing Services Manager: Fred VegaStudio Sound, 2 Park Avenue, 18th Floor,New York, NY 10016, USATel: (212) 779 -1212Fax: (212) 213 -3484JAPAN & FAR EAST AGENTContact: Mikto TsuchiyaMedia Sales Japan Inc, Tamuracho Bldg 3 3 14,Shimbashi, Minato -Ku, Tokyo, JapanTel: (03) 504 -1925Telex: J25666Fax: (03) 595 -1709O Link House Publications plc 1989 allrights reservedPrinted in England by Lawrence -Allen Ltd,Gloucester Street, Weston -super -Mare, AvonBS23 1TBcttA LINK HOUSEPUBLICATIONStudio Sound and Broadcast Engineeringincorporates Sound International and BeatInstrumentalStudio Sound is published on the second Friday ofthe month preceding the cover date. Themagazine is available on a rigidly controlledrequested basis, only to qualified personnel (seeclassified advertisement for terms)ABCMEMBER OF THE AUDITBUREAU OF CIRCULATIONSTotal average net circulation of 19,564 per issueduring 1988.UK: 5,675. Overseas: 13,889.(ABC audited)Cover: Photography by Roger PhillipsHappy Birthday to us!Following our front cover, you have little excuse for not realising that we are now 30years old. In fact, we reached that age some months ago but decided to delay anycelebration until a more suitable moment -February is not really conducive tomerriment.An anniversary is just an arbitrary point in time that is dictated by a choice ofunits and as such really has no value in itself except as a yardstick for longevity.After 30 years we have a wealth of memories to draw upon but they reside within thepages of the magazine's history. We have no one on the staff from those early days ofThe Tape Recorder and our understanding of the magazine at that time rests solely onperusing our office library of back issues.I first came across The Tape Recorder in mid 1967 when the magazine was justeight. The content was quite different from the current magazine and seemed toreflect the cottage industry nature of the recording business at that point in time. Itwas orientated far more towards those building their own equipment and there was astrong element of the hobbyist approach. But it was like that then!It wasn't until 1970 that the metamorphosis into Studio Sound was complete. The'70s saw an explosion in the scale of the recording industry both on the facilities andthe manufacturing sides. It was no longer necessary to build your own equipment -there was probably someone you could buy it from. The ever -lengthening time it tookto complete recordings led to a rapid escalation in the number of studios. For examplein '72 it was still possible to sit down and work out where all the multitrack tapemachines in the UK were -adding up to under 40 16 -track and above.The '80s saw the trend continuing but with the addition of the return of thehobbyist element as improvements in technology put seriously spec'ed equipment intothe hands of the musician and enthusiast and we saw the rise of the home studio (thatgrew into a major trend as well as a total misnomer). There were also other ways ofmaking and `recording' music that totally bypassed the traditional recording studioand everything was turned upside down.The '90s would appear to pose the problem that when access to the equipment tomake high quality music and recordings is available to anyone for fairly modest sums,the recording industry almost becomes a part of the consumer market. What is left forthe professional side of the industry to call its own? The answer has to lie inknowledge and experience and a move to re- establish professionalism in our approachto recording.As for the trade press -our role will change. It is still most likely that the form ofmagazines will not change dramatically- printing on paper still seems the mostpractical medium even at the turn-of-the-century. However, with the shelf life ofproducts only being as long as it takes to write a new software release and thepremium that will be placed on having experience and knowledge rather than justaccess to the equipment, the need for magazines will be reinforced but they will haveto adapt to meet the new requirements and their role as a communicator during thecoming decade.So Studio Sound is 30. I would like to wish us a Happy Birthday and many happyreturns. It's been fun!Keith Spencer -Allen5