Ins & outs

MIDI MEET-UP It’s always nice when companies work together, so we were pleased to see that Ableton and NI are among those who’ve recently joined the MIDI Manufacturers Association. The plan is to come up with a revised MIDI spec that offers more power and flexibility.

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE We’ll admit that we wanted to be cynical and jaded when we watched that Elton John Christmas ad, but we ended up with a lump in our collective throat as his career flashed back to the moment that he got his first piano. Great sound editing, too.

WHEN THE CREDIT LIMIT BREAKS Been saving the pennies for a new mixing console? Sadly, you’ve just missed the Helios model that went under the hammer in December, having originally origina been housed in Island Records’ studio and used to record rec Led Zeppelin’s Sta StairwayToHeaven…

WRISTY BUSINESS We’ve seen some great eat new music technology ogy ideas on Kickstarter, r but we can’t say we’re feeling the Synthwatch – quite literally a synth on a watch, complete with tiny keys. All we can really think to ask is: why?

ROAD TO RECOVERY Ever felt hard-done by having to work with the sniffles? Kudos to Marillion keyboard player Mark Kelly, who was forced to miss a recent show in Germany when he was hit by a truck while out jogging. Amazingly, he was back onstage the following night.

THAT BLACK FRIDAY FEELING We thought that Black Friday was meant to be about saving money, but with all the great music software deals on offer, we ended up spending a fortune. Excuse us if we can’t afford to get you a Christmas present this year, but have a good one, anyway.