MPC Electronics "The Kit", including Synkit, The Tymp and The Clap, October 1983

 

The Kit, including the Synkit, The Tymp and the Clap, from page 29 in the October 1983 issue of Keyboard Magazine. 

Its been hard for me to blog these last couple of years due to medical issues that I won't get into at the moment. But lately, as I flip through magazines aimlessly, certain ads have jumped out at me. Hence the resurgence in blogging as of late. 

And this ad is a great example of one that jumped out of the pages and right into my eyeballs. Funny enough, I'd never heard of these little units, and didn't think I'd find much on the Interwebz about them. 

Boy, was I wrong. 

One quick Google search and up pops a goldmine of info. Three links in particular, stood out. 

But first - we got to address the design of the ad itself.  Obvious... it's cleverly designed to target keyboardists, using a clean black-and-white aesthetic and bold, engaging typography. The headline—"A compact electronic drum kit for keyboardists who may already have their hands full"—immediately addresses the ad’s intended audience with a witty, relatable hook. 

The image features a keyboard above a well-arranged display of The Kit’s touch-sensitive pads and companion devices, highlighting the compact size and modularity. The layout draws attention downward from the eye-catching headline to the product, and finally to the detailed body text, which explains the functionality, flexibility, and benefits of the system. Emphasis on user-friendliness, performance versatility, and integration into existing setups makes the ad both informative and persuasive, reinforcing The Kit as a practical and innovative tool for modern musicians.

Now back to the Googles... because a quick search brings up a few interesting links. 

First, we've got an article on the Kit written by Rick Palmer for Music UK, December 1982, thankfully kept online by Muzines! Wonderful! It also includes links to ads related to the review. 

What we learn is that “The Kit” is a compact, battery-powered electronic drum kit designed for finger drumming, featuring pads for snare, toms, bass drum, and hi-hats, with customizable sensitivity and decay. The top panel houses volume controls for each sound, tone control for the cymbal, and tempo/rhythm selectors for six pre-programmed hi-hat patterns. Additional controls include rocker switches for beat patterns, time signature, and start/stop, as well as LED beat indication. It offers individual ¼" outputs for each sound, a pre-mixed output, two 3.5mm trigger outs, and inputs for external footswitches and a power supply. 

In addition, we learn that while the unit feels awkward at first, users can quickly adapt and discover its versatility, especially with high-quality snare and tom sounds. It offers outstanding value, appealing to drummers and non-drummers alike. 

Add-on units expand the system’s capabilities: 

“The Clap” delivers a decent handclap sound with controls for noise mix and decay, though it lacks trigger integration with the main Kit. 

“Synkit” produces versatile synth-drum sounds with pitch sweep capabilities, ideal when triggered from the main Kit’s toms, although its decay control is finicky. 

“Tymp” offers low-pitched, noise-heavy sounds more suited to effects than traditional percussion, but suffers from inconsistent sensitivity and lacks adjustment options. 

The best news... that's not the only article on the kit you can find online - there is also another link to an article from Muzines from the January 1984 issue of Electronics & Music Maker. It includes similar info, but also introduces us to the Bass Drum Pedal/Hi-Hat on/off accessory that can be connected. Also included is pricing info - always a treat to see! 

One weird Amazon link that popped up was to "The Kit Operating Instructions", providing us not just with a colour image of the main unit, but a summary of the history of the company. Summarized from the page: 

MPC Electronics Ltd was founded in 1982 in Cambridge by Mike Coxhead to produce and market "The Kit," a compact electronic drum trigger device invented by Clive Button, designed to be played with fingers instead of sticks. 

After refining the design, the improved Mark 2 version gained acclaim at trade shows and sold widely in the UK, Europe, and North America. The company released complementary accessories such as bass drum pedals and sound modules like The Clap and Synkit. 

In 1983, Button introduced a more advanced version—the Music Percussion Computer—with eight pads, onboard memory, and compatibility with home computers, influencing future products by Roland and others. MPC later developed full-size drum pads and synth modules, but despite several innovations, the company folded in 1986 after Button moved on to work for other firms. Many units of The Kit remain functional today, and a comprehensive manual and history booklet documents MPC’s contributions during its brief but impactful existence.

Here's a picture of the unit in colour... gotta say, I wasn't expecting the red or the gold. 

Want to learn more about it's designer Clive Button? Check out his website. It provides even more history!

Yamaha SY-22 "Vector Synthesis" advertisement, Keyboard 1990

Yamaha SY-22 "Vector Synthesis" advertisement from page 39 in the September 1990 issue of Keyboard Magazine. 

In a crowded world of 90s synths, the SY-22 vector synthesizer dared to be different. With FM, sample playback and joy-stick driven sound design, its still loved by a small group of fanatics. I've never owned one... and I still consider myself one of those fanatics. 

According to the InterWebz, after Sequential Circuits, responsible for the Prophet VS (Vector Synthesis) was bought by Yamaha, Dave Smith "served as the President of the DSD group at Yamaha, producing a mini VS in the Yamaha SY22, but when ownership of Sequential was passed to their newly-acquired Korg, Dave oversaw that as the Korg R&D group in California, who designed the very successful Wavestation." 

Interesting. Explains why the Wavestation and SY-22 both came out so soon after each other. 

Looking at the SY-22 itself...  first, lets get this out of the way. No low-pass filter. Ugh. Okay, we can move on, because what it does have is AWM synthesis, 2-operator FM synthesis, and vector synthesis via a joystick. And now lets throw in stereo onboard effects, as well as velocity keys with aftertouch. SAAAAAAY-WHAAAAAAT? 

All for under $1100. 

So its not an SY-77. Too bad...  The SY-22 has vector synthesis. 

So its not an SY-55. Too bad...  The SY-22 has vector synthesis. 

I think you can see where I'm going with this. Its got vector synthesis. Like I said above - I've never owned one. I don't think I've even heard one on purpose. But in my head, its just got to be cool sounding. 

And Jim Aikin, managing editor and Keyboard reviewer back in 1990 agrees. Kinda. 

See... he was going on vacation the day the Korg Wavestation arrived for review. So he didn't get to review it. And instead, he came back from vacation with the Yamaha SY-22 waiting for review. so he switched it on and was 'pleasantly surprised'. 

Why do I know this?!?! Because the same issue of Keyboard that includes this advertisement, also includes Jim's full-length review of the SY-22. 

According to the review, each patch on the SY-22 "can be programmed with its own vector. Once you've found a set of waveforms that you like, you can go to the "record level vector" page and use the joystick to do a real-time recording of a sequence of up to 50 vector positions." FIFTY positions. Then you can edit each position, loop the entire thing, etc. Smashing!

One thing he does note that is a real downer is that the joystick doesn't send or receive midi data. Yup. You heard that right... there's no way to record the movements into your favourite sequencer. Jim acknowledges that Yamaha needed to keep the cost down somehow. 

Jim goes on to review the sounds ("usual mixed bag"), patch programming ("fairly predictable"), effects ("short, but no big around"), and multitimbral operation ("fairly standard"). Still, in the end, Jim explains that vector synthesis "gives the SY22 a sound that's unique in its price range", and even calls the real time recording of vector movements "the most significant innovation in synthesizer design that we've seen in the last couple of years". 

Nice. Jim done good.

The Yamaha SY-22 may not have achieved mass-market fame, but its combo of vector synthesis, FM synthesis, and sample-based warmth makes it a hidden treasure for all you creative musicians.

Alesis HR-16:B "Killer B" advertisement, Keyboard 1990

Alesis HR-16:B "Killer B" advertisement from page 102 in the September 1990 issue of Keyboard Magazine. 

Before software ruled the studio, drum machines like the Alesis HR-16B offered an affordable and surprisingly powerful way to get your industrial tracks bangin'. Released in the early 1990s as an update to the original HR-16, the HR-16B isn't as well-known as the TR-808 or have the power of modern groove boxes, but it carved out its own corner of electronic music history—and for one.... very... good... reason.

From the ad: "47 samples, pre-produced with reverb and processing for a killer rhythm assault right out of the box." 

That's it. Right there. Those sounds. Right when industrial music was seeping into the mainstream. Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Front 242.... goth clubs were also banging. 

The ad tries to promote its high sample rate16-bit samples, but compared to today's standards, that limited gritty aesthetic, along with a fairly intuitive interface, is what makes this drum machine sought after today. Its no surprise that I'm blogging about it so close to the Kawai R-100/R50 drum machines... another industrial fav. 

And don't get me started on the glitching... I'll just leave this video right here. 

The ad itself stands out when you are flipping through the magazine. Arriving on page 102 would usually be a checkmark against it, but it comes just pages after the wonderfully HUGE Public Enemy article... so I won't hold it's placement against it. 

A giant title "Killer B" quickly grabs your attention. And then we get sparse content that is easy to read. And then, of course, is that gothy-black machine sitting atop a giant foam B. 

As good and attention-grabbing as the ad is - and very ON-BRAND for Alesis - I can't help thinking the design doesn't cater to its audience. Those black-clothed, industrial leather jacket wearing Nitzer Ebb loving fans that would want to put down their hard-earned cash. AKA Me! 

I don't know what the answer is... but the designer could surely have put a little bit more time and effort into solving the problem and getting a bit more grit into the design of the ad.