Classic Hardware
THE SPEC-DRUM by Cheetah Marketing
Released: Xmas 1985
R.R.P £29.95
Two main things were shaping the British music scene during the early eighties; the rise of affordable technology available to the general public and the continuing influence from the punk revolution which had swept aside the seventies rock dinosaurs and their accompanied mega-star elitist attitudes.
At the forefront of this 'technological revolution' were the four-track portastudio and drum machine which had turned many a bedroom into mini recording studios. The hippies and musos from the musicians union were up in arms with their luddite fears. Releasing a single or an album was no longer the corporate secret held for so long by the big business record companies. It seemed like everyone was either in a band or thinking of forming one.
Digital drum computers and sampling in general had been a big technological breakthrough and the pop worlds new 'stars' like the Human League were quick to adopt Fairlights and LinnDrums (four figure pieces of equipment). Prices did eventually come down as smaller models were developed but a digital drum machine was still going to cost you at least three hundred pounds. When the computer programme Micro-Live demonstrated a Spectrum operating a drum unit, our chins hit the floor! Being in a band myself at that time and working for the NHS, a digital drum box was beyond my means but a 48+ I did have! Needless to say I rushed to the shops and bought one as soon as they hit Boots in Lewisham! The dimensions of a multiface, the Specdrum could be plugged into most modern hi-fis direct or an adaptor could be used to put it through professional sound gear.
The software was clearly laid out and learning to program the sounds into song patterns took no time at all to grasp. The samples themselves were very crisp and easily comparable with dedicated drum machines costing ten times as much. Drawbacks were few but frustrating. The sound level of each sample was not adjustable. This wouldn't have been a problem if the hi-hat hadn't been so high up in the mix. You could record each drum track seperately using the in-built sync to tape facility but this was very time consuming (especially in a £20 per hour studio!). We always left them off altogether and over-dubbed real hi-hat. Cymbals were also a problem in that the Specdrum didn't have any. A decent sample would require at least 4 seconds, clearly not on for the 48K. Again, these could be put on afterwards without too much hassle. Extra kits were available to load in or combine individual sounds into your own customized kit. A nice touch. The Electro drum sounds were a fair copy of the Simmons kit but the Latin samples were a bit on the pointless side. Using the Specdrum live would have been a nightmare! An unknown band rarely gets five minutes to soundcheck let alone set up a spike sensitive Speccy and a monitor! We used backing tapes instead. I later bought a dedicated drum machine which we could confidently use live and I swapped my 48+ and Specdrum for a bass guitar. I often wonder whether Cheetah sold millions of units or maybe it was just seen as a technical curio. I certainly used it as a serious piece of sound gear and for £30, it was a pretty amazing piece of hardware. Do they still make them and are they 128+2 compatible as I know they didn't used to be...oh and I want another one! (DAVE)
Cheetah 125+ Joystick by Cheetah Marketing
R.R.P £9.99
This is one of the cheapest joysticks you can buy; the basic design has been the same for many years. I'm currently on my fourth 125+ spanning a period of two years. Seeing as how all severe joystick waggling games are banned on my computer this could be bad news! Each 125+ I've owned has had a different feel to it. The first was perfect but the others all suffered from sticking fire buttons to general poor diagonal response. The stick is covered by a twelve month guarantee but I still would'nt like to recommend this piece of kit. I can well do without the hassle of sending that through the post. At the end of the day it seems you will either get a good one or a dodgy one and that just isn't good enough. (AMANDA)
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