Admiral Me 262 1:18th scale

Admiral's 1:18th scale Messerschmitt 262 is the most marvellous model ever; in fact strictly speaking it's a toy, though an incredibly detailed one, including moving parts, a pilot and radio antenna. I picked one up on eBay for around £21, which I thought was incredible value considering its size and quality. The only catch is that it doesn't come with the swastika decals dealers were supposed to supply, but I was able to source those from http://www.badcattoys.com/. I've now fixed them, plus the broader yellow tail-band which is more accurate - a big improvement.
Apparently there are also Stuka, Spitfire and Sabre models available, though Admiral has gone bust - but in any case I don't really have space for any more this size..!

Hammer Glamour exhibition, Madeline Smith, Valerie Leon

I went to an event to launch the Hammer Festival exhibition, where I met Madeline Smith, cover starlet of Marcus Hearn's book Hammer Glamour. Despite the event being run by a PR company which couldn't organise a bum-rape in a Borstal, and who seemed intent on preventing anyone getting books signed or getting photos, l managed a chat with Madeline, who seems a mad as a box of frogs, and got the book signed.
I didn't catch up with Valerie Leon, and there was no sign of the promised appearance of Caroline Munro or Jimmy Sangster, but Madeline was the main attraction for me. And cleverly, I had bought the book for £12.49 from Forbidden Planet, rather than pay £25 at the Hoxton Twat gallery. So in the words of Alan Partridge, 'needless to say I had the last laugh'.

New synth - GEM S3

If the maddest thing I had done recently was to buy a GEM S2 Turbo keyboard, this tops it - I got a GEM S3 keyboard, for £150. It's in better condition than the S2, and has the longer keyboard, but doesn't have the Turbo expansion - so I have to transfer that from the S2 to the S3, tidy up the S2 and sell it. Most importantly, I must actually record something with the S3.
Coincidentally, I also got for a bargain £18 a GEM WS2 module, which will provide the drum and accompaniment features the S3 lacks - cabaret-style entertainment, here we come.

Radio-controlled talking Davros

I got a buddy for my radio-controlled talking Dalek - a radio-controlled talking Davros, for £19.99. But I'm not allowed to play with it until Christmas.

Radio controlled talking Dalek

I finally got a large radio-controlled talking classic Dalek (as opposed to a new type Dalek); it looked like it was the last one in Forbidden Planet, reduced from £50 to £25. It's marvellous.

Another new synth - Gem S2 Turbo

Shortly after buying the Kawai K1 Mk II - see previous post - I went a bit mad. I'd heard some samples from the Gem S2R, and missed one on eBay which went quite high - but then I saw a Gem S2 Turbo keyboard on eBay. It was listed once without any bids, listed again without any bids, so I made an offer and got it for £100, delivery included.
Good points; it sounds like a Korg M1, a Roland D50 and a Kawai K1 all layered together - every patch on it is like a huge swooshy Klaus Schulze pad. It even has Elka Synthex samples as waveforms. It can import Akai samples and use them as waveforms, it has a built-in sequencer, it has a great keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch, and it's built like a tank.
Bad points - it's filthy, scratched, has one silent key and a crackly output, and it's built like a tank. Also the Turbo upgrade doesn't have the optional RAM chips, so it won't retain uploaded samples, but that's probably easy enough to fix. Once I've tidied it up, I'll have to figure out whether to use it as my master keyboard - polyphonic aftertouch is ideal for controlling the Arturia CS80V software. Of course I'd still rather have had the S2RTurbo module, but those seem to be incredibly rare. Now I must stop buying keyboards...

Another new synth - Kawai K1 Mk II

I used to have a Kawai K1 MkII keyboard, but replaced it a long time ago with a K1R module. Though it's very much a 'poor man's Korg M1', I like the Kawai's sample-and-synthesis sounds. You still can't beat the 2 Moon Sky preset...
The K1R module lacks the K1 Mk2's effects and drums, but they aren't much of a loss. Anyway, having sold most of my classic analogue monosynths, I had some space for keyboards, so I picked up a K1 MkII from eBay for a ridiculously low £50.
I won't get rid of the K1R, though, as it now looks as if I might not have space to set up the K1 Mk II after all - see the next post....

New synth - Oberheim OB12

I just got an Oberheim OB12 from eBay. Not that cheap, £360, but it's in perfect condition, and importantly doesn't have any problem with the display, which often goes wrong.
I was hoping it would replace my sold Elka Synthex, Juno 60, Minimoog, ARP Odyssey and Crumar Spirit, and it does - but it looks like it will replace my Yamaha CS60 too. It has velocity and aftertouch sensitivity, an arpeggiator, a ring modulator, polyphonic portamento and an effects unit; it does the lot. It sounds a little harsh and digital for something that's supposed to be virtual analogue, but so what. Viscount being Italian, the manual's a bit garbled, but I think the Viscount contribution to the design is what's given it the Synthex touch. And it's nice to have so many knobs and sliders to play with. So I think I'll sell the Juno 60 now; then my main keyboards will be the Roland D70, Quasimidi Raven Max and Korg DW8000, plus the Oberheim - I think that should be enough to dominate the world.

New Doctor Who action figures from Character Options, 2009 Dalek Bubble Bath

I'm pleased to have picked up from Forbidden Planet the latest Doctor Who Classic action figure sets from Character Options; the Fourth Doctor Adventure Set, and the second of the Classic Daleks sets. I'm particularly taken with the Saucer Pilot Dalek (the one with the energy collector dish on the back) and with the Fourth Doctor, a very convincing representation of Tom Baker (with a choice of heads). And you can't beat a Dalek with bombs strapped to it. There are more out next month, including another Dalek with a Jon Pertwee figure, so I'll be first in the queue. And I've picked up the Dalek Supreme Bubble Bath... the last one in Forbidden Planet as, Boots and the like don't seem to be stokcing it this year... but I did get the last of last year's black Dalek bubble baths fro Boots for £1.25... and I'm still working on some mods for the first Classic Dalek set. I got some Plastruct and brass tubing to try to fabricate the claw, but it's tricky...

Vintage Years of Airfix and Revell Fairey Rotodyne

Got an excellent book recently - The Vintage Years of Airfix by Roy Cross. Collecting his artwork from the classic years of Airfix model kits, it's a very high quality production and has all my favourite artwork in it, from the Fairey Rotodyne to the DUKW. Published at £35, I got it for £26 from Amazon. I also got the reissue of the Revell kit of the Rotodyne - looking forward to building it, though I still mean to get another couple to do 'What if...?' finishes.

More Doctor Who action figures

Apart from the nice-looking Hartnell and Troughton Dr Who action figures coming out this month, I see Character Options now has some great packs scheduled for August, including four new classic Daleks, and a four-pack with Tom Baker, Mummy, Death Robot and Suicide Dalek. Want!

John Foxx at the Apple Store, Regent Street

I went to see John Foxx last night at the Apple Store, Regent Street. A bit shambolic - no sign outside or inside that the performance was taking place, and jabbering fuckwits fiddling with iPods throughout the show. But quite interesting - John played Yamaha piano and Alesis reverb over one short film from the Quiet Man project, read over another, then held a short Q&A. Mark Gatiss introduced. No chance so far as I could see to buy CDs, but I'll have to catch up with the latest titles eventually.

Three Keyboard Cat Moon T-shirt - the T-shirt of the gods

I'm a bit slow picking up on these things, so I was the last to see the Keyboard Cat videos on YouTube, and the last to find out about the Three Wolf Moon t-shirt on Amazon; but even I can appreciate the sheer wonder of the Three Keyboard Cat Moon t-shirt. As I post, it's only a suggestion on www.threadless.com - by the time you read this, it will probably be the biggest-selling clothing item of all time.

A visit from Boofums

We get visits from a well-fed local kitty, who likes a chat, a cuddle and a bit of chicken, but who doesn't have a collar. So we call him Boofums. He'd probably be mortified if he knew. Here he is contemplating coming in for a nose around.

Battersea Dogs (& Cats) Home Cattery appeal

I see that Battersea Dogs (& Cats) Home is running an appeal for funds to build a new cattery. They have some lovely posters up around town, and some very attractive kitties on the website. But the planned cattery looks like Marineville. I'm sure the kitties would rather have somewhere more homely. Find out more at http://www.battersea.org.uk/get_involved/cattery_appeal.html

New toy - Oberheim Systemizer

I'm thrilled to have found this on eBay for under £30 - an Oberheim Systemizer. One of the Perf/X series, it's a MIDI performance processor which adds zoning, velocity switch, controller switch, position cross-fade, velocity cross-fade, aftertouch cross-fade, controller cross-fade, local hold, split release, patch change and so on to your keyboard setup. I'll probably never need it, but since I have an Oberheim Cyclone, Strummer and Drummer, it's nice to have - lovely condition too, boxed with manual. Now I discover there's another Perf/X device, the Navigator, so I'll have to start looking for one of them...

Dalek crazy!

I'm buying a load of Dalek toys at the moment with a view to customising them. There are some good examples on eBay, like this blue one... I'm sure I can do just as good a job, and maybe add flashing LEDS...

Star Trek toys at Burger King

I haven't eaten at Burger King for years, but I had to go in the investigate the Star Trek toys they're doing with kids' meals this month. It's a great selection of super-deformed characters and spaceships, and the best part is they have speech chips with lines from the movie. I've managed to blag a whole set, without having to eat a single burger...

Star Trek, the new movie reviewed

Spoiler Alert! If you don't want to know about the plot of the new Star Trek movie, don't read on! I saw it last night courtesy of Xbox360 Movie Club.

I have to admit it's an enjoyable movie; big budget, action-packed, decently performed and with enough nods to geekdom to keep both old fans and new happy.

But it lacks depth, and there are some bum notes - Simon Pegg neither looks, sounds or acts like Scott, and there are some huge plot holes - what are the odds of two people stranded independently on an ice planet finding each other? And could someone decide whether Vulcan has a moon or not? But what annoyed me most is that the time-travel plot completely tears up Classic Trek continuity. So now there's no planet Vulcan - does that mean no Amok Time, no Voyage Home...?

Anyway, it was better than Insurrection, and Nemesis, and Enterprise, so I won't grumble too much. Perhaps the next one will present fewer difficulties. And I'll still collect the Burger King toys.

Next door's cat, latest image

Next door's Maine Coon, as lovely as ever, despite recently having a run-in with a stray and getting her tail dislocated.

Dave Gibbons at St Albans library

Saw Dave Gibbons talking about Watchmen at St Albans public library the other week. Very interesting, largely based on his book Watching the Watchmen - which I had to buy on the spot. Got it signed, along with my original copy of Watchmen, and a copy for someone in work, and a Dr Manhattan action figure... result!

Cactus Desert Drums on Matrixsynth

Matrixsynth is one of my favourite websites, so I was pleased to see they had mentioned my eBay listing for a Cactus Desert Drums kit. Pity I didn't take better photos of it... I've sold my Korg DDD-5 as well, since I now have a DDD-1 so the 5 is redundant...
UPDATE! The buyer of the Cactus Kit has promptly put it up for sale again - with my pics. I could buy it back! - no, maybe not...

Latest eBay acquisition - Yamaha CBX-K1XG

I'm very pleased with my latest eBay acquisition, a Yamaha CBX-K1XG - it's a compact velocity-sensitive keyboard controller with a built-in GM sound module and speakers. It was around £325 when it was released, so I was pleased to have got it for £24, particularly since you can pay more than that for something like an Evolution eKeys 37, which is just a controller. The CBX-K1XG has a couple of quirks but it's generally very flexible - now I have to get a MIDI-to-USB adaptor to make it more useful as a laptop controller.

Doepfer Dark Energy modular synth

This looks cool - a monophonic stand-alone synthesizer with USB and Midi interface, using analogue sound generation and modulation. Dark Energy is built into a rugged black metal case with wooden side plates - the distance between the controls is a bit wider compared to A-100 modules, and more 'classic' knobs are fitted. But there's also a caseless non-MIDI version for use with the modular system I have. Available in June at 400 Euros. I'll have to start saving.

Who watches the Watchmen?

I went to see Watchmen at BAFTA last night, courtesy of Xbox Live Movies. It's stunning - epic in scale, uncompromising in vision, unbelieveably faithful to the original comic. I'm amazed it got made, and not at all sure whether it will be a hit or not - it's certainly the best superhero film ever, and one of the best sci-fi films ever, but will it cross over from comic fandom to the mass market? Obviously I'm looking forward to seeing it on DVD, and in the inevitable Special Edition, Very Special Edition, and Extraordinarily Special Edition...

In the current weather conditions, please think of the kittens

It's cold out, and sudden snowfalls can catch kittenses unawares. Please take them in and keep them warm.

New Doctor Who action figures

These look lovely - new Doctor Who action figure two-packs, including the 1st Doctor and a Dalek, and the 2nd Doctor and a Cyberman. Each pack is £24.99 and there are also monochrome versions available. From Character Options, expected in June.

Roland AX-Synth shoulder synthesizer

I WANT ONE NOW! But it's not out until July. The first shoulder-worn MIDI controller keyboard with decent on-board sounds (unless you count the Moog Liberation).

Doctor Who Time Squad from Character Options

I'm looking forward to these super-deformed Doctor Who figures from Character Options. Time Squad figures will come in five-packs for £9.99 or two-packs for £4.99. They're more fun than the conventional action figures, that's for sure.