New synth - Kurzweil Ensemble Expander

I've never owned any Kurzweil gear, so I was pleased to pick up an Ensemble Expander for just over £50. The sounds are top quality samples of bread-and-butter instruments - piano, strings, horn, choir, vibes etc - so they're not likely to get much use in my electronic compositions, but they're nice to have. Pity the unit is so massive. The Yamaha EMT-10 does pretty much the same job in a box 1/8th of the size.

New keyboard: Casio DM-100

My latest eBay acquisition is a Casio DM-100, a rare dual-manual instrument. It's not as collectable as some people like to think it is, but I was quite lucky to get it for £60. The gimmick is that the top keyboard is a sampler, so along with some unusually good string and chorus sounds and autoaccompaniment, it makes for in interesting combo. No MIDI, but fun.

Jean Michel Jarre at IFA, Berlin

Just got back from a few days in Berlin for the IFA consumer electronics show. Not much to see except yet more 3D and Smart TVs, but the highlight had to be the sight of Jean Michel Jarre having to climb up a ladder to put an iPad on top of his crazy 11-foot tall AeroDream One speaker system.
If I'd stayed longer I could have seen Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark playing in the park on Monday, but having heard the CD of their last Berlin concert, I don't think I've missed much...

New synth - Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309

I got a Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309 for just over £100 from eBay - it's very good fun, but unfortunately came without the audio, synth or drum expansions, so I'll have to look out for those separately.

New drum machine - Roland DR-220A

Having already bought a DR-220E, with the Simmons- style electronic sounds, I was pleased to get from eBay the standard DR-220A with acoustic sounds, for a little over £20. Nice little pocket drum machine, hampered only by the lack of any sync facilities (except trigger in/out). And it came in its case with a manual.

Sand kitten sets new standards for cuteness

A rare sand cat kitten was born in an Israeli Zoo three weeks ago, and this week made its public debut. Sand cats live in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East and are endangered in many areas. This picture goes off the cuteness scale...

Chris Foss signing Hardware at Forbidden Planet

I was very pleased to be able to attend a signing session by Chris Foss for his book Hardware at Forbidden Planet in London. I've always been a fan of Foss' work, and have all his other books. My interest first came from his covers for EE Doc Smith's Lensman books and Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy, and these and all his other major sci-fi works are included in the excellent compilation Hardware. I got a copy signed and annotated and had a bit of a chat. Pity there doesn't seem to be an exhibition planned - not outside Guernsey, anyway.