Here it is: this issue of Music Technology will be my last as the magazine's Editor. After a little over seven years first as MT's Music Editor, then as Editor proper, the time has come for me to move on. This move will take me to the editorship of Studio Sound, the flagship magazine of the pro audio industry, but I also hope to continue to contribute to MT from time to time - with the added perspective which my new position will give me. I'll also be reading MT in order to keep my ear to the ground where musical developments and "street-lever technology are concerned.

My time with MT has been memorable, to say the least. I've witnessed the evolution of MIDI from a keyboard players' "toy" to an integral aspect of music technology at almost any level; I've seen the meteoric rise of the computer as a popular music aide and I've seen the ethical and legal wrangles which have been thrown up by the popularisation of sampling causing all sorts of trouble. It's been a fast ride.

With the benefit of hindsight I feel that I can safely say that MT has achieved its goal of bringing you the very best coverage of music and technology. No other magazine has come close in keeping up with the crucial issues - MT's reviews have been the most informative and objective and MT's music coverage has kept its readership closer to what's been happening than any other source. Oh top of these there has been a good spread of coverage in all areas: instruments, music, related technology, educational articles... Let me put it like this, if I hadn't been writing MT, I'd certainly have been reading it.

Of course, I haven't done all this on my own. I've had the support of the best technical writer in the field in the (unmistakable) form of Simon Trask, the unfailing enthusiasm and technical insight of the UKMA's director, Vic Lennard and the ingenuity of Nigel Lord, as exemplified by his seminal On The Beat series, to name just three. The illustrations contributed by my brothers Clive and Toby, and Andrew Kingham have also helped shape MT's character, and I've been served by one of the best teams of contributors available, to all of whom I owe my thanks.

But this isn't the end - far from it. For MT, it marks the start of a new era. The magazine is soon to undergo a re-design to give it a fresh visual appeal, an expanded team of contributors is currently being assembled to bring you (and me) more of MT's authoritative and informed articles. And with every new editor come new ideas, new directions and perspectives. I'd strongly advise you to watch this space.

From me, for now, it's sayonara.