And rightly so, since even if there aren't that many demos and alternate takes that are radically different from the finished product -- there's an acoustic run-through of "Senses Working Overtime" and an embryonic version of "Mayor of Simpleton" that are fascinating rough drafts, while an early version of "Life Begins at the Hop" is appealingly awkward -- this is still rich listening, filled with such delights as three White Music outtakes showcasing Barry Andrews (who would leave not long afterward), Colin Moulding's Nonsuch reject "Didn't Hurt a Bit" (which should have been on the album), and the live "Atom Medley," one of several in-concert performances that illustrate how good the band was on-stage, no matter Andy Partridge's stage fright. These moments and the uniform high quality of music, along with the track-by-track annotation by Partridge and Moulding, make the repetition of album tracks easy to forgive, since this is as close to a perfect gift for fans as imaginable (until Fuzzy Warbles materializes, that is). Although fans would have settled for anything rare, XTC has returned their affection with a box that shows as much love as the fans have shown over the years. It doesn't get much better than that.
Frontplate (19 inch) in dark grey satin finish. Six multiple input-channels (2 x Line/Phono, 2 x Line/Line, 2 x Line/Mic). Microphone inputs with combined XLR - JACK connector. Specially designed high quality input stages to reduce disturbances from the outside. New designed low noise microphone pre-amplifiers. Possibility to insert an external effect apparatus or equalizer in the microphone signal way. Soft touch fader- and rotative knobs for better grip. Easy-slide 60mm ALPS faders. At right-angle mounted to avoid dust or liquid entering the fader. PFL selector with pushbutton and LED-indicator on each channel. Two LED VU-meters. Range from -20dB to +8dB showing the PFL-signal Crossfader with center detent. Easily replaceable faders and crossfader with connectors. General balance knob. Two master outputs. Electronical symmetrical outputs on master 1 for better signal transmissions optional. Two record-outputs One aux-output to connect to other mixers or pre-amplifiers. Very powerful headphones-output. High headroom reserve (upto +24dBm). Subsonic-filter. 36V voltage-supply for high dynamics on all in- and outputs. Fast and noise-free inputs for the CD, MD and DAT signal sources. Long life dust-free ALPS rotative potentiometers. High quality ALPS switches in the signal ways. Torodial transformer to reduce the hum generated by a normal transformer. Power mains-filter to reduce disturbances on the net. A very robust slanted (25°) bottombox. All handmade and handsoldered PCB-boards.