MUSIC IS TRULY becoming a multi-media device - it now comes not only on tape, vinyl and CD, but on video, as MIDI data (see review of Digital Music Archives' material, May 90) and on floppy disk. The floppies in question today contain material for the Hybrid Music System, that ingenious, fully-integrated music system which runs on a BBC micro and can do things no MIDI sequencer can do. The HMS is based around a programming language called AMPLE and when you save a piece of music, you not only save the notes but all instrument definitions, mixes, screen illustrations, text, instructions et al. You can dig into the pieces, alter them, pinch sounds and examine programming techniques. Friendly, eh?

AMPLE albums have been around for a long time, and there are now 16 in the Hybrid Technology catalogue. Their latest acquisition, Ashes, by 16-year old Michael Harbour (£4.95), is a follow-up to the debut Shivering Again. While Shivering was held together by the theme of cold, Ashes, obviously, pursues a heat theme.

It's a more mature album and contains 12 mainly up-tempo pieces, with bass and drum tracks. Many use the same instruments which gives the album a sonic coherence. Examine the pieces and scattered throughout you'll find remnants of a story about cryogenics - it would have been better if the story appeared during "play".

The AMPLE DCT Database at Dudley College has had a thriving AMPLE area for a long time. Panda Discs was formed to make the DCT music available to users without Viewdata facilities. There are currently 13 AMPLE albums in its catalogue plus some for the Music 500 and the Island Logic Music System (all at £5 including p&p).

The two most recent additions are a collection of Jean-Michel Jarre pieces programmed by Bernie Dawson, and Moments in Time by The Noige, aka Nigel Scott.

Moments in Time is The Noige's second album, and contains ten tracks. Each piece chains the menu program when finished, which is helpful but it also locks you out of the program while it's running so you can't even monitor it in the Mixing Desk. You can, however, delete the chain word or start the piece manually. Most of the pieces are quite short with the emphasis on drums and pulsing basslines. If you've got a feel for rhythm, check this out.

Bernie Dawson's album includes the complete Rendezvous suite plus extracts from Oxygene, Equinoxe and Magnetic Fields. The programming involved is considerable and the pieces are probably as close to the original as it's possible to get on the HMS - there's even a laser harp!

Two programming complaints: some of the programs will, optionally, chain the following one but the routine that handles this uses an area of memory used by the editor modules. Consequently it doesn't always work. Also, the laser harp loads into screen memory and this won't work either unless you switch off the shadow memory. And it doesn't tell you to do so. But that's no big deal, so all JMJ aficionados should buy it.

John Bartlett has released several AMPLE albums on his JB Software label - at a bargain price of £3.50 each. Jazz Disc Vol 2 is a natural follow-up to Jazz Disc Vol 1. On both albums John makes full use of AMPLE to incorporate performance techniques such as delayed vibrato and pitchbend to "humanise" the music. Use of the Wind command adds a swing to the pulse.

How enormously effective it all is: the fast and furious semiquaver "guitar" solos really put the system through its paces. Of the ten pieces, eight are JB originals influenced by styles ranging from Louis Armstrong to Charlie Parker. 'Reverie' is a laid-back four-in-the-bar piece based on an introduction to 'A Little Love A Little Kiss' by Eddie Lang. Every HMS user should have at least one JB Jazz album in their collection.

My favourite new release is Impressions, also from John Bartlett. This is a collection of eight music impressions of cities and countries. They are complex pieces, harmonically and melodically, and it's amazing to watch them play from the Mixing Desk - it's never still for a moment with active panning, volume and instrument changes occurring in virtually every bar.

Musically they contain many JB trademarks - flying solos and so on - which is, perhaps, to be expected. The atmospheres are lovingly conjured up through sound effects, music lines and instrument textures. Sea and gulls characterise 'Southern Seas', steam trains journey through 'Holiday Express', bagpipes drift across the water 'On The Loch' and oriental overtones permeate 'Shiba' (a park in Tokyo).

Buy this you must!

Finally, if you're interested in a regular supply of AMPLE material - music, programming techniques, hints and tips, you can join AMPLINEX. Membership is a once-only ludicrously-minute £5 plus a blank disk which ensures you of the latest issue. Subsequent issues are an insignificant £2 (plus disk) or FREE if you send a contribution.

More from Hybrid Technology Ltd, (Contact Details).

Panda Discs, (Contact Details).

JS Software, (Contact Details).

AMPLINEX, (Contact Details).