John Chowning, inventor of FM synthesis and the man indirectly responsible for Yamaha's DX synths, receives an interrogation from Simon Trask. In the event, our man scarcely gels a word in edgeways.

Part 2 of an in-depth interview with Job Chowning, inventor of FM digital synthesis. Simon Trask gets in a few more questions than he did last month.

the man who gave FM to the DX7

From artistic oppression under Stalin to contributing to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, György Ligeti has remained a true music pioneer. Simon Trask talks to a musical legend.

Severed Heads mainman Tom Ellard in conversation with Dan Goldstein - no one in the modern music industry is safe.

A Canadian guitarist with a low profile but a high pedigree pays a visit to Britain. Tim Goodyer finds out about the infinite guitar and the infancy of FM synthesis.

Simon Millward visits the world-renowned Centre for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University, California and talks to its famous director, Professor John Chowning, inventor of FM synthesis.

Music with Mainframe computers

Everything you didn't want to know and couldn't be bothered to ask

By Musicians for Musicians

The long-awaited book from John Chowning and Dave Bristow comes under close scrutiny; Martin Russ dons his white wig...

Synclavier

The updated Synclavier with new software. We take it for a test run.

Part 6: The final episode of our series for FM synth owners, in which Martin Russ removes the mystique from FM programming. Operators at the ready!

RCM Synthesizer

The DX7 captured musicians’ imaginations like no other synthesizer before or since. But the legacy of releasing endless variations on the DX theme has turned some musicians away from FM synthesis and into the waiting arms of a new generation of 'sample plus synth' keyboards. Now Yamaha are back with a vengeance, an even more powerful method of synthesis (Real-time Convolution and Modulation), and a spanking new flagship synth. But has the SY77 got what it takes to regain the hi-tech musician's vote? Martin Russ finds out.

More music with mainframe computers

Readers' replies to the second half of our survey, analysed by David Ellis.

Software writer Jay Chapman introduces us to DX7ED, a patch editing program for Yamaha's FM poly, the BBC B, and E&MM's own BeeBMIDI interface.

A sneak preview of what you can expect to see at this year’s British Music Fair - the first to open its doors to the public for years.

Dan Goldstein and Simon Trask take a break from reading their own work and examine a selection of new books aimed at helping you get more out of music technology.

BMF Report

Lager bottle in hand, the Editor guides you through the gallery of new music technology on demonstration at last month's newly-public British Music Fair. Plus lots of photographs so that those who missed it can find out what the gear looks like.

Digicon ’85

Vancouver, Canada was the location for two hi-tech music events last August. Ron Briefel reports on the first of them, Digicon '85, and finds he has plenty to talk about.

Prophet 2000

Following October's preview, Sequential’s new sampler gets the in-depth treatment from Paul Wiffen, who refuses to return the review sample.

the Yamaha story

low-priced FM, mega important

Stereo imaging has come on a long way from simply panning instruments between two speakers to create the illusion of a band on stage. Ernie Tello looks into state-of-the-art sound processing and what it can do for music.