Demos

Making the Most of Studio Time

Part 2 of our new series for FM synth owners, in which Martin Russ attempts to give away the secrets of FM programming!

Chas de Whalley gets down with the Scottish Sultan of Soul, Steve Harvey

For the first time, a UK magazine gives coverage to the fair that follows NAMM and Frankfurt. It may not be as big, but it's growing in importance all the time. Dan Goldstein reports from the Bosphorus.

Drum-To-MIDI Convertor

Yamaha's DTS70 drum trigger-to-MIDI convertor promises ease of use and high performance. Warren Cann puts it to the test.

The more imagination you apply to signal processors, the more you can get out of them. Craig Anderton presents 49 tips that take you beyond stock effects and into new ways of creating your own sonic signature.

Is music education a good thing? Does it contribute to the general quality of music and if so, is enough being done to promote it? Tim Goodyer delivers the lecture.

A larger model from Casio, the small keyboard people, reviewed by Dan Goldstein.

The fourth part of our dance music series, with more drum patterns and basslines for you to programme yourself.

Drumcheck

In the drumbooth, no-one can hear you scream... Bob Henrit discovers Yamaha's wild-styled Electronic percussion system.

Transparent Technology and the Composician

Transparent technology and the Composician: SOS reader Rowland Jones gets his chance to sound off.

Software for the Atari ST

Previously exclusive to Mac owners, Intelligent Music's M compositional software is now available for the Atari ST. Intelligent Ian Waugh investigates its application to a variety of musical styles.

or: What to do 'til your processor arrives.

An education in computer music

Guitar-to-MIDI Converter

Paul White, who's owned almost every Roland guitar synth built, puts the new GK1 synth driver and GM70 "brain" under test. Is this the first pitch-to-MIDI system that really works?

Hints, Tips & News From The World of Music Software

More hints and tips from the software publishers themselves. This month: C-Lab; Opcode; Coda; Dr. T's.

Preset mono synth

If you thought vocoders were just an obsolete way of making a singer into a Dalek, you've been missing out. Tom McLaughlin explains music technology's most overlooked innovation.

RSP Intelliverb VIrtual Room Processor

By putting quality before quantity, Rocktron have come up with a professional-quality digital reverb at a mid-market price.

Who you (the readers) voted as best musician, and what you (still the readers) voted as best gear. We shake the world.

Total Percussion Sound Module

Sequencer owners rejoice! Roland have taken the 16-bit PCM sounds from their popular R8 drum machine, put them in a convenient rackmount case, and added extra slots for ROM and RAM cards to produce a beat-box par excellence. David Brenton reports.

Stuck for a good string sound or one you haven't used a hundred times before? Tom McLaughlin explains how an old guitar, a violin bow and a little ingenuity can work wonders.