Pino Palladino, Mark King, Robbie Shakespeare and Geddy Lee — student of the groove Chris Maillard gets some lessons

Ray Staff - Disc Cutting Engineer at Trident Studios.

This month we scrutinise contracts, paying particular attention to the sanity clause.

This month: Farfisa to Fuller.

This month’s information bulletin board

Hard Rock History

Mark Fishlock expounds.

All the snippety little secret bits of musicians' gossip that no-one else would print

Fred Dellar presents a potted history of the people who bring you the 'product' - the record companies.

Touring With Nik Kershaw

Drummer Mark Price tells what it's really like to be up there on stage. Did anyone say terrifying?

A Music Technology Phenomenon

An exclusive report on the Eastern Bloc consortium that's preparing to do battle with the best the West can offer. Last year's Anticipation Sampler was brilliant, but the 1986 machines are better still.

Shock discovery for instrument makers - funny you should say that.

The sound of an acoustic piano is perhaps the most important single timbre in pop, rock, jazz, and classical music. Julian Colbeck looks at contemporary MIDI alternatives to the real thing.

Manchester School Of Sound Recording

A course in recording provides a way of breaking out of the classic Catch 22 — you can't get studio work without experience, and can't get experience without work. Tim Hurrell reports on the Manchester School Of Sound Recording and what their 1-year course has to offer.

Part two, in which we meet the fifth Beatle, George Martin, and also brush with Trevor Horn's Fairlight.

Optical Media Explained

Wilf Smarties gives a new batch of CDs a spin.

Roland P55 Piano Module

Close your eyes and you could be tickling those ivories...