Clever keyboard clacked

Tuned Percussion

Part 7: Tuned percussion. Dave investigates the enormous creative potential of sampled sounds within music, and offers his rendition of 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'.

RETROSPECT: elvis costello

an appreciation of one of the decade’s great songwriting talents; could you match them?

Beating The Block

Rowland Jones on how to beat writer's block when composing.

Guitarchives

Five aging axes exhumed by Paul Trynka

Yamaha TQ5 Expander

Stylish or ugly, don't let the TQ5’s unconventional casing distract you from the fact that with its 8-track integral sequencer and digital effects, this 4-operator FM expander packs a pretty powerful punch for the money. David Hughes reports from his ring-side seat.

Introducing MT's unique encyclopedia of analogue synthesisers: part 1, Akai to ARP

AmpCheck

Martin Brassel on the units in Alligator's move up-market.

Smarter than the average pitch shifter?

David Mellor assesses the musical intelligence of the DigiTech IPS33 SmartShift intelligent pitch shifter.

A new personal keyboard with 'stereo symphonic' voices.

Is Skill In Music

Old tech, hi tech and silly hats. Richard Walmsley, our man in the sensible shoes, Walmsley investigates.

All the latest info on tomorrow's gear, and more free details if you need them.

Brass Sounds

Creating and playing brass sounds.

Four pages packed with news hot from BMF

We share with you the simple guitar chord trick upon which most pop music is based.

Music Mate, Mainframe's Apple sound sampler and updates for the Synergy.

phaser, gate and compressor

Vocal Effects

The sound of the human voice is one of the most difficult acoustic tones to reproduce electronically, but reading Steve Howell's step-by-step guide should set you on the right track.

Software for the Atari ST

As well as being a communications standard, MIDI has encouraged the development of new forms of musical expression - like this graphic music program. Ian Waugh draws his own conclusions.

Sounding Out

Phil Walsh is in complete remote control, and tells you how to mix on a budget.

Phil Brammer finds time for RealTime for the ST

for the BBC Micro

The first commercially-developed MIDI software for the BBC Micro is now being manufactured by Electromusic Research. David Ellis analyses its potential.

Atari ST Software

They gave us the first industry-standard sequencing software for the Atari ST in Pro24, now Steinberg are making a second bid for Atari domination with Cubase. Nigel Lord says "part two next month...

Remote Control System

Phil 'DI — Why do I have to endure these terrible puns' Walsh with the second part of his remote control project for amps