Another old synth makes its comeback. This time it's Steve Howell's much-prized ARP 2600 with its graphic panel layout, modular construction and built-in amplification.

MIDI sophistication in the humble patchbay: this modest-looking unit can store 100 routings of its 16x16 audio matrix and place the proceedings under MIDI control. Lorenz Rychner patches things up.

Akai AX73 Programmable Polyphonic Synthesiser

Programmable Polysynth

Paul White looks at the first musical instrument product from a Japanese giant. Has Akai's poly got the sounds and the facilities necessary for it to make an impact on today's synth world?

poly, MIDI, bar-graphs...

Wind Controllers

Unveiled at NAMM and stars of the BMF, these two new instruments receive their exclusive preview in MT. Tim Goodyer takes a deep breath before taking a closer look.

Electronic Wind Instrument

State-of-the-art wind synthesis. Man Jumping's Andy Blake gets his fingers around Akai's wind controller and voicing module and finds a happy marriage between expression and analogue synthesis.

Akai AX 80/1212 Mixer/Recorder

Akai leap bravely into the hard world of Pro music gear, with a poly, the AX 80, and a unique 12-channel mixer/recorder.

Korg MS20

This month's trip down memory lane takes us to Korg's MS20. Greg Truckell reacquaints himself with an analogue synth that may be better suited to use in 1989 than 1979.

A list of "classic" analogue synths could not be complete without Oberheim's OBXa. Peter Forrest reminisces about an instrument that won the hearts of many musicians.

Moog Taurus Pedals

Ultimate bass? Legendary synth pioneers Moog once made the best bass synth on the planet: Paul Ward reassesses the power of Taurus in the light of '90s bass mania.

Deep Bass Nine

TB303-type synth module

The Siel System

A detailed look at Siel's new DK600 keyboard Interface, and Expander.

Roland Mother System

Roland's innovative MIDI set-up; Mother Keyboard, Planet-P piano voice module, Planet-S synth module, and the impressive Super Jupiter... an in-depth test.

6-Voice Programmable Touch-Sensitive Synthesiser

Korg EX800

Korg's Poly 800 resurfaces as a keyboardless expander the EX800 for use as part of a MIDI system-full review.

Oberheim SEM

Oberheim had expanders on their minds long before Xpanders. Steve Howell extols the virtues of yesterday's modular approach to synthesis.

Hot-foot from a mammoth UK tour as part of John Miles' backing-band, this well-respected keyboardist gives his own impressions of life on the road with Korg's latest MIDI-equipped polysynth.

Programmable Polysynth

Glance at the spec and you'd never know this new Italian-built and MIDI-equipped polysynth only cost £699. Paul White has the details.

Synth Expander

The long-awaited, rack-mounting, multitimbrol, budget analogue synth expander from Cheetah has arrived. Simon Trask turns on and trips out.

Programmable Polysynth with Sequencer

CBS-Fender's 'budget' polysynth retails at £1700. Mick Jones finds out if it can hold its head above the competition.

Playing the Rhodes Chroma with the Apple II Sequencer

In the days before Roland established their reputation for consistently delivering the goods, they turned out some weird and wonderful synths. Peter Forrest lifts the dust cover on the old SH7 monosynth.

a poly to compare and contrast