Another low-cost digital reverb from Alesis, a SMPTE/EBU to MIDI event synchroniser, new DX ROM/RAM cartridges, and a visual editor for Akai's S900 sampler are all amongst the forthcoming crop of new products.

Gareth Stuart has been bouncing, syncing and generally laying down tracks with Tascam's new mid-priced 4-track Ministudio. Find out what he thought of it.

The first of a regular column where the expert teaching staff of the Gateway School Of Recording & Music Technology answer readers' problems.

Korg's latest (and some might say greatest) drum machine takes a heavy pounding from Mark Jenkins. But does it survive the assault? Read on to find out...

Roland's top of the range sampler is the last of those announced at Frankfurt to reach the marketplace, but its 16-note polyphony, 512K memory, and built-in visual editing software could well give it an edge over existing £2000 samplers. Paul Wiffen takes up the case.

This latest add-on for the popular MIDIVERB and MIDIFEX lets you control the effect patch selection remotely by hand. Tony Hastings wishes he had thought of the idea first.

As expected the MIDIVERB has opened up the floodgates for more low-cost stereo digital reverbs. Ian Gilby takes a listen to the first Japanese model to hit the market and concludes that its appearance can only be a good thing.

According to composer Tim Souster, the aisles were certainly full of noises at October's symposium on personal computers in music held at Paris' distinguished music research centre, IRCAM. Read his report.

The story of how one of this country's lesser-known synthesists took the bold step of forming his own record label to independently release his fourth album 'Phoenix'. Paul Gilby documents the process.

The Eno collaborator and leading exponent of American minimalist music, Harold Budd, discloses the fascinating background to his new solo album 'Lovely Thunder', his love of the piano and his strange union with the Cocteau Twins. Mark Prendergast attends the masterclass and takes notes.

Tony Hastings brings you his third instalment of Mirage hints and tips which begins to unravel the confusion that surrounds the use of the MASOS functions - including 'ramp scaling'.

Our resident Mirage expert Tony Hastings checks out this useful means of improving the sample manipulation facilities of the Mirage - in the form of a software package from Steinberg Research.

We bring you Sound On Sounds DEFINITIVE guide to all ROM/RAMs available for the Yamaha DX7 in the UK. Over 2500 voices tested and everything you need to know about the products revealed in a comprehensive round-up and table.

A digital wave memory synthesizer to be precise. Kawai may well be the world's largest supplier of acoustic pianos but does their forte also lie in the hi-tech field? Mark Jenkins investigates.

Julian Colbeck brings you the key facts on Roland's improvement on the SPX90.

Less a sequencer more an astonishingly flexible 8-track digital multitrack for keyboards. David Mellor pinpoints the essential differences and judges where the QX5 fits into the Yamaha product line.

You'll be hard pushed to find a UK studio that isn't choc-a-bloc with Japanese studio equipment, but have you ever wondered what they use? David Mellor takes a slow boat that bypasses China, and visits two Tokyo studios to find out.

Our extended coverage this month brings you even more inside news, views and hot gossip including our Giant Summer Competition results.