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.

Have you heard the news? The Music Technology newsdesk keeps bringing you up-to-date with current musical events and technological developments.

You have the questions, we have the answers - Casio FZ1 sample disks, Atari vs Amiga, the latest news on Ultravox - all in MTs exclusive advice column.

In this month's postbag there are letters about musical literacy, musical ability, musical creativity, musical integrity... And a fax for the Assistant Editor.

Is the practical MIDI guitar finally with us? Bob O'Donnell checks out the latest, and most promising, MIDI guitar controller from Yamaha.

It's nearly three years since Ensoniq struck it rich with the Mirage sampler. Simon Trask previews Ensoniq's new sampler and asks "can they repeat their success with the EPS?"

If the major record companies won't give you the deal you know you deserve, you could do worse than to do it yourself. David Bradwell investigates the pros and cons of pressing your own single.

Jean Michel Jarre is about to stage the world's biggest ever concert in the London Docklands. David Bradwell finds out about the technological dark age and the art of showmanship.

The latest version of E-mu's popular Emulator sampler incorporates stereo 16-bit sampling and a hard disk drive. Chris Meyer can't believe his ears.

The latest developments in the recording world brought the industry, press and public flocking to Olympia 2 recently. Simon Trask records the event.

System Exclusive messages promised to make MIDI a flexible and powerful communications standard; instead it seems to have caused MIDI havoc. Vic Lennard takes an Exclusive look.

Recently seen effortlessly blowing Bo Diddley and Ron Wood off stage, Ellis Beggs and Howard have been compared to the Rolling Stones in musical significance. Tim Goodyer rediscovers rock 'n' roll.

The latest addition to Oberheim's classic Matrix range offers 1000 analogue-style synth sounds for under £500. Simon Trask investigates the attraction of analogue in '88.

MTs Programmers' Forum. Readers share their own patches for the ever-popular Ensoniq ESQ1 and Casio CZ1000.

An inquisitive Gordon Reid poses the question "how much sampler can you get into a single rack space?". Roland's S330 sampling module replies "more than you might expect".

Whatever happened to Thomas Leer? What's become of Propaganda? If you've heard of a band called Act you already know the answers to these questions, if not, David Bradwell is right on cue with this interview.

Can you tell a minor third from a major seventh, or an augmented triad from a diminished triad? - Steinberg have a program to teach you how. Simon Trask lends an ear to a program with a difference.

For those without the time or the inclination to sample come two expanders dedicated to sampled horns and strings. Simon Trask finds out if Kurzweil's dedication has paid dividends.

We've been sold and resold the idea that digital is better than analogue, but what is digital sound and why is it revolutionising music technology? Peter Bergren counts the bits.

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.

Dr T's Multi Program Environment allows their KCS sequencer, Programmable Variations Generator and Copyist scorewriter to be used as part of an integrated system. Lorenz Rychner goes soft.