A sampling delay/effects controller from TC Electronics, news of Roland's MKS100 'sampler in a box', a new range of micro effects from Akai, Audio Kinetics' Striper, Studiomaster Series III and Yamaha mixers are amongst the new crop of forthcoming products that you can read about here.

Yamaha's DX7 may well be a classic keyboard but its MIDI implementation and small onboard memory are starting to look decidedly limited compared to newer generation keyboards. What's needed is an upgrade, and the add-on E! board from America's Grey Matter Response is certainly that! Martin Russ enthuses over its features.

More readers' queries are answered by the expert teaching staff of London's Gateway School Of Recording & Music Technology.

Tony Hastings brings his enjoyable series of hints and tips to a close with a look at the Mirage's final four MASOS functions.

Much rumour and speculation has surrounded the launch of what Ian Gilby reckons to be the best mid-priced sampling keyboard on the market. So what makes Emax special? Read the UK's first in-depth review and find out.

Paul Gilby returns with the series that takes a behind the scenes look at companies and design personnel working in the field of music and recording technology. This month: Marvin Caesar, President of Aphex Systems USA - creators of the legendary Aural Exciter.

Los Angeles and London were the recent locations for two very different audio get-togethers. Paul Gilby reports on the proceedings and products shown at both the AES and Hands-On shows.

Akai are quickly becoming the name to look out for when it comes to hi-tech products (their hi-fi's not bad either!) and this keyboard-based successor to their S612 sampler certainly reinforces that opinion. Julian Colbeck checks out its attractions.

Nobody has advanced the application of technology in music more than Peter Gabriel. His pioneering use of the Fairlight CMI helped popularise that instrument and give credence to sampling as a creative recording practice. Yet his music has never fallen prey to the technology trap - his latest album So remains a soulful collection of songs heavily reliant on technology but applied with subtlety. Ray Hammond talks to the great man about the album, new technology, Otis Redding, and his role as musician.

Hybrid Technology's Music 500 synthesizer for the BBC B micro gains a '0' and a whole host of new features. Phil South states the facts and wonders why more musicians don't know about the power of this system.

Question: What do you do when your synth blows a fuse and you blow your top? Answer: You take it along to London's new Synthesizer Service Centre set up by skilled repairmen Ron Lebar and David Croft. Matthew Newman reports.

It took the importing enterprise of Audio Services to bring us a new range of well-priced effect units from Dutch company IQ Systems. Sound engineer Gareth Stuart checks out two of the range: the dual noise gate, and stereo clarifier - a psychoacoustic sound enhancer.

What is 'New Age' music? Who plays it, and why is it apparently so popular? Our resident musicologist Mark Prendergast traces its development back to the work of 'new music' composers Arnold Schoenberg and Erik Satie.

Believe it or not, your computer can do considerably more than just go wrong! The burgeoning world of telecommunications offers the musician access to international 'electronic mail' and 'bulletin board' systems, free music software, information databases, help and sound advice. Richard Elen begins a new series that explores how today's top musicians are taking advantage of such systems and tells how you can join in.

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