Our regular colourful glimpse of forthcoming and recently released new products from the hi-tech and recording fields.

Do the software companies come up to the standard of hardware manufacturers or are we expecting too much of them? David Mellor looks at music software and how the user is looked after, or otherwise, by the supplier. The debate starts here.

It's British, it works with an Atari ST computer, it gives very high quality sound and it won't break the bank! Ian Gilby presents a sneak preview of this forthcoming 16-bit stereo sampling machine.

A CD standard 16-bit drum machine? Things have progressed a little from those 8-bit Linn Drum days, passing through 12-bit standards on the way, and now reaching the ultimate level in consumer digital fidelity. Whether excellence or overkill, Alesis have gone the whole way with the HR-16. David Mellor gives it the long-awaited ear test.

When shopping for a synthesizer, most people know to look for major features like the amount of patch storage, whether split and layered keyboard configurations are possible, and so on. But paying attention to features that make it easier to programme sounds is very important if you want to attain your maximum level of creativity. Craig Anderton offers guidance.

Over the last few years musicians have consistently been more excited over the latest MIDI hardware developments than they have over MIDI software. Whilst other micros have come and gone, the Atari ST and Macintosh micros have quietly become the established computers for making music with MIDI. Ed Jones reveals why with a look at Steinberg's Pro-24 (V2.1) and Mark Of The Unicorn's Performer (V2.2) programs.

New York was the setting for the 83rd Convention of the Audio Engineering Society, where audio manufacturers gathered to show off their new wares. Craig Anderton provides a rundown of the main highlights.

Our regular column devoted to readers' hints and tips about their recording equipment, instruments, software and playing techniques.

Beyer's MCE81 condenser mic is their latest addition to a long line of sturdy, high quality studio and stage microphones. Gareth Stuart finds out just what it records best.

The art of writing music for popular television in the last few years may have been single-handedly redefined by Jan Hammer. His upbeat, rocky soundtracks to the hit TV series 'Miami Vice' (along with a few of the chart hits used in the show) have now produced two albums of instrumental music. Ed Jones finds out how they were done.

As the world of musical synthesis shrinks ever more into a 19" black box format, where do we find the MIDI master keyboard to persuade these expander modules to give up their sounds? Since the big manufacturers currently seem reluctant to give us soundless MIDI keyboards, is there a small company we can turn to who can supply us with the equipment we need? David Mellor lets the cat out of the bag.

Planning a career in the music industry? Then you may like to know more about the Music Information Technology course at City University, London. Mike Barnes reports.

Trouble-shooting MIDI Interfaces: Martin Russ boldly goes where no man has gone before in Part 5 of this continuing saga.

In an age when most MIDI sequencers seem to come on floppy disk, Alesis hits the market with their new hardware sequencer, the MMT-8. It doesn't boast a video monitor or multi-mega tracks, so can it compete with the omnipresent beige box? David Mellor yearns to learn.

Bamboozled by technical specs? David Mellor explains how to 'interpret' audio equipment specifications and also gives the lowdown on that little understood concept, Barkhausen noise.

It's that man again! David Mellor enters the mysterious world of timecode and stalks one of its new inhabitants - the Event timecode/MIDI processor from Real Time Logic.

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