Human Rhythm Composer

Nigel Lord ruminates over the future of the drum machine as he checks out the budget version of Roland's flagship R8 Human Rhythm Composer. To be human or not to be human, that is the question.

South America: home of Latin rhythms and countless rhythmic influences is this month's port of call for Nigel Lord on his rhythm programming journey.

House

Who's in the house? On the Beat is in the house - with a close look at what makes house beats and loops kick. Nigel Lord gets wicked in MT's popular drum programming series.

Returning to the subject of classifying rhythms sooner than expected, Nigel Lord investigates the relationship between the beats and the notes.

Atari Sequencing Software

Son of Cubase: this stripped-down version of Steinberg's powerful sequencer retains many of its best functions. Nigel Lord and ST, and Cubase makes three.

Atari ST Software

They gave us the first industry-standard sequencing software for the Atari ST in Pro24, now Steinberg are making a second bid for Atari domination with Cubase. Nigel Lord says "part two next month...

Digital Reverb

In the beginning was the Midiverb; the Midiverb begat the Midiverb II and the Midiverb II. Nigel Lord checks the latest incarnation of Alesis' standard-setting reverb.

Tascam caused a recording revolution when they introduced the world to the Portastudio, now their Midistudio line looks set to take musicians on another quantum leap. Nigel Lord moves into the 21st century.

Cassette Multitracker

When cassette multitrackers were new they said everybody should have one - now that there are machines like the X28 around, everybody can. Nigel Lord says small is beautiful.

After some 30 months, Nigel Lord's seminal On The Beat series draws to a close. Over the months, it has covered programming skills and a wide range of drumming and percussion styles, and proved popular with amateurs and pros alike - it will be copied but never bettered.

This new series on drum machine programming is intended to provide an understanding of the drum patterns which form a wide range of music. Nigel Lord starts close to home with basic pop and rock patterns.

Ignoring the sunshine and the siestas, this month's On The Beat concentrates on the sounds and the instruments of Brazil. Nigel Lord guides us through the samba Batucada and the Maracatu.

Key Expander/SMPTE Synchroniser

Integration is the name of the game with Steinberg's Midex - a single unit combining a software key expander and a SMPTE synchroniser for the Atari ST. Nigel Lord even likes the colour.

"Build a better mousetrap", they said, "and the world will beat a path to your door". Nobody warned Nigel Lord that writing a drum programming column for MT has the same effect.

Multi-fx Processor

In their efforts to establish their signal processors as strongly in the UK as they have in the States, ART can't seem to bring out enough effects units. Nigel Lord evaluates the ART with aspirations to be number one.

Atari ST Software

In the second half of this definitive review. Nigel Lord looks into the editing and scorewriting facilities of Steinberg's latest sequencing software.

Software for the Atari ST

Meanwhile, at the other extreme of ST sequencing, Steinberg's Cubase program gains a real-time MIDI Manager and a large-format monitor. Nigel Lord touches a new base.

Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow - getting away from the 120bpm machine gun, Nigel Lord concentrates on those downtempo numbers in MT's regular drum programming series.

MT's beatbox programming series survives the acid test of the recording studio. Nigel Lord renews his efforts in bringing the rhythm divine to your drum machine.

Haying abandoned the independence of Factory Records in favour of the relative safety of a major record deal, ACR are back in the limelight with a new LP. Nigel Lord asks questions of commerciality.