Synthcheck

Jim Betteridge puts the new poly through its paces

poly, MIDI, bar-graphs...

Programmable Polysynth

Paul White looks at the first musical instrument product from a Japanese giant. Has Akai's poly got the sounds and the facilities necessary for it to make an impact on today's synth world?

Akai S612 MIDI Sampler

A reduction in price and the introduction of their Quick Disk make Akai's S612 MIDI Sampler an even more attractive investment. Paul Gilby was suitably impressed.

Answer 12 less-than-straightforward questions related to shabbily reproduced archive photographs, and you could win yourself an Akai AX80 polysynth.

Readers' patches for DX7, CZ101 and Bit One synths, and the Yamaha CX5M micro. Keep 'em coming...

Polysynths, voice expanders and remote keyboard controllers are the subject of this month's no-holds-barred price guide. Don’t buy another instrument until you've read this.

Steve Howell continues our beginner's guide to synthesisers by describing how sounds are shaped by amplifiers and envelope generators.

In conjunction with the Chase Bit 01 Expander, Casio CZ-101 synthesizer and Akai Sampler, the Jellinghaus 12-Track MIDI Studio software for the Commodore 64 micro represents the most powerful compositional and recording set-up available under £2500. Mark Jenkins catches his breath and tells you why.

Rapino Brothers

Kylie and Take That’s remixers talk technique

Software Surplus

Secondhand Polysynth Guide

Whether you can't afford to indulge yourself in this month's Polysynth Checklist or simply prefer something that's now out of production, E&MM's guide to things secondhand could save you a lot of time and trouble.

If you're a frustrated synth programmer looking for an outlet to use your talents, you could become a soundtrack writer for computer games. Matthew Vosburgh meets one of Britain's best.

Where do you go to learn more about the subjects covered in this magazine? The answer is the Gateway School of Recording & Music Technology. Ralph Denyer investigates.

While most of us spend our time trying to get our MIDI equipment to work together properly, Martin Russ reveals how to creatively mis-use MIDI and produce some interesting musical results.

Digital Reverb

Following on from the DRV 1000 and DRV2000, this latest digital reverb cum multi-effects processor is Korg's most sophisticated yet - 16-bit, 20kHz bandwidth, full MIDI control and, for all armchair enthusiasts, an infra-red remote control. David Hughes reports.