Passport Master Tracks Junior

Budget tight? Don't despair. This entry-level 64-track sequencing program from Passport has all the features you will need to start making your own music. Chris Kempster takes it for a spin.

Tascam Porta Two

This month's cover feature, the brand new Tascam Porta 2. Bristling with features, this 6-channel, 4-track portable studio still falls within an attractive price bracket.

A rack-mounted cassette multitracker for the home recordist.

Ensoniq SQ80 & ESQ1 Synthesizers

Frustrated by the limitations of sequencing with MIDI mono mode 4? Simon Trask discusses the benefits of multi mode and investigates its implementation on Ensoniq's SQ80 and ESQ1 synths.

Personal Multitracker

The intrepid Nicholas Rowland continues his search for the ultimate in personal multitrackers; armed only with a blank cassette and a bedroom's worth of gear, he tackles Tascam's latest budget baby.

Making tracks with MIDI

Making tracks

When you come across a hi-tech band who won't even use commercial synths for fear of being imitated, they must have something special to protect. Simon Trask pays a visit to Leeds to check out the mysterious Nightmares on Wax.

The SmpteTrack software for the Atari ST is one of the most expensive ST sequencers around, but is it one of the best? David Mellor dons his pith helmet and hacks his way through the computer jungle to find out.

Printed Circuit Boards

Having pioneered the Micro Composer in the '70s, Roland reaffirm the position of the hardware sequencer in 1990 with the MC50. Simon Trask is fatally attracted.

Software for the Atari ST

Notorious for the numerical approach of their programs, Dr T's have incorporated GEM friendliness in their latest Atari ST sequencer and scorewriter. Ian Waugh reckons it's purrfect for those on a tight budget.

Big Noise Cadenza V2 For Windows

Never mind avoiding presets and programming your own patches... how about rebuilding the whole damn synth? Richard James - aka Polygon Window, Caustic Window, Diceman, Soit PP, Blue Calx, AFX and The Aphex Twin - isn’t happy with his hardware till he’s had the toolbox to it. Phil Ward enters the twilight zone of the lad from Cornwall who’s spearheading the ambient onslaught.

Cult reggae band or Top Of The Pops heroes? Nick Rowland talks to the men who've spent 14 years together and brought MIDI to reggae, and reggae to the pop charts.

Korg M1 Music Workstation

As Korg prepare an armada of new products to invade the music shops, Tony Hastings investigates the M1 Music Workstation - the flagship that looks set to blow a lot of the competition out of the water.

Jerry Wexler, the father of soul

A British playwright looks into the future and sees a composer locked away from the world with a machine that makes music for him. John Walters talks scripts and Synclaviers.

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

New software, updates, sounds, and samples