...while Dan Goldstein, sore-foot from Germany, has the details on the new European and Japanese gear that'll soon be flooding the UK's music stores. Prepare for some surprises.

Frankfurt Musikmesse 1987

While for those with a taste for the European, we present a similarly in-depth account of the '87 Musikmesse. If it hit the headlines in Frankfurt, you'll read about it here.

Frankfurt Musikmesse 1989

Rain, sub-zero temperatures and sleazy hotels - who'd go to Frankfurt if it wasn't for the trade show? Simon Trask finds more than warmth and shelter at the Musikmesse.

What a difference a show makes - or further thoughts on the British Music Fair '86.

Another winter, another spate of musical instrument shows. They mean a lot for business, but what do they mean to music as a whole?

Fair's Fair

Editor's views.

As the world and his wife gets hot under the collar about affordable 16-bit sampling, we wonder if the increase in sound quality is necessary at all.

Fairs are great for demonstrating technology, but do they do enough to further the cause of music?

How we use synths - and why the Prophet VS might force us to change our attitudes.

A Bacon's eye view of the AMI show

Back To The Future

The future of the synthesiser: experimenter's toy or street-cred home organ?

For the first time, a UK magazine gives coverage to the fair that follows NAMM and Frankfurt. It may not be as big, but it's growing in importance all the time. Dan Goldstein reports from the Bosphorus.

...In March 1981, E&MM's publishers launched this magazine onto an unsuspecting musical public. Dan Goldstein looks back at the issue that started it all.

A sneak preview of what you can expect to see at this year’s British Music Fair - the first to open its doors to the public for years.

The whole music industry sliced into Twiglets

The recession hits America but the show goes on - hot news of the latest hi-tech music and recording developments. Vic Lennard is the MMAN from NAMM.

AES Report

Dan Goldstein and Paul Wiffen go down and out in Beverly Hills - and drop in on America's biggest recording convention along the way. Within its walls, a quiet revolution is taking place...

Emulator SP12

What happens when you give a drum machine the sound-sampling capabilities of an Emulator keyboard? Little short of a miracle, according to reporters Paul Wiffen and Annabel Scott.

Programmable Digital Drum Machine

Is it worth spending nearly a grand on a non-sampling digital beat-box in 1987? Trevor Gilchrist, after testing the RX5, comes to the inevitable conclusion that it is.

Not quite a household name, but an American jazz fusion guitarist whose attitude to improvisation and performing with new technology is starting a quiet revolution. Dan Goldstein gets the lowdown.

A complete rundown of all the polysynths, voice expanders and remote keyboards currently available - plus the comments of our reviewing team on each of them.

First Take

A Thursday Afternoon with Brian Eno

The master of ambience tells Alan Jensen all about art, culture, experimentation and the Smiths.