free standing synth

A synth without a keyboard for the best part of £4000? It sounds unrealistic, but this module is possibly the most versatile currently available. Paul White gives his verdict.

Synthcheck

Mills and Boon. Tony Mills finds a love to last a lifetime

Flying in the face of fashion, Oberheim's new Matrix-6 polysynth utilises traditional analogue voicing and offers some of the most powerful and versatile sounds around. Keyboards man Paul Wiffen checks out its pedigree.

We review the new Oberheim Xpander in conjunction with the Oberheim Performance System.

David Hughes lends an ear to three well-priced CDs full of synthesizer and drum machine samples.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only a solitary keyboard to occupy your time, what would be the instrument of your choice? The professionals make theirs in this anniversary feature.

An American synthesist and composer with a soft spot for aborigines and analogue sounds, talks to Bob O'Donnell about programming synths and sequencers old and new.

Computers have made Vince Clarke a different Keyboardist. And you'll never guess why.

Of all the instruments that became popular in the heyday of the "big synth" a few years back, Roland's Jupiter 8 has stood the test of time the best. Tim Goodyer, a self-confessed JP8 addict, explains why.

a poly to compare and contrast

What do you get when you cross brilliant musicianship, technological wizardry and one of the brightest line-ups in modern jazz? Answer: Steps Ahead. Interview by Liz Rose and Leslie Fradkin.

Southlands Studio

Paul Ireson goes in search of paradise and finds it in the newly renamed and refitted Southlands Studio in Chiswick, London.

Master of sampling and synths dissembles

Jay Chapman delves deep into the murky waters of MIDI's often ignored Mono Mode in pursuit of multi-timbral expression!

first news from the American gear show computer mailed from Chicago

Dynacord ADD-One Advanced Digital Drum System

As it stands, the ADD-One is a new 8-channel sampled sound expander designed to be triggered from Dynacord's own drum pads. But user-sampling and disk storage promise to extend its range of applications in the near future. Chris Everard reports.

Steve Howell (again) continues our series on interconnection by describing solutions to problems that arise from interfacing synths from different eras and manufacturers.

UMI-2B

Sequencing interface for the BBC

Electropop veteran Vince Clarke and latest partner, Andy Bell, discuss composing, sampling and singing following their debut album release. Tim Goodyer takes notes.

On Tour With Nitzer Ebb

Nitzer Ebb are using the tools of technology to recreate their abrasive, challenging sound in a live context. Nigel Humberstone talks to the man who helps to put the show on the road.

ES&CM's guide to MIDI and MOPS.

One of America’s leading session players takes a breather between TOA equipment demonstrations, and takes Tim Goodyer into his confidence over MIDI and a few of the behind-the-scenes goings-on in its administration.