Digital Sampling Keyboard

The competition is tough for Roland's upmarket sampler. Paul Wiffen discovers if 16 voices, a fine keyboard, and direct monitor connection are enough to put it at the top of the tree.

Sampling module

Roland follow up their successful S50 sampler with a more highly-specified rack-mount alternative that includes sample display capabilities. Bob O'Donnell monitors its performance.

CD ROM Player

Expensive it maybe, but CD ROM storage is one way of making a sampler a much more powerful instrument. And if you're using a Roland S550, it may not be as expensive as you think, as Simon Trask discovers.

Sampler Updates

Leading the battle against planned obsolescence are the sampler manufacturers, whose machines receive updates almost monthly. We re-test three samplers to find out how they've changed.

ALESIS DATADISK MIDI Data Recorder

The latest MIDI data recorder to appear is the Alesis Datafiler SysEx recorder, which allows you to record system exclusive info direct to disk. Filing with Vic Lennard.

Another digital reverb from Alesis, a waveform digitizing pad for the Roland S50 sampler, Passport's multitrack software for the Atari ST, exclusive news of the world's first ever 8-track recorder to use standard cassettes, and more...

NAMM Report

American software engineer Chris Meyer submits a personal, highly subjective and utterly biased report on Chicago's summer music extravaganza. Well, he was only there for a day.

Sampling Synthesizer

The DSS-1 offers 12-bit sampling, high fidelity samples, integral dual digital delay and EQ, plus the most comprehensive synthesizer section of all the midrange samplers. Review by Mark Jenkins.

...Beating Like This

...Beating Like This. Chris Meyer and Matt Isaacson with the second part in our series on better drum programming. This month: how to make your percussion sounds stand out from the crowd.

Software for the Atari ST

The first generation of generic sample editors for the Atari ST is led by Drumware's GenWave. Lorenz Rychner breaks the language barrier.

NAMM Winter Market, Anaheim

Paul Wiffen, hotfoot from California, reports on the machines that made headlines at the US music industry's winter shindig...

Still crazy after all these years? Devo mainstay Mark Mothersbaugh speaks of TV music, obscure American synths and lunchboxes that go boom, tink, boom,tink...

If you own several samplers or just want to transfer S900 samples into your mate’s FZ1, then this program will make life considerably easier. David Mellor creates some designer sounds with the Atari ST version of Digidesign’s universal sample editor.

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.

Two years ago Sequential launched the Prophet 2000 sampling keyboard, which set the standard for all the 12-bit machines on the market. Will the Prophet 3000 stereo rack sampler do the same for the 16-bit field? Paul Wiffen thinks so. Read why...

With some 17 solo albums to his credit, as well as two ballets, five collaborations with Jon Anderson, and film soundtracks that include 'Blade Runner' and the Oscar-winning 'Chariots Of Fire', Vangelis has continually explored the creation of musical forms via the integration of the acoustic with the electronic. Recently, he took time out to talk about his own work methods and express his views on the current technological scene. Richard Buskin asks the questions.

From providing the backbone of Santana's Latin beat, Michael Shrieve has moved into electronic percussion and out again. John Diliberto listens to the drummer's tale.

Now at last, it can be revealed! The veteran producer spills the beans about those 70s Genesis albums... and updates us on work in progress

The first of three personal views of a nation that's revolutionised the development and manufacture of hi-tech musical equipment. Hugh Ashton checks out the gear and the music.

Synthesis Software

CAD meets synthesis inside the Apple Mac. Robert Rich fires up a program that allows you to design your sounds on computer before transferring them to your sampler.

European Son

Beating Like This

...Beating Like This. In the third part in our series on creative drum programming, Chris Meyer and Matt Isaacson take a detailed look at the various trigger-to-MIDI converters now available.