After the disaster that was the Linn 9000, why would anyone want to build another combined sampling drum machine and sequencer. Rick Davies has the answer.

Sequential's One Man Band

Paul Wiffen first encountered the Studio 440 sampling drum machine several months ago when he was called in to help Stevie Wonder suss out his! It has since become the mainstay of his own programming armoury. Here he tells why...

Sampling Drum Machine/Sequencer

After last month's In Brief preview, Paul Wiffen gets his hands on a first production model of Sequential's new all-in-one drum machine, sampler and sequencer. Is it the master of all trades?

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

Is hip hop an unending stream of monotonous, empty rhythms, or the brightest star in the use of modern musical technology? Tim Goodyer cross-questions MC Tee and DJ Mantronik.

Chris Meyer takes an in-depth look at Oberheim's EPROM burner and reader, and considers its renewed significance in the light of continually evolving MIDI applications.

We go behind the scenes to see how the Cutting Crew pull together their live performances

BMF Report '86

The Editor struggles through tech-laden stands, lively demos, liquid lunches and hordes of musicians to bring news of Britain's best-ever music show. If you missed it, you missed out.

From the chart success of 'Bass (How Low Can You Go)' to an album and a 24-track studio in his lounge - Simon Harris talks sounds and samples with Tim Goodyer.

With their debut album just released and a single high in the charts, these are busy times for the Beatmasters. Tim Goodyer braves a tube strike to find out what technology has done for them (and what they'd like to do to technology).

From being early Fairlight programmers, Simon Climie and Rob Fisher have pursued their songwriting career into the pop charts. Nicholas Rowland conducts the occasional interview.

A subjective and selective round-up of drum machines, old and new, by Mark Jenkins.

With the summer shows out of the way and the forthcoming new products all unveiled, Martin Russ looks into the crystal ball and plots out his version of where the world of synthesis might be heading...

The marriage between MIDI and SMPTE is now complete, but the burning question remains: how will musicians and engineers benefit from it? Chris Meyer traces the link from its source to its users.

In the second part in our series on successful sample looping Chris Meyer concentrates on the mysteries and subtleties of crossfade looping.

Everything you ever wanted to know about samplers... 48 models compared! Paul Gilby surveys the current sampler market, exposes the 'spec wars', dispels the 16-bit myth and explains in simple terms how sampling really works, before telling you what to look out for when buying secondhand.

...Beating Like This

If conventional drum pads sound old hat, Matt Isaacson and Chris Meyer might have a few ideas for you as they check out the alternatives in our series on creative drum programming.

Sampling Drum Machine

"Affordable" sampling drum machines are few and far between. Dan Goldstein checks up on this contender for a vacant throne from the French.

A chance to check out some of the forthcoming new products that might force you to dig deeper into your pockets later this year.

Sample CDs

First they were sampling off other peoples' records, now they're selling records to sample off. Tim Goodyer listens while Simon Harris, Pascal Gabriel, Norman Cook, Ed Stratton and Coldcut put the case for sampling CDs.

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.

Winter NAMM 1987

Our spectacular show coverage starts here, with masses of information - backed up by colour photographs - on the biggest Winter NAMM show there's ever been...

...Beating Like This. In the fourth part of our series, Matt Isaacson casts a critical eye over some of the electronic drum pads now available; will using them create a better beat?