Yamaha SY99 Sample Disks

BUYING & USING: cheap drums

a buyer's guide to secondhand drum kits

Musical Environments

Part 3: Musical environments. The final part of a short series in which Martin Russ expands, exploits and explores the Atari ST computer.

It began with an illicit remix of Suzanne Vega and it's already earned them their own album release. Simon Trask tracks down the elusive DNA musical partnership to ask who, how and why.

Sam Phillips, the world's first recording legend?

Atari ST Software

It's powerful, it's intuitive and it's cheap - just about everything an ideal Atari sequencing package should be. Ian Waugh reviews.

(But Were Too Afraid To Ask!)

PART 12: Martin Russ concludes this 12-part series designed to demystify one of MIDI's most important and useful messages.

how to stay at the top for two decades, and still not get noticed

Improving Your MIDI Environment

Martin Russ concludes his discussion of MIDI environments with an in-depth look at how to create your own profiles in X-Or and Galaxy.

news from the front

after the break, news from the front

Synth Expander

The latest addition to Oberheim's classic Matrix range offers 1000 analogue-style synth sounds for under £500. Simon Trask investigates the attraction of analogue in '88.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Obscure orchestra leader, Simon Jeffes intrigues Paul Tingen with stories of self-discovery in Japan, and finding music in one note.

Thomas Dolby is back after a four year break, without the mad professor image but with an excellent new album in Astronauts & Heretics, his most personal recording to date. Paul Tingen spoke to him about the long road from solo synthesist to globe-trotting collaborator.

Yamaha TG77 Tone Generator

Yamaha's flagship workstation, the SY77, has now given birth to a new top-of-the-range expander, the TG77. Martin Russ conducts the examination.

Jerry Wexler, the father of soul

Bowie's Dennis Davis and George Murray

Dennis Davis and George Murray chat to Ralph Denyer on their rhythmic station in the Bowie band.

Software

The second part of the series in which Martin Russ explains how to get the most out of your Atari ST computer.

The Studio In A Box?

A studio in a box? Martin Russ looks at Roland's latest entry in the ongoing competition to fit the most functionality in the smallest box...

(But Were Too Afraid To Ask!)

PART 10: Martin Russ continues his in-depth demystification of these powerful MIDI messages with a look at 'handshaking'.

Atari ST & Commodore Amiga

Part 2. Concluding our look at the relative merits of the big four music computers, Martin Russ puts the case for the Atari ST and its variants, and Paul Overaa explains why his heart belongs to the Commodore Amiga.

MK 80 Electronic Piano

In its day the Fender Rhodes changed the course of musical progress; now Roland have resurrected and improved Harold Rhodes' classic electric piano. Simon Trask plays on...

Simmons SDX Drum Sampler

Lurking inside this angular-looking monster is a versatile computer system that will turn what is ostensibly an electronic drum kit (albeit a state-of-the-art 16-bit sampling one) into a formidable MIDI workstation. Ed Jones test drives Simmons' powerful, new SDX system.

Frankfurt 86

The Frankfurt show seen from a diagonal position