It has been predicted that by the year 2020, the world will be entirely covered by a ten metre deep layer of home recording equipment. David Mellor begins a new series that offers advice on how to set up your home studio.

Yet another selection of recently announced new products to whet your appetite!

A Preview

A guide to some of the new gear to be released at this year's APRS show.

Yet another sleek, black, 16-bit multi effects unit? Or does the new Roland RSP550 have something more to offer? Kendall Wrightson has the answer.

Studiomaster Star System Mixer

Is it an analogue modular synth? No! It's a mixer with a difference.

How To Survive Live

This month, we address the practicalities of working in a less than ideal live venue.

The third instalment of our series describing the design and construction of a high quality modular effects rack system.

Dave Simpson concludes the saga of Thatched Cottage Studio and how it came about.

Mackie CR1604 Mixer

The mixer market is dominated by British manufacturers, with a range of Japanese designs also popular in MIDI setups. However, a new American compact mixer offers impeccable audio quality, and outstanding features and value that look hard to beat. Dave Lockwood welcomes the newcomer.

Four Track Cassettes

A survey of all the popular machines including TEAC, Fostex, RSD, Clarion, Yamaha and Cutec

Most of us have bought CDs bearing the label "digitally remastered", but how many of us appreciate what's happened to the music in the process. Tom Doyle exposes the power behind the remastering button.

Alesis are known, more than anything, for their digital signal processing expertise, yet their new mixer is an all analogue 16:2:2 design - but employing a revolutionary construction technique. Paul Ireson lends an ear.

The gear piles up in your home studio, and you realise you can't manage another mix without a decent desk - but how can you afford it? Nigel "Mixmiser" Lord puts Fostex' budget desk through its paces.

The pick of 1983's equipment releases.

Build this noise reduction project

Alesis Quadraverb 2

New version of multi-effects classic

Recording

Where we sort out and explain carefully a set of technical terms: this month, recording gear

AmpCheck

Hugely powerful and impressively loud. Martin Brassell, that is

The conclusion of our in-depth look at Bill's home 16 track studio in Yorkshire.