The shape of things to come

Tony Reed goes back to the future for the Frankfurt forecast

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

New software, updates, sounds, and samples

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly at Frankfurt's Musical Fiesta

Five pages of glorious colour on the exhibition to end all exhibitions - the annual Frankfurt Musik Messe. Dan Goldstein comes hotfoot from Germany to report on the latest developments on the hi-tech music scene. And there are a lot of them.

Chris Smith continues his series on synchronisation

Sampling

This month we focus on the hows, whys and whats of sampling.

From the manufacturers of the first cassette multitracker comes the Midistudio: a single unit integrating MIDI into a four-track cassette recorder. Nigel Lord calls it "revolutionary".

Moog SL-8, Korg effects

Alesis Quadraverb Plus and Datadisk SQ

Upgrading your equipment doesn't always mean selling the old stuff and replacing it entirely: new facilities and features may be only a chip away. Tony Hastings looks at updated versions of two Alesis units.

A pictorial taste of some of the hot new products unveiled at last month's British Music Fair.

AFM/AWM Synthesiser

On from the revolutionary DX7, on from the souped-up DX7 II, on even from the mighty SY77, comes the SY99. Simon Trask takes the new Yamaha flagship on her maiden voyage.

Fostex DCM100 & Mixtab Mixing System

Made possible by the revolution in consumer microchip design, this low-cost system automates virtually every control on the mixer, including EQ.

PART 2: Microphones. David Mellor cuts through the mythology of microphone techniques with some practical advice.

The Wires and Wherefores of Connecting up Your Studio

If you're spending hundreds or even thousands of pounds on studio equipment, you might as well spend a little time to ensure that it's actually connected up properly. Wilf Smarties explains how to avoid hums, buzzes, earth loops, and all those other nasty shocks...

Continuing the tradition that began with their 144 Portastudio, Tascam have created a combined package of mixer and 8-track recorder - the 388 Studio 8 - whose compact dimensions belie its true versatility. Dave Lockwood assesses its performance.

We've been sold and resold the idea that digital is better than analogue, but what is digital sound and why is it revolutionising music technology? Peter Bergren counts the bits.

Masterly tricks for simulating stereo from mono or for stretching stereo beyond the boundaries of your loudspeakers!

Exclusive guide to recording electronic music

The final part of the saga.

Digital Multi-Effects Unit

This month, we've devoted all of our news pages to two special show reports; from Chicago's NAMM fest, and London's APRS — the products which'll be making next year's news...