Mike Collins investigates the magic behind Enigma Studios, a MIDI-based recording facility in London's East End.

Tell your Mac what it's hooked up to! Save the contents of all your MIDI devices with one mouse movement! Edit 47 different devices from the comfort of your armchair! Kendall Wrightson examines Opcode's new Mac system software and the latest in editor/librarians.

(But Were Too Afraid To Ask!)

PART 9: Martin Russ continues his mammoth in-depth analysis of MIDI's SysEx codes with an explanation of 'checksums'.

MIDI Patch bay

Do you need a MIDI patchbay in your studio? Or a MIDI merger? Or both? Vic Lennard discovers that the XR400 solves more problems than he suspected. How's the software-reviewers elbow, Vic?

Recipes For A Tasty Dance Track

Our dance music series continues with a selection of drum patterns, chords, and basslines for you to try out.

Fun In The Waves

From the American Dr Ts comes an Atari ST program capable of additive, FM, AM and multiwaveform synthesis as well as sample editing. Chris Meyer asks if facilities are everything.

Part 3: Martin Russ hacks his way deeper into the heart of the MIDI jungle. This month: Buffer size, and how to deal with status swaps.

Want to add multi-mode filtering, additive synthesis, three extra envelopes, microtonal and fixed frequency tunings, and eight independent effects units to your Ensoniq ESQ1 or SQ80, without invalidating your warranty? Greg Truckell reveals how...

Martin Russ dishes up another concoction of MIDI hints and tips.

Brother MDI40 Sequencer

Brother are taking their first steps into the music market with the release of the MDI40 and MDI30 sequencers. Richard Lamont reports.

Turning their backs on pop notoriety to meet electronic experimentation head on, Sheffield's LFO are taking dance music into new areas. Simon Trask gets a new perspective on nostalgia.

FM Synthesiser

Yamaha call It "Easy FM" - it's the latest and most friendly presentation of FM synthesis to date. Ian Waugh takes the easy option.

Yamaha have bowed to pressure and released an easier to programme DX with an abundance of features. Tony Wride gets to grips with Yamaha’s first ever multitimbral synth with a keyboard!

More useful hints and tips for Dr.T's music programs, written and compiled exclusively for SOS by Dr.T themselves.

If you own more than one MIDI synthesizer and an Atari ST, then this universal editor/MIDI controller desk accessory could revolutionise the way you work. Martin Russ explores ...

Three pages of forthcoming new products to tempt you to dig deeper into your pockets later on this year.

When your favourite keyboard starts to look a little out of date, do you remain faithful to it or sell it? If it's a D50 you could give it multitimbrality, more waveforms and extra memories. Gordon Reid installs the MEX.

Another useful page of hints and tips for Dr.T's music programs, written and compiled exclusively for SOS by Dr.T themselves.

If you're tired of sampled sounds and are searching for a source of non-imitative synthetic voices to balance your repertoire, these low-cost instruments could well deliver the goods. Martin Russ finds out.

In the dog-eat-dog world of professional recording studios, the Strongroom has proved that you don't necessarily need an SSL mixing desk to stay in business! Paul Calderon pays a visit to this thriving centre of creativity.

Universal Patch Editor/Librarian

Dr. T's universal patch editor/librarian makes the journey from Atari to Mac picking up a host of new features en route, as Kendall Wrightson discovers.

Atari Editing Software

Digital and analogue technology meet face to face in this editing software for the Oberheim Matrix 1000. Vic Lennard explores the possibilities.

System Exclusive Orchestrator

If you have a large number of disorganised patches and an unruly MIDI network, then Xor is made for you. It is designed to make sound management and working with MIDI instruments easier. Martin Russ finds out if the claims are true.

Everything you ever wanted to know about anything, but were afraid to ask...