Already renowned for producing high-quality budget equipment, Alesis have introduced a new 16-channel mixer. Ian Waugh discovers Monolithic Circuit Technology is behind the 1622's amazing performance.

Portable DAT Recorder

Casio's DA1 and DA2 Digital Audio Tape machines have helped put DAT into many budget studios. Tim Goodyer suggests that the DA7 will see it in a few more.

Korg Wavestation A/D

Korg add new samples, a vocoder and a pair of audio inputs to their highly acclaimed Advanced Vector synthesizer, and put the result in a rack. Kendall Wrightson says the Wavestation A/D is a TV/film composer's dream machine.

Hints, Tips & News From The World Of Music Software

a novice engineer's guide to what all the knobs and switches on a mixing-desk do

Aces B1816

A cost effective in-line mixing console aimed at the budget 16-track user.

In terms of sheer numbers, Hybrid Technology’s computer music system for the BBC micro outsells any other music software package on the market. Ian Waugh finds out why.

Recording Drums

Part 8: David Mellor explains several techniques for taming that most difficult of instruments to record - the drum kit.

Ever since the invention of the wax cylinder, listening to recorded music has been a passive experience; now CDs are capable of holding MIDI and other performance data. Bob O'Donnell looks at the changing face of music.

'Can you benefit from something that doesn't make a noise?' asks Paul Gilby in his in-depth review of this interesting MIDI trigger device from the pioneers of the electronic drum. It might not generate sounds of its own but this unit certainly makes possible some marvellous effects when MIDI'd up to synthesizers. Check it out.

The more imagination you apply to signal processors, the more you can get out of them. Craig Anderton presents 49 tips that take you beyond stock effects and into new ways of creating your own sonic signature.

A rundown of the new products shown at the recent Frankfurt Music Fair.

Stephen Delft improves his guitar routing box

Roland SRV330 Dimensional Space Reverb

Can Roland's latest gizmo really add another dimension to your recordings?

Sampling Percussion System

Not just a sampling drum machine, more a solid state tape recorder! As things start to heat up at the top end of the drum machine market, David Mellor gives E-mu's successor to their popular SP-12 a thorough pounding.

Milton Keynes adman draws up Draughtsman's Contract

Playing Live

Electronic music live - a special focus

Full circuit design for this very high quality, low-noise preamplifier.

The story of a CD

Not many people would have the courage to give up a lucrative career in the jingles business in order to record and release their own CD. But that's precisely what Simon Renouf has done, and this is his story...

RCM Synthesizer

The DX7 captured musicians’ imaginations like no other synthesizer before or since. But the legacy of releasing endless variations on the DX theme has turned some musicians away from FM synthesis and into the waiting arms of a new generation of 'sample plus synth' keyboards. Now Yamaha are back with a vengeance, an even more powerful method of synthesis (Real-time Convolution and Modulation), and a spanking new flagship synth. But has the SY77 got what it takes to regain the hi-tech musician's vote? Martin Russ finds out.

MIDI has been with us for almost a decade, yet most users still labour under Misconceptions about what it actually can and cannot do. Paul D. Lehrman explodes some of the more common myths about MIDI.

Henry Priestman: the word

Akai S612 MIDI Sampler

A reduction in price and the introduction of their Quick Disk make Akai's S612 MIDI Sampler an even more attractive investment. Paul Gilby was suitably impressed.