A special 10th anniversary Diary hot from the lips of Adrian Deevoy

Software for Yamaha DX/TX and Atari ST

Why spend hours slaving over a hot DX7 trying to find new sounds, when there's an Atari ST program that does all the hard work for you? Simon Trask puts his feet up and takes a look.

Playing Live

Electronic music live - a special focus

Who you (the readers) voted as best musician, and what you (still the readers) voted as best gear. We shake the world.

Everything you ever wanted to know about samplers... 48 models compared! Paul Gilby surveys the current sampler market, exposes the 'spec wars', dispels the 16-bit myth and explains in simple terms how sampling really works, before telling you what to look out for when buying secondhand.

Mac and the men tell Chris Maillard why their new album will have no strings attached

From the profound to the downright silly, we wind up a year's chit-chat

An in-depth dissection of electro-pop; how to create it, how to adapt it but not how to dance to it.

Dance music should be about more than 'moaning samples and ecstasy' claims producer Arthur Baker. Simon Trask talks to the man behind 'Planet Rock'.

England's North has consistently produced some of the most innovative electronic music. Simon Trask talks to a band set to take their place alongside New Order and Heaven 17.

Techno music, the true successor to late seventies synth-pop, translates the desolation of post-Motown Detroit into electronic dance rhythms. Simon Trask listens to the programmer's tale.

Clint Boon and the Farfisa beat

trying to get on telly could be the most frustrating experience of your musical career; we pinpoint the pitfalls

bemusing bostoners head for the mainstream

Start here to avoid disaster and achieve applause. We bring you clues from experienced hands.

Roland Orzabal picks over the Tears' gear

Belgian sampling innovators Front 242 have been accused of encouraging a fascist following - where does the sampling stop and the politics begin? David Bradwell brings news from the front.

Building his career on productions of Jennifer Warnes, Malcolm McLaren and the Communards, Stephen Hague has found his greatest success with The Pet Shop Boys. David Bradwell talks shop.

Digital drum machines may rule the waves in the R&D labs, but one obsolete analogue device is still the record producers' first choice. Tim Goodyer dissects the appeal of Roland's classic TR808.

Forsaking guitars and drums for a wall of keyboards and racked modules, Sub Sub turned a home studio into a hit factory. ‘Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)’ peaked at Number 3 and took everyone by surprise - except Phil Ward, who heard the single pre-release and contacted the band immediately.

Nominated by Adrian Belew, Bill Nelson, Roddy Frame, Ted Nugent, Robert Smith, Dierdre Cartwright

all the singer needs to know, part 1

A list of "classic" analogue synths could not be complete without Oberheim's OBXa. Peter Forrest reminisces about an instrument that won the hearts of many musicians.

How our seminars rocked London’s APRS Exhibition

squeezing the most information from 'Crush', track by track through the new album