Alan Townsend braves an interview

Free of Culture Club, guitarist Roy Hay declares his infatuation with soul music and forms a new band. Tim Goodyer listens to his tales of "programming madness".

Guitarcheck

An instrument to put the Shadow in the shade? Paul Trynka has his doubts

Guitar-to-MIDI Converter

Paul White, who's owned almost every Roland guitar synth built, puts the new GK1 synth driver and GM70 "brain" under test. Is this the first pitch-to-MIDI system that really works?

At last, the CMI frees itself from the constraints of an analogue interface and starts talking MIDI. Paul Wiffen checks out the results.

Anthony Braine informs us of his own home set-up.

Martyn Ware flatters Fairlights

MT's special report on remote-control rock'n'roll - realtime jamming with strangers across the Internet Computer network.

What's Up, Doc?

In which five of E&MM's writers pick their fave things of the year. If your personal preferences aren't there, don't take it out on us.

News from the front

the rest of the instrument news

news from the musical front

Few instruments have caused as great a stir in the marketplace as the futuristic-looking DG1. Stepp describe it as "a radically new instrument that plays like a guitar, and which can produce some of the most phenomenal sounds you're ever likely to hear." Ian Gilby visited Stepp to find out for himself and talk with its creator, Stephen Randall.

Mick Jagger at IM party? True! Fame, fortune and the low-down on what goes down.

Another year, another host of hardware to look back on. We take you through the goodies and the baddies that came out during '84, just in case you missed any of them.

We talk to the man who produced himself, and find out who won.

Chris Huggett, the man behind OSCar speaks

Shredder goes to New Orleans for hot news from America's major instrument show... scoop

The Enduring Appeal Of Classic Synths

One of the consequences of MIDI recording is the loss of musical performance. In the first of a short series, Ollie Crooke and Simon Thomas look at the performance applications of MIDI controllers.

Is what Yamaha do. Our brave and selfless editor finds out how, first hand.

GuitarCheck

Who knows how good a MIDI add-on for your guitar can be? The Shadow knows, as Paul Trynka finds out....

everyone syncs Synclaviers

MIDI Guitar Controller

Dave Lockwood gets down to some serious MIDI guitar histrionics...