Welcome to the first issue of Recording Musician. I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you what our new magazine is about and how we see RM developing in the future. Since I've spent the past seven years editing Home & Studio Recording magazine, it will probably come as no surprise that a large part of our new magazine will be devoted to music recording and the associated technology. We'd like to welcome on board Derek Johnson and Debbie Poyser, who were also key figures in the H&SR team, and they'll be joined by top recording contributors John Harris, Shirley Gray, Mike Simmons, Mike Skeet, Dave Lockwood and David Mellor, to name but a few. It's a team with a proven track record, who, as well as being excellent writers, maintain active involvement in recording, record production, songwriting and performance.

There's a lot more to recording music than simply mastering the technology; recording is most definitely an art. We'll be placing a lot of emphasis on performance and sound, so you can expect features on preparing your instrument or voice for a recording session and on how to achieve professional-sounding results using even the simplest recording equipment. There'll also be regular interviews with famous musicians, recording engineers and record producers, in which we'll be asking them how they work in the studio and how they create their own distinctive sounds.

I'm sure that many of you will be familiar with our well established sister publication, Sound On Sound, which deals with the hi-tech side of electronic instruments and recording equipment. Recording Musician will be produced to the same high standard and will take a very practical approach to the subject of music recording, from simple stereo and 4-track, right up to 16- and 24-track semi-pro systems.

Recognising that the underlying technology can be daunting to the newcomer, we are devoting a section of the magazine to introducing the basic concepts of recording and MIDI sequencing. Not only will this provide a solid grounding for the new recording enthusiast, it will also provide a valuable reference for both teachers and pupils involved with music recording in schools. We'll also be checking out recording systems to suit every budget, including educational systems, and there'll be regular easy-to-enter competitions with valuable prizes of recording equipment. Furthermore, we an planning an additional series of competitions that will enable you to win recording equipment for the school of your choice. Articles, letters and queries are invited from all our readers and there'll be a special teachers' forum section where educational ideas and problems can be discussed.

For the established recording musician, well be analysing advanced recording techniques for both pop and acoustic music in a variety of live and studio situations. We'll be reviewing the latest in recording equipment, right across the price range, and examining emerging technologies, while our regular 'Demo Doctor' pages provide a constructive critique of your own work, and any exceptional compositions will, with your permission, be passed to interested record companies or producers.

There simply isn't space here to tell you about all our plans and ideas, but all of us at RM are very excited at the direction of our new magazine. Whether you are an experienced recording musician, a complete beginner or run a commercial studio of your own, Recording Musician is the only magazine which tells you everything you need to know.

Finally, if you would like to contribute to the magazine or discuss any of the areas we're covering, please do write or give us a call. We'll be happy to hear from you.