Ideas, asides, impertinences, and that.

It's business as usual at Phil's plastic emporium. This month, new product from Peter Gabriel, Nine Inch Nails, Pete Namlook and loads more...

Tony Hastings brings his enjoyable series of hints and tips to a close with a look at the Mirage's final four MASOS functions.

wafting gossip

Peter Gabriel, The Ramones, Philip Glass, That Petrol Emotion, and old-time Velvet Underground.

Que Computer Hardware Buyers Guide, AMG Global Trance Mission sample CDs, Microsoft Music Multimedia CD-ROMs

Digital sampling keyboard

Much rumour and speculation has surrounded the launch of what Ian Gilby reckons to be the best mid-priced sampling keyboard on the market. So what makes Emax special? Read the UK's first in-depth review and find out.

toss pot

Percussion Sounds

Steve Howell investigates conventional drum-kit sounds and how to synthesise them, using even the most basic of instruments.

What is 'New Age' music? Who plays it, and why is it apparently so popular? Our resident musicologist Mark Prendergast traces its development back to the work of 'new music' composers Arnold Schoenberg and Erik Satie.

Neville Unwin attempts to shed some light on contemporary production and arrangement.

Adrian Deevoy goes larynx-in-hand to seek advice from Britain's most swinging singing teacher, Tona de Brett

Readers' replies to the second half of our survey, analysed by David Ellis.

is video nasty?

Clive Grace gets pretty damned excited over the revolutionary Chapman Stick

Readers send in their own favourite synth sounds and details of how to generate them. Synths featured this month are the Yamaha DX9 and Roland JX3P.

It is easy to be fooled by their diminutive stature, but these tiny monitors pack one helluva sonic punch. Paul Gilby was on the receiving end.

No hype, no waffle — just tomorrow's products today

Tomorrow's hot products previewed

Dom Foulsham continues his series with a guide to the ever-expanding world of sample CDs: what to look for, how to find it, and how to get the best out of the off-the-shelf loop. I know we said the series was concluding last month, but we were wrong, OK? Think of it as a bonus.

News on the forthcoming invasion of MSX home computers, the International MIDI Association, the Decillionix system and the Kurzweil digital keyboard.

Digital Percussion Machine

Miro DC1

Go gabba with a video grabber

Music Software

In the second part of his review of the new Yamaha C1 music computer, Ian Gilby provides a rundown of the different types of music programs available for the C1 and explores the sequencing and MIDI utility program's that are bundled free with the computer.