Books '84

instruments and playing in print

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.

News from the cutting edge of music and multimedia technology

Software Stumbling

The software revolution hits a snag.

UMI 2B Software

The 1B version was good, but Simon Trask has spent a month with its successor, and reckons it deserves its reputation as the most professional sequencing package designed round a home computer.

RSF DD30 Drum Machine

From France comes a digital drum machine with more facilities per pound than any of the Japanese competition. Jean-Paul Verpeaux likes what he hears in this exclusive review.

Doepfer MAQ16/3 MIDI Analogue Sequencer

Casio DH100

Don’t be fooled by its toy-town looks - Casio’s DH100 comes with six sounds and a built-in speaker, but it is a remarkably good MIDI wind controller for £99. Tony Crowle decides to take it seriously.

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.

Profound thinker Trynka is back with chewed pencil for another month's diary, and the strain's beginning to tell...

And A Happy Birthday To Us

Come to our party, have some jelly, read some of our best bits, and wish us a happy first birthday, hip hip...

UMI-2B

Sequencing interface for the BBC

System Exclusive Orchestrator

If you have a large number of disorganised patches and an unruly MIDI network, then Xor is made for you. It is designed to make sound management and working with MIDI instruments easier. Martin Russ finds out if the claims are true.