'Play' your home computer

John Harris and Shirley Gray take a look behind the scenes to find out how the tube is recorded and how much planning is necessary to produce the apparent unrehearsed chaos that we all know and love.

Jean Luc Ponty music to record

Programmable digital drum machine

Following the Drumtraks in vocation and the MAX in appearance comes TOM, Sequential’s latest. Simon Trask finds out if reverse drum samples really do have a use.

A guide to who they are, where they are, and what they do. Your first step to a handmade guitar.

Striking a blow for mallet players, Tim Ponting investigates an instrument that combines the MIDI sophistication of a modern keyboard with the mallet techniques of xylophones and marimbas.

Hints, Tips & News From The World Of Music Software

VALHALA INTERNATIONAL GOLD B101 & B102 M1/M1R ROM Cards

With so many disappointing sounds currently being sold as the work of "professional" programmers, it's reassuring to find a selection as good as Valhala's International Gold cards for the Korg M1.

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

Software, samples and gadgets for the modern musician

We get the artists' views

polyphonic sampling for a grand

Goldsmiths College Electronic Music Studio

Yamaha DX21

Synthesist Ian Boddy casts an eager eye over Yamaha's low-cost DX21 polysynth and discovers some little publicised aspects of its performance...

All-digital Programmable Polysynth

A British-built additive synthesis instrument with multiple keyboard splitting and overlaying, and up to 16 voices at its command. A dream come true? Simon Trask has the answer.

Mark Jenkins' system

wealthy, successful and influential, but not an ounce of dress sense in sight

Very fair question. A few of the many answers are printed in clear type on page 18. Get down.

Multi-fx Processor

In their efforts to establish their signal processors as strongly in the UK as they have in the States, ART can't seem to bring out enough effects units. Nigel Lord evaluates the ART with aspirations to be number one.

Cymbalcheck

Costly but tasteful

VALHALA D50 Sound Cards

Under the spotlight in this month's Patchwork are the stablemates to the astounding Valhala M1 sound cards - those for Roland's D50. Gordon Reid asks "can they maintain the standard?".

CD player 3-way test

Denon, Pioneer, Vestax lock lasers