Part 5 sees software specialist Jay Chapman exploring the innermost secrets of 'channel voice messages' and more in his continuing analysis of the MIDI protocol.

How to get the very best from what you do in the privacy of your own home

your bass enquiries answered

Wishing you could do more than one thing at a time may be as close as you'll ever get to doing it, but your computer is another story altogether. Harvey P Newquist III explains multitasking and some of its uses.

make your guitar sound like a balalaika

KeyboardCheck

I used to work with this prat once who thought that I'd mis-spelt compleat when I used it in an article - sometimes you just can't win, can you? Dave Hastilow, however, is well sussed and brings you sound at a stroke.

The big boys of the synchronising world have sat back and observed the appearance of budget systems from Fostex and SMPL over the past six months. Now Audio Kinetics dip their not in considerable toe in the water with the launch of their own low-cost chase synchroniser system, the Pacer. David Mellor checks it out.

MIDI controller data can have many uses such as adding "feel" to music after it's been recorded into a sequencer. Vic "Megalomaniac" Lennard explores this and many other applications.

Introducing a low cost project, but with a specification equivalent to studio units costing much more

The "guitar player's synthesiser" is now in full production. We analyse the mechanics of the Stepp, and let two musicians - a guitarist and a keyboard player - give their views on its playability.

A European music co-operative explained by Henry Cow/Art Bears percussionist Chris Cutler.

Queries answered...

Our first lady of song sorts out your traumas

Part three of this fascinating project from Paul Williams.

In the early '70s reggae was the star of the pop charts; these days its profile is lower but its influence almost inescapable, Nigel Lord looks at programming Ja rhythm.

SDD-2000

Korg's sampling digital delay

SYSTEM: electronics/Technical terms/explain/full readout/graphics/buzzwords FILE FOUND: vocab engineer/Andy Honeybone

They've been a mainstay of electronic music for over 20 years, they're less expensive than ever before, and they still make sounds the digital machines can't. Analogue synthesizers have been receiving some digital assistance of late, but at heart they're still analogue synthesizers - and if you want to make them perform magic, you need to speak their language. Craig Anderton is your interpreter...

Having recently released his own independent LP, 'Oh Africa', we asked Sound On Sound reader Kofi Busia to write about his experiences. In this the third and final part of his story, he reveals his discoveries about the record industry and explains why he set up his own record label.

drum (non machine) triumph

Hip-Hop

Once an underrated underground movement, hip hop has turned out to be one of the most influential musical developments of the last decade. Nigel Lord takes the rap in MT's regular drum programming series.

Ensoniq ESQ1 Polysynth

The Mirage people announce a synth that uses analogue and digital technology, throws in a multitrack sequencer, and costs just over £1000. Paul Wiffen checks it out.