When is a record not a record? Tim Goodyer discusses the effects of the media upon which music is recorded on the music itself.

News by hand, news by fax, news of a rack-mount Emulator III, a new Turnkey shop, Akai and FZ1 samples... Hot news beats the postal strike.

You have the technology, we have the answers. Readers' questions answered by our panel of experts in MTs regular help column.

And the postal strike hasn't stopped MT readers from airing their views either. Your points of view in the leading music technology magazine.

Akai's popular S900 sampler has appeared on more records and in more studios than you can name. Simon Trask takes an early look at the S900's successor, the 16-bit, 16-voice S1000.

The missing link between the powerful MIDI instruments of today and the characterful analogue synths of yesterday is the MIDI/CV interface. Tim Goodyer looks at a budget converter.

If you've ever wished you could sing a violin or hum a tune straight into your MIDI sequencer, this French "MIDI microphone" could be for you. Debbie Poyser sings something sampled.

From their initial sampled success with 'E=mc2' Big Audio Dynamite have gone on to further explore the use of dialogue and sound effects in pop music. David Bradwell talks technology and photography with keyboardsman Dan Donovan.

Once the exclusive territory of costly systems like the SSL desk, automated mixing is quickly becoming widely available. Lorenz Rychner looks at an automation system aimed at the budget studio.

The latest scare in the computer world is a series of programs that behave as if they are a human disease. Roly Pickering describes the background to computer viruses and what you con do to protect yourself from them.

In his career as disc jockey, audio engineer and pop star Tim Simenon has called upon musical influences as diverse as Rick James and Kraftwerk. Tim Goodyer talks tech with a DJ who intends to take cut-up records on the road.

Possibly the most timely and influential synthesiser development of the 70s was the Prophet 5. Dave Crombie takes a look back at the polysynth that was modelled on the Minimoog.

Where Roland and Yamaha tried to create the state-of-the-art wind controller, Casio have gone for accessibility. Andy Blake blows the latest development in the latest line of MIDI controllers.

It's been a while in the pipeline but Ensoniq's successor to their popular Mirage sampler is up and running. Simon Trask checks out the latest "peoples' sampler".

Through a career that has encompassed the controversy of the Bollock Brothers and the serenity of new age, Phil Thornton has drawn the best from technology. David Bradwell listens in.

Optical Media International Universe of Sounds Vol 3 for Emax, DPX1 and Emulator II joins our regular selection of readers' own synthesiser patches in MT's regular Patchwork column.

Roland's latest keyboard combines two currently important concepts: the workstation and the company's own Linear Arithmetic synthesis. Simon Trask test drives the "multi-timbral linear synthesiser muhitrack sequencer".

Who helped make Climie Fisher's single a hit? And the Pet Shop Boys', and Depeche Mode's, and Bananarama's? David Bradwell investigates the latest action in the Stock, Aitken & Waterman production stable.

Following last month's explanation of computer-generated waveforms and their uses, we look at strings of waveforms working together to build complex sounds. Tom McLaughlin investigates wavetables.

The latest sequencer from the Dr T's stable takes interactive composition by the horns. Ian Waugh examines the software and the merits of mathematical music making.

If you're short of a new source of samples you could do worse than to turn to the glass (not the bottle). Tom McLaughlin explains how a wine glass can provide a wide variety of unusual tone colours.

The advantages of programmability and the power of MIDI spread further into the studio environment. Vic Lennard checks out Roland's programmable parametric equaliser.