With the British Music Fair upon us the musical equipment manufacturers are proving there's nothing like the hi-tech end of the music market for innovation - and no-one like MT to pass Comment on it.

News of new products is coming in thick and fast. Read about it all on MT's bulletin-board.

Digital Audio Tape controversy, music store cooperation and sexism all came out of this month's bulging postbag - and the postman's put in for a raise.

Questions and answers on topics as far-ranging as the Sample Dump Standard and books on old synths. Whatever the problem MT's experts have the answers.

An American 16-bit digital recording system designed to run with the Apple Mac Plus makes sampling direct-to-hard disk recording a powerful reality. Rick Davies gets his ear to the disk.

We begin a new series that looks at how to recreate the sound of acoustic instruments using various methods of synth programming and sampling. In the first part, Howard Massey turns his attention to the acoustic guitar.

Expanding the "user waveform"approach of their K3 to almost full additive waveform proportions has given Kawai what they call a "multi-dimensional" synthesiser. Bob O'Donnell likes what he hears.

A successful composer of minimal music or would-be writer of pop instrumentals? Tim Goodyer isn't sure so he challenges the man himself for the answers.

Confused by MIDI - or even been hiding from it in the hope it might go away? Your prayers are answered and your fears dispelled by Bob O'Donnell in the first of a series that takes MIDI from the top.

An eponymous debut single took Living in a Box high in the singles charts. In a rare interview with this publicity-shy band, Tim Goodyer found technology an essential part of their success.

As the price of SMPTE synchronising devices continues to fall, more and more home studios will be availed of their sophistication. Simon Trask checks out the latest breakthrough to find out it's not only cheap but British.

If conventional drum pads sound old hat, Matt Isaacson and Chris Meyer might have a few ideas for you as they check out the alternatives in our series on creative drum programming.

In case the current wave of BMF-madness has overtaken you completely, MT dropped in on the annual Chicago show to see how the Americans do it. Report: Dan Goldstein, Rick Davies, Paul White and Bob O'Donnell.

Many of today's popular digital synthesisers use variations on "wavetable synthesis". Chris Meyer explains what this mystical but powerful method is all about.

Japan's most respected technopop pioneer has recently finished an album that breaks new ground for him - it involves live musicians. He discusses his new LP and his other projects with Paul Tingen.

Readers' patches galore... This month's cream of the crop includes patches for the Casio CZ101, Roland Alpha Juno 2, Korg DW8000, and Yamaha DX7.

The inventor of the curious Electric Stick recently left his native America to promote the latest MIDI-equipped version of his brainchild. Tim Goodyer caught him Stick-in-hand for a talk about his invention and his vision of its future.

The first release from a British company called System Exclusive is a 128-track sequencer for the Atari ST. Simon 'ST Trask (and his assistant, 'Mouse') find it both powerful and flexible.