Why use an expensive sampler for playing bass sounds when you can take advantage of the Pro MIDI Bass and free your sampler for more worthwhile tasks? Mike Collins lets his fingers do the walking.

'When I Think Of You' by Janet Jackson

One good means of learning your way around the equipment you own is to use it to recreate somebody else's music. That's exactly what Mike Collins did last year whilst working at Yamaha's Research & Development Studio in London. Using nothing but Yamaha gear, he set about reproducing a Janet Jackson hit in full, by himself. Here, he recalls what was involved.

Using System Exclusive Bulk Dumps

Have you ever wished you could save your SPX90 effects programs to disk or into your MIDI sequencer for instant recall at the right point in your music? Using the power of MIDI’s System Exclusive Bulk Dump commands, Mike Collins explains how it can be done.

Is MIDI Finally Out Of The Closet?

Freelance programmer, musician, and SOS author Mike Collins wonders whether MIDI has gained genuine acceptance in pro studio circles or not.

Mike Collins investigates the magic behind Enigma Studios, a MIDI-based recording facility in London's East End.

Dave Oppenheim of Opcode

Mike Collins chats to Dave Oppenheim, founder of and main programmer for Opcode Systems, the creators of Vision sequencer, the original MIDI File Format, and a range of primarily Macintosh music software and hardware.

Does Opcode's new Macintosh sequencer have what it takes to oust 'Performer' from the sequencer king's throne? Mike Collins enjoys finding out...

Mike Collins reports on what's new for Macintosh owners at the recent Mac World show in the States

The Atari ST may currently be the most popular music computer, but a lot of music software is still being pioneered on the Apple Mac. Mike Collins visited MacWorld '89 for the latest musical developments.

Software for Apple Macintosh

Passport's Encore Mac scorewriting software aims to optimise music entry, playback and printing in one program. Mike Collins checks out the dots and the dot matrix.

Software for Apple Macintosh

Passport's Mastertracks has been one of the leading Macintosh sequencing programs for several years. Mike Collins boots up the latest version to check on its progress.

Software for Apple Macintosh

It's not often a new program enters the Macintosh stable of sequencers, but one notable newcomer is this package from Dr T's. Mike Collins dons Mac and boldly goes...

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a professional MIDI programmer/musician? How do you get your sessions? What kind of gigs come up? What sort of problems arise? What sort of technical and musical knowledge do you need? Mike Collins spills the beans.

Steinberg Cubase Macintosh Sequencer

Steinberg's Cubase, the company's flagship ST sequencer, has now been ported over to the Macintosh to compete against the likes of Performer and Vision. How does it stack up against the big guns of the Mac sequencer world? Mike Collins sits in judgement.

Into the future with RSS, and looking back to programming 'Say A Little Prayer', Bomb The Bass talk technical to Mike Collins.

Passports Master Tracks Pro has a longer track record than most sequencers. Mike Collins looks at the latest version for the Mac.

New DAC 128MB Optical and CD-ROM Drives

128 MB on a 3.5" Disk? Mike Collins investigates.

Opcode Track Chart

Need to keep track of your tracks in the studio? Opcode's Track Chart offers a package of handy utilities for engineers; Mike Collins tries it out.

Macintosh Midi Interface

For those with large MIDI setups, 16 channels just isn't enough; Opcode's Studio 5 offers the Mac muso up to 240 independent channels, plus MIDI patchbay and processing facilities. Mike Collins approves.

Mark Of The Unicorn's Mosaic succeeds Professional Composer as their pro notation program for the Mac. Mike Collins looks at how it stacks up against the competition.

Mac Sequencing Software

One of the Mac sequencing front-runners, Master Tracks Pro, has benefited from ongoing upgrades and is now into its fifth life. Mike Collins gets to know a Pro.

DSP Sample Looping Tools For Macintosh