The world-conquering sound of Ronnie James' band rests on its rock solid rhythm section. Tony Reed talks to the men who make the Dio metal machine move

From Gretsches to Strats, from Pop to Jazz. The ever-changing songwriter talks chords, choruses and contrapuntals with Adrian Deevoy

Behind the scenes on the tour of one of the world's most popular live bands

how the world's only remaining non-MIDI keyboard was developed

It began with an illicit remix of Suzanne Vega and it's already earned them their own album release. Simon Trask tracks down the elusive DNA musical partnership to ask who, how and why.

US successes return to Blighty with the formula for Stateside MOR safely intact. Interview by Jonathan James

Sam Phillips, the world's first recording legend?

Engineer Jim Ebdon shares some secrets about getting a heavy live sound, and Andrew Levy explains the band’s approach to recording

Dream Machine: ensoniq EPS/EPSm

the all-singing all-dancing all-bankrupting Ensoniq EPS

Software for the Amiga

A British company have a comprehensive sampling package for Commodore's Amiga. Does it set a standard against which subsequent Amiga software will be judged? Chris Jenkins finds out.

Philip Glass: Glazed expression

why USA musicians favour big computers

little Andy Taylor on big guitar sounds

The mouth behind Nik Kershaw opens to Mike Hrano

Analysis, comment, discussion... hey, Rock'n' Roll

After releasing an album consisting entirely of human vocal samples, Claire Hamill reintroduces the synthesiser to her music. David Bradwell listens to the singer's tale.

The monthly miscellany gets stuck into the trivia

We conclude our series on synchronisation by looking at Time Code and its applications in the video and music industries. Film editor Richard Atherton is your guide.

In our exclusive interview, the great domed one himself waxes ambient on remixing, jazz, Sinatra, computers, the Eventide H-3000 and his own original definition of a new, environmentally sound music

A chance to check out some of the forthcoming new products that might force you to dig deeper into your pockets later this year.

Chas de Whalley interviews Richard Burgess

Drums get beaten, synths tinkled and demos hammered in the encapsulated everything section this month

Synthcheck

Paul Fishman, who always wanted to be bigger, expands to fit Kurzweil's keyboardless package