Are record producers losing their touch now they've regained their influence? Are DJs better-equipped to make music that moves? Simon Trask gets the answers from an objective source - one of Britain's top remix DJs.

a family tree for effects pedals

BassCheck

As featured on Tomorrows World — a rubber bass! No, no really — well, a rubber-stringed bass, anyway. Dave Burrluck finds out it isn't such a daft idea after all.

Bass

Janet Angus reports on Dave Foister's varied activities at the Guildhall.

Early Keyboard Instruments

Part 3 The Ondes Martenot

They're stylish, they're cute, they're magnetically shielded - but how do they sound?

Expander modules may be the modular synths of our age, but are they as good? Steve Howell explores the Akai VX90 and provides some guidance on how it can be used with Akai's range of sampling machines.

Drummer with The Police chats about his approach to recording, at home and in the studio.

Betteridge back again, with a step-by-step guide to the mysteries of mike technique.

A church, a portastudio, and a blue hippopotamus? Well, what do you expect from a band called Sam-I-Am?

synthesiser

A new keyboard for those that like their synths off the rack.

Vintage technology strikes back

...Including The A-Z of Analogue

Inside the Yamaha GS1 & GS2

This month's Advanced Music Synthesis explains why these digital synthesisers are 'very expensive and very good'

and The Sample Of Doom

common sense and uncommon synths

Is the future Linear?

Does Roland's new LA synthesizer mean the end of FM is in sight? Martin Russ falls in love with the world's first ever Linear Arithmetic synthesizer whilst trying to find out...

The all-but-forgotten guitar synth is due to return to music shops with a vengeance this summer, in the shape of Roland's GR700/G707 system and a breathtaking new British design, the SynthAxe. Paul White puts both instruments through their paces.

vintage varmint

Prophet 2000

An exclusive preview of Sequential's attempt at combining an analogue polysynth with a digital sampling keyboard. It could turn the market on its head yet again, says Dan Goldstein.

Bristol, capital of the West, is alive and well.

synth artificial intelligence from the USA

Is hip hop an unending stream of monotonous, empty rhythms, or the brightest star in the use of modern musical technology? Tim Goodyer cross-questions MC Tee and DJ Mantronik.