Recording/PA Mixing Console

Fun In The Waves

Riding the ambient house wave, The Orb have released a concept album that mixes dance beats with new age textures. Tim Goodyer tunes in to Alex Paterson and Thrash as they chill out with technology.

IBM PC-Compatibles & Apple Macintosh

Part 1: All four of the major computers can be used for musical applications, so which one should you choose? This month, Richard Elen puts the case for the Apple Macintosh whilst Brian Heywood advocates the benefits of the IBM PC-compatible.

Dave Simpson concludes the saga of Thatched Cottage Studio and how it came about.

gear-speak from all the band's men

Digital Audio Tape Recorder

After months of waiting, speculation and peering at display models hidden behind bullet-proof perspex screens, R-DAT has finally appeared in Britain. Are we all ready for digital recording yet or should we stick to the tried and trusted Revox? David Mellor looks at the first product from Sony, the DTC-1000ES, and gives it a taste of professional abuse.

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.

Never mind avoiding presets and programming your own patches... how about rebuilding the whole damn synth? Richard James - aka Polygon Window, Caustic Window, Diceman, Soit PP, Blue Calx, AFX and The Aphex Twin - isn’t happy with his hardware till he’s had the toolbox to it. Phil Ward enters the twilight zone of the lad from Cornwall who’s spearheading the ambient onslaught.

Wavetable Synthesis

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

Real World

Real World music

Your chance to check out some of the new products launched at January’s NAMM

All the new stuff, including a special feature on the soon-come Stepp digital guitar.

Mammoth Electro Fest: Simmons' contender, the UP5, Yamaha's RX15 drum machine, new Digisound chips for the Drumulator, Quicksilva's Drumkit program for the BBC micro...

High quality monitors for the home recordist

Sound Mastering

Ace Records' re-mastering engineers reveal the secrets of acoustic restoration

The Rupert Hine Approach to Record Producing

You may be surprised to learn that as a producer, Rupert Hine has some sixty-five albums credited to him, though it is only in recent times that his name has started to mean anything outside of the record business. Something that has come about largely through his successful associations with Howard Jones and Tina Turner. David Etheridge chatted to him in the studio about his career to date and his approach to record production.

Want to get into computing and multimedia but unsure where to start? Ian Waugh guides you through the maze of computers and jargon

Part 1: Introduction To PA

Yamaha TG100 General MIDI Tone Module

A lightweight multi-timbral module, with 28-voice polyphony and 192 sounds, which also acts as a MIDI Interface for your computer — where's the catch? Paul Wiffen looks hard but just can't seem to find it.

Nobody has advanced the application of technology in music more than Peter Gabriel. His pioneering use of the Fairlight CMI helped popularise that instrument and give credence to sampling as a creative recording practice. Yet his music has never fallen prey to the technology trap - his latest album So remains a soulful collection of songs heavily reliant on technology but applied with subtlety. Ray Hammond talks to the great man about the album, new technology, Otis Redding, and his role as musician.

This month’s Industry Profile visits an audio/video recording and retail outlet in the heart of Essex.