By a happy accident, Amstrad's first-ever home computer could become the MIDI micro of the future. David Ellis tells us why.

MSX Software

Is the Japanese computer standard a dead duck, or will the latest music and video software from Toshiba and Pioneer save the day? Annabel Scott has the answers.

Sophie and Peter Johnston

If the major labels let you down and you're writing sophisticated electro-pop, forming your own record company is one way of getting your message across. Annabel Scott meets a remarkable brother-and-sister duo.

No hype, no waffle - just tomorrow's products today

Tomorrow’s products previewed

In the wake of the successful TR707, Roland have produced a well-nigh identical machine, loaded with percussive gems of a less predictable nature. Dan Goldstein puts the TR727 through its paces, shortly before emigrating to South America.

ROCK WEEK

preposterous pop

Touch-Sensitive Polysynth and Programmer

Criticised in the past for their poor implementation of MIDI, Roland have given their new mid-price polysynth the full works. It sounds good, too, as Paul Wiffen discovers in this exclusive review.

Not a household name perhaps, but this man is behind quite a lot of musical projects that you will no doubt recognise - as Janet Angus explains.

Software and Hardware

Newer, cheaper models have brought the Apple Macintosh within the reach of an increasing number of musicians. Tim Tully presents an overview of hardware and software products for the computer that pioneered the Graphical User Interface.

MIDI Patchbay

Audio Architecture's Function Junction range of MIDI patchbays offers up to 16 x 64 MIDI routing with MIDI merging, sophisticated MIDI processing and mother keyboard emulation. Kendall Wrightson investigates.

Atari ST Software

If you've been forced to treat your Casio VZ as a "preset" synth because of its programming system, VZ-ED could bring it back to life. Gordon Reid witnesses the VZ resurrection shuffle.

Tip from the topmost of twang

A European music co-operative explained by Henry Cow/Art Bears percussionist Chris Cutler.

Scanner I And II Radio Mic Systems

Everything you ever wanted to know about samplers... 48 models compared! Paul Gilby surveys the current sampler market, exposes the 'spec wars', dispels the 16-bit myth and explains in simple terms how sampling really works, before telling you what to look out for when buying secondhand.

Roland P55 Piano Module

Close your eyes and you could be tickling those ivories...

first news from the American gear show computer mailed from Chicago

Mixed media pioneers Matt Black and Rob Pepperell talk about their plans for the future of entertainment and art, as part of the Hex project

Akai AX 80/1212 Mixer/Recorder

Akai leap bravely into the hard world of Pro music gear, with a poly, the AX 80, and a unique 12-channel mixer/recorder.

Hard Disk Recorder

Digital recording takes another step into your living room with this PC-compatible modular package, with four tracks in a 19" rackmounted unit. Bob Walder finds out if Soundscape have got this direct-to-disk business taped...

Do you live in peace with your cassette recorder? Or is your life full of mangled tape misery and longings for lost high frequencies? Confirmed reel-to-reelie David Mellor explains the problems that bedevil the cassette format, and offers some advice to make the medium work for you rather than against you.

Bokse SM-9 Timecode Event Controller

How do they manage to pack so many wonderful facilities into a 19" box? Paul Gilby sets the tempo, stripes the tape and explains why this MIDI/SMPTE synchroniser is a godsend to any studio.

Keyboards — the next generation.

Performance Signal Processor

Now that multi-effects processors are all the rage, Korg go one better by producing a unit which allows you to add extra effects via ROM cards. Vic Lennard discovers the advantages of open-ended signal processing.