Dave Simmons, the man behind the name on the hexagonal pad, holds forth on the past, present and future of electronic percussion. Paul White listens.

Cassette Multitracker

When cassette multitrackers were new they said everybody should have one - now that there are machines like the X28 around, everybody can. Nigel Lord says small is beautiful.

Eight-track cassette recorder

The four-track cassette recorder revolutionised home recording and significantly changed the recording industry; will the eight-track cassette have a similar effect? Vic Lennard goes on record.

A look behind the scenes in one of the country's most respected voice-over studios.

Rhythm Sound Module

Fascinating rhythm

AHB Keymix

Simon Trask takes an in-depth look qt a computer-controlled modular mixer. Does MIDI programmability represent the future of the mixing console?

3G Mynah Mixing Console

Mike Simmons tries out this cost-effective live sound console and finds it also has home studio applications.

From the immortal pen of Ben Duncan comes the penultimate part of this epic reference work.

A New Landmark!

The first of a special two-part feature highlighting the dawn of a new era in audio recording.

Wilf Smarties gives a new batch of CDs a spin.

You can always get more out of your equipment if you know more about it. David Mellor begins a new series that explores the innermost workings of various studio devices. This month: the Tape Recorder.

Studiomaster P7 In-Line Mixer

Fostex 380S Dolby S Multitracker

Simmons SDS7 and SDS8

In a special report, Ultravox drummer Warren Cann takes a look at two new electronic drum-kits from Simmons - the people who started it all. One is a straight forward 'Simmons-sound-on-a-budget' model, the other a sophisticated modular system employing both analogue and digital sound-generation, as well as versatile user-programmability.

PART 3; David Mellor looks at how the requirements of different types of music for TV and film can dictate the sophistication of your synchronising capabilities, and at how machine synchronisation works in practice.

Drawmer DL251 Spectral Compressor

This sophisticated compressor has a choice of hard- or soft-knee compression and has a built-in spectral enhancer.

Roland SDX330

Stereo chorus with that 3-D feeling

Soundcraft Spirit Folio

A quality name, a quality product, an affordable price tag — Soundcraft's new portable mixer seems to have it all. Derek Johnson wants to carry one home.

Dynamix Powermix II Powered Mixer

Amplifier

Two men, a girl and an electrical appliance meet under strange circumstances in the Swiss Alps. Ted Fletcher reports.

With the increased use of direct-injected sound sources like drum machines on modern recordings, the role of the humble noise gate has gradually shifted from a purely corrective to a creative one. Sound engineer Dave Lockwood discovered even more creative applications when he tested this American four-channel expander/gate from US Audio.

'Can you benefit from something that doesn't make a noise?' asks Paul Gilby in his in-depth review of this interesting MIDI trigger device from the pioneers of the electronic drum. It might not generate sounds of its own but this unit certainly makes possible some marvellous effects when MIDI'd up to synthesizers. Check it out.

PART 2: David Mellor explores the sampling capabilities of the world’s most expensive musical instrument - the Synclavier.