From Sheffield's tradition as the home of industrial funk, come the Fon Force. David Bradwell talks to the men behind the cream of modern northern dance music.

SMPTE Synchroniser

Still on the sync track... Chris Jenkins sets the pace with a SMPTE/MIDI converter designed to give all the higher functions of SMPTE tape synchronisation without the higher price-tag.

Is MIDI Finally Out Of The Closet?

Freelance programmer, musician, and SOS author Mike Collins wonders whether MIDI has gained genuine acceptance in pro studio circles or not.

Looking back over ten years' worth of magazines, it seemed that there were certain moments worth reliving - here are the edited highlights.

MIDI Digital Keyboard Recorder

There are still more computer-shy musicians around than many would have you believe, so for them, this dedicated MIDI sequencer could be just the ticket. Trish McGrath investigates.

An unusual selection of vocals from the Masterbits Climax Collection sample CD and a bargain collection for TX81Z/DX100 from Emis are the sounds featured in this month's Patchwork.

obtaining the best from MIDI sequencers

Creating music on a computer

In the final part of his series on the synchronisation of audio and video, Francis Rumsey summarises the possible applications of timecodes in helping to automate the music studio.

Rotterdam's master of electronic listening music talks to Simon Trask about presets, sampling, hardcore rave, Warp Records, and the value of spontaneity...

Control your sequencers and drum machines from tape.

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.

Neatly sidestepping the monotonous beats and cliched melodies that typify too many dance acts, this Swiss-American collaboration are making refreshing music. Simon Trask and Heinrich Zwahlen share a technical obsession.

Software for Apple Macintosh

This Mac program from New York sets out to bring the flexibility of computer programming techniques to drum programming. Jim Burgess drums up his enthusiasm.

Bigger Means Better

Reasons for our increase in cover price.

Emulator SP12

What happens when you give a drum machine the sound-sampling capabilities of an Emulator keyboard? Little short of a miracle, according to reporters Paul Wiffen and Annabel Scott.

The Fixx are big in American. Chris Holland-Hill, who's big in Hemel Hempstead, finds out why.

This budget cassette multitracker should give the competition a run for its money.

If you're a frustrated synth programmer looking for an outlet to use your talents, you could become a soundtrack writer for computer games. Matthew Vosburgh meets one of Britain's best.

Any band that call their album 'Steve McQueen' deserve to be interviewed by Chris Maillard

Once again our Cardiff correspondent gives us the benefit of his experience by describing how he put together an efficient and cost effective home studio for the recording of electronic music.

Sampled Percussion Performance Module

What is it about programmed drum parts that make them sound programmed. Paul Wiffen goes in search of the secret of realistic drumming, and finds it in the Emu Procussion.