...In March 1981, E&MM's publishers launched this magazine onto an unsuspecting musical public. Dan Goldstein looks back at the issue that started it all.

Trish McGrath gets the lowdown on a whole stack of readers' own synth sounds, while Paul Wiffen gives an appraisal of a new library of samples for the Ensoniq Mirage.

Getting the best out of Tandy's Realistic PZM microphones.

a poly to compare and contrast

Instruments & Equipment

No time to lose when it comes to odd metres. Nigel Lord takes a look at "difficult" time signatures in this month's instalment of MT's rhythm programming series.

Paul Gilby takes a brief look at printer technology with particular reference to the Citizen HQP45 24-pin dot-matrix printer.

An excursion into the depths of dub with reggae master and sound manipulator The Mad Professor.

Those little snippets that make the musician's life worth living

Bass Training

better expression from fretless bass

Studio Test

Could this be the Megaportastudio. Jim Betteridge went forth and recorded

The story behind E&MM's most striking front cover for years. Dan Goldstein talks to Les Arnett, graphic artist extraordinaire, on the creation of a music/cornputer/video masterpiece.

Bridging The Gap

Whilst Roland and Yamaha take LA and FM synthesis into the home, Technics make it even harder to differentiate between a home keyboard and a synthesizer with the release of the AX7. Paul Ireson checks it out.

This new multi-function unit lets you physically access and modify hex code MIDI signals amongst other things. Jay Chapman discovers it may be rather more useful than most would think.

What's going on? Turn to page 14 and find out

Part 4: Further Hardware Details

The resumption of our series describing the design of Clef Products' new computer music system for the BBC micro, the PDSG. Designer Alan Boothman takes up the story.

The readers' synth sound page goes from strength to strength, with the Yamaha DX7, Korg Mono/Poly, Sequential Pro-One and Casio CZ101 among the featured instruments. Plus a review of a DX7 ROM that contains 512 sounds.

MTR 6:4:2

A budget 6:4:2 mixer that is neither short on features nor costs the earth.

Archimedes Software

The Archimedes computer continues its bid for musical acceptance with Armadeus - a hardware/software package that allows it to sample sound. Ian Waugh goes soft on sampling.

how the world's only remaining non-MIDI keyboard was developed

Here's Health

musicians' ailments: how to get, how to avoid

ROLAND CM32L, CM32P, CM64 & LAPC1 Sound Modules

Roland's CM32L, CM32P, CM64 and LAPC1 modules are a selection of their more familiar expanders re-configured and re-packaged with the computer synthesist in mind. Modulating with Ian Waugh.

Gig Tactics

famous names relate horror stories