For a company that is usually in the forefront of musical technology development to be so late in introducing their SMPTE/MIDI processor is quite remarkable. Is the Yamaha MSS1 worth the wait, or is it just a case of 'me too' marketing techniques? David Mellor champs at the timecode bit.

Following on from last month's pictorial exclusive, this account of Europe's largest hi-tech music exhibition fills in the details. Tim Goodyer files the report.

ART Multiverb Alpha 2.0 & DRX 2100

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

New software, updates, sounds, and samples

Noise Reduction

Noise reduction explained.

Rane PE15 Parametric Equaliser

The Rane PE15 Parametric Equaliser.

How Good Are They?

Over the next two issues Graham Hinton tests five mixer automation systems which all provide control of audio signal level by means of Voltage Controlled Amplifiers (VCAs) and are accessible to some degree by MIDI. This month it's the turn of the Akai MPX820 and Simmons SPM8:2.

The Frankfurt Finale, courtesy of Curtis Schwartz

MIDI Mixer

MIDI has been slowly creeping into mixing desks for some time now, but this American mixer goes all the way. Vic Leonard mixes with MIDI.

Modular Mixing Console

Does Soundcraft's new 200 Delta mixer succeed in being all things to all men? David Mellor finds out...

A flexible 4-channel parametric equaliser.

Ben Duncan explains the language of the specification sheet

find out what the small print means

Equipment

Allen and Heath/Brenell release one of their beautiful Mod II mixers into the grateful clutches of Mel Lambert, who lets you know warrisallabout.

Moog Series III

Moog's musical mountain - re-appraised

Long awaited and long overdue, the SY77 is Yamaha's real successor to the DX7; it combines advanced FM synthesis, AWM sound modelling, digital filtering and musical usefulness. Innovation with Simon Trask.

Frankfurt 86

The Frankfurt show seen from a diagonal position

Loudspeaker Enclosures

How speaker enclosures work, and how to position them for the best results.

Computer music at Goldsmith's College

Sequencers

Vocal Effects

The sound of the human voice is one of the most difficult acoustic tones to reproduce electronically, but reading Steve Howell's step-by-step guide should set you on the right track.

This one would have been called Vangelis Odyssey Papathanassiou and Keith Spencer-Allen talk to Ralph Antidisestablishmentarianism Denyer, but there wasn't room.

Digital Audio Workstation

Korg are well known for making musical instruments, but the Soundlink takes them into the new field of hard disk recording/editing. David Mellor watches the price of hard disk editors descend to breathable regions of the atmosphere.

Where do you go to learn more about the subjects covered in this magazine? The answer is the Gateway School of Recording & Music Technology. Ralph Denyer investigates.