E-mu Emulator

These days a few hundred pounds will buy you technology that once cost thousands. Gordon Reid looks at an early sampler and discovers there's more to it and its manufacturer than you might have known.

Never mind avoiding presets and programming your own patches... how about rebuilding the whole damn synth? Richard James - aka Polygon Window, Caustic Window, Diceman, Soit PP, Blue Calx, AFX and The Aphex Twin - isn’t happy with his hardware till he’s had the toolbox to it. Phil Ward enters the twilight zone of the lad from Cornwall who’s spearheading the ambient onslaught.

Calum Malcolm: Going to Caledonia

Soundcraft Spirit Studio

Soundcraft's new Spirit Studio is the company's first serious move into the domestic end of the studio market, a compact fully-featured mixer for the generation of affordable multitracks. Dave Lockwood checks it out.

Live Aid

Gig of the century, report of the millenium by Jim Betteridge

Mixing Desk

Not quite a desk in a million - studio owner Gareth Stuart gets to grips with one of TAC's 73 possible variations in their Scorpion mixer range, the 16-8-2+16.

A Preview

A guide to some of the new gear to be released at this year's APRS show.

Thresholds and ratios explained

808 State Live

Meeting the music business and business of making music on their own terms saw one London band building a studio as well as a reputation from the ground up. Simon Trask gets in deep with Double Trouble.

Multiple output devices like drum machines and sequencers are placing new demands on mixer manufacturers to come up with increased input channel desks. One of the first to respond are Soundtracs with a new range of recording consoles. Dave Lockwood tries out the 24/8/2/model.

Producer Extraordinaire

The genius behind the 'Phil Collins drum sound' reveals how he got started in the industry, his production philosophy and life at The Townhouse.

Sound engineer with Sky chats about his work and gives advice about recording.

Pioneer of the sampling revolution, Tim Simenon, is back with a new album, a new studio and a refreshing update on what technology has to offer music. Tim Goodyer charts Unknown Territory.

Record Producer

The man who turned the music of Duran Duran, Kajagoogoo, Human League and Magazine into hits, discloses his hit-making formulae, recording methods and well-equipped home studio.

AES Convention 1988

Los Angeles' recent AES convention pointed the way ahead for recording technology. Bob O'Donnell takes a trip to the fair and finds the rides to his liking.

A man continually in search of magic moments in the perfect quality of music.

He's played guitar with the best - David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, David Sylvian, Talking Heads, Brian Eno and, of course, King Crimson - and he's also worked away from the public eye, pursuing truths other than the rock and roll life. Mark Prendergast discovers that Robert Fripp's insights are of interest to more than just guitarists.

Continuing the tradition that began with their 144 Portastudio, Tascam have created a combined package of mixer and 8-track recorder - the 388 Studio 8 - whose compact dimensions belie its true versatility. Dave Lockwood assesses its performance.

Mark J. Prendergast explores the recording process that surrounded Peter Gabriel's new album 'Passion' and takes a peep inside Gabriel's Real World studio complex.

Jean-Michel Jarre In Concert

We go backstage at Jarre's recent Wembley extravaganza to see how the show sound was put together.

A complete guide to all the hardware interfaces for home micros available so far, plus the software that goes with them.

Every Current Model Reviewed

All you need to know about choosing a cassette multitrack, plus concise reviews of every current model on the market.