Riding the ambient house wave, The Orb have released a concept album that mixes dance beats with new age textures. Tim Goodyer tunes in to Alex Paterson and Thrash as they chill out with technology.

MIDI has been with us for almost a decade, yet most users still labour under Misconceptions about what it actually can and cannot do. Paul D. Lehrman explodes some of the more common myths about MIDI.

through the year darkly with One Two

a life story

ART SGX T2 Guitar And Studio FX

ART have what is probably the most confusing product range on the market — and this is one of the latest models.

Todd AO Studios

Simon Braund visits New York's busiest movie post-production facility

Yamaha's DX21 polysynth offers FM sound quality at a low, low price, plus a few features even the DX7 doesn't have. Simon Trask investigates.

England's North has consistently produced some of the most innovative electronic music. Simon Trask talks to a band set to take their place alongside New Order and Heaven 17.

Digital Audio Tape Recorder

After months of waiting, speculation and peering at display models hidden behind bullet-proof perspex screens, R-DAT has finally appeared in Britain. Are we all ready for digital recording yet or should we stick to the tried and trusted Revox? David Mellor looks at the first product from Sony, the DTC-1000ES, and gives it a taste of professional abuse.

Meat Beat Manifesto are to music what Andy Warhol was to art - but they've already been famous for longer than 15 minutes. Phil Ward follows them to a Peel session and to their studio in Swindon, and finds that Meat is not, in fact, necessarily murder.

Is the future Linear?

Does Roland's new LA synthesizer mean the end of FM is in sight? Martin Russ falls in love with the world's first ever Linear Arithmetic synthesizer whilst trying to find out...

The all-but-forgotten guitar synth is due to return to music shops with a vengeance this summer, in the shape of Roland's GR700/G707 system and a breathtaking new British design, the SynthAxe. Paul White puts both instruments through their paces.

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.

The man behind Elton’s new mix

Bristol, capital of the West, is alive and well.

If you can't imagine how Steve Hillage, Derrick May and The Orb would sound making music together, you can buy their forthcoming LP and find out. Simon Trask talks to the man behind the guitar and the project.

Ten years ago Incognito's first LP heralded a new British jazz funk movement; today their second celebrates a world-wide dance movement. Tim Goodyer asks Bluey Maunick if the song remains the same.

The "guitar player's synthesiser" is now in full production. We analyse the mechanics of the Stepp, and let two musicians - a guitarist and a keyboard player - give their views on its playability.

Bootleg synths a killer?, New EX, Alligator PA, More scoops

Fritz McIntyre - the key is simplicity

Want to write a masterpiece? Who doesn't, but will this 32-track sequencer software package from Sonus for the Atari ST, be helpful in any way? David Mellor puts away his quill pen and manuscript paper and attempts a quick concerto...

Fostex RD8

Assessing the alternative ADAT

Roland’s Computer Music range

Martin Russ looks at the evolution of Roland's approach to computers in music, culminating in their latest CM products.