Our regular colourful glimpse of forthcoming and recently released new products from the hi-tech and recording fields.

Software Surplus

Writing new music software seems to be the most popular current preoccupation for the world's music and computer industries. We take a look at six of the latest packages to hit the UK.

The art of packing high tech facilities into micro musical instruments is reaching a peak. We take a look at some of the latest innovations to emerge and a few that we can hope to see in 1984.

A simple-to-build and inexpensive design capable of powering up to 200 microphones!

E&MM's latest piece of MIDI software is a program that intercepts MIDI communication between instruments and displays it on a computer monitor for all to see. Introduction by Jay Chapman.

More controversy and heated discussion on the subject of blank tape levies.

Paul Austin reports on a low-cost direct-to-disk recording board for the Amiga.

Where would Madonna, Giorgio Moroder or Stock, Aitken and Waterman be without sequenced bass lines? Rudi Cazeaux provides some guidelines and practical examples to help you create better bass lines.

for the Atari ST

Before you ask, it’s not a typo: HMM Piip Oy is the name of the Finnish manufacturer of this auto-composition software called John - and why not? If you still don’t believe a computer can write music, ask Ian Waugh.

We review the new Oberheim Xpander in conjunction with the Oberheim Performance System.

Your Paul Hardcastle Aspirations!

Steve Howell takes up his razor blade once again and explains the basis for extended remixes.

Guitarcheck

That familiar old shape with an unfamiliar appendage

Synth Techniques

improve your keyboard chords

The advance of the personal keyboard continues with this exciting new model.

Ian Burden of Human League outlines beginner's tips and a future strategy for electronic music.

Acoustics

Sound Absorbers Part 3. The final part deals with acoustic treatment of the studio floor and ceiling.

and playing beyond the octave

Guitar Synth

Is it a guitar? Is it a synthesiser? Steve Shepard straps on Casio's combination of hi-tech sounds, MIDI facilities and old-fashioned guitar playability.

a house music producer who hates sampling and big drum sounds? some mistake, surely?

Final part. Jay Chapman concludes his long-running series on the software aspects of MIDI with a look at the finer points of Active Sensing.