an audience with andy partridge, frontman for one of britain’s most original-sounding pop bands

The final disc in the Zero-G Datafile series joins Coldcut's Kleptomania in the growing library of sample CDs - Tim Goodyer checks them out, while Andy Neve loads The Sound Foundation's programming efforts into his Roland MKS70 in this month's Patchwork.

Shure Microphones

We gathered together five different types of microphone from the current Shure product range and gave them to sound engineer Dave Lockwood to test. Read his report in this issue.

Chronicles of a moustachioed maestro. Philip Bashe reporting.

Beyerdynamic MC834 Capacitor Microphone

Programmable Digital Waveform Polysynth

An intriguing new synth design that tries to combine digital waveform generation with analogue control. Does it achieve its objectives? Dan Goldstein thinks it does - just.

A reversion to Rock 'n' Roll, an expanded guitar collection, a strange miking technique, another production job and he still finds time to go through Be Yourself Tonight sound by sound with Tony Horkins

A step-by-step guide to the workings of a typical mixing console.

Just how these little boxes became part of our everyday life.

The industrious Chris Meyer again, with the latest news on MIDI Sample Dump Standard. What exactly is the value of transferring a sample from one machine to another?

David Ellis digs deep inside Yamaha's MSX music computer, and finds it's capable of interfacing with more external hardware than its manufacturers seem willing to disclose...

Studio Test

...And comes back again to cast judgement on a machine which carries a hefty price tag for a good reason...

Darrin Williamson looks at an Amiga sampling package and MIDI interface all in one

Ambient, techno and the internet

...Session Musician. Jim Betteridge kicks off a new series with a frank look at the prospect of becoming a hired player

We look at new bands with a buzz going on them. This month, Harlot and FBI

MIDI Processor

This American MIDI processor is possibly the most sophisticated processor currently on the market. Matt Isaacson tries out its bewildering array of facilities.

a semi-dozen electric

Vocals and electronic music in unique combination

Life after Limahl

AES Report

Dan Goldstein and Paul Wiffen go down and out in Beverly Hills - and drop in on America's biggest recording convention along the way. Within its walls, a quiet revolution is taking place...