From the humblest of 4-track cassette recorders to the might of 48-track digital, multitrack is the technique used for 99.9% of all commercial recordings. David Mellor looks at the background to this powerful tool and wonders how we ever managed without it.

How to understand those mixer type things that put all the noises through the PA. S'easy.

Our regular round-up of whats new in the world of hi-tech music and recording.

Yamaha ProMix 01

Groundbreaking digital mixer

The cassette 4-track is still the focal point of the home studio, and Marantz have produced a serious challenger to the familiar Portastudio. How does it measure up? How will musicians’ take to it? How does Nicholas Rowland do it?

Hardware

The first part of a short series in which Martin Russ expands, exploits and explores the Atari ST computer.

You've got the perfect S900 snare sample and you've just bought an Emulator III - you either start again or buy Avalon. Vic Lennard looks at a program which could become indispensable for sample editing and management.

The day of the digital, a Casio commendation, getting totally wired, winning a mixer and whacking a Zildjian

Who says multitrack hard disk recording has to cost the earth? Digidesign's Deck allows four tracks of digital audio to be played back and mixed on a Macintosh II, with full 16-bit/44.1khz digital fidelity. Paul D. Lehrman investigates.

Akai S1000

No-one can deny that Akai's S900 is the 'industry standard' sampler, having kept all newcomers at bay for well over two years. But now there's a new heir to the throne. David Mellor looks at the long-awaited 16-bit stereo, 16-note polyphonic S1000.

It's British, it works with an Atari ST computer, it gives very high quality sound and it won't break the bank! Ian Gilby presents a sneak preview of this forthcoming 16-bit stereo sampling machine.

The urbane Mr Palmer talks to Hank Bordowitz about crossing over from cult status to general acceptance.

Computer cobblers compounded

Paul Wiffen reviews the new Casio FZ Sampler

Paul Gilby outlines JVC's AV Graphic Synthesizer which has some rather novel ways of representing music in a visual sense.

More than a decade and a half after they first fell out of Manchester, New Order's most married couple are still at the nerve-centre of the band's activities. Helping them come to terms with it all - Phil Ward

Hints, Tips & News From The World of Music Software

This month, helpful hints for users of Steinberg, Opcode, and Dr. T music software.

A colourful bonanza of newly released and forthcoming products unveiled...

Ever wished you could store and recall all the control settings, sounds, drum patterns and sequences used for a song in one fell swoop? Martin Russ turns fantasy into reality using MIDI’s powerful System Exclusive messages.

Leslie Bunder talks to Steve Morris from top Indie band New Order

MIDI

Tony Mills on digital sequencers

updated drum module for Commodore

Roland MPS & MUSE

Roland's first serious venture into software takes the form of composing packages for Commodore, Apple and IBM computers. Annabel Scott checks them out.