news from the front

newsworthy items for your interest

All the stuff the Sun leaves out!

16:4:2 Mixing Console

The people who invented the electronic drum introduce MIDI — and a decidedly acoustic sound - with the advent of a new kit, the SDS9. Nigel Lord gives his verdict.

Putting It Together

The nitty gritty of choosing appropriate recording and sequencing equipment for use in a school environment.

Chris Smith continues his series on synchronisation

Yet another selection of recently announced new products to whet your appetite!

Keyboard programmer Paul Wiffen brings you the latest developments on the Sequential sampling system: the new 2002 rack-mount, and the superb Digidesign visual editing software. He also takes a look at the Prophet 2000 and passes on some useful tips for using its 'mapping' function to the full.

Multi-Simultaneous Effects Processor

Hot on the heels of the Multiverb and Quadraverb comes Digitech's contender for the title of best 'four effects at once' signal processor. Paul Ireson checks out the form.

Jay Chapman sets the scene for a regular series written to help you better understand the practicalities of life with the Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

Chris Smith enlightens us on the subject of locking music to video

Dave Simpson concludes the saga of Thatched Cottage Studio and how it came about.

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...

Since heralding in a new musical era in 1976 with the release of his innovative synthesizer-based opus, 'Oxygene', Jean-Michel Jarre has gone on to sell almost 34 million records worldwide. Currently embarking on a new album project, as well as planning a series of concerts to welcome in the new decade, Richard Buskin visited Jarre in his home studio to talk about the technology behind his music.

This month's glimpse over the horizon

Floyd, Eno, Gabriel... Grid?

New Grid on the block

Exclusive reviews of two avant garde music festivals that saw technology pushed to its creative limits, Ars Electronica at Linz and the International Computer Music Conference at IRCAM, Paris.

"...comes back from Hammersmith."

What we saw at the big fair, including famous gear and famous people.

The cheap alternative?

BMF REPORT

The excessive heat in London's Olympia gave the latest hi-tech gear a run in the "who's hottest" stakes at this year's British Music Fair. Simon Trask sweats it out.