What do you get when you cross brilliant musicianship, technological wizardry and one of the brightest line-ups in modern jazz? Answer: Steps Ahead. Interview by Liz Rose and Leslie Fradkin.

Steve Cogan finds out just what Satan and Bugs Bunny have to do with this Cyberpunk band who swear by their ST

Back in the limelight with the 'Play On' album, John discusses his approach to songwriting and his move towards a solo career

Polyphonic synth

AmpCheck

Trace Elliot surprise everyone by bringing out an amp-cab set up smallerthan the average semidetached. Martin Brassel moves in fora closer look

Why the Thompson Twins, Genesis and Tears For Fears have plumped for plastic.

Electric Shocks

How us musicianly types can avoid them.

The continuing story of Francis Vincent Zappa who, out on the road with a rock band for the first time in weeks, relates to one Ralph Denyer just how musicians get their action.

An exciting new effects unit of interest to all electro-musicians.

Roth's Revelations.... Arlen Roth talks to Gary Cooper

Roland M480 & M240R Rackmount Line Mixers

The competition to squeeze the maximum number of inputs and effects busses into the smallest possible rack space continues, as Kendall Wrightson discovers.

Could hi-fi giants Technics have set a new standard with the digital sounds of their PX1 MIDI Piano? Consultant keyboard player extraordinaire, Rick Wakeman, checks out its performance.

PB on the BB (1200)

For some time now Roland's synthesizer range has been lacking a flagship model worthy of the Jupiter 8's reputation. Mark Jenkins believes they finally have one in the form of their very latest 12-voice JX-10 Super JX polysynth. Read why...

Jack Bruce model meets semi-supreme 14

applications throughout the world

fresh words

Studiomaster powered mixer

Just add speakers and go

(Echo - Echo - Echo)

A swim on the wild side

Ex-Police drummer and self-styled 'tech-head' Stewart Copeland discusses the merits of owning four Fairlight CMIs, why he's in a group called Animal Logic, and how to write an opera. Logical questions: Nicholas Rowland.

With their second album just released, Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe take a rest to talk here about the trials of their rise to fame, and their musical and equipment plans for the future. Dan Goldstein (a trifle agog) listens in...

Check out that rarest of products - a new synthesiser