Inventing the multi-track recorder

Geoff Levin tries the latest word in psychoacoustic enhancement, and finds it involves analysing the entire frequency spectrum, then time-aligning parts of it. What do the results sound like in the studio?

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?

Mel Lambert on the MXR Compander, including a general roundup of noise reduction techniques.

A guitarist who's at home with hard-disk recording

A thorough study of the 'do's' and 'don'ts'.

FM goes weeny

Studio Test

It's cheap, it's fast, it's sensitive — it's Jim Betteridge

MTR 6:4:2

A budget 6:4:2 mixer that is neither short on features nor costs the earth.

SMPTE/EBU Synchroniser

David Mellor reviews this SMPTE/EBU timecode unit dedicated to C-Lab's Creator and Notator sequencing and scorewriting software for the Atari.

8-track Recorder

The 8-track war hots up. Now Tascam have an 8-track cassette to compete with the Toa MR8T. We know that eight tracks on compact cassette are possible, but who does it better, Tascam or Toa? David Mellor decides.

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.

Your Paul Hardcastle Aspirations!

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

David Mellor gets to grips with a multitrack cassette recorder, an autolocator, a 16-channel mixer, a MIDI-to-tape synchroniser and a MIDI mute processor - all rolled into one compact box called the Tascam 644.

Portable DAT Recorder

Casio's DA1 and DA2 Digital Audio Tape machines have helped put DAT into many budget studios. Tim Goodyer suggests that the DA7 will see it in a few more.

Take an eight-track tape deck and a 128-track MIDI sequencer and you've got the basis of 2nd Sense studio. Nicholas Rowland visits a studio taking full advantage of what modern technology has to offer.

Rag Bags and Hotch Potch

Another grab-bag of micro-goodies from IM&RW's computer hack (or is that hacker?) Tony Mills

The Next Logical Step

This 4 track MIDI sequencer is a step in the right direction for Casio but have the budget restrictions limited its appeal?

Self confessed synth merchant Dave Stewart reveals how to do away with drummers.

If you've got a serious syncing problem, chances are the new Sync Box will be your best bet for a solution, as Paul White explains.

PART 2: Timecode - much talked about but little understood - is of increasing importance to musicians and recording engineers. Whether you are synchronising audio to video, or MIDI to multitrack, at least a working knowledge of SMPTE/EBU is required. In the second part of this series, David Mellor explains what timecode is and how it is used.