Who? What? Why? When?

Yamaha TQ5 Expander

Stylish or ugly, don't let the TQ5’s unconventional casing distract you from the fact that with its 8-track integral sequencer and digital effects, this 4-operator FM expander packs a pretty powerful punch for the money. David Hughes reports from his ring-side seat.

Lexicon Reflex

MIDI controllable reverb

Rumbles from the music biz jungle

Sound module giant test

E-mu Proteus FX, Korg X3R, Yamaha TG300 do battle

Yamaha SPX990 20-Bit Digital Multi Effects

We put the first affordable 20-bit processor through its paces.

Korg M1 Enhancement

Much talked about in the US but still unavailable in the UK, Cannon's Frontal Lobe promises a new lease of life for your Korg M1. Gordon Reid asks "does it deliver?"

Rob Beattie harnesses the power of the ever popular LA expander range with this Editor/Librarian package from Steinberg

Roland JV80 & JY30 Synths

Is Roland's new JV80 their best keyboard since the D50? Julian Colbeck thinks it is, as he puts the company's two newest synths to the test.

Everything you ever wanted to know about anything, but were afraid to ask...

How To Avoid Losing Everything

Theft from your home or from a gig could leave you with no way of replacing valuable equipment. Zenon Schoepe explains how to keep yourself covered.

MIDI Controlled Audio Patchbay

Whether you're running a commercial studio or a bedroom recording suite'. a programmable MIDI Patchbay could revolutionise your working methods. Nigel Lord is on the patch.

Following in the footsteps of their successful budget CZ models, Casio add touch-sensitivity for the professional user. Simon Trask evaluates the results.

Roland MKS-7 Super Quartet

A look at the role of the MKS-7

Organ Synthesiser

Until now the only way to get a real Hammond sound was with a real Hammond - it's still the case, but now you can go solid-state. Malcolm Harrison and Tim Goodyer investigate the alternative to wheels and valves.

Jay Chapman continues his search through the workings of Yamaha FM synthesis. This month, how to modify DX factory preset sounds.

Portable MIDI Keyboard Controller

It makes no sound, but it makes a lot of sense.

In the second and concluding part of our review, Simon Trask gives the D50's sound potential a more in-depth listening, and has a go at programming, LA-style.

Steinberg Tango Improvisation Software

Forget mere auto-accompaniment; Steinberg's Tango is intelligent software that actually jams along with you. Derek Johnson trades licks with a software session partner.

Put two Lexicon 224Xs in one box, add a sprinkling of new features, and you have the reverb-based effects unit to beat them all. Paul Wiffen has the advance details.

Two manufacturers follow their already established polysynths with keyboardless voice expanders. Trish McGrath puts the Chase Bit 01 and Siel Expander 80 through their paces.

Soaking your drum voices in reverb effects gives great sounds but it makes programming drum patterns much harder. Nigel Lord explains how to fit larger-than-life drums into a song.

At last, someone has come up with a sample-playing device that specialises in reproducing bass voices - from a double bass to a Moog synth. Brian Devereux reports.