Ralph Denyer reports on London's prestigious CTS Studios and keyboardist Brian Gascoigne who recently teamed up to establish a MIDI/SMPTE-based electronic musicstudio purpose designed for the post-production of film music.

Founder member of Depeche Mode and Yazoo, Vince Clarke is joined here by Eric Radcliffe, his partner in a new band, The Assembly, air their views on writing and recording in the 1980's.

An interview with Ralf Hutter

Live Aid

Gig of the century, report of the millenium by Jim Betteridge

Three pages of forthcoming new products to tempt you to dig deeper into your pockets later on this year.

Four pages packed with news hot from BMF

Part 1: Introduction To PA

Frankfurt Review

Hot news on hot products.

Simon Millward visits the world-renowned Centre for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University, California and talks to its famous director, Professor John Chowning, inventor of FM synthesis.

Frankfurt Musik Messe 1988

It's that time of year when the music fraternity descend on a frozen Frankfurt. Tim Goodyer and Simon Trask check out new gear, new ideas and tired feet.

State of the hardware at AES, Young Adolf in Frankfurt

...Beating like this. We start a major new series on how to make your drum machine - no matter what its spec - sound more interesting, both sonically and rhythmically. Your guides are Chris Meyer and Matt Isaacson.

A major new series describing the design and construction of a high quality modular effects rack. This first instalment deals with the Sub Rack assembly, Power Unit and the first module: the Pro-Gate.

Sound engineer with Sky chats about his work and gives advice about recording.

Mixing in the MIDI Age

This two-part feature covers both the art and technology of mixing. The first article on page 48, 'Mixing Essentials', covers audio mixing in general, from a more basic level, and applies to any sort of studio mixing task. The second part, 'Mixing With MIDI’, starts on page 54 and covers techniques made possible by MIDI, specifically automated mixing and sending MIDI instruments direct to your master tape. Craig Anderton is your guide.

Record Producer

The man who turned the music of Duran Duran, Kajagoogoo, Human League and Magazine into hits, discloses his hit-making formulae, recording methods and well-equipped home studio.

With real acoustic instrument sounds

You may be a whizz with the little black boxes, but how are you at recording real sounds and real performances? Wilf Smarties serves up a selection of tasty studio tricks.

An in depth interview with this amazing character who is now recognised as one of the world's most inventive and original electro-musicians.

Learn to read the future in these pages...

A complete history of record production accompanied by quotations and anecdotes from no fewer than 18 of the world's leading producers.