Hints, Tips & News From The World of Music Software

More hints and tips from the software publishers themselves. This month: C-Lab; Steinberg; Passport.

Mac MIDI Interface/Sync/Patchbay

Welcome to the new age of integration with this Macintosh MIDI interface, synchroniser and patchbay. Vic Lennard gets a timely piece of the action.

Sample and Hold

Now making a huge impact in the north of Britain, Detroit's techno music owes its roots to a handful of far-sighted pioneers - amongst them Derrick May. Simon Trask discusses the future of electronic music.

Exclusive guide to recording electronic music

Just as MIDI itself has gone far beyond what its developers imagined, so MIDI Time Code has the potential to take MIDI technology into areas quite removed from the synthesis and sequencing worlds in which it has become so familiar. MTC user Paul D. Lehrman explains how.

mixing classical with digital

Oberheim Xk

Oberheim's first master keyboard has a load of clever facilities, but a price-tag high enough to give it some stiff competition. Simon Trask files his report.

Playing Live

Electronic music live - a special focus

Making the necessary arrangements

Sycologic Percussion Signal Processor

Nigel Lord reports on a plain but ingenious percussion-to-MIDI box that could revolutionise the way drums see their instruments - and the way synth voices are triggered. Packaging can be deceptive.

An eponymous debut single took Living in a Box high in the singles charts. In a rare interview with this publicity-shy band, Tim Goodyer found technology an essential part of their success.

Rick Davies casts an eye on the latest box from a company that seems to specialise in designing useful, rack-mounting MIDI processors.

New Yamaha Products

A special feature this month, looking at the latest releases from the Yamaha stable.

System Exclusive messages promised to make MIDI a flexible and powerful communications standard; instead it seems to have caused MIDI havoc. Vic Lennard takes an Exclusive look.

Music Production System

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's a multitimbral synth module, it's a sequencer, it's an automated mixer... Simon Trask puzzles over Roland's Studio M.

MIDI Keyboard Controller

'Walk tall, walk straight and look the world right in the eye' - as Val Doonican once said. Now you can with Roland's portable MIDI keyboard controller, designed for those with a severe case of guitar envy. Nicholas Rowland discusses the angle of the dangle

Bigger & Better Than Ever!

...Is one of the producers responsible for the new wave of guitar-based pop. Paul Tingen finds he has plenty to say about modern music technology, not all of it favourable.

Playing Keyboards With Elton John

Elton John goes on tour this month to promote his new album The One; Julian Colbeck took the opportunity to talk to keyboardsman Mark Taylor about equipment, entertainment, and Elton.