Guitarcheck

At last the Steinberger becomes affordable. Dave Burrluck reaches for his cheque book

The Big Five

Paul Gilby opens our music software special with his thoughts on the 'big five' micros that are currently vying for the musician's money.

Warp Records

MT's enquiry into the health of the independent label scene continues with a visit to the home of electronic listening music.

Chris Huggett, the man behind OSCar speaks

Artistic Control

Who keeps it when you sign your deal? You, or the record companies? Does it matter anyway? Keith Grant sounds out opinion from both sides of the Biz

This premier producer, conductor and arranger discusses his solo album 'The Best of the Alan Parsons Project'

AccessoryCheck

The ultimate compromise and the way forward for drummers reviewed by Bob Henrit

The first in a new series that takes a behind the scenes look at companies specialising in the development of hi-tech music and recording products. This month Tony Hastings catches the night boat to Hamburg to report on MIDI software designers Steinberg Research.

MIDI Message Monitor/Generator

This British "black box" has so many useful MIDI applications that many people will be buying two. Tim Goodyer asks "what the hell's a Patch Commander?".

Birmingham's Triangle Media & Arts Centre houses what is probably the largest 8-track recording facility in the country. It also runs some interesting extra-curricula activities in the form of a Rock Recording course. We asked the man in charge, Bruce Hart, to tell us more about it.

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.

The title says it all...

We highlight three recording studios that place the emphasis on music hardware rather than expensive recording equipment: in order of price, East London Community Studio, Hollow Sun, and Computer Music Studios.

Producer extraordinaire gets interactive

MIDI Sample Dump Standard

Chris Meyer reports on a new system that could revolutionise the way we treat sound samples - the MIDI Sample Dump Standard - and uncovers its usage in the Prophet 2000 sampler.

American company Aphex bring us a new concept in the "humanisation" of machine-generated music, in the form of their Feel Factory. Robert Rich finds himself in the world of grooves and Feel Algorithms.

Yet more speakers. Here we examine some micro monitors from Ramsa.

Steinberg Research are responsible for some of the most significant developments in computer music systems in recent years. Nigel Lord talks tech with Charlie Steinberg on a rare visit to Britain.

Patch Bay Layout

PART 6: Possession of a patchbay marks the difference between a conglomeration of miscellaneous equipment and a versatile working studio. David Mellor explains how to design your own patchbay layout.