special preview of the all-important Olympia equipment show-your best chance to see the latest in instrument technology

Really Big Men

The band tipped to make it BIG in '88. Tim Goodyer talks to a DJ/keyboard player with a unique place in rock 'n' roll and a singer/guitarist who's going to make Madonna and Lita Ford look like Dot Cotton and Hilda Ogden.

This month, Phil Spector

Sounds, samples, & software upgrades for the modern studio

Disks, gadgets, samples and bits for the computing musician

Seven pages of new products revealed at this year's NAMM Expo in Chicago

Korg M1 Music Workstation

As Korg prepare an armada of new products to invade the music shops, Tony Hastings investigates the M1 Music Workstation - the flagship that looks set to blow a lot of the competition out of the water.

The anti-christ of studio recording, Dave Goodman, talks to Chas de Whalley

A look at a selection of the new and innovative equipment on show at Europe's premier trade fair.

Paul Tingen takes a look behind the scenes with Mai Tai production duo Eric van Tijn and Jochum Fluitsma — and finds out about songwriting, recording and home-made samplers.

Damon, Dolores and me

Indie producer of the moment, Stephen Street finds his memories are all... a Blur

The first of an innovative new series on musical applications of your home micro

A glimpse of the equipment you could well be buying in the forthcoming year

Hundreds of affordable and useful gift ideas for the musically minded. Indispensable reading for the Santa Claus in your life

Warren Cann looks at the updated version of the MPC60, the most notable result of Roger Linn's collaboration with Akai.

Milton Keynes adman draws up Draughtsman's Contract

The cousin of Kevin tells Richard Walmsley of his life as a lone tone

Chas De Whalley shivers with Pat Collier in Alaska... Waterloo

Wilf Smarties gives a new batch of CDs a spin.

IRCAM Computer Music

According to composer Tim Souster, the aisles were certainly full of noises at October's symposium on personal computers in music held at Paris' distinguished music research centre, IRCAM. Read his report.

An interview with the ex-After The Fire keyboard player about his home recording experiences and equipment.

The art of writing music for popular television in the last few years may have been single-handedly redefined by Jan Hammer. His upbeat, rocky soundtracks to the hit TV series 'Miami Vice' (along with a few of the chart hits used in the show) have now produced two albums of instrumental music. Ed Jones finds out how they were done.

Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri

Following a brief diversion in the form of last year's Rain Tree Crow project, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri are once more pursuing their creative partnership. Paul Ireson reports on the recording of their latest album.

Optical Media Explained