BAND IN A BOX V5

Band-In-A-Box V5 Accompaniment software

This popular auto-accompaniment program is gaining in features and sophistication with every upgrade. Martin Russ plays with himself...

FOUR PLAY

Ensoniq DP/4 Parallel Effects Processor

It's flexible, it's powerful, and it comes with a pretty hefty price tag. Paul White finds out whether Ensoniq's first foray into the world of stand-alone effects delivers enough bang for the buck. Additional research by Derek Johnson.

Funky Element MC1

Sample Library

* Score = 3.5

PASSPORT MASTER TRACKS PRO 4

Passport Master Tracks Pro 4: Sequencer for Windows

Passport's proven Master Tracks Pro sequencer now runs under Windows on the PC. Brian Heywood puts the latest version through its paces.

PHILIPS DCC900

Philips DCC900 Digital compact cassette recorder

Philips hope that their new cassette-based DCC format will succeed the new consumer digital recording medium. Derek Johnson evaluates the world's first DCC recorder.

RUSSLINGS: Mechanical component failure

STEINBERG: Customising the Cubase Quantize map; Multi-tasking; DR. T'S: Recording SYSEX in KCS

YAMAHA SY85

Yamaha SY85 AWM2 Workstation

Yamaha's new SY85 eschews FM technology and instead concentrates entirely on powerful sample-based synthesis. Derek Johnson finds that user sampling, powerful filters, and 'easy edit' sliders are just a few of the tricks that make this far more than just another sample-based workstation.

ART OF THE STATE

808 State

Instrumental music doesn't sell, the UK dance scene is totally bereft of life, and dance bands never produce decent albums. Wrong, wrong, wrong - and 808 State are back with proof. Nigel Humberstone talked to Manchester's finest during the recording of Gorgeous, their third album.

AMIGA NOTES: SunRize, its spec and performance; SMPTE; Bars & Pipes

CUBASE MIDI MIXER: Programming Clinic. Part 1

Cubase MIDI Mixer Programming Clinic: Part 1

Few Cubase users take full advantage of its powerful MIDI Mixer module - daunted by its apparent complexity, they pass up the chance to exploit a powerful and flexible MIDI control tool. Ofir Gal presents a practical 2-part guide to customising and using the MIDI Mixer.

DRUM PROGRAMMING: Part 6

Drum Programming: A Series By Warren Cann: Part 6

Warren Cann takes us ever deeper into the mind of that unfathomable entity, the drummer...

HANDS ON

Cassette Multitracks: Making The Most Of Them

The multitrack cassette recorder provides an excellent platform for learning the essential skills of multitrack recording. David Mellor explains how to get the best out of them.

MAC NOTES: Incompatibilities; Duos, falcons, and Preformas

SADiE Test Drive

PC Notes

ST NOTES: Microprocessors

THE SYNTH IS DEAD

The Synth Is Dead: Long live the synth

With the predominance of the workstation synth, and the rise and rise of essentially preset instruments, what has become of the 'traditional' synthesizer? Paul Hazel turns the spotlight on Roland's JD800 and Korg's Wavestation, two recent instruments which answer the question - but in very different ways.