ART DRI DIGITAL REVERB

ART DRI Digital Reverb

Mark Jenkins auditions the latest 16-bit stereo digital reverb with 'Performance MIDI'.

Beyer MCE80 & M700

Electret Condenser and Dynamic Microphones

Two new microphones from Beyer Dynamic - the MCE80 Electret Condenser and the M700 Dynamic - come under the close scrutiny of recording engineer Gareth Stuart.

FUSS IN BOOTS?

Cheetah MK5 MIDI Keyboard

A master MIDI Keyboard for under £100 may sound like a joke - especially one bought from your local Boots store - but Jay Chapman stopped laughing once he had unpacked this little beauty and plugged it in. Here's why...

RAMSA 9000 SERIES POWER AMPS

Ramsa 9000 Series Power Amps

Over recent months, Ramsa have received acclaim from many reviewers for their microphones and speaker systems, and it would be so easy to be blinkered by the name. Can their new WP9910 and WP9920 power amplifiers live up to such a reputation? Len Davies of Apex Studio, Cardiff finds out.

SOUNDTRACS PC MIDI MIXER

Soundtracs PC MIDI Mixer

Recording engineer/musician David Mellor puts the 16-input version of Soundtracs' new mixer range through its paces.

SOUNDWORKS S900 VISUAL EDITOR

Steinberg Soundworks S900 Visual Editor

Direct from his fleeting pre-Christmas appearance on BBC TV's 'Micro Live' programme, Tony 'Superstar' Hastings boots up Steinberg Research's 'hot' new sample editing software for the Atari ST computer and popular Akai S900 sampler. How does it rate? Read on...

STEPP DIGITAL GUITAR: DG1

Stepp DG1 Digital Guitar

Few instruments have caused as great a stir in the marketplace as the futuristic-looking DGI. Stepp describe it as "a radically new instrument that plays like a guitar, and which can produce some of the most phenomenal sounds you're ever likely to hear." Ian Gilby visited Stepp to find out for himself and talk with its creator, Stephen Randall.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC STUDIO

Goldsmiths' College University of London

Goldsmith's College was the first higher education institution in this country to set up its own electronic music studio and offer a course. Current teaching staff David Burnand, Hugh Davies and Benedict Sarnaker explain how things were back in the Sixties and how the studio and courses have successfully advanced to cope with educational cut-backs and musical life in the Eighties.

FRANK ZAPPA: Jazz From Hell

Frank Zappa: Jazz From Hell

With his latest album - 'Jazz From Hell' - Frank Zappa has produced an instrumental work that has been almost entirely composed and performed on Synclavier in the depths of his home digital studio. Zappa's attitudes towards musical composition are as radically refreshing today as they were back in the late sixties and 'Jazz From Hell' looks set to score another point over the " make it sound commercial" crowd. Paul Gilby spoke to him about his present activities on the day that he demonstrated his music using the Synclavier system at the Los Angeles AES Convention, November 1986.

POSTCARD FROM WINDERMERE

Conference on Reproduction Sound

Martin Russ reports on the recent Institute of Acoustics 'Conference on Reproduction Sound'.

STATE OF THE ART

New Order: Brotherhood (Fact 150)

Sound On Sound's record review with a difference! Mark Prendergast begins the first of a regular feature that talks about and to the people responsible for one of the more interesting vinyl releases around. This month: 'Brotherhood' by New Order.

GATEWAY'S SOUND ADVICE COLUMN

GATEWAY'S SOUND ADVICE COLUMN: Creative Gating; Synthetic Algebra

The start of a regular column where members of the teaching staff of the Gateway School Of Recording & Music Technology answer readers' questions: Creative Gating; Synthetic Algebra

HOW IT WORKS

How It Works: The Tape Recorder

You can always get more out of you equipment if you know more about it. David Mellor begins a new series that explores the innermost workings of various studio devices. This month: the Tape Recorder.

MIDI MATTERS

MIDI Matters: MIDI Basics: Song Position Pointers

Sound On Sound's MIDI Doctor, Jay Chapman, returns with a new series that concentrates on specific aspects of MIDI and explores their relevance and use in a musical set-up. This month: the Song Position Pointer.

MUSIC ON-LINE

Music On-Line: A guide to Computers and Communications for the Musician: Part 2

Part 2: Richard Elen concludes his guide to computers and communications for musicians with details of how to join and log on to two musicians' networks: PAN and Esi Street. There's also an extensive glossary of terms to help newcomers to this exciting field understanding what it is all about.