Computer / Software

The latest big thing in computer-based sequencing is the integration of real-world audio and MIDI data within the same program. Mike Collins puts the four leading Macintosh contenders head to head to see how they compare across a range of facilities.

Windows users looking for comprehensive and professional editor/librarian support for their MIDI instruments may not need to look any further. Paul Nagle perks up his patches with Unisyn.

Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs checks out the long-awaited upgrade of this popular and professional PC sampler editor.

With hardware almost becoming a 'taboo' word these days, David Mellor investigates what Digidesign's hardware-free recording software can offer the budget-conscious musician.

The SampleCell II PC card can turn your humble PC into a fully-featured, 32-voice sample replay unit with eight individual outputs. Brian Heywood investigates.

Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs put Steinberg's new budget 'MIDI-plus-audio' sequencer for Windows through its paces.

Paul White checks out the new features in this latest update to Emagic's MIDI recording environment.

Whether you use a stand-alone sampler, or a 'PC plus soundcard' sampling setup, KCCM's ReSample Pro is designed to releve you of all those irritating sample format incompatibility problems. Panicos Georghiades gets converted...

With such a huge market to aim at, no software house can ignore the PC musician. Paul Nagle checks out Emagic's latest upgrade for Windows workers.

Most new software arrives in a blaze of publicity, but Synclavier's incredibly useful Mac utility dropped unannounced onto the SOS desk. Paul White checks it out.

Paul Farrer rotates his baseball cap through 180 degrees, sharpens his digital knife, and gets sample-slicing with Steinberg's ReCycle.

Mike Collins gets to grips with GRM Tools and compares it to the latest incarnation of HyperPrism.

A synth editor program for your computer can expand your synthesis horizons and encourage you to discard those presets in favour of original creations. But what if you have more than one synth — surely it's going to cost a fortune buy an editor for each? Not necessarily, as Paul Nagle finds out.

Paul White is given an exclusive preview of a new technology that will revolutionise music making — and this time, it really will!

Are the 16-bit capabilities of your AV Macintosh languishing unused for want of a decent (and Cheap) 16-bit sample editor? SoundEdit 16 could be your salvation. Mike Collins checks it out...

Quad is a 4-track 'Portastudio'-style digital recording system for the PC. Could it replace your cassette-based multitrack? Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs find out...

PC sequencing stalwarts Voyetra have finally ventured into the Windows sequencing market. Brian Heywood assesses whether their new £99 program was worth the wait.

Long-time Kurzweil K2000 user Paul Ward casts a cautious eye over the latest facelift for his favourite synth's operating system, and is delighted with the results...

Mark of the Unicorn have taken a brand-new look at sequencing for their latest package, FreeStyle, which is aimed at entry-level users as well as musicians who would rather avoid most of the complexities of MIDI. Mike Collins checks it out.

Paul White gets a sneak preview of an approach to synthesizer technology that could truly change the face of both synthesis and sampling as we know them...