
Fostex VM200 & VR800
We get our hands on Fostex's latest affordable digital recorder — and the company's first ever stand‑alone digital mixer.

We get our hands on Fostex's latest affordable digital recorder — and the company's first ever stand‑alone digital mixer.

Roland's sophisticated, yet highly affordable SRV3030 is the latest contender in the competitive market for dedicated reverb units. Paul White tries it out.

Drawmer are the latest hi-tech analogue equipment manufacturers to enter the digital world of all-in-one mastering solutions. Paul White finds out how well they've pulled it off.


Despite its size, this diminutive drum machine packs in a decent sound set and some interesting guitar‑oriented features.

Can these new digital interpretations of classic analogue filters and vocoders really offer something new?

Power amps are rarely seen as glamorous, but remain a vital part of the audio chain. Martin Walker tries out a well-specified model from Hafler.



Paul White tries out a JoeMeek product that, for once, isn't entirely green — but finds there's still a lot for the competition to envy.

The updated compact mixers in Mackie's VLZ range may look the same as ever on the outside — but inside lurk new, high-grade microphone preamps. Hugh Robjohns tries out the new design.

'Digital loudspeakers' have been available in the hi-fi world for many years, but Genelec have now brought the technology to the home studio market. Hugh Robjohns tries out their new small active monitors and subwoofer.

Project Hammerfall is an unusual name for a soundcard — but then RME's new card is somewhat out of the ordinary. Martin Walker enters a world of sample-accurate sync and minimal latency.

Most modern digital mixers, like Yamaha's 02R, incorporate powerful built-in effects — but they frequently do this at the expense of their ability to interface with high-quality external processors. Mike Collins explores an alternative way of adding top-notch effects to the 02R...

Novation's latest synth is a more affordable 'laptop' version of their powerful Supernova, which capitalises on its user-friendly front panel while adding the ability to process external audio signals. Simon Trask discovers new life in the synth universe...

There have been Grooveboxes and user -friendly MIDI file players, but it's been a while — nine years, in fact — since Roland last added a full-on hardware MIDI sequencer to their product line up. Now the MC80 seeks to bring the idea bang up to date. Derek Johnson & Debbie Poyser take the hard option...

Designing analogue circuitry to recreate drum sounds is nothing new, but Analogue Solutions have gone one stage further with their Concussor system — it's modular, making it probably the world's first commercially available dedicated modular percussion synth. Gordon Reid can scarcely control his voltages...

Under hypnosis, Paul Wiffen regresses to an earlier life when he was involved in the development and marketing of what is now regarded as a British classic.

The latest PC version of Steinberg's popular sequencing package incorporates a number of significant new features, including the long-awaited VST 2 and ASIO 2. Martin Walker checks them out.

The Quantum from Dbx is the latest entrant into the growing market for all-in-one digital mastering boxes, offering competition to the likes of TC Electronic's Finalizer and Drawmer's Masterflow. Hugh Robjohns finds out how well it stands up in this illustrious company...