SOUND ON SOUND
Mac CD-writing has a head start over the PC, but recent arrivals like the TEAC CD-R50S come with both Mac and PC CD software as standard. Martin Walker plugs one in to see if writing your own CD is as easy as people make out.
Offering classic Hammond sounds in a rackmount format, the XM1 module, together with the optional XMc1 drawbar controller, seems the ideal space-saving solution for those unwilling to rely on sample CDs for their organ sounds. Hammond XB2 owner Nick Magnus considers the pros and cons of a transplant.
The release of this tracker is welcome news for Amiga users, but it's also a glimpse of things to come on the PC platform. Amiga expert Paul Overaa puts the package through its paces.
Yamaha have scooped the insides out of their well-specified MU80 half-rack GM/XG sound module and transplanted them into a full rack case, with a few extra features aimed at making the resulting MU90R stand out from the GM crowd. Christopher Holder is generally impressed.
If you don't need separate mixes for each musician, the Mojo MH4 may be everything you need in a headphone amp, says Paul White.
Richard Waghorn tests the TL Audio PA3001 alongside some of the best mic preamps available and discovers a good combination of price and performance.
Ensoniq seem determined to break into the big-league effects market with their highly specified 24-bit DP Pro. Paul White investigates.
Roland's JV1080 was a great success with serious synthesists, and recognising that if it ain't broke there's no need to fix it, Roland have provided more of the same with the new 2080. Derek Johnson's spoilt for choice.
The latest MIDI and percussion combination from Akai is the first not to feature Roger Linn's signature, although it clearly takes its inspiration from those that do. But Paul Wiffen discovers that, although this unit adds a feature he's been waiting 10 years for, it's missing the high price tag of its predecessors.
Paul Ward looks at two third-party sound collections designed to give your K2000 or 2500 a different voice..
If digital perfection leaves you cold, the Aardscape can lend an analogue quality to your recordings. Hugh Robjohns warms to the idea...
A back-electret mic that doesn't need phantom power; Hugh Robjohns won't be calling the ghostbusters...
If you can live with loosing four tracks on your multitrack tape recorder, the Rane Paqrat will allow you to record with up to 24-bit resolution. Hugh Robjohns rates the 'rat.
This year's Frankfurt MusiKmesse was virtually stuffed with digital synths in analogue clothing. Martin Russ takes an exclusive first look at Yamaha's eagerly awaited entry in the 'analogue for the '90s' stakes, the AN1X.
Paul White studio tests the new JoeMeek VC1 and finds that nostalgia is everything it used to be.
Analogue filter banks are not exactly a new concept, but this one combines an unusually flexible specification with MIDI control and an affordable price. Chris Carter passes some filter tips...
In this exclusive preview, Paul White is introduced to a brand-new way of making high-resolution digital recordings.
Another 8-bus console hits the streets, as Tascam release an ideal partner for their digital 8-track recorders. Dominic Hawken takes a listen.
The best drum machine ever? Staunch admirer Nicholas Rowland leaps to the defence of the long-neglected Cheetah MD16.