SOUND ON SOUND
Paul White visits the future of home recording, where tape heads never need cleaning, cassettes never jam and mistakes can be undone at the touch of a button.
Long-time Akai sampler user Paul Ward tries to stop his credit card from leaping out of his pocket as he gets to grips with the tempting additions to Akai's mid-range sampler.
Derek Johnson opens up the latest effects box from Ensoniq and finds that they do sometimes do things by halves!
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.
Paul White tests Audio Technica's latest low-cost back-electret mic and discovers thats its performance is out of all proportion to its size.
Enclosed headphones that are sensibly priced, comfortable, and sound as accurate as a pair of good monitors — is it possible?
Keen to get into PC hard disk recording? Samplitude Studio, the top of an impressive range of programs from German manufacturers SEKD, is one of the cheaper options available — but it's certainly not short on features. Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs are mightily impressed...
Come on down, Akai's new low-cost sampler! Astonishing value for money at a mere £999, the basic S2000 is expandable to a top-of-the-range spec by means of add-on cards. Paul White spins the (data) wheel of fortune to see whether Akai have played their cards right this time...
Following on from last year's modular MSR2 synth, Marion Systems' new stand-alone Pro Synth seeks to capture the analogue sounds of yesteryear in module format, without recourse to sample-based synthesis techniques. Paul Nagle lends an ear.
Once simple one-channel units, MIDI-CV converters have become multi-output devices capable of handling various kinds of pre-MIDI control protocols. Design Labs' latest offering even sports a built-in resonant filter! Gordon Reid bleeps and oscillates with delight...
Paul White looks over the smallest mixer in Soundtracs' new Topaz range.
Hot on the heels of their astonishing new Prophecy monophonic synthesizer, Korg are already near completing work on their next range of workstations, entitled Trinity. Gordon Reid was allowed a sneak preview of the next generation...
Alesis rereleased their Quadrasynth early last year to mixed reviews, and in response, an updated version has now been launched. Does it address some of the comments levelled at the previous instrument? Original Quadrasynth owner Mike Best finds out.
Derek Johnson and Debbie Poyser examine the rise and rise of Roland's most sought-after beatbox, the TR909.
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.
Although it offered a GM mode, Yamaha's QY22 Walkstation was not a true General MIDI instrument. With the release of the new fully GM-compatible QY22, have Yamaha rectified the shortcomings of the previous machine? Derek Johnson finds out.
Paul White tries to establish whether a separate mic preamp really does make a difference, using the MX2, the latest in the LA Audio Lite range of signal processors.
This new French program must be one of the cheapest ways of integrating digital audio and MIDI sequencing. Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs put it through its paces.
Paul White bolts Roland's new range of synth expander modules into his rack, seats himself in the comfy chair, then switches it on.