SOUND ON SOUND
Dave Crombie gets to grips with Alesis' Tardis-like synth module and finds out that the inside is a lot bigger than the outside.
The Fostex RD8 digital multitrack combines the Alesis ADAT tape format with a wealth of on-board synchronisation and control facilities. David Mellor investigates.
Steve Howell investigates a single-channel MIDI-CV converter.
Many musicians are familiar with the SPL Vitalizer. Now the company hope to win a space in the racks of studios world-wide with their new Optimizer. Dave Lockwood finds some unique features behind the company's unconventional approach to equaliser design.
Emu took up the opportunity of a whistle-stop Autumn press tour to announce new products — including their lowest-priced sampler to date — which set the company's agenda for the coming months. Derek Johnson previews the new kit on the block.
Behringer claim that the Combinator can dramatically compress a signal without introducing any undesirable side-effects. Paul White checked it out on a mastering session.
Paul White's looking at a gadget to improve impedance mismatch.
Mark of the Unicorn's Performer has been a Mac sequencing stalwart for almost as long as the Mac platform has been used by musicians. Now faced with a growing number of competitors, it's up to version 5.0 and continues to improve in presentation and functionality, according to Mike Collins.
Derek Johnson investigates an affordable MIDI exapnder for the Atari ST.
Mike Barnes rounds up a new wave of software and hardware support for the Emu EIIIX, which once again makes Emu samplers a serious alternative at the higher end of the sampler marketplace.
The S760 sampler represented excellent value for money on its release back in February this year. Now it looks even more impressive, with the arrival of the OP760/1 expansion board and the v.2.12 system software. Paul Wiffen checks them out.
Dynacord products have a quiet reputation for quality amongst those in the know, but are often overlooked in a market dominated by the big guns in effects. Nick Magnus thinks the DRP5, offering high-quality reverb at an affordable price, might be about to change all that...
Behind the conventional facade of Yamaha's latest drum machine hides a section of sophisticated features — like 'human feel' groove quantisation, bass sounds and built-in digital effects. Paul Ward gets into the groove.
Paul White takes the necessary Steppes to check out this innocuous looking mic and discovers a competent all-rounder.
The MPC3000's dedicated sequencing and drum sampling control surface aims to tempt high-level musicians away from their computers with its luxurious hardware approach. David Mellor puts in a hard day's night and gives it the thumbs up.
The Korg PolySix gave Roland's Juno 6 (and Later the Juno 60) some stiff competition back in the early eighties, and is enjoying a revival of popularity today. Nick Magnus takes a retrospective look at this analogue favourite, and gives some advice on purchasing one today.
After last month's test-drive of Yamaha's top-of-the-range-QY300 music sequencer, Martin Russ now takes its baby sibling, the QY8, for a spin around the block.
To get the most out of your pre-MIDI synths, you need to bring them into the MIDI age. Kenton's long-awaited Pro 4 provides a host of interfacing possibilities and is capable of controlling up to an astounding 10 different devices simultaneously. Derek Johnson connects up.
Derek Johnson checks out the new flagship of the Sound Canvas range.