Synthesizers

Paul White takes us through the history and evolution of guitar synths, from early attempts at creating onboard sounds and audio-to-MIDI pickups, through to using pedals and plug-ins to emulate synth effects.

Graham Massey talks about his early days with the formation of 808 State and improvising with electronic instruments, through to current collaborations and favourite creative tools.

Don Lewis toured with the Beach Boys, as well as played studio sessions for Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. He's now the focus of a documentary film by Ned Augustenborg.

I'm considering buying a second-hand Roland D-series workstation to get those classic D50-type sounds. I recently borrowed an old D-series synth from a friend and was using it in multitimbral mode, hooked up to my computer sequencer, but I  experienced some problems with the sounds, so I'd like to get your advice before I shell out any cash.

I'm having trouble getting my Roland JV1080 to work well with Emagic Logic Audio. When I change MIDI channel in Logic the sound disappears, or I can't get the sounds that I want to stay put. How can I get Logic and the JV to synchronise?