December 1995 Magazine Contents

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.

Paul White tries out ART's new 'digital safety net', and discovers it has a great deal of creative potential.

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.

B&W's new hi-fi speakers turn in an impressive performance as small studio monitors as Paul White discovers. But can they compete with the dedicated monitors already on the market...?

BBE's new Sonic Maximizer combines enhancement with single-ended noise reduction. Paul White finds out whether the marriage of the two systems is a happy one.

Enclosed headphones that are sensibly priced, comfortable, and sound as accurate as a pair of good monitors — is it possible?

With hardware almost becoming a 'taboo' word these days, David Mellor investigates what Digidesign's hardware-free recording software can offer the budget-conscious musician.

Emu's Sound Engine is the first dedicated General MIDI module from the USA. Derek Johnson explores GM the American way.

Derek Johnson opens up the latest effects box from Ensoniq and finds that they do sometimes do things by halves!

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.

Anyone into sampling or hard disk recording appreciates the need for a low-cost, high-capacity, archivable storage medium — and that's exactly what Iomega's Zip 100 drive delivers. Paul White gives it a spin...

Korg shook the hi-tech recording world in 1988 with the introduction of the M1 workstation. With their new Trinity range, Korg are attempting to update the workstation concept for the 1990s. In the first instalment of this two-part review, Gordon Reid assesses how they have fared.

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.

Windows users looking for comprehensive and professional editor/librarian support for their MIDI instruments may not need to look any further. Paul Nagle perks up his patches with Unisyn.

Paul White checks out what must be one of the smallest serious monitors ever.

Paul White tries out a new overdrive pedal that was clearly named after a very large T-shirt.

Technics' first foray into the pro synth market, the WSA1, catapults them to the front of the pack. Martin Russ discovers whether acoustic modelling synthesis really can create gold sounds from base metal.

Panicos Georghiades and Gabriel Jacobs checks out the long-awaited upgrade of this popular and professional PC sampler editor.

Accurate monitoring is a must in the recording studio, but the perceived level of bass depends on where you are standing and where the speakers are positioned. Paul White explains why in audio, a boundary literally means a six.

Approaching re-entry into the atmosphere, Simon Millward concludes his tour of the Cubase universe with a look at some of the flagship sequencing package's lesser-known functions.

In these days of practically unlimited MIDI sequencer tracks, just eight tape tracks can seem frustratingly few. David Mellor passes on a few tricks to help 8-track users expand their recording horizons — including how to get 20 tracks from 8...

Paul White looks at the benefits of using a multi-port MIDI interface.

Paul Overaa gives you the latest on the Amiga scene... OctaMED technique & ARexx.

The Atari range has undeniably been somewhat neglected in the race to produce the hardware and software necessary for integrated hard disk recording on today's computers. Ofir Gal takes a look at a German company who are determined to keep the Atari flag flying.

Martin Russ follows up last month's article by Nick Rothwell on using MIDI with modern dance by asking: how exactly does he do that?

With so much interest in vintage synths, it's easy to overlook the fact that many classic sounds owed just as much to the tape delays being used at the time as to the instruments themselves. Paul White shows you how to fake the effect.

Brian Heywood browses the World Wide Web, and takes a look at the latest CD-ROM writer from Yamaha.

Sound On Sound's first decade has been graced by synths that were revolutionary, synths that were fascinating, synths that were seminal, and synths that were simply loved. Julian Colbeck takes a personal look at 10 of the best from synthesizer history.

Aquabats are an unconventional trio dedicated to the creation and recording of unconventional improvised music — using unconventional and often improvised instruments — which they call Earth Music. Tim Turan tells the story.

Martin Russ takes a look at the changing face of technology during the first decade of SOS.

Not many bands would set up banks of modular and analogue synths in Paddington station and play free for the delight of the weary commuters. node did — but then that's the kind of guys they are. Nigel Humberstone talks to half of the band about free-form composition, inspired mistakes, and the lack of sex appeal in electronic music.

Regular SOS contributor Martin Russ returns to the back page with some rabid thoughts on software updates.

Brian Heywood traces the development of the most popular computer platform in the world, and examines its application in music.

After years of rumours and myth, the fruits of the Beatles' reunion for small screen and recording projects can now be experienced by mere mortals. For the past 18 months, Mark Cunningham has been keeping his ear to the ground, and can now reveal the fascinating details surrounding the Fab Four's Second Coming'...