The ATPL Symphony is an add-on keyboard for the BBC micro that enables you to really 'play' the internal sound chip.

The quality of this 49 note (three octave) keyboard immediately impressed me, and it makes a smart addition to the Beeb. It connects to the user port, and a disc is provided with the necessary software. The keyboard only uses the internal sound chip, and that is obviously its main disadvantage. Accepting that, it is a nice package, and well suited for both schools and home use.

Several sets of sounds are available, and many more can be created by the user. Some of the sound effects are a bit dubious, but the screen layout is clear and easy to follow. In addition ATPL provide a superb manual which explains the nature of sounds and envelopes in an easily understood way. Sounds can be saved, but compositions can't. However, ATPL says that this option is planned for release in the near future.

Sounds are held in memory in ten groups of ten sounds. A group is selected with the relevant function key with the shift key and a sound from that group called up with the function key alone. The envelope parameters that make up the sound and a few others such as the sustain option and the link-up with the noise channel, are all provided on screen. These can be easily edited using only the cursor keys.

New sounds created in this way can be saved with your own names ready to be loaded up again later. In this way you can group together all the sounds for one musical piece, call up that group before starting the piece and select the different sounds as you go.

ATPL supplies a small kit to enable the computer's audio output to be connected to a hi-fi system, surely the quickest and cheapest way to transform the sound from mediocre to surprisingly acceptable. A sustain pedal is another optional extra and the software is already tailored to account for this.