Demystifing the trem: How to set up your floating tremolo

If your tremolo is causing you problems but you've never tried setting it up before, this post is the perfect place to start. It's a lot easier than you think!

Recording guitars at home: Top tips for better tones

Tracking good-sounding guitars at home can be a challenge if you're tackling it for the first time! Follow these simple tips on using household items and mic placement to get a great recording.

Best Sample Packs This Week: Unique pianos, hybrid drums and an innovative synth

This weeks round-up includes pianos with plenty of character, an innovative synth with an XY pad and a box of one-shot hybrid drum samples for you to mess about with.

Best Sample Packs this Week: Cadenza Violin, Grano, FearX and True Trance Sounds V2

This week our round-up features a magnificent digital recreation of a violin, a granular synthesizer that can do some amazing things to audio, a trance sample pack and a cheap virtual synthesizer.

Fender and Gibson USA standard guitar models: Which would you buy?

Once upon a time, the standard USA-made Gibson or Fender was your go-to guitar. Now, both face enormous competition. It begs the question: Which "core" USA brand is getting your money in 2020?

Coronavirus: Worries mount over effect on music industry in 2020

Update: Coronavirus is hitting musicians and music gear makers hard, with cancelled events, postponed tours and gigs... Will governments step in with financial help for those affected?

Best Sample Packs this Week: Alpha Organ, Muze Bass Elements, Klang Grained Violin

Our weekly round up of the best sample packs contains some delicious organs, basses, violins... and a neat little collection of free samples. Plenty of delectable sounds for you to choose from!

Do we still love analog mixers? The poll results are in!

We posed a question to our readers: "Is the analog mixing desk dead for live sound?". Digital desks have never been better, but the poll results may surprise you...

Best Sample Packs this Week: HERZ-OG, Granulizer, Everwave, Harmonium, Room Tones USA

Welcome to our new series of weekly round-ups, bringing you the best and boldest offering sin the world of sample packs and instruments! Some cracking products in our first issue, too. Check 'em out.

Successful Soundchecks: 5 Essential Tips for Bands

Soundchecks? What's the big deal? Just turn up and make a bit of noise right? Wrong! We've put together 5 essential soundcheck tips for gigging musicians to ensure a smooth soundcheck!

Best Free Tape Simulation Plug-ins: Our Top 9 freeware saturation effects

Need some analogue warmth on your tracks but don't have money to spend? Thankfully, there are some great free plug-ins out there to help you get some of good ol' tape mojo going on in your DAW!

Poll: Is the analog mixer dead for live sound?

When was the last time you mixed live on an analogue desk? And when was the last time you saw an analogue desk either at a club or venue? Is the analogue mixer dead for live sound?

Fender Telecaster vs Harley Benton TE: Can you tell the difference?

YouTuber intheblues has done a blind test between the Fender Telecaster and Harley Benton TE-52 NA Vintage Series models. Can you tell which is which? Tell us in our poll.

Line 6 POD 20 years on: Will the kidney bean soon be ‘vintage’ gear?

The Line 6 POD is now over 20 years old! For many guitarists it was the first accessible amp modelling product. How well does the little red kidney bean fare in 2020?

Best guitar effect pedals 2019: Our Top 6 by Strymon, ThorpyFX, EHX, Boss, Origin, Wampler

What a year it's been for amazing effect pedals! We sifted through all the releases in 2019 to come up with the best 5 (ok, 6) best guitar effect pedals we think you need to have on your pedalboard.

Best Guitar Amplifiers 2019: Top 5 new amps by Boss, Friedman, Yamaha, Mesa/Boogie, Victory

The last 12 months has seen a slew of new guitar amplifiers, with loads of cool new valve, digital and hybrid gear released. Here are our picks from a packed field: The Best New Guitar Amps 2019!