Do we still love analog mixers? The poll results are in!
29 Feb 2020 in Live
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
22 Feb 2020 in Live
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
22 Feb 2020 in Studio
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?
18 Feb 2020 in Live
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?
10 Feb 2020 in Guitar
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?
08 Feb 2020 in Guitar
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
27 Dec 2019 in Guitar
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
21 Dec 2019 in Guitar
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!
Best free guitar pedal plug-ins: Our Top 8 freeware virtual stompboxes!
There are some awesome virtual stompboxes out there that cost absolutely nothing - if you know where to look! Here are our Top 8 Best Free Guitar Pedal Plug-ins!Best Electric Guitars 2019: 10 new guitars that pulled our strings this year
07 Dec 2019 in Guitar
The Best Electric Guitars 2019! What a year it's been for an instrument that's often reported to be dead (or dying). Here is our roundup of the hottest and best value guitars from the past 12 months.
Best Christmas gifts for guitarists: Top 10 stocking fillers for guitar addicts
28 Nov 2019 in Guitar
Need some suggestions for Christmas gifts or stocking fillers for the plucker in your house? Here are our Top 10 gift ideas for guitarists - and you won't need to break the bank to buy any of these!
Top 7 Free Amp Sims: The best freeware virtual guitar amp plug-ins
Isn't it amazing how good the quality of amp sims and virtual guitar amplifiers has become? Here are 7 great-sounding free amp sims that won't cost you a thing - download 'em now!15 guitar myths that drive us all crazy – busted!
08 Sep 2019 in Guitar
In a world of Internet and instant access to information, you would think guitarists would be enlightened. Actually it turns out we will believe any old rubbish!
Top 5 Free Compressors: The best freeware plug-ins that sound as good as hardware
04 Aug 2019 in Studio
The best 5 free compressor plug-ins! Grab yourself some excellent compression tools to sweeten up your mix - and these are all available for free, right now!
CNC versus handmade guitars: Is “Handmade” really better?
06 Jul 2019 in Guitar
Are modern day CNC tools a far better option for manufacturing guitars? Or does the boutique appeal of handmade instruments still resonate with guitar players. Is 'mojo' in the building process?
Which Squier Strat would a Fender Master Builder buy?
30 Jun 2019 in Guitar
Philip McKnight poses the question "What Squier Would A Fender Master Builder Buy?" to Fender Master Builder Ron Thorn.
Will Raspberry Pi soon replace our DAWs?
28 Jun 2019 in Studio
The Raspberry Pi miniature computer is more powerful than ever in its fourth generation. Could it become an option as a DAW computer for music applications in the near future?
Craig’s Production Tips #4: Try starting your mix in mono!
23 Jun 2019 in Studio
Here's a cool trick to try next time you're beginning a song project, one that can help you get you a clearer, more expressive mix at the end of the process! It's simple but enlightening...
Give your Fender Stratocaster the ‘Gilmour’ mod with 7-way switching!
16 Jun 2019 in Guitar
The "7-way switch" or "Gilmour mod" is the easiest and most effective modification for your Stratocaster, giving you additional tones with minimal effort. Here's how (it's way easier than you think).
Amp modelling vs Tube Amps: Has ‘digital’ won the guitar tone war?
09 Jun 2019 in Guitar
The "amp modelling vs tube amp" debate has been heating up of late: Have amp modellers finally won the war? Are tube amps out-dated? Don't write off tube amps just yet, we say...
10 effects pedals so rare that you may have never seen them before
18 May 2019 in Guitar
Josh Scott has made a new video about his Top 10 rare effects pedals, it has some really weird and whacky effects and I bet you may not have seen any of them before now.