Best Sample Packs This Week: Sample Science collection, Afro elements, free piano
The best sample packs this week: a Sample Science collection, space age sounds, vocal chants, Afro-Beat rhythmic elements and a great free piano!
Strymon NightSky Review: Reinventing the Reverb?
28 Nov 2020 in Guitar
Strymon lent us its latest reverb unit, the NightSky "Time-warped Reverberator" with a step sequencer, for a test run. Here's our review.
Best Sample Packs This Week: Metal drums, heavy bass, Caribbean marimbas
22 Nov 2020 in Tech
Cool new new sample packs for you: millennial metal drums, heavy bass, Caribbean marimba and vibraphone vibes and female house vocals. Check 'em out.
Video Podcasting and Vlogs for Musicians: How to Get Started!
We listen to podcasts passionately and some of us even have YouTube channels. We would love to help you make your own - and here's how!
Best Sample Packs This Week: Kontakt harp, heavy techno, Afro-Cuban rhythms
15 Nov 2020 in Tech
A harp for Kontakt, heavy techno and thick synths, Afro-Cuban rhythms, 70s-style rap and hip hop beats and a traditional Vietnamese instrument. Phew!
Mac file recovery and backups: Here’s what musicians need to know
14 Nov 2020 in Tech
How do I recover a file on my Mac? And what about preventing data loss? What software tools do I need? Here's everything musicians need to know.
Best Sample Packs This Week: Neo noir, ragga beats, cinematic soundscapes
Samples released this week include noir and horror-inspired material that can be manipulated with included the effects, a trio of stringed instruments, ragga loops, and tense cinematic soundscapes.
Moog, Korg and Behringer: What is your synth worth?
31 Oct 2020 in Synths
As cheaper clones of fantastic - and fantastically expensive - gear proliferate, where does value reside in the world of synthesizers in the 2020s? Time to tackle some thorny issues.
From Slash and Hendrix to EVH and Hetfield: The 10 Best Signature Guitars!
30 Oct 2020 in Guitar
Compiled using cold, hard objective data as well as gut instinct and raw emotion, this list of the Top 10 Signature Guitars is guaranteed to appal some and appeal to others...
Best Sample Packs This Week: Emo beats, dubstep vocals, breakbeat drums
25 Oct 2020 in Tech
The best sample packs this week include scenic sounds created with unusual objects, emo beats, dubstep vocals, instruments that help you paint a daydream, and jazz breakbeat drums.
How to Optimise Your Apple Mac for Making Music
When using an Apple Mac for music production we need to consider three main areas of the system, the CPU, RAM and Storage. But how much of each do you need? And how should you set them up?
Five iconic delay pedals you can’t go wrong with.
18 Oct 2020 in Guitar
Looking for a new delay but overwhelmed by the staggering amount of options? Don't worry, we've narrowed the choices down to a list of 5 delay pedals that we think are worth considering.
The Best Sample Packs This Week: Chinese instruments and sounds of the British Invasion
18 Oct 2020 in Tech
Super cool new samples! An impressive foley sounds collection, a swathe of authentic Chinese instruments, funk and disco sounds for house productions, and the sound of the British Invasion!
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster Review: The new flagship
13 Oct 2020 in Guitar
We take an in-depth look at Fender's new flagship American Professional II Stratocaster! Has Fender created a must-have guitar for the modern player?
Best Sample Packs This Week: Beatbox vocals, a Nordish organ, morphing pads
11 Oct 2020 in Tech
We've got some awesome sample packs for you this week: beatbox magic, a Nordish organ, eastern ethnic instrumental fusion sounds, and morphing pads.
Building my own Van Halen Frankenstein Super Strat in a day: A tribute to Eddie
09 Oct 2020 in Guitar
As a tribute to the late great Eddie Van Halen, I decided to build my very own Frankenstein-style Super Strat using nothing but old guitar parts and basic tools.
Gearnews’ Top 5 YouTube music production channels
04 Oct 2020 in Studio
It may be difficult to weed out the amazing content from all the noise in the overcrowded YouTube of today. We're here to help!
Best Sample Packs This Week: Rush drums, ambient guitars, a Motown Wurlitzer
04 Oct 2020 in Tech
Some great new sample packs for you this week: drum samples for Sample Tank recorded by Neil Peart, ambient guitar swells, a prog house sample set, a 100 person choir, and a Motown Wurlitzer! Phew!
ZOOM H8 Review: The only portable recorder you’ll ever need?
Zoom says its H8 Handy Recorder is "the only recorder which adapts to your way of creating". Is it the only recorder you'll ever need?
The Stratocaster and the Genius of Leo Fender: A Short History
19 Sep 2020 in Guitar
As the release of the Fender American Professional Series II seems imminent, we take a brief look at the Stratocaster, and how one Leo Fender changed the landscape of music, forever.
Jimi Hendrix guitar tones: Tips and gear to get you started
18 Sep 2020 in Guitar
Fifty years ago today, the world lost Jimi Hendrix. Looking to replicate some of those legendary tones? Here's some tips and a list of gear that will get you started.
8 more cheap pedals every guitarist needs to try
12 Sep 2020 in Guitar
Here are 8 more great budget effects pedals that you should try before you die. They include tube overdrives, classic chorus effects, reverbs, tremolos, and more. All for around £60 each!
5 floor tuners that cater to every budget
12 Sep 2020 in Guitar
Looking for a floor tuner but not sure which one to get? We've narrowed the choices down to these 5 options that we think would be a worthy addition to any rig.