Every guitarist deserves an inspiring overdrive pedal to push their tones into new territory. Whether you just want to boost a solo or push an amp into gritty distortion, overdrive is a mainstay effect that everyone should have. The Fender…
The Best Audio Interface Options in 2023
The makings of a home studio begin with an audio interface. This essential piece of equipment provides the inputs and outputs we need to connect audio components like microphones and instruments to our computer. With so many audio interfaces available,…
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The 12 Best In-Ear Monitors for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
The best in-ear monitors (IEM) can completely revolutionize a band’s live performance, isolating them from the noisy stage for clear monitoring. Some musicians who are already accustomed to IEM also prefer them in the studio over headphones — usually for…
The 5 Best Drum Shield Options for Your Home Studio in 2023
It goes without saying that acoustic drums are a loud instrument. There’s little we can do to offset that volume, and asking a player to soften their touch isn’t practical. One thing live sound engineers can do is install a…
The 13 Best ASMR Microphones for Any Budget
ASMR is one of the most popular, if not slightly unusual, entertainment trends of the last several years. ASMR creators attempt to trigger the listener’s “autonomous sensory meridian response”—a tingling sensation that begins at the scalp and moves down through…
25 Best Waves Plugins for Mixing in 2023
Waves plugins have been around since 1992 when the company first introduced its Q10 Paragraphic EQ. The Q10 broke new technological ground as the first audio plugin ever, with sound quality comparable to, or better than, its hardware equivalents. Over…
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The Best Pedal Board Options for Guitarists [Any Budget]
Musicians, professional and hobbyist alike, who are enthusiastic about effects pedals understand how collecting them can become a passion within a passion. There’s so much variation out there: you have mass-produced effects, boutique, hand-wired ones, those that produce straightforward and…
The 8 Best Drum Machines for Creating Your Beats [2023 Guide]
One common trend we see more and more these days is electronic producers gravitating back towards hardware as opposed to working strictly in the box. Many artists find that tactile control is hugely beneficial to the overall creative process, since…
Korg Drumlogue Review: Analog Meets Digital
Korg’s Drumlogue bridges the gap between fully analog and fully digital drum machines and synthesizers, offering up a hybrid instrument that makes the best of both sound-generating technologies. Overall, the Korg Drumlogue is a vast and feature-rich drum programming device…
Yamaha MG10XU Review: A Versatile Compact Mixer We Love
Every decent studio, live sound, or broadcast system begins with the right hardware. In many instances, the mixer is the brain of the entire operation, collecting, amplifying, tone-shaping, volume balancing, and outputting various audio signals. The Yamaha MG series of…
MXR DC Brick Power Supply Review: Does It Deserve a Spot on Your Board?
Pedals need power. For those that still run on 9-volt batteries, or at least provide the option, nothing could be more of a hassle for a gigging guitarist or bassist than maintaining fresh batteries for every performance. The simple solution…
Behringer BC1200 Professional 7-Piece Drum Microphone Set Review
Behringer’s BC1200 professional 7-piece drum microphone set has to be one of the greatest values we’ve ever reviewed, providing engineers a means of close-miking an entire drum kit for less than the cost of a single microphone. The set is…
The 7 Best Wah Pedals for Your Pedalboard in 2023
Rarely is an effect quite as recognizable to the masses as the venerated wah. From Frank Zappa to Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, and from Tony Iommi to Tom Morello to Kirk Hammett, many of the world’s most famous guitarists…
Yamaha APX600 Review: Is This Thinbody Acoustic Worth the Price?
Rarely does a guitar come along that boasts as many features for the price as this one in today’s review. The Yamaha APX600 is an acoustic guitar designed with electric players in mind, and upon review, is one of the…
Line 6 Catalyst Review: A Versatile Line of Affordable Amps
Line 6 has always been at the forefront of amp and effects modeling. The early Line 6 PODs were, for many, an introduction to amp simulation, allowing guitarists to write and record at home without blowing down the house with…
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The 7 Best Bass Synth Pedals for Live & Studio Sound [2023 Guide]
A synth pedal for bass (or guitar) is one of the best and most colorful effects you can add to your board. Built to emulate the sound of synthesizer, a synth pedal lets you use a fretted instrument as the…
The 15 Best Mics for Acoustic Guitar in 2023 [Any Budget]
Recording acoustic instruments can be a ton of fun. There’s intimacy in having an artist simply sit down with their acoustic guitar and play. Because there aren’t many moving parts from a technical perspective, you have more energy to focus…
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The 20 Best Guitar Impulse Responses in 2023 [Free and Paid]
Collecting impulse responses isn’t necessarily new tech. But it is becoming increasingly popular for capturing the sound of a unique speaker cabinet, microphone, and room for guitar. Beyond your amp settings, there’s a whole lot more that affects your recorded…
The 10 Best Mixing Plugins in 2023 (Free & Paid)
Mixing is one of the most satisfying parts of music production. It’s so much fun polishing raw recordings, adding creative effects, and putting the finishing touches on a song for listeners. There are literally thousands of plugins out there that…
Peavey Vypyr X2 Review: An All-in-One Combo for Bass & Guitar Alike
Peavey is an innovator in the modeling space. Their first Vypyr amp came out in 2008, and contained many industry-firsts, including built-in USB, emulated effects, and analogy/digital hybrid modeling. We’re looking at the Peavey Viper X2 in this review —…
MXR Duke of Tone Review: The Last Overdrive Pedal You’ll Ever Need?
The MXR Duke of Tone is a fun one to review, as it’s a highly versatile and affordable addition to a pedalboard in need of some grit. As part of Analog Man’s elusive King of Tone lineage, the MXR Duke…
Primacoustic VoxGuard Review: An Affordable Nearfield Absorber Mic Shield
Acoustic treatment is one of the first steps in achieving quality sound. Primacoustic is a trusted name for solutions to everyday problems associated with poor room acoustics. In this review, we’re looking at the Primacoustic VoxGuard: an affordable means of…
BeatBuddy Mini 2 Review: Perfect Drum Rhythms Straight from Your Pedalboard
Who says you don’t need a drum machine on your pedalboard? We certainly don’t, as we’ll be looking at the BeatBuddy Mini 2 in today’s breakdown and review. The BeatBuddy Mini 2 Brings Versatile Drum Sounds Straight to Your Pedalboard…
Expressive E Osmose Review: A Powerhouse of Futuristic Synth Sounds
The Osmose synthesizer by Expressive E is one of the most innovative instruments we’ve seen in recent review. It makes full use of all the latest tech to deliver a synth that’s uniquely expressive, playable, and unlike any other. The…
Eventide H90 Review: A Modern Take on Classic Harmonizer Sounds
For over 50 years, producers and engineers have relied on Eventide for both bread-and-butter and cutting-edge experimental effects. The Eventide H90 is a multi-effects pedal capable of producing everything from “always on” effects like overdrive to completely unconventional sounds. In…
Quilter Mach 3 Review: Powerful Tube Tones from a Compact Combo
Many guitarists will love the Quilter Aviator Mach 3 after even a cursory review of its features, its portability, and its quality of sound. This flexible solid-state combo dishes out a wide array of tones in a compact, lightweight package,…
Roland Cloud Review: Is It Worth the Subscription?
As we all know by now, the subscription model is in full swing. Everything from the professional tools we use on the daily to the ways we unwind and entertain ourselves at night has some sort of all-access service for…
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Who Makes the Best Guitar Stands? [Top 10 for All Budgets]
You may be wondering, “who makes the best guitar stands?” Below are 10 of our top favorites to keep your guitars safe and secure! Keeping Your Space Organized and Functional Is Key We talk about workflow and efficiency in the…
SSL Vocalstrip 2 Review: A Powerful All-Around Vocal Processor
Vocals have always been one of the most critical elements of a song. They’re meant to tell a story, convey emotion, and take listeners on a journey through melody. The greatest songwriters of all-time nail the storytelling aspect of music…
Lauten Audio Eden LT-386 Review: The Ultimate Vacuum Tube Mic?
The Lauten Audio Eden LT-386 represents the apex of the brand’s design prowess, and in this review we’ll break down why this high-end tube condenser deserves the title. Lauten Brings Professional Quality Sound to Your Studio From the premium Signature…
Lauten Audio Clarion FC-357 Review: Your New Go-To FET Condenser
The Lauten Audio Clarion FC-357 FET condenser is an inspiring mic upon review, pairing the best of vintage class with modern hi-fi. Lauten’s microphones always impress, thanks to a combination of premium sonics, innovative design, and affordability relative to other…
The 9 Best Ribbon Mics for Your Home Studio in 2023
Ribbon microphones first emerged in the 1920s. In 1931, RCA began commercially manufacturing the PB-31, which had a huge impact on the recording and broadcast industries. Ribbon mics remained popular throughout the ’50s, though gradually started to see less use…
The 10 Best Keyboard Amp Options for Studio & Live Sound (Any Budget)
A keyboard amp is the best solution for gigging players who need to project to a crowd but also be able to hear themselves on stage. Even if you run straight to FOH through a PA system, many keyboardists find…
The 12 Best UAD Plugins for Vocals [2023 Guide]
Over 20 years ago, Universal Audio ushered in a new standard for plugins and interfaces. UAD’s plugin catalog is a huge collection of some of the best analog emulations out there. Most importantly, the software runs on dedicated DSP supplied by…
Elektron Heat MK2 Review: Nail Your Stereo Analog Sound
Digital recording, with all of its advantages and convenience, is a little too clean for most ears. When we plug a microphone straight into an audio interface with sparkling clear preamps, we’re not getting any of the mythical analog “mojo.” So…
The 10 Best Cheap Microphones for Any Budget in 2023
Mics are some of the most diverse pieces of gear we can own as recording engineers and producers. Some are super versatile and sound great on lots of different sources, and others are a bit more purpose-built. As you look…
Alesis V49 Review: A Highly Capable (& Affordable) MIDI Controller
Every home studio needs a decent MIDI controller to take advantage of the incredibly wide-ranging world of virtual instruments. With a controller alone, you could feasibly play and program a complete arrangement — we’re talking every instrument — on only…
What Is Impedance in Audio? How to Avoid Empty Sounding Recordings
Like many technical terms in audio and electronics, impedance gets bandied about regularly. If you’ve ever read the specs on pro audio equipment, particularly headphones and speakers, but also mixers, preamps, and more, then you’ve certainly encountered the word. Just…
LR Baggs Anthem Pickup Review (Why We Love These Pickups)
This review covers the LR Baggs Anthem pickup and microphone system for acoustic guitar — a natural sounding alternative to many of the other options out there. What Makes for Good Sound in an Acoustic Guitar Mic? Being an acoustic…
Behringer X32 Rack Review: Is This Digital Mixer Worth the Price?
The Behringer X32 is a well known digital mixer available in different formats. Today’s review looks at the Behringer X32 rack: a fader-less version of the popular board designed for convenient storage and portability, whether it’s a permanent installation or…
Yamaha N12 Review: Powerful Digital Sound You Can Rely On
The Yamaha N12 isn’t new to review, but it’s a cool piece of kit that performed well in its prime and still holds up today. The digital mixer and audio interface provided seamless Cubase integration and hands-on control for an…
The 5 Best DJ Software Options in 2023 (Which One Is Right for Me?)
The modern DJ requires software to help them manage a vast digital music library as well as mimic the classic two-turntable setup for mixing songs. While many of the same elements of “analog” DJing are still present (i.e., controllers and…
Vital VST vs Serum: The Ultimate Wavetable Synth Showdown
Every virtual instrument collection deserves a good wavetable synthesizer. This type of sample-based synthesis uses pre-recorded sounds as oscillator sources. What makes it unique from a regular sampler is how much you can manipulate those samples, even so far as…
Fishman Fluence Modern Review: Humbuckers Worth the Hype?
It isn’t often that a truly revolutionary new innovation shakes up the world of guitar — especially in the realm of pickups. Between the invention of single coils in the ’30s, to humbucker in the ’50s, and active pickups in…
The 6 Best Shure Microphones for Your Home Studio
Shure microphones have a wonderful reputation in the recording industry as some of the best, most reliable, and most affordable mics around. Shure started as a one-man radio company back in 1925, and by the early 1930s were one of…
JZ Vintage 67 Review: High-End Performance in a Vintage Style Mic
JZ Microphones was founded in Latvia in 2007 by Mr. Juris Zarins. He’d spent the better part of two decades researching and developing successful microphones with companies like Blue before striking out on his own as JZ Microphones. Today we…
How the ‘Loudness Wars’ Made Music Sound Worse (And What We Should Learn from It)
Science tells us that people prefer their music loud. As sounds get louder and louder, their overall frequency curve begin to flatten out, so you can more easily hear the whole “picture.” The “louder is better” philosophy usually begins with artists…
The 6 Best Neumann Mics for Vocals in 2023 (Live & Studio Sound)
Neumann has been synonymous with exceptional sound quality throughout the history of recorded music. Many, if not all, of these microphones are likely familiar to some degree both in part to Neumann’s longstanding reputation and the universality of many of…
LUFS vs dB: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?
With so many ways to measure loudness, you’re definitely not alone in wondering what the deal with LUFS vs dB is. What Are LUFS? LUFS stands for Loudness Units Full Scale. It provides a standardized means of measuring loudness. There…
The 8 Best 500 Series Racks for Your Home Studio in 2023
A 500 series rack is one of the best ways to add a bunch of outboard firepower to your studio in a compact form factor. It’s possible to keep a variety of processors like preamps, compressors, EQs, and more all…