![The Best Brass VST Plugin Collection [FREE & PAID]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Best-Brass-VST-Plugin-Collection-FREE-PAID-909x606.jpg)
Brass can be a tough section to imitate with a plugin. As with most real instruments these days, though, there are plenty of excellent quality brass VST plugins, both free and paid. We’d recommend sifting through the list in order…
![The 6 Best Budget Synthesizer Options for Your Home Studio [2023 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The-6-Best-Budget-Synthesizer-Options-for-Your-Home-Studio-2023-Guide-909x606.jpg)
The 6 Best Budget Synthesizer Options for Your Home Studio [2024 Guide]
A quality budget synthesizer can be one of the best ways to inject inspiration into your productions. With a host of brand-new sounds at your fingertips, you can start experimenting with new approaches to composition and arrangement. Synthesizers are amazing…
The 18 Best Mics for Acoustic Guitar in 2024 [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…
![The Best Pedal Board Options for Guitarists [Any Budget]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Best-Pedal-Board-Options-for-Guitarists-Any-Budget-909x606.jpg)
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…
Bose S1 Pro Review: The Best Portable PA System?
Designed for solo acts, singer-songwriters, public speakers, and small events, the Bose S1 Pro covers a lot of territory in a compact package. In this Bose S1 Pro review, we’ll check out everything the portable speaker system has to offer.…
The 8 Best Bass Practice Amps for Your Home Studio in 2024
It’s sometimes hard to justify the expense of a bass practice amp, especially when players already own a full-sized rig for band rehearsal, gigging, and recording. In order to make the most of playing time at home, however, the thunderous…
The 7 Best Tape Delay Pedals for Studio & Live Sound
A tape delay pedal emulates the sound of a widely used analog effect that is much more easily accomplished with digital technology. Tape delay has some unique and desirable characteristics to readily transform your sound. What Is Tape Delay? Tape…
The Best SSL Compressor Plugin Options in 2024
Having an SSL compressor plugin is like owning one of the world’s most famous dynamics processors, heard on thousands of hit records, inside your computer. It’s truly indispensable. We’re talking, of course, about the renowned bus compressor built right into…
The 10 Best Drum Practice Pads in 2024
Drum practice pads are one of the best ways to develop sticking technique in a quiet and controlled manner. They allow drummers to really hone in on the more mechanical aspects of rudiments to perfect their approach when it’s time…
Best iPad/Tablet for Music Production
It’s hard to beat the convenience of a tablet for music production, whether you’re a frequent flyer or just enjoy the flexible workflow. Using a Tablet for Music Production in 2024 The most common use for a tablet in music…
Audio-Technica AT2020 vs AT2035: Which Mic Is Better?
Audio-Technica has a long standing history as one of the most trusted sources for consumer and professional audio equipment. From turntables and cartridges to headphones and microphones, A-T’s product range is as diverse as it is high-quality. For those looking…
Pioneer DDJ 1000 SRT Review: The Ultimate Serato DJ Controller
Pioneer has a reputation for producing exceptional DJ equipment — particularly controllers and mixers — and their products are ubiquitous among amateur and professional DJs alike. Similarly, Serato is synonymous with current-gen DJs, providing substantial control over beat-matching, mixing, applying…
![6 Best Laptops for Podcasting [Any Budget]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6-Best-Laptops-for-Podcasting-Any-Budget-909x606.jpg)
6 Best Laptops for Podcasting [Any Budget]
The best laptop for podcasting sports enough horsepower for modest recording needs. Realistically, you’ll want a machine that’s stable above anything else, because you don’t want crashes to interrupt the flow of a monologue or conversation. Obviously, your needs will…
The Best Headphones for Digital Piano Players in 2024
There’s a lot of crossover between the best headphones for digital piano and those that excel for general audio work. In order to reproduce the most favored qualities of a top-notch digital piano, players are encouraged to use dependable headphones…
The 11 Best Mastering Plugins in 2024
When it comes to mastering in-the-box, you’ll want a great compressor, a limiter, an EQ, and most of the stuff you’re already familiar with for mixing. Many of the best mastering plugins combine the parameters you’ll need into a single…
The 13 Best DAWs for Windows [2024 Complete Guide]
Most of today’s DAWs are cross-platform, making it easy to choose if you’re running PC. Some titles are Mac-only, like Apple’s own Logic Pro, but for the most part options won’t be limited if you’ve chosen Windows as your primary…
Best Vocoder Plugins 2024: Fun Vocal Effects
A vocoder is an effect we’ve heard in music from the ’70s to the present day. It’s frequently described as the ‘robot voice’ heard in songs like “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys. Like everything else, vocoders have gone software in the…
The 5 Best Oscilloscope Plugins in 2024
Do you need an oscilloscope in your collection of plugins? It can be a majorly helpful tool for viewing waveforms in great detail. First, we’ll talk about what an oscilloscope is, and then we’ll list our top five favorite plugins.…
What Is the Best 1176 Plugin? (Our Top 6 Favorite Compressors)
The best 1176 plugin will become a go-to on just about every mix. There’s good reason why it’s one of the most famous compressors of all time, and in plugin format, you can use it everywhere. What Is an 1176…
![The 10 Best XLR Cables for Microphones [2022 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The-10-Best-XLR-Cables-for-Microphones-2022-Guide-909x606.jpg)
The 10 Best XLR Cables for Microphones [2024 Guide]
It may not seem like it at first, but having quality cables is very important. You can spend thousands on a signal chain, but it’s often said that it’s only as good as the weakest component. Even though cheap cables…
![The 7 Best Bass Synth Pedals for Live & Studio Sound [2023 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/The-7-Best-Bass-Synth-Pedals-for-Live-Studio-Sound-2023-Guide-966x606.jpg)
The 7 Best Bass Synth Pedals for Live & Studio Sound [2024 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…
![Best EQ Plugins in 2021 [Free & Paid]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Best-EQ-Plugins-in-2021-Free-Paid-1016x606.png)
12 Best EQ Plugins in 2024 [Free & Paid]
Equalization is one of the most powerful tools we have as mixers. It can make instruments sound better, make instruments sound different, carve out space in a mix, add clarity, remove muddiness, and so much more. In that sense, the flexibility of…
8 Best FREE Guitar VST Instruments in 2024
Guitar is one of the toughest instruments to sample for a plugin. There’s so much detail and nuance that’s just too easy to lose in translation. Most of the time they end up sounding over-processed and fake—really far from the…
The 10 Best Drum Machines for Creating Your Beats [2024 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…
Best Mic for Rap Vocals: 15 Great Mics for $1000 or Less
Access to the best microphone in your price range is paramount for recording rap vocals. They’re the #1 thing that has to sound great; we can forgive a beat ripped from YouTube if the vocals sound crisp and professional. Even…
The 10 Best Speakers for Vinyl Record Player in 2024 [Any Budget]
Shopping for the best speakers for a vinyl record player can be a little daunting. With so much variety out there, how do you know which ones are actual quality? What Speakers Do You Need for Your Turntable? As of…
Best Recording Software for Your Home Studio
We’ve covered recording software quite a bit over the past few months, taking a look at both the top inexpensive options, the best free daws as well as the best-of-the-best in digital audio production. And while we can’t in good…
![The Best Bass Amp for Gigging [2022 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-Best-Bass-Amp-for-Gigging-2022-Guide-909x606.jpg)
The Best Bass Amp for Gigging [2024 Guide]
For a lot of musicians, nothing beats the feeling of playing a live gig. Performing live captures your band’s raw energy night to night in an environment that’s way less sterile than the studio. And depending on the style 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…
![The 6 Best Center Channel Speakers for Any Budget [2023 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-6-Best-Center-Channel-Speakers-for-Any-Budget-2023-Guide-909x606.jpg)
The 6 Best Center Channel Speakers for Any Budget [2024 Guide]
A center channel speaker is a component in any surround sound set-up for post-production, surround mixing, or home theater entertainment. Typically when designing a surround system, you would match the center speaker to the others, and oftentimes brands will offer…
Home Studio on a Budget: Getting Started for Less than $1000
It’s 2019: You can make records in your home studio and spend less than $1000 getting set up! Today’s recording tech has given everybody the opportunity to create high-quality music in their bedroom, even with just the bare essentials. We’ll…
Best Audio Interface for Mac in 2024 (Entry-Level & Beyond)
Apple computers are standard in creative industries because of their reliable and uncluttered operating systems. People make music on PCs as well, but sometimes have a harder time finding compatible hardware and software. Or, they encounter bugs and have stability…
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…
The 7 Best Delay VST Plugins 2024 [FREE & PAID]
Delay plugins are essential to every mixer’s toolbox! It’s one of the most common effects we use all the time to give instruments dimension and energy. The great thing about delay is that it can be subtle for a little…
14 Songs with a LOT of Bass (Best Songs for Subs)
Bass is responsible for a lot of the visceral connection we have with music. Sub bass, especially, physically resonates with us if it’s loud enough at a concert or club, for instance; bass is a huge part of music and…
Avid Pro Tools First | Free DAW Overview
Avid Pro Tools is the industry standard. It’s the platform for virtually every studio because it excels at tracking, editing, mixing, and production. Pro Tools First provides an introduction to the gold standard DAW without committing to a pricey monthly…
13 Best Vocal Plugins For Home Studios in 2024
When it’s time to mix a singer, you should be armed with some of the best vocal plugins you can get your hands on! We’ll be looking at a variety of compressors, EQs, and other plugins that really shine on…
12 Best Kontakt Libraries for Every Collection in 2024
Native Instruments‘ free sample player, Kontakt, is every music producer’s entry point to the industry’s largest collection of sampled instruments. Kontakt is a universal host to hundreds of realistic sampled libraries from dozens of manufacturers. The best Kontakt libraries should…
11 Best DAWs for Mac in 2024
Most major DAWs are cross-platform, meaning your options aren’t limited by the type of computer you’re running. This is great because it evens the playing field whether you’re comfortable on Windows or Mac operating systems. Apple users do have a…
The 12 Best Microphone Preamps for Every Budget in 2024
Microphone preamps are the next devices in the signal path right after the mic. We need preamps to amplify mic signals to line level, which is the standard operating level of recording equipment. Even when going direct with higher output…
14 Best Open Back Headphones for Mixing 2024 [Any Budget]
Searching for the just the right pair of open headphones to mix on? We’ve done some digging and come up with the best open headphones ranging from $50 to $500 — there’s a pair for every budget! What Are Open-Back…
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 14 Best Drum VSTs for Any Budget [2024 Guide]
The best drum VSTs we’ve gathered run the gamut between $89 all the way up to $700! Thankfully, this means there’s a variety of choices to suit any budget. Of course, there are free options as well so you can…
5 Best FREE VU Meter Plugins in 2024
Before people started working in-the-box, VU meters measured the average level of a signal. You’d see them on consoles and outboard gear for measuring input or output level as well as gain reduction on compressors. The default digital meter is…
The 10 Best Guitar Cases for the Road in 2024
Having the right case for your guitar is a prerequisite for touring, gigging, carrying to and from rehearsal, and for safe storage at home. Some are built to withstand heavy duress, like air travel, and others are designed with portability…
The 8 Best Multi-Effects Pedals for Live & Studio Guitar Sounds
Multi-effects pedals are one of the best ways to gain access to dozens of common guitar processors in a single unit. They certainly take convenience to the next level, and today’s digital processors have never sounded better. It’s common for…
The 16 Best Piano VST Plugins in 2024 [Free & Paid]
Looking to add some indelible magic to your productions that nothing but a piano can provide? Well, we compiled a “best piano VST” shortlist that’s still ten entries strong. Take your pick of the best free and paid piano VST…
![The 6 Best Desktop Synths for Home Use & Live Performance [2023 Guide]](https://producelikeapro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-6-Best-Desktop-Synths-for-Home-Use-Live-Performance-2023-Guide-970x606.jpg)
The 6 Best Desktop Synths for Home Use & Live Performance [2024 Guide]
A MIDI controller is often one of the first accessories producers purchase when fleshing out their home studios. This valuable and versatile piece of equipment primarily lets users play their collection of software instruments, as well as provide some tactile…
The 15 Best Dynamic Microphones for Any Budget in 2024
Looking for the best dynamic microphone to fill out your recording arsenal? We’ve tracked down 15 of them for a variety of instruments and applications. What Is a Dynamic Microphone? Dynamic mics are a style of passive microphone that operate…
25 Best Waves Plugins for Mixing in 2024
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…