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.…
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AAC vs MP3 Files: What’s the Difference?
AAC and MP3 are popular lossy file formats which compress digital audio by removing “unimportant” bits of information. The result is a smaller file at the expense of sound quality. We’ll take a look at AAC vs MP3 files and…
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…
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The 10 Best XLR Cables for Microphones [2023 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…
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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…
How to Add Drum Kits to FL Studio: Tutorial
Image-Line started off as a video game company in 1992. Eventually, one of the lead developers was drawn into music production applications. In 1998, FruityLoops debuted as a MIDI-only step sequencer inspired by early Propellerhead software. Four years later, FruityLoops became…
The Best Portable PA System for Live Music [2023 Guide]
A public address (PA) system is a must for any sort of performance. It amplifies and projects your sound so you can be heard over a crowd and throughout a venue. For many years, PA systems have been multiple component…
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 —…
The 8 Best Headphone Amplifiers for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
If you want to get the best sound quality out of a pair of high-end headphones, you may need an external amplifier to drive them. Headphone amplifiers deliver power to the drivers, just as an amplifier does with a pair…
Choosing the Best Pickup for Classical Guitar
In order to amplify your nylon-string acoustic guitar for live performance, you’ll probably want to invest in the best pickup for classical guitar. It’s theoretically possible to just mike the instrument on stage, but you run the risk of bleed…
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…
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The Best Bass Amp for Gigging [2023 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…
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…
8 Best LED Lights That Sync with Music for Your Home Studio
LED lights that sync with music are the recording industry’s best-kept secret behind multi-platinum hits. Okay, that isn’t true, but colorful lighting is definitely a great way to step up your studio’s aesthetics. And when you’re working late into the…
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,…
Ableton vs FL Studio: Which DAW Is Best?
For years running, Ableton and FL Studio have been ‘specialized’ DAWs. They cater mostly to the electronic music production crowd, with workflow, virtual instruments, and effects streamlined for that purpose. Arguing Ableton vs FL Studio is tough, because each has…
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The 6 Best Center Channel Speakers for Any Budget [2023 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…
The 5 Best Tube Preamp Options to Add Some Warmth to Your Sound
One of the best investments we can make as engineers, producers, and home recorders is in a premium microphone signal path. Purchasing a high-quality mic preamp, such as a tube preamp, is a huge way to elevate your recording quality…
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…
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 10 Best Acoustic Guitar Strings (2024 Guide)
Acoustic guitar strings are an often undervalued piece of the equation for people who are new to the instrument. Strings can make a huge deal of difference in overall comfort and playability, and most players prefer to swap them out…
Do I Really Need an Audio Interface for Streaming?
Streaming is bigger than ever. Twitch, the web’s top platform for a variety of live content, is massive. And it isn’t just about video games anymore; for some time now, popular streaming content includes people hanging out and talking to…
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…
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…
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The Best 5-Watt Tube Amps for Any Budget [2023 Guide]
A 5-watt tube amp is the best way to achieve natural tube saturation at a reasonable volume; add some pedals, and you’ve got yourself a nice outfit! The Beauty of a 5-Watt Amp (& Why You Need One) High-wattage tube…
How to EQ Acoustic Guitar in a Mix
The most important factor when it’s time to EQ acoustic guitar is context. You’ll have to determine its prominence against other instruments and make EQ moves based on that. Acoustic guitar can be the most important rhythm instrument, or it…
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…
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…
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…
Decoding Mid/Side Miking Techniques
The mid/side (M/S) miking technique is a common stereo recording device involving two microphones. It provides some serious advantages over other stereo recording techniques, and is an incredible tool in the studio. What Is Mid/Side Stereo Recording? Legendary EMI electronics…
Arturia FET 76 Review: Getting a Legendary Studio Compression Sound
Founded in 1999, Arturia began their journey in music-making software. Fast forward to the present, and they’re a celebrated producer of analog-emulated classic keyboards and synthesizers, effects, and hardware of their own. Today, we’re diving into a review of the…
Should Studio Monitors Be Vertical or Horizontal? (5 Placement Tips)
A common question frequently heard is should studio monitors be vertical or horizontal? There’s good reason to wonder, and there’s a simple answer to that query which we’ll get into shortly. The underlying premise here is that optimal monitor placement…
Why Does My Subwoofer Sound Weak? (7 Common Causes)
Subwoofers convey a ton of low-end information and give us a feeling of fullness and power. In many cases, sub frequency content is felt more than heard, as in you can’t always pinpoint a fundamental frequency or pitch, but you…
ASM Hydrasynth Review: Powerful Synth Sounds Catered to Your Needs
Ashun Sound Machines consists of a small and dedicated team of diverse talent and background. Their primary goal is to bring high-quality creative tools to musicians that seamlessly blend iconic sounds we’ve come to know and love with all of…
Lauten Audio LA-120 Review: The Ultimate Small-Diaphragm Condenser Mic Pair?
Lauten Audio is a family-owned and operated company introducing innovative designs into the world of traditional microphones. Their inspiring lineup of mics marries classic sonics with modern utility, resulting in versatile, multi-purpose tools for any project. Today, we’re breaking down…
DIY Bass Traps: You NEED These in Your Studio
So much of our success in recording and mixing is dependent on where we’re physically doing it. Ideally, this means purpose-built, acoustically unambiguous rooms designed for professional recording and mixing — big commercial studios with a legacy of fantastic sound!…
How To Remix a Song (8 Essential Tips in 2023)
Remixing is hugely popular in the electronic music world. And yet, like most artistic aspects of making music, there isn’t a clear-cut path to pulling it off well. If you’re wondering how to remix a song, here are eight of…
What Is Sibilance (And Is It Always a Bad Thing?)
What is sibilance? We hear about it all the time, and how it’s this ugly sound in vocal recordings that we have to tame. Is that always the case? What Is Sibilance in Audio? By definition, sibilance is a kind…
Lynx Hilo Review: A World-Class Digital Converter & Monitor
Lynx has been known for industry-leading conversion since the company’s inception in 1998. For decades, Lynx has provided the link between professional audio equipment and computers for digital recording, mixing, and mastering. We’ll be looking at the Lynx Hilo in…
PMC 6-2 Review: A New Generation of PMC Studio Monitors
What makes a studio monitor one of the absolute best in its class? It unequivocally starts with expert design, in which the PMC 6-2 was developed over the course of five years as part of a complete lineup of modern,…
Foam Mic Cover vs Pop Filter: Which One Should I Use (And When)?
When it comes to recording vocals, a pop filter is an essential studio accessory. You’ve probably seen microphone bundles which include a stand, XLR cable, and of course, a pop filter. We’ll explore the main difference between a foam mic…