“The most powerful MPC we have built at these prices": Akai’s MPC One and MPC Key 37 get G2 upgrades
The affordable MPC One and its keyboard counterpart get upgraded CPUs and more storage, but no MPCe pads
Artists
The surprising truth behind one of the biggest-selling instrumental hits of all time
Few realise that Acker Bilk’s haunting Stranger on the Shore had a very personal origin
Jon Bon Jovi says he’s now “fully recovered” from his vocal cord surgery
"It was longer than I’d ever expected, but it had to be right. We never lost faith”
Harry Styles reinterprets his back catalogue with help from Jules Buckley Orchestra and Gospel House Choir
Singer is halfway through curating the Meltdown Festival
“This is the record that’s been the most cathartic”: A new Johnny Marr album is on the way
The Age Of Everything is his fifth solo record
"That's when all the cool stuff starts happening”: Keith Urban on the lost art of the song fade-out
"You could just hear the guitarist do something that was so cool, because typically the session players figure, ‘We're out by now, they're not going to use all this, we're just now playing for playing's sake'"
Amanda Seyfried reflects on her viral Joni Mitchell moment – and the Joni biopic that never was
She learned to play the whole of Blue and earned praise from Beck
“What a weird song”: Mick Jagger on The Rolling Stones’ deathless classic
“I wish we could do something like that now”
Music Tech
“The most powerful MPC we have built at these prices": Akai’s MPC One and MPC Key 37 get G2 upgrades
The affordable MPC One and its keyboard counterpart get upgraded CPUs and more storage, but no MPCe pads
Best mic stands 2026: My top picks for studio, stage, and podcasting
Whether you need to secure a heavy tube mic or get your drum overheads in order, these are the most stable and reliable mic stands for a variety of budgets
The MU-1 mic promises to make the much-loved ribbon-and-condenser recording trick way more accessible
It promises to combine a classic dual-mic studio technique into one product
Best podcast headphones 2026: A studio engineer's guide to awesome audio
We break down the top closed-back, zero-latency headphones for podcast recording on any budget
“I get to 171 tracks before any errors during a full playthrough at the lowest buffer setting”: Apple MacBook Neo review
We put Apple’s newest machine to the test to find out if it really is the ultimate budget laptop for music production
How to beat writer's block: 11 tips to help you finish that track today
No more staring at a blank screen or endlessly auditioning loops. Here’s how to make that track idea a final, finished reality
“You should release your humanly-written unreleased stuff instead”: Boy George has recorded AI version of Karma Chameleon
He’s joined up with new company that aims to help artists ‘reclaim’ their back catalogues
"A first step in making sure that AI doesn't dilute the royalty pool": Deezer launches new AI detection tool
They cite survey saying 80% want AI music “clearly labelled”
“Say goodbye to unravelling cables and restricted movement”: t-bone launch new series of wireless mics
The 300 series can run six systems simultaneously
“A natural fit for industrial, techno, noise and experimental electronic music”: Erica Synths Xenodrive review
Can the latest desktop effects box from the Erica Synths and 112dB partnership deliver full-flavoured distortion with depth?
Guitars
“Fender is not suing anybody”: CEO pushes back on the cease-and-desist controversy
“We’re talking specifically about the Stratocaster”
EarthQuaker Devices unveils compact version of Sunn O))) Life Pedal – and this time the ultimate doom pedal is here to stay
The EarthQuaker Devices' HalfLife is a more compact version of the drone metal pioneers Sunn O))) octave fuzz and boost pedal based on the
How Tony Iommi found the secret to his Black Sabbath tone (and how he lost it)
A moment of madness from an amp tech and Iommi's secret weapon was gone, never to be seen again
"A stunningly good reverb pedal that sounds and operates like one twice the price": Hotone NC-200 Verbera review
With equally good algorithmic and IR convolution reverbs, this is a seriously impressive little pedal
Rush’s Geddy Lee, Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci on the guitar genius of Alex Lifeson
Lee explains how Lifeson made the Canadian prog trio greater than the sum of their parts
“Sounds you'll never have heard from a guitar before”: Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon review
Class-leading MIDI tech meets a top-rated ergonomic guitar – the perfect combination?
“Playing music should always be fun”: Ed Sheeran and Orange launch the “ultimate busking amp”
Sheeran and Orange unveil the Outlowd ES series, featuring a trio of busking friendly acoustic amps – and Sheeran's Play It Home campaign aims to support grassroots music across the globe
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
Learn to play acoustic and electric guitar in record time with our guide to easy-to-read notation
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? I’m a professional guitar gear reviewer and these are my highest-rated lessons platforms
My expert pick of the best online guitar courses will supercharge your playing wherever you are, and whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
Latest Tuition
Do you want to remix faster and better? Here's 6 essential remix skills every producer should know
Get the technical know-how required to make great remixes with these essential techniques
Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
Learn to play acoustic and electric guitar in record time with our guide to easy-to-read notation
I’m so obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s Drop Dead trance bass sound that I remade it in my DAW
We create our own transient-heavy synth bass with leanings towards the trance-heavy sounds of the 90s. ‘Drop Dead’ you exclaim? No way! We were Born Slippy!
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"Record everything all the time – and keep it all": 8 pro techno producers explain how they create their tracks
We delve into our In The Studio archive to compile the techno secrets behind releases on esteemed labels including Drumcode, Cocoon, Dekmantel, Second State and more
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
How to pan like a pro and spread your mix across the stereo image
We help you broaden your mixing horizons with some useful tips for panning perfection
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Adding small or even large amounts of saturation doesn’t have to be bad for you, as we explore how to singe your sonics
How to conjure the spirit of early techno and trigger your own retro zaps in software
How a sound design approach originally deployed for television effects became an electronic music staple - and how to make it yourself
How to replicate the trailblazing pulse of I Feel Love
I Feel Love’s innovative electronic rhythm section set the stage for pretty much everything that followed, and here’s how you can recreate its bewitching energy in your DAW
Improve the impact of your basslines by quickly learning the basics of bass compression
Creating the perfect foundation for your track begins just the right amount of compression for your bass - here’s how to not overdo it!
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
The former One Direction star’s latest effort is a far cry from his previous output
How close listening to Chic can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
If you want to add more punch to your production, start at the foundation of your track, with the kick and bass
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Latest Reviews
“Despite this minimalist footprint, it’s one of the sturdiest racks I’ve tested in this price bracket”: Donner Groove Ultra electronic drum set review
Donner continues its assault on budget gear with an e-kit packing fantastic hardware and standout looks, but the module needs some work
“I get to 171 tracks before any errors during a full playthrough at the lowest buffer setting”: Apple MacBook Neo review
We put Apple’s newest machine to the test to find out if it really is the ultimate budget laptop for music production
“An immensely powerful tool for recording, live use, rehearsing and practising, teaching, live streaming and more”: Yamaha EAD50 review
Nearly a decade after the release of the EAD10, Yamaha knocks it out of the park with the upgraded EAD50
"A stunningly good reverb pedal that sounds and operates like one twice the price": Hotone NC-200 Verbera review
With equally good algorithmic and IR convolution reverbs, this is a seriously impressive little pedal
“Sounds you'll never have heard from a guitar before”: Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon review
Class-leading MIDI tech meets a top-rated ergonomic guitar – the perfect combination?
“A natural fit for industrial, techno, noise and experimental electronic music”: Erica Synths Xenodrive review
Can the latest desktop effects box from the Erica Synths and 112dB partnership deliver full-flavoured distortion with depth?
"The addition of NAM profile compatibility pushes it well beyond your average multi-effects pedal": Nux MG-50Li review
Nux's battery-powered amp modeller promises over a quarter of a million different amp tones in a compact and gig-ready chassis
“For engineers mixing on small studio monitors, these will be a huge asset for checking the bass and sub bass”: Sennheiser HD 480 Pro review
Sennheiser's new cans offer reliable low-end translation that goes where your studio monitors can't
"Where it truly triumphs is in its versatility and value proposition": Fender Strobo-Sonic Pro Tuner Pedal review
Fender gets serious about the tuner pedal at last
“Ibanez serves up another RG that’s built for stunt guitar, priced for virtuosos-in-training, and with enough sounds to please the fusion kid and headbanger alike”: Ibanez RGR431PB review
The hallowed mid-priced speedster gets a poplar burl glow-up with a hard-tail for white-knuckle riffing and a reverse headstock for metal cool points.