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April 2020

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334 articles

April 30
- Tommy Lee returns to playing DW Drums
- Guitar lesson: Learn extended minor chords
- SampleRadar: 404 free Arabian nights samples
- 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… Slash
- 10 pieces of software that changed the way we make music
- Jim Root is planning a solo project in his Slipknot downtime
- British bands with cancelled tours unite to raise funds through merch store
- SP950 emulates the gritty sound of the E-MU SP-1200 sampler in a plugin
- So you want to be a... videogames composer: from Theme Park World to Evil Genius, James Hannigan's career tips
- Joe Bonamassa offers help to touring musicians in need
- Patrick James Eggle Oz Cream T review
- MSuperLooper puts a “next-generation” looper plugin inside your DAW
- Rajani VOD-50 112 Combo review
- Novation Launchpad Pro Mk3 review
- Analog Waveforms is a free plugin that samples the sound of a Dave Smith synth
April 29
- Guitarist Robert Fripp unveils Music For Quiet Moments quarantine series
- Learn the signature chords of Jimi Hendrix, Andy Summers, The Beatles, Rolling Stones and more
- Orange to host Instagram sessions with Wishbone Ash's Andy Powell and Tyler Bryant
- Retro Pong is a free plugin that lets you play the classic ‘70s video game in your DAW
- At last, someone’s worked out a way to make EDM on a 1920s typewriter
- Oasis release 'lost' song Don't Stop
- Learn essential modern funk guitar groove with this lesson from Nashville session ace Colin Poulton
- Soundbrenner Core review
- Orange Little Bass Thing review
- Rickenbacker Al Cisneros 4003 AC review
- Joué Play is a flexible, expressive MIDI controller that enables anyone to make music
- How to block your Stratocaster's tremolo for greater tuning stability
April 28
- Guitar skills: Improve your metal downpicking speed with this lesson
- Trivium go in-depth with our track-by-track interview on What The Dead Men Say
- Is Strymon's new Compadre the 'always on' pedal your signal chain is missing?
- Harley Benton reveals affordable 7- and 8-string MultiScale guitars
- GEWA starts shipping long-awaited Drum Workstation G9
- The best bits from Superbooth 20 Home Edition: the gear, the chat and the performances
- GruvGear’s new VELOC transportation system aims to make load-ins easier for drummers
- 8 tips for choosing a laptop for music production
- The Erae Touch MPE MIDI controller will give you another way to express yourself
- 101 Drums introduces Diamond Series wood composite hoops
- Waves offers a $99 suite of plugins for podcasters, YouTubers and livestreamers who want to improve the audio quality of their content
- 11 ways to improve your home studio monitoring setup
April 27
- Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström: The 10 albums that changed my life
- 5-minute blues guitar lesson: Learn to play sliding diad chords
- Is Zoom's new G11 amp and effects modeller a serious rival to Helix and HeadRush?
- 12 affordable music tech products that will keep you inspired at home
- 20 Reaper power tips: get on the fast track to learning this affordable DAW
- Behringer fires up the hype machine and reveals pretty much nothing
- You can now have genuine SSL Native Channel Strip and Bus Compressor plugins for $5 a month
- Citizen DJ is a treasure trove of free samples from the US Library of Congress
April 26
- Why a reunion of Peter Gabriel era Genesis won't happen
April 25
- Post Malone and Travis Barker's Nirvana covers set raises nearly three million dollars in 24 hours
- Porter & Davies reduces price of BC-X throne during lockdown
April 24
- Pink Floyd's legendary Live At Pompeii film is streaming now
- Wajatta’s Reggie Watts and John Tejada: “As technology has progressed it’s done more harm than good”
- Punchy Worm is a one-knob plugin that’s hoping to dance its way into your DAW
- 10 ways to inspire your guitar playing during lockdown
- We’re sure we’ve seen TC Helicon’s new portable audio/MIDI interfaces somewhere before
- Zultan Q Series cymbals review
- 20 Logic Pro X power tips you need to know about
- Save $50 on NI’s Massive X synth and get the 3 new Expansions thrown in for free!
- Learn 9 Judas Priest guitar riffs from Richie Faulkner
April 23
- The Rolling Stones surprise release first new song in eight years – Living In A Ghost Town
- 9 genre-spanning music theory hacks: make better R&B, pop, trance and techno
- Adam Audio’s T8V studio monitor promises high-end performance at a lower price
- Blast from the past: Yamaha QY10
April 22
- See Metallica play one of their "best setlists ever"
- Line 6's free Helix firmware update adds new amp, cab and pedal models
- Guitar lesson: How to start playing gypsy jazz
- $100k of prizes up for grabs in the Beatport Producer Challenge
- 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… Arctic Monkeys
- Acoustic vs electronic drum kits: which is better for beginner drummers?
- Eventide’s CrushStation is more than just an overdrive/distortion plugin
- Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh: My 8 favourite goth albums
April 21
- Carter McLean’s snare drum collection will make you want to drain your bank account
- Roland makes full 4XCAMERA app features free for a limited time
- Fender releases the Jim Root Jazzmaster V4
- Try this beginner guitar lesson on alternate picking with Fender Play
- 5-minute blues guitar lesson: Learn to play diads – two-note chords
- InMusic acquires FXpansion’s classic BFD drum software from ROLI
- 90s SPECIAL! - Issue 282 of CM is out now
- How to program a Funky Drummer-style MIDI break in your DAW
- Three easy drum rudiments every beginner needs to know
- 7 times that Prince blew our minds: classic recordings and performances
- Soundation launches ‘the world’s most collaborative’ online DAW
- iLok developer Pace acquires the JUCE development framework from ROLI
April 20
- The Ovation Custom Shop announces two new carbon fiber top acoustic models
- Fender explains why it won't be using ash for its production guitars anymore
- Sugar Bytes DrumComputer review
- Waves' “affordable” Music Maker Access plugin subscription plans start at $6.99 a month
- Guitar lesson: Are you up to the challenge of these Steve Vai-style riffs and licks?
- Steve Vai's unusual tip on how to practice without a guitar
- Baby Audio’s free Magic Switch plugin gives you instant ‘80s-style chorus
- Bitwig Studio 3.2 offers new ways to ‘colour your sound’
- This hands-free drum machine and looper lets you ‘stomp’ on your iOS or Android phone
- Acoustic Guitarist Of The Year winner covers Eminem's The Real Slim Shady – and it's seriously impressive
April 19
- The Rolling Stones play You Can't Always Get Want You Want live in isolation
April 18
- Genesis will stream free classic concert films online – starting now
- The biggest names in synthwave unite for charity livestream event
- Check out our beginner and intermediate guitar skills lessons here
- Guitar lesson: Spice up your chord playing with these inventive harmonic ideas
April 17
- Tool drummer Danny Carey hoping the band could start work on new EP during lockdown
- Joe Bonamassa releases new single – A Conversation With Alice
- Roger Waters on a Pink Floyd reunion: "No, it wouldn’t be nice"
- Bogner is reissuing its acclaimed overdrive, distortion and boost effects pedals
- How to design unique melodic instruments using an acapella vocal
- Get Brian May's legendary guitar tones with AmpliTube for a reduced price
- Everything you need to know about: UK garage
- Universal Audio LUNA review
- Elk Audio's Blackboard breakout box bridges the gap between code and control
- Austrian Audio's Hi-X55 headphones were designed for "contemporary music production"
- Is this Strat and Les Paul combination the ultimate guitar?
- Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp record song together – hear it now
- BBC Weatherman goes viral after drumming along to news theme
- British Drum Company creates NHS Ear Savers for mask-wearers
- 5 songs guitarists need to hear by… Rush
- IK Multimedia’s ARC System 3 gives you an “all-new listening experience”
- Pink Floyd to stream a concert for free every Friday – starting today
- How to create a pumping riser using Massive X's dual noise oscillators
April 16
- Johnny Marr teaches you to play Smiths classic The Headmaster Ritual with Fender
- Fender combines the Jazzmaster and Stratocaster and releases it into the wild
- Paul McCartney explains why 'the Beatles were better' than the Rolling Stones
- Free plugins, tutorials and sounds with Loopmasters and Plugin Boutique’s #StayInCreate initiative
- 11 YouTube tips for musicians from singer-songwriter Janet Devlin
- How to create an FM bassline using Massive X's phase modulation oscillators
- Convergence is a multi-band compressor with up to 10 bands (or four for free!)
- Elektron Overbridge 2 is “music making made more fluid”
- KMA Machines Logan Transcend Drive review
- PSP Audioware PSP oldTimer MB review
- Acoustica Mixcraft 9 Pro Studio review
- 5-minute blues guitar lesson: Dissonant doublestop bends
April 15
- Young Guitarist Of The Year releases new single
- Guitar skills: Learn to play quick flurries of notes
- Behringer is teasing another synth and the first person to guess it wins one
- Get free rock guitar lessons with Orange Amplification’s online course and a free online music exam
- The White Buffalo: 10 albums that changed my life
- Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox 6 adds cloud library management
- How to create a track with NI Komplete Kontrol and Ableton Live
- Klevgrand’s Foley-based instrument samples everyday household objects
- Guitar effect pedal power supplies: what you need to know
- MPE explained using the ROLI Seaboard Block and Equator synth
- Can Singdaptive help you sing better?
- How to write a hit, part 1: hooks
April 14
- Fender to launch new Tone 3.0 app
- Harley Benton's new Amarok guitar range could be a game changer
- How to make user presets appear in the Komplete Kontrol S61's browser
- Akai MPK Mini Mk2 vs Arturia MiniLab MkII: which budget MIDI controller keyboard is best?
- Remix the chord progressions behind your favourite songs for free with Ripchord
- Antelope Audio’s Zen Tour interface gets a power boost with Synergy Core effects and processing
- Build the channel strip of your dreams with PSP’s InfiniStrip plugin
- Is this Beatles cover the best isolation collaboration yet?
- Korg Collection Triton review
- Tone2 Icarus 2 review
- RetroVolt is the 'Samplesizer' with easy access to classic synth sounds
- Remix Grimes and get a $25 Native Instruments voucher and free samples
April 10
- Joe Satriani – Shapeshifting: Track-by-track interview
April 9
- Harley Benton releases signature guitar for Youtuber AguFish
- 10 gamechanging ‘90s electronic music albums that still sound great today
- 5 tracks that every drummer needs to hear by... Steve Gadd
- Save up to 94% on guitar, drum and recording courses in the Udemy Sale
- A boost pedal with no controls – what's going on here!?
- Fender CEO Andy Mooney plays his favourite guitar riffs – including Slipknot
- British alt-rock band SINKA teach you how to play their new single on guitar
April 8
- D’Addario develops face masks using Evans G2 drumheads to protect against Corona virus
- Softube Monoment Bass review
- Blackstar Amplification announces livestream Q&A and artist session
- Johnny Marr has been playing classic Smiths riff requests on Instagram for fans
- 5-minute blues guitar lesson: Quarter-tone bends
- SampleScience’s Resonance is a free piano plugin inspired by Nils Frahm
- Free Ableton book: download 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers for free
- Acclaimed American songwriter John Prine dies age 73
- LUNA Lands! UA’s free DAW is here, but the Extensions and Instruments will cost you
- Summer NAMM cancelled: “current circumstances make it impossible”
- Learn four great David Gilmour signature Pink Floyd guitar chords
April 7
- Cort brings its popular Artisan Single-Cut bass to more players
- 5 songs guitarists need to hear… by David Gilmour (that aren't Comfortably Numb)
- Brian May jams along with musicians to play Queen, The Beatles and Elvis
- Guitar skills: Step up your playing with these sweep picking lessons
- Sonible and Focusrite’s free Balancer plugin promises to ‘balance your audio tracks in seconds’
- Alesis Nitro Mesh kit vs Yamaha DTX402K vs Roland TD-1K: which e-kit is best for beginner drummers?
- Drum Channel is giving away 1000 free 30-day subscriptions
- How to make music on an old computer: 4 things you need to consider
- Soundtoys sets its much-loved Effect Rack plugin free for a limited time
April 6
- Nightwish's Troy Donockley: Why I love my… Fylde Oberon acoustic guitar
- You can now download a free edition of the Serato Studio DAW
- Tony Iommi organises hospital charity guitar auction, talks Ozzy and lockdown
- "If your feel sucks you just suck" – Thundercat picks his favourite basslines
- Free Dolby On iOS and Android app promises simple, high-quality audio/video recording and live streaming
- Jordan Rudess wants you to stay at home and make music, so he’s giving away his GeoShred Play iOS app for free
April 5
- Ash Soan jamming to a Bill Withers cover featuring Pino Palladino is causing us a groove meltdown
- Guitar Skills: Get funky with these chord shapes
April 4
- 5-minute blues guitar lesson: String rakes
- Andrew Lloyd Webber plays variations on Daft Punk's Get Lucky
April 3
- 8 songs that owe their success to Bill Withers samples
- Soul great Bill Withers dies, aged 81: musicians pay tribute
- The story of Kurt Cobain's Fender Jaguar
- French house favourites Justice to host free music production Q&A webinar
- Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive review
- Joe Satriani admits to being "shamed back into my woodshed by so many young players" during lockdown
- Martin X Series DX1E-04 review
- Steinberg offers free versions of Cubase, WaveLab and more in its #StayHome Elements bundle
- 12 epic reads for drummers with time on their hands
- Dreadbox Erebus v3 review
- Guitar lesson: String bends for beginners
April 2
- Chad Smith is playing Name That Groove with Quarantine Beats on Instagram, and he's very good at it
- Gibson, Sweetwater and Amped Guitar Learning team up to offer three months of guitar lessons for free
- How to assemble an electronic drum setup for quiet practice during the lockdown period
- Issue 356 of Future Music is on sale now
- How to use an electronic drum set with Logic Pro X
- Modular synthesis for beginners: learn the basics of oscillators, filters and envelopes
- 21 of the best drummer jokes ever
- Mike Dawes returns with stunning new acoustic song William Shatner's Pants
- Arturia MicroLab review
- Get KV331’s SynthMaster One free for iPhone and iPad: the best music-making app giveaway yet?
- Roland goes back to the noughties as it adds two SRX piano plugins to Roland Cloud
- 24 tips for writing lyrics
- Unlock Roland’s Zenbeats music-making app for free on iOS and Android
- Fountains Of Wayne bassist and songwriter Adam Schlesinger passes away, age 52
- Gibson Slash Les Paul Standard review
- Wampler Terraform review
- Green Carrot Comfortably Plum review
- Guitar lesson: learn major guitar chords
April 1
- Classic interview: John Mayer – "It has never changed that joy and passion and chemistry of just picking up the guitar and playing. In fact it's made it more important."
- The 20 best electronic music movies and documentaries to watch right now from your sofa
- Get 4 months of TIDAL HiFi and pay just £/$4 per month – usually £/$19.99 per month
- Waldorf STVC review
- Gibson TV launches Epiphone Guitar Giveaway Of The Day
- Universal Audio says it’s launching its free LUNA DAW early to provide “a welcome escape from the outside world”
- Shape your sound for free with Audiomodern Filterstep
- Get 3 months of FREE online guitar lessons with this epic Fender Play deal
- Easy music theory: play keyboard solos using the pentatonic scale
- Fender Player Lead III review
- Chuck D says that Flavor Flav spat and Public Enemy split was a hoax: “Believe half of what you hear and none of what you see"
- Cornell Explorer 10 Head review
- Guild Starfire II ST Dynasonic review
- Wavesfactory Cassette review
- Guitar skills: A beginner's guide to sus guitar chords
- Ditch the DAW: alternative solutions to recording than a digital audio workstation
- How to get the most out of vocoders: a complete guide
- Studiologic Numa Organ 2 reviewed
- How to make an Ableton Live pack
- How to create brand new beats by layering drum samples
- Casio CT-X700 review
- The Loop Loft introduces Rich Hinman - Pedal Steel Guitar sample and loop pack
- ALESIS QS8.1 review
- How to play samba piano
- Explainers: how a ribbon microphone works
- How to learn the basics of boogie-woogie piano
- The complete checklist for releasing your own music
- How to master the Dave Smith Instruments OB-6
- Yamaha HS5 review
- How to get your music into a college radio station rotation
- How to get the best out of the Moog Model D and 3 emulations
- How to recreate classic synth sounds on hardware or softsynths
- Mike Finnigan's favourite organ settings and how to recreate them
- How to get the most out of the Korg ARP Odyssey
- Casio Privia PX-S1000 review
- Yamaha S80 review
- How to mic a Leslie speaker onstage
- Roland R-07 review
- How to get that classic rock organ sound on a Hammond B-3
- The top 88-key MIDI controllers: master keyboards for musicians, composers, performers and producers
- Tascam 788 digital portastudio review
- Mackie FreePlay Home, FreePlay Live, Thump 15BST review
- How to mix in 5.1 surround on a budget
- Akai Timbre Wolf review
- How to set the correct levels on stage monitors
- Top studio monitors for tracking, mixing and mastering as picked by the pros
- Casio Celviano Grand Hybrid review
- Modartt Pianoteq 6 review
- How to obtain a successful live sound with the correct speaker placement
- Yamaha Tyros keyboard workstation review
- 4 ways to improve the quality of your videos
- 10 ways to get the best vocal takes
- How to get your music featured in video games
- Akai Tom Cat review
- Korg D1 digital piano review
- Novation Launchkey 49 Mk2 review
- How to use Waves MultiRack Live in front of house
- How to funk-up your keyboard parts in 5 easy steps
- How to solve stereo stage piano problems
- Yamaha 9000 pro keyboard workstation review
- Kurzweil SP2X stage piano review
- Blast from the past: Alesis ADAT
- The definitive guide on how to use Korg Gadget for Mac
- How to get the most out of in-ear monitors
- Hammond XK-1C organ review
- How to make a fan club and grow your audience
- How to use PreSonus Studio One 3 as an easy and powerful mastering environment
- What is harmonic planing and how to use it in your playing, compositions and productions
- 11 essential hardware and software tools for modern dance music production
- How to master the Korg Minilogue and Korg Monologue
- Understanding the difference between pitch and frequency
- How to record drum tracks in a small room: part 2
- Korg Krome synth workstation review
- Korg nanoKey Studio review
- M-Audio Hammer 88 review
- Tangerine Dream’s Peter Baumann: “There was no preparation. We just switched on the synths, smoked a joint and made some noise!”
- Yamaha Reface synths reviewed!
- The best MIDI Wind Controllers: the top 3 breath control devices available today
- How to master the Roland TR-8S
- Akai S950 review
- Get EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra for free
- How to record drum tracks in a small room: part 1
- 3 top tips for tuning synthesizer oscillators
- Explainers: reverb parameters and how they work
- How to play rhythm piano
- Live performance, hardware and DAW tips for keyboard players
- Roland A-01K review
- How to create classic house sounds with the Korg M1 and when to use them
- Explainers: is there any point in recording at 96kHz?
- Afro-Cuban piano tips: how to master the montuno
- How to use altered chords for better progressions
- How to master the Arturia MiniBrute 2
- How to recreate classic analogue drum sounds in your DAW and with hardware
- How to record an entire band in one room
- Top tips for performing live on a laptop: hassle-free gigs with virtual instruments
- 5 Ways To Play Like New Orleans Piano Legend Allen Toussaint
- Roland FP-90 review
- Roland RD-800 stage piano review
- Sterling Audio ST155, ST169 and ST170 review
- How to maximise tone and reduce noise on your guitar rig with gain staging
- Roland FP-30 review
- Double diminished chords and scales explained
- How to record any room sound
- Emagic EXS24 review
- The definitive guide on how to use Operator in Ableton Live
- How to be more concise when describing your music
- Williams Allegro 2 review
- Yamaha P-105 review
- How to create music in any style and genre with fractals
- The ultimate guide to getting the most out of the Korg Prologue
- Head-to-head: EBow vs Aeon guitar sustainers
- How to convert your sheet music into MIDI
- How to get the most out of the Novation Peak
- Yamaha U1TA TransAcoustic piano review
- Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 review