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May 2024

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295 articles

May 31
- "A small guitar – with useful depths": Gretsch Jim Dandy Deltoluxe Parlor acoustic guitar review
- US outdoors brand Stio reveals Taylor Guitars collaboration with a stunning range of GS-Mini acoustics
- "There are certain names I deeply wish were on the guest list tonight, but we lost them too early": Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder remembers his lost musical peers and covers Nine Inch Nails' Hurt in Seattle, Johnny Cash-style
- "Lair is your door to familiar, abominable, and alien worlds": Is AberrantDSP's Lair the weirdest reverb plugin we've ever seen?
- Try these 4 ways to power up your guitar power chords
- “I can't wait to jam out with all the campers": Green Day's Mike Dirnt signed up to Rock Camp, along with The Killers' Dave Keuning and Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins
- "It's the oldest trick in the rock 'n' roll book but it's amazing how many people don't know that": Are you getting the most out of your power chords? Tom Bukovac has a tip from the Rolling Stones guitar playbook
- "Every note that I ever played, every chord change I ever did was learned in this house": An emotional Nuno Bettencourt revisits the childhood home where he wrote Extreme's More Than Words
- Time-stretching, tape stops and transition effects: 10 tips for bending time in your tracks
- "Turn any space into the ideal mixing and mastering setup": IK Multimedia says its iLoud MTM MKII studio monitors deliver sound worthy of speakers twice the size (and twice the price)
May 30
- “Technique is not enough, even though it's the best of this generation… what he doesn't have yet - he's not a composer”: Al Di Meola is cool about the Matteo Mancuso phenomenon
- "That’d be an interesting approach for us": It looks like Tool really are pushing to get new music done faster – and bassist Justin Chancellor isn't ruling out an alternative to album releases
- Bag a huge 50% off top-rated Native Instruments synths, instruments, effects, and select hardware in their unmissable Summer of Sound sale
- “Set to completely change how guitars are played forever”: FOMOfx unveils its latest whammy bar gizmo
- “Like finding a lost Rembrandt or Picasso... It still looks and plays like a dream”: Lennon’s Framus acoustic is sold for $2.9 million
- "We've been behind and now we want to catch up": It sounds like Marshall's CEO wants to make up for lost time with modelling amps – but is he too late?
- "This synthesizer is clearly not a clone": Behringer responds to Tom Oberheim on UB-Xa
- “He had the most equipment that I've ever seen - every synth you can imagine and huge modular setups… I think there were 1,100 modules and counting!”: Studio designer Jim Keller on Martin Gore’s studio
- “By far, the most stressful day of my entire life": The unexpected story of This Guy's in Love With You, the Bacharach and David classic that reduced Noel Gallagher to a nervous wreck
- Former Spitfire Audio CEO Will Evans on new music tech company Song Athletics: "We’re making tools for music-makers, but coming from a place of having a broader interest in sound and the love of music and recording"
- “With warm mids, compressed and focussed lows and a militant top-end, this guitar makes short work of classic rock riffage”: Gibson Theodore Standard review
- "A song doesn't need to be longer than 2 minutes 30... we don't need to repeat a verse, we don't need to have a bridge - we don't need it!": PinkPantheress opens up on why her songs are so short
- “I think the biggest pitfall about learning the blues is faking it”: Slash talks true blues, his love for the pedal steel and valuable advice for new players
May 29
- “If you look at the surface you can see bits of train sets, remote controls, scalpel blades, Warhammer models, an old vacuum cleaner, even a Covid test.” Devil & Sons’ Daniel Wallis on his sci-fi-inspired Craftcaster guitars
- You get vertigo and you lose your hearing, but what you gonna do?": Huey Lewis opens up about hearing loss
- Amp up Father's Day with Positive Grid's epic sale - score up to 40% off the Spark, Spark Mini, Spark Go, and more
- "VCA groups are simply controllers rather than group channels, with no audio going through them": How to make use of VCA grouping in your mixdowns
- “In our band, we don’t recognize the word ‘mistake’ - cause there are no mistakes. There’s just unique moments that happen”: Metallica debut Inamorata live in Munich
- “Outta the box awesome... Pretty much an all around versatile guitar. It’ll only get better after I spend some time with it”: Jim Root on his new Strat
- "We’re getting our hardware and software worlds to collide and make beautiful music together": The ultimate guide to studio workflow
- "I don't think I'll ever have the opportunity to record something that's reached farther into the corners of the earth": Avicii hits 1 billion streams for the fifth time
- Music theory you can use: pep up your progressions by borrowing chords from parallel keys
- “If Les were still alive today, I have absolutely no doubt that he and Peter would be experimenting together at Les’ house”: Peter Frampton to receive Les Paul Spirit Award
- How we test beginner keyboards
May 28
- "This is really a 'what if we just...' type of plugin": Universal Audio's new plugin packs three legendary bits of analogue gear into a single channel strip
- "I can tell you one thing: it’s been one of the most exciting times of my life, because these songs are that good": Jane’s Addiction's original line-up returns to the stage as North American tour announced
- “Powerful sound and exceptional connectivity”: Orange launches ‘revolutionary’ new Pyramid Audio system
- "If you want to write a classic pop song, use these chords: Ab, Bb, G minor 7th, C minor. You can’t go wrong with that": How to make a track that sounds like The Pet Shop Boys
- Sony vs AI: round one – are you using our songs?
- Helado Negro on working with the SAL-MAR Construction, a one-of-a-kind analogue synth and “self-generating compositional machine” from 1969: “This wasn’t parallel to developments from Moog and ARP… this was so much in its own world”
- “I'm not super-excited by this development... There’s just gonna be too much of the same kind of look or sound for different things. I see it happening already”: Slash dismisses AI
- This free sample instrument captures the sound of Korg Berlin's new Acoustic Synthesis phase_8 prototype
- Now, you can hear the world's rarest album: "Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances"
May 27
- "Logic was the first DAW I used with audio - then Ableton came along and pretty much took over the whole creative process of what I do": Luke Slater
May 26
- "It never occurred to me that was what you're supposed to be doing": Springsteen, Pearl Jam and AC/DC super producer Brendan O'Brien reveals how he learned the second most fundamental part of recording songs after tempo
- “What surprises people about Wichita Lineman is that it was written in a hurry. If I'd had more time, I would have looked at that couplet and taken it out”: Jimmy Webb on Elvis, his lost weekend with Nilsson and Lennon, and that classic lyric
- The producer's guide to DIY modular
May 25
- “One of the best sound design tools around”: Arturia Pigments 5 review
- “People assume that live dance music isn’t really ‘live’. They’re convinced that some of it's coming from a drum machine or sequencer. I could do that if I wanted, but I’d miss the humanity”: Róisín Murphy on her remixes album, touring, and Sing It Back
- "The truth is that your studio has as much potential to get in the way of your creativity as it does to unlock it": 5 creativity-enhancing studio workflow tips
May 24
- “This makes Dream Theater sound like f***ing Weezer!” Watch Mike Portnoy take on Tool’s Pnuema before challenging Danny Carey to learn The Dance of Eternity
- "I commit at least two to three hours a day, no matter what": Slash has been learning to play pedal steel for two years
- "As a result of his rapid evolution as a guitarist, Johnny Marr's chord choices from his five years with The Smiths reveal some inspirational examples": here are 4 of them to start with
- iZotope's AI-powered mixing tool Neutron 4 Elements is the best free plugin you'll download this month
- The new Harley Benton MV Bass guitar series is hitting the low end on prices
- Understanding the fundamentals of EQ
- “There is no collaboration between us and no discussions of their plans for synths or anything else”: Tom Oberheim responds to Behringer's claim that he gave the brand consent to make the UB-Xa synth
- "He seems kind of all over the place but this thing is spot on": Brendan O'Brien on his first encounter with John Frusciante and how they recorded the Under The Bridge intro
- Guitar Center's epic Memorial Day sale offers unbeatable deals, including $200 off a Gibson Les Paul Standard!
- “It’s like having this weird friend who goes ‘try this, try that’”: Loop Daddy flies the flag for Google’s Music AI Sandbox
May 23
- Gibson and Kramer have new finishes to show you but be prepared, these guitars feature Wild Zebra, Red Bullseye and Dark Purple Burst
- “Plenty of functionality to grow into and perfect for the solo or beginner recording musician”: Universal Audio Volt 1 review
- "It was just one note... I took that one note and pitched it on different drum pads on the machine - he came in like, that’s it!": How DJ Premier turned a mystery sample into the hook from The Notorious B.I.G.’s Unbelievable
- “The crazy thing about the guitar is that people play it upside down. Hendrix played it over his neck. You can play it anyway that you can. That’s what makes it so beautiful”: Lee Ritenour on musical identity and the secrets to improvisation
- "Our lead character is Marty McFly, his favourite band would be Huey Lewis And The News – so how would you like to write a song for the film?": The remarkable story of The Power Of Love and the co-writer who saved it
- “Dream of recording in a prestige studio? This easy-to-use software may be your ticket to the big time”: Universal Audio Sound City Studios review
- "The choices are endless - on every laptop you have access to every sound you could ever want. That can make creativity really hard": Sean and Isom of Foster The People on new duo Peel
- “It is such a versatile, beautiful guitar, so we wanted to stay true to the original, whilst adding some pizzazz”: Gretsch launch the Orville Peck Falcon
- Definitely, not maybe: Oasis debut gets deluxe treatment, including unheard takes and 1992 Sad Song demo
- “Let me teach you how to do this - it’s not that hard”: Finneas showed Billie Eilish how to comp her own vocals during the making of Hit Me Hard and Soft so that he could get out of the studio and let her record alone
- “My playing owes so much to him - razor-edged monoliths crashing angrily, biting rhythmic hammer blows which changed me forever. I can’t imagine rock guitar without Pete Townshend. He basically invented it!”: Brian May lavishes praise on Who icon
- This just in: The BBC News theme is a certified electronic banger, and to celebrate its 25th anniversary, composer David Lowe is showing you how he created it
- "The Gen 3 feels like you are viewing the older iteration in 4K – there's greater detail and nuance in the tone": Boss Katana 50 & 100 Gen 3 review
- Boss reveals the Katana Gen 3: the evolution of a guitar amp phenomenon
May 22
- “I continue to miss Taylor, as does the band, his family, friends and the rest of the world.” Josh Freese pays tribute to Taylor Hawkins while marking one year as the Foo Fighters’ drummer
- "Finding a live recording with both Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix is akin to discovering a musical holy grail": now one is up for auction
- "Most of Phoebe Bridgers' songs have a strong guitar theme throughout and included in this are some very interesting chords": Learn 4 here to inspire your playing
- "God bless Mr Rupert Neve - there wouldn't be a Miseducation without him!": The making of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Apple Music's best album of all time
- “It has not dated, not even a fraction”: Apple Music reveals its full list of the Best 100 Albums of all time, and there's a number 1 you might not have been expecting
- “Climate change deniers... you either want to flatten them, or write a piece of music that might just get under their skin and feel the love we need to feel for our planet”: Hans Zimmer on composing as climate activism
- “Daft Punk changed my life with Homework in the ’90s - then in the ‘00s James Murphy and DFA Records did it again”: Kasper Bjørke
- “The hi-hat is a truly Satanic instrument, it gets everywhere and there’s nothing you can do about it”: Steve Albini’s Mix with the Master’s recording tutorial is now available to watch for free
- "Everybody’s worried and everybody’s scared... I love it, man. I’m, like, bring it on": Nuno Bettencourt on why he’s not afraid of AI, as Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess says it "made me a better player"
- Universal Audio’s Luna DAW finally lands on Windows, and it might make more sense on the PC than it does on the Mac
- A parent's guide to buying a beginner keyboard: Take the stress out of keyboard shopping with our 5 essential tips
- "It’s a chameleon for your pedalboard": Line 6 HX One review
- "They've been with Sony for the last 30 years, mislabelled. I've found some interesting stuff... now we can sell the album for the fifth time": Oasis tease sparks reissue vs reunion speculation
- Love Hultén teases Crum2, a "generative percussive harmonic device" that's the synth wizard's first commercial release
- The elite of Nashville guitar players assemble (and jam) for the opening of Fender's new HQ in the Music City
- "There are certain laws that must be followed, whether you like it or not": Here's what producers really need to know about music theory
- Nickelback and The Lottery Winners form an unlikely partnership to cover Oasis live
- "Mono might, poly power": Arturia's MiniBrute V plugin reimagines the much-loved analogue monosynth with extra voices, effects and more
May 21
- Gibson wants to give you a good excuse to upgrade your guitar with 7 new pickup options
- "I was blown away": PRS debuts new, more affordable David Grissom amp with the DGT 15
- “Fantasic for those who like the feel of console mixing and the SSL sound”: SSL UC1 and 360 Link review
- “Everything ’92 and before is perfection”: Producer and songwriter Benny Blanco reveals that Prince is his “favourite artist of all time”, but also explains why he wouldn’t want to work with him if he was still alive
- 5 reasons your mixes don't sound professional (and how to fix it)
- "If we moved on with another concept album about something super-crazy and psychedelic and ridiculous, and very hard to wrap your head around, it was going to do my head in": How Mastodon changed approach on Curl Of The Burl and The Hunter
- "One thing she leans into a lot are songs based around a 1 4 5 progression": Learn the chord secrets behind Taylor Swift's songwriting success
- “Why is it OK for others but not for us?”: As the UB-Xa becomes “the best-selling synthesizer,” Behringer questions why it’s criticised for “taking inspiration from legacy products” when others aren’t
- Get your Memorial Day savings in early with 30% off Player, Paranormal and Affinity models at Fender
- Did Justice name Generator, from new album Hyperdrama, after the free plugin they used to make it?
- "'I’ve picked one up and it didn’t move me' is fair comment. But 'I’ve never picked one up and it’s never moved me' - that’s not fair": Paul Reed Smith takes on the PRS doubters
- Holy Pianola, Batman! Bruce Wayne Enterprises releases a £100,000 self-playing piano that could bring Batcave vibes to your bedroom
- "Guns N' Roses are trying to make their own record and I'm working with them in that capacity": Slash reveals new material is underway
- "Electronic music is the classical music of the 21st century": How Jean-Michel Jarre brought the synthesizer to the masses
May 20
- “Alice In Chains showed me how you can do more with less”: How Klone successfully go unplugged with their prog
- Quick Tips: How to use Ableton Live 12's new MIDI tools
- “I absolutely adore her”: Olivia Rodrigo is all smiles as she brings Lily Allen on stage in London to duet on Allen's 2006 debut single
- "The main synths were the Juno, Moog Voyager and the Roland SH-5, which we used for the squelchy bottom-end. It’s like a spaceship, you know?": Mr. Scruff on Ninja Tuna
- “Picture a bright blue ball spinning... Dizzy with eternity": Dead & Company, featuring John Mayer, delight Deadheads at The Sphere
- “We’ve always looked at ourselves as individuals working together, and I felt like I had the right to do that. But, you know, he didn’t”: John Oates on his legal battle with Daryl Hall and why the only Reunion on the agenda is the title of his new album
- "I know people are going to get mad at me": Why would anyone mod a $20,000 guitar? Mythos Pedals' Zach explains why he changed his Murphy Lab Les Paul
- “I’m not gonna hide myself just because I made an album with Rick Rubin,” says Beabadoobee, but she admits that there was one thing the producer made her do that “really helped my confidence as a musician”
- Juicy Loops puts FL Studio's beloved sequencer into Ableton Live
- "Built to military grade standards designed to handle extreme conditions and outdoor environments:" ASUS teases new all-terrain laptop
- "There is a technique to get the most from every note that you play": Rob Chapman reveals the game-changing guitar hack he learned from watching country players
May 19
- "We're focussing on a player whose inventive approaches to rhythm work are sometimes overlooked": Learn 4 John Frusciante Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar chords
- Former Staind and Soil drummer Jon Wysocki has died, aged 53
- Pearl Jam producer Andrew Watt guests onstage with the band on Alive in Las Vegas – and Mike McCready lets him share the guitar solo
- "This is like my Olympic sport": See Lzzy Hale ace her first shows fronting Skid Row
- “An excellent multi-effects module, catering for live use and a range of genres”: Modbap Modular Per4mer review
May 18
- "You really couldn’t make this up. But they did. And it’s fantastic": 5 Xenomania tracks producers need to hear
- “A wave-folding module destined for success, as it sounds immense”: Noise Lab Wrinkler mk2 review
- U got to book: To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain, Airbnb is giving you the chance to stay in Prince’s house from the movie
May 17
- “I got kicked off my Fender deal because I couldn't stop using a Les Paul – I can't really live without one”: Lee Downer from Lowlives picks his 3 essential pieces of gear
- “This is turn up the volume, feel good Bon Jovi”: Phil X blows the dust off the talk box for new Bon Jovi single Living Proof
- "It was like finding it on the street": The Beatles' Yesterday and five other songs that were inspired by dreams
- “My tribute to the MOSFET-driven magic of a 1990s classic – the MT10 Mostortion”: Wampler Pedals’ Mofetta is a “supercharged” version of the classic Ibanez overdrive/disortion
- Superbooth 24: Stop the Press - Polyend has launched an analogue compressor pedal with plugin-style controls
- “The LP-6 is a super monitor that’s impressively quiet, accurate and characterless”: Kali Audio LP-6 2nd Wave review
- “A verbatim sonic-twin of Dave’s all-time favourite amplifier”: Friedman Amplification’s Vintage Collection debuts with the PLEX – a 50W tube head based on Dave Friedman’s legendary ‘68 JMP
- Superbooth 2024 live: all the latest synth news from Berlin, as it happens
- “It’s a truly magical pedal, and the hype surrounding it is legitimate”: Diamond Pedals resurrects its Tame Impala-approved Vibrato and it sells out “immediately” – but more are on their way!
- Superbooth 2024: Melbourne Instruments brings its motorised knobs to Delia, which promises “the flexibility of a soft synth with the tactile experience of a classic hardware synth”
- “Expanding our signature aesthetics, ergonomics, and playability to a whole new audience of creators and performers”: Abasi Concepts unveils the Larada Bass, a monster 5-string bass version of the brand’s flagship guitar
- Has the mystery of Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft album title just been solved? It looks like the misheard synth preset name has been located...
- “In this case, we’re looking at a bonafide game-changer”: Alesis Strata Prime review
- The 5 instruments you need to know about at Superbooth 2024 – New synths, samplers and drum machines
May 16
- "I hope the 126 does everything for you and inspires you in every way it has for me and more": Wolfgang Van Halen's EVH chambered signature model arrives for sale after three years of development
- Walrus extends its Canvas pedal utility line with Power Series supplies
- Unmissable deal alert! Chapman Standard and Pro guitars are half-price at Andertons for a limited time
- “As faithful to the original as humanly possible”: Can Behringer really bring you the sound of a $4,000 Neve hardware compressor for less than $500?
- "It was totally, totally nuts": The Edge was so impressed with Universal Audio's Lion '68 amp pedal, he didn't just add it to his rig – it changed the tone for his intro to U2's Las Vegas Sphere gigs
- "I wish everyone could sit in a room with vintage AC30s or Plexi Marshalls and have that experience, and a lot of people won't – I'm happy we're trying to do that": How Universal Audio rewired the modelling amp pedal concept, and won the Edge over
- Superbooth 24: “Simply plug in and start doing what you do” - Chase Bliss’s Onward is a dynamic sampler pedal that responds to your playing
- Superbooth 24: Erica Synths’ “highly musical” Nightverb desktop reverb unit steps into the light
- Superbooth 24: ASM crosses its Hydrasynth line with silver as it launches two very limited-edition 5th anniversary models
- Superbooth 24: "This isn't just a synth, it's Tom Oberheim's dream, realized": The TEO-5 gives you the classic Oberheim sound at an affordable price point
May 15
- Behind-the-scenes footage of Michael J Fox playing guitar ahead of Back To The Future's school dance audition scene confirms he had serious chops back in '85
- Watch Lauten Audio uncannily recreate Metallica’s Black Album drum sound with the original kit, at LA’s One on One studios where the album was recorded
- Apple’s new Music Haptics feature will make it possible to ‘feel’ the music on your iPhone
- Superbooth 24: iZotope announces RX 11, the latest version of “Hollywood’s favourite toolkit for intelligent audio repair”
- "This is sort of blasphemous and sacrilegious… I might have fibbed a little bit and said 'never' with the digital modelling s***": Jim Root reveals he's using the Neural DSP Quad Cortex live with Slipknot, and adding his old PRS guitars to the rig
- Issue 335 of Computer Music is on sale now
- “Dive deeper”: rekordbox 7 promises to give DJs a smarter, leaner and faster way of managing their music
- “A novel and powerful new take on drum generation”: Forever 89 Visco review
- Superbooth 24: “Didn’t know they came in that size!”: Erica Synths supersizes its Bullfrog edu-synth for the classroom
- "It was love at first feel, to quote Bon Scott": Charlie Starr is getting a signature Gibson Les Paul Junior – and it's a stunner
May 14
- Lauten Audio announces Tom Mic - which it says is the world's first large diaphragm condenser mic specifically designed for rack and floor toms
- “All the wear and tear from decades of touring is perfectly recreated on this incredible limited edition”: Fender unveils a $20,000 Masterbuilt replica of Joe Strummer’s 1966 Telecaster
- “This will take your tone straight back to the days when Good Vibrations and Fun, Fun, Fun ruled the airwaves!”: Sweetwater teams up with JHS Pedals, Benson Amps and Keeley Electronics for The Beach Boys Studio Effects Collection
- “The Beatles broke up at the right time… Imagine them going through synth pop in the ‘80s. It would have been shocking”: Paul Weller on how the Fab Four “set the benchmark” and being a Billie Eilish fan
- Superbooth 24: "This is the most expressive polyphonic analogue synthesizer ever made": Arturia unveils PolyBrute 12 with doubled polyphony and improved aftertouch
- “Whether laying down scorching leads or simmering rhythm licks, these pickups ensure fiery country tone without the vintage hum”: Seymour Duncan serves up tasty Hot Chicken Strat and Tele pickups for modern country players
- Universal Audio’s new Standard Series mics bring Hemisphere modelling to drum and instrument recording
- Superbooth 24: Moog’s Spectravox is “not just an instrument - it’s a portal into uncharted sonic realms,” but you might have seen it somewhere before
- “More than just a favourite instrument of one of rock's greatest living guitarists”: Eric Clapton’s ‘Wonderful Tonight’ 000-28 Martin acoustic is heading to auction (again)
- “It's like a decade of intermittently receiving rape or death threats on the internet”: Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry speaks out on online abuse, cyber misogyny and the rise of deepfake technology
- "If you play any song to me that came out in 2024 I can tell you what DAW it was made on": How To Dress Well
- Superbooth 24: "The ultimate analogue modular system": This colossal £15,000 synth was specially designed for Hans Zimmer, but you can buy one too
- David Gilmour's prestige venue Luck and Strange tour now includes his first US dates in 8 years
- “A legendary Epiphone original comes home to the USA”: Epiphone unveils the US-made Coronet and it is a nitro-finished single-pickup rock ’n’ roll machine
- How to use classic dance sounds in modern deep house
- How to recreate the sound of Kraftwerk's Autobahn in your DAW
- Superbooth 24: Tracker+ updates Polyend's flagship groovebox with 4 new synth engines, stereo sampling, an expanded sequencer and more
- Superbooth 24: "Think the strings of a guitar or keys of a xylophone, but embedded into electronic synthesis": Korg unveils the next prototype for the experimental instrument Acoustic Synthesis_phase 8
May 13
- "I'm a fuzz junkie – I've got an obscene amount of fuzz boxes": Feeder's Grant Nicholas picks his essential pieces of gear
- "The most helpful, user-friendly versions yet": Apple Logic Pro for Mac 11/Logic Pro for iPad 2 review
- "He was simply one of the greatest players to ever pick up the instrument": Try these guitar chords that Prince used to elevate his classic songs
- "There is something much more interesting going on there like the Isley Brothers": Bono says Coldplay aren't a rock band
- "People definitely read into it too deeply, but that's how Twitter goes": What exactly is 'mixing in key' and why have DJs been arguing over it?
- "It's a nuclear violin": Yngwie Malmsteen gives us the Strat history lesson with his guitar collection that we didn't know we needed
- "The crowd erupts every time we start playing the riff - people never get sick of it": The Killers' Dave Keuning on the birth of the band's signature tune
- Superbooth 24: Dreadbox reinvents the Murmux analogue synth in a limited-edition 8-voice version called Adept
- "It's probably one of the most challenging things I've taken on for a long time": Brian May pushed himself to the limit for his Jean-Michel Jarre live collaboration, and it paid off big time
- "I’ve finally been able to make my dream a reality": MidiWrist Unleashed offers MIDI control wizardry from your Apple Watch
May 12
- "Don't even get us started on that Van Halen sh*t": Wolfgang Van Halen plays Eruption and Hot For Teacher with the Foo Fighters
May 11
- “He gave me a bunch of pills... I could barely move my arm, so I could only play high up on the neck, and the first thing I did was that riff. I don't remember when I sang 'sex on fire'": The story of Kings of Leon's global smash
- "Getting her to the studio was tough! But once we got her there, she was wonderful. We really sprung Slave... on her": The story of Grace Jones’ Slave to the Rhythm - tempo changes, stacked Roland synth patches and Trevor Horn
- Hone your rock rhythm timing in 20-minutes with this guitar workout
May 10
- “Our goal is to further support and enhance the learning experience”: Fender launches Play 1:1, a learning platform offering personalised online and on-demand guitar lessons with its top teachers
- Technics ramps up the RPM as it launches a Lamborghini-themed special edition of the SL-1200 turntable
- A signature Strat from the Edge’s personal collection is heading to auction, expected to fetch upwards of $75,000 for charity
- Zildjian announces Alchem-E Gold-EX, Gold and Bronze electronic drum sets in three different configurations, “We set out to create the most realistic, authentic playing experience across the entire kit and are confident that drummers will agree.”
- How AI is being weaponized in Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef
- “A psychedelic vintage fuzz pushing a long classic reverb, that transforms your guitar’s voice and lets it party!”: Gone Fishing Effects and Kasabian’s Sergio Pizzorno team up for signature fuzzbox
- “The shape of things to come”: Rivolta Guitars unveils the Forma series – three bold, radical, retro electrics that offer Dennis Fano designs at non-boutique prices
- "We missed the mark with this video, and we’re sorry": Apple apologises for controversial iPad Pro ad showing instruments being destroyed
- “This is where my kids play sometimes after school”: Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock built a studio that is like Willy Wonka’s very own guitar gear emporium – and it even has a walk-in pedal closet
- “There’s no way I’m spending more on a Rhodes than a car - it’s ridiculous for a working-class musician”: Prefuse 73
- “Ladies And Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones”: Actor Ian McShane says that he recorded his iconic Slave To The Rhythm spoken-word intro after smoking “a large spliff” with Trevor Horn in the studio
- Billie Eilish has released a 49-second clip of new song Chihiro via Fortnite Festival and it confirms that it’s a synth-led electronic banger
- “These huge machines, created centuries ago, were tackling the same challenges of synthesis and sampling and sound reproduction that we struggle with today": Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood is bringing church organ music to the modular masses
May 9
- Slash has a new signature Gibson guitar – and it's an ES-335!
- "This gal comes walking up towards me and she's topless, but she had these incredibly blue eyes and I was trying my best just to look at her eyes": The unexpected story of how John Oates and Iva Davies wrote Icehouse's Electric Blue
- "Despite the teeny tiny size it’s packing loads of useful features": Arturia MiniFuse 1 review
- “The first AI voice changer plugin for your DAW”: Sonarworks SoundID VoiceAI can make your vocal tracks sound like they were sung by someone completely different
- "I’m speaking a musical language with the modular synthesizer as my pen": Meet Arushi Jain, the "modular princess" using synths to reimagine Indian classical music
- "I always think this is the closest anyone has ever come to making the perfect record": The story of The Undertones' punk classic Teenage Kicks
- "This is what Bruce calls his primal scrub": Bob Clearmountain talks mixing and tweaking Springsteen's Born In The USA guitars
- Program a sequencer-based drone with this free plugin
- "Tone-deaf and insulting to artists of every kind": New Apple iPad Pro ad showing musical instruments being destroyed described as "horrendously bad" and "deeply offensive"
May 8
- Classic Interview: Steve Albini – "A lot of people in my position are opposed to the home-recording of music. They feel like it cheapens what happens in the studio, but I disagree"
- Acclaimed studio engineer and musician Steve Albini has died aged 61
- “She’s slightly behind the beat but this doesn’t make her sound sloppy; to the contrary, it shows an effortless command of musical time”: A music professor breaks down Amy Winehouse's Back to Black
- “The ultimate recording interface for your favourite DAW”: PreSonus’s new Quantum ES and HD audio interfaces feature instrument inputs that were co-developed with Fender
- “The A&R and the label actually didn’t like it. They were like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s a fun song, but it’s never going to get on the radio'": How Train went from nearly splitting up to proving them wrong with smash hit Hey, Soul Sister
- "It was shocking because they still thought of the Beatles as the mop-tops": Let It Be director Michael Lindsay-Hogg on that Paul vs George argument and his newly restored "break-up" movie
- "I had 25 feet to walk over to my kit and figure it out… 20… 15… 10… 5...": Kenny Aronoff recalls his terrifying Jack and Diane drum fill experience
- "I’d never made a guitar before I made the Cloud guitar for Prince": Now the legendary six-string is expected to raise up to $600k at auction
- “Why does it only have drums and vocals?”: Watch Karol G keyboard player Jemma Heigis trying to figure out the chords for Huey Lewis and the News’ The Power Of Love, a song she’s never heard before
- These 6 guitar chords are great for classic rock – and more besides
- "It's the marmite of DAWs!": 7 things I love about Pro Tools (and 3 that I really don't)
- “Suddenly, you’re in a Vangelis type world”: Hans Zimmer on why the expanded, 6-oscillator Minimoog emulation he created with Synapse Audio gives you “something that you’ve never had before”
- "George Harrison said, ‘When the Beatles play a low E, it sounds like a low E. When Duane plays it, it sounds an octave lower!’”: The story of Duane Eddy's Peter Gunn theme
- Computer Music 335 July 2024: free downloads
- Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are still jamming together: "We’re actually playing a lot of Rush songs" – but there are caveats
- "One of the largest collections of music production software in the world": Native Instruments unveils NI 360 subscription platform
- "The G5024E delivers a rich, resonant tone typical of dreadnought guitars but with a distinct clarity and brightness": Gretsch G5024E Rancher review
- Songwriting tips you can use: Program the perfect bassline in your DAW
- "If you’re into creating interesting vocoder sounds, try feeding a drum machine through the vocoder instead of a vocal": 14 tried and tested vocal effect tips
- Apple’s super-thin new iPad Pro gets an M4 chip, but the much more affordable iPad Air M2 could be the savviest option for music makers
- "The go-to destination for professionals and creatives seeking meaningful connections": Influential music, film and tech festival SXSW is coming to London in 2025
May 7
- “I have never experienced anything like that. It was like piano strings, and it was so far off the neck”: Lee Ritenour on the time BB King invited him to play Lucille and the guitar made him work for every note
- "I can't stand them": Slash reveals he isn't a fan of using in-ear monitors live, but he does like using guitar plugins in the studio
- “The best music creation experience in the industry”: Apple announces Logic Pro 11 for Mac and Logic Pro for iPad 2, adding AI-powered bass and keyboard players and built-in stem separation
- Want to channel your inner Daft Punk? Here are 9 of the coolest vocal processing tools
- “A monstrous amplifier that transcends the boundaries of imagination”: Neural DSP launches upgraded Fortin Nameless Suite X plugin – your new digital solution for atom-smashing chug
- "Your ears will fall in love with the new studio tools": Bitwig Studio updated with new multiband compressor and hardware-inspired EQs
- “If it makes it more accessible and achievable for girls to chase their dreams, then it’s a win”: Epiphone and Miranda Lambert team up for a stunning yet affordable take on her top-selling signature Gibson Bluebird acoustic
May 6
- "I have a different perspective on all of that": Richie Sambora releases uncut interview footage from Bon Jovi documentary series that sheds new light on the tensions that led to his departure
- “A veritable playground of vintage synthesis and exploration”: Analogue Solutions Ample review
- “An extremely significant and very well executed update to this remarkably powerful audio production platform”: Steinberg Nuendo 13 review
- "It’s simple enough to create the perfect hard-tuned and harmonised effects within our DAW, providing you have the right software": How to harness hard-tuned vocals
- "Inside some of these catchy tunes lie really interesting voicings": Learn 4 guitar chords from the Foo Fighters
- How to hard-tune your vocals using Logic Pro's stock pitch correction plugin
May 5
- The 5 foolproof ways to start a guitar solo
- Eric Clapton and the song he said he'd never play live again: “I got at least 150 letters a day directly from people who were dealing with their own grief... and not really having the tools to deal with it"
- Issue 409 of Future Music is out now
- “A highly creative plugin, with enormous capacity that extends way beyond vocal usage”: Antares Vocal Reverb review
- “Holds its own in the shadow of its older Oddity sibling, sporting some really beautiful synthetic textures”: GForce Software Axxess review
- How to achieve the Bon Iver-style Prismizer vocal in your DAW
May 4
- How to play Edge-style rhythm guitar with four unusual chords from U2 songs
- “It wins hands down both visually and sonically, and the fact that it’s free makes it a no-brainer”: Cherry Audio Synthesizer Expander Module (SEM) review
- "Rap purists wouldn't dig us as we weren't straight-up rap. We weren't an indie group, or a rock group": Stereo MC Rob Birch on the making of classic '90s album Connected
- "The result is a track that perfectly encapsulates the 'anything goes' atmosphere of the early '90s, and makes a great Christmas record for the discerning raver": The top 10 most unlikely sample sources
- “You now get close to 40 instruments in total which is quite incredible”: Arturia V Collection X review
- How to play mono synth properly: the skills you need to master
- Catching Flies shows us how to breathe life into digital-sounding synth patches
May 3
- “I thought he was gonna hook me”: Fran Healy remembers when Travis 'lifted' Noel Gallagher's chords to Wonderwall
- Triad chords could be your new secret guitar weapon: here are 3 reasons why
- A lightweight, affordable option for Jimmy Page ‘Stairway…’ manoeuvres? Danelectro’s new $899 doubleneck electric guitar could be this year’s super-cool sleeper hit
- Superbooth 24: Could the friendly-looking First Love be the FM synth that you fall head over heels for?
- “People deplore AI, but it helps sampling become so much clearer and crisper”: Tourist on how AI tech helped shape his new album, Memory Morning
- "I was probably off my head... it wasn't meant to be a novelty record, it was meant to be an underground record": The story of The Prodigy’s cartoon-sampling rave hit Charly
- “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that all store locations will begin store closing sales today”: End of an era for US gear retail as Sam Ash Music to close
- “This ‘notched’ guitar tone has been used by legends like Carlos Santana and Brian May. It’s a fantastic tone to have at your disposal”: Red Witch unveils Euphemia, an analogue sample hold filter with a twist
- “Duane’s sound was distinctive, original and completely cutting edge at the time”: Brian May pays tribute to late rock ’n’ roll pioneer Duane Eddy and remembers the night his hero played the Red Special
- Stevie Wonder flexes his Clavinet chops as he hits the stage with Gary Clark Jr to perform What About The Children
- Designed "to expand the realms of sound design through intricate motion", this quirky French synth has light sensors and a retro pin matrix
- "The aluminium model is, frankly, a stone-cold bargain": DrumCraft Vanguard snare drums review
May 2
- “It’s dynamic and it’s versatile, and thanks no doubt to its enclosed tube it is very ‘amp-y’”: ThorpyFX and Chris Buck apply real valve heat to overdrive and boost with signature Electric Lightning pedal
- “I made Yngwie play on a really slow blues… He sounds even faster”: Dweezil Zappa reveals plans to finish epic all-star track featuring 40 players, including Brian May, and Eddie Van Halen playing a “greatest hits of all of his best guitar licks”
- “There’s no such thing as a wrong note”: Jacob Collier takes you inside his “wise” music room and explains why he can’t stop using a discontinued Native Instruments MIDI keyboard
- 5 common issues every DJ faces and how to fix them: “Aside from your digging, curation, selection and mixing skills, a basic working knowledge of the equipment is essential”
- The samples from every Prodigy album track have been found and detailed in one epic YouTube masterpiece
- CloudVocal's FlashTrack microphone revolutionizes recording with innovative DSP and versatile features
- “A funk bass stripped down to its essence – beautiful, minimal, well-crafted”: Vulfpeck funk maestro Joe Dart teams up with Sterling By Music Man for super affordable $399 signature bass
- Is this the most disastrous venue launch of all time? Opening show at Co-op Live cancelled after piece of air conditioning unit falls from the ceiling: "To cancel an event whilst people are queuing to get in is an absolute disgrace!"
- “It’s like a T-Rex made out of chocolate cake”: John Petrucci issues update on new Dream Theater album, promising the “Mount Rushmore” of guitar tones – and a special treat for Tonemission users
- Music from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and The Weeknd is returning to TikTok, thanks to a “multi-dimensional licensing agreement” with Universal
- "He transformed a piece of samba-flecked elevator music into one of the hardest hip-hop tracks of all time": 10 genius moments in hip-hop sampling history, featuring J Dilla, DJ Premier and more
- Duane Eddy: “Our echo chamber was actually a 2,000-gallon water tank. We went down to the Salt River, visited a junkyard there... and we yelled into tanks”
- “It’s a silly name for a non-silly thing": Tributes paid to "Sultan of Twang", Duane Eddy, who has died aged 86
May 1
- “A magnificent synth and worth the large outlay if you make the most of the year's All Access content”: Minimal Audio Current review
- Mr piano mule: Man jailed for attempting to smuggle £4.2m illicit stash into the UK in the back of an upright piano
- “An exploration of China's rich musical heritage”: Arturia’s Augmented Yangtze puts a contemporary spin on 6 classic instruments
- Song Athletics releases its first plugin, a sampler "designed to help you find the joy in your one shot collection"
- "We have a huge vision for our software. Our dream is to change how people create music digitally": Modalics on their pizza-inspired, polyrhythmic beatmaking plugin
- “One second you speak to the driver, and next, you are up there in the air”: It’s ‘Jean-Michel flying car’ as the French electronic music pioneer becomes the world’s first passenger in the KleinVision AirCar
- Thomann's 70th birthday celebrations just got even bigger with the addition of super deals on PRS, Korg, Taylor, AKG, Bose and more
- Future Music 411: Samples and downloads
- "Most DAWs include some form of vocoder plugin, so why not use what you already have?": How to use the vocoder in Logic Pro
- "This is when you need to get serious": Signing a music contract? Here are 5 things you really need to look out for