All content archive
August 2024
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271 articles
- August 31
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- “A great option for beginner players or those looking to expand their tonal palette on a budget”: Harley Benton DNAfx GiT Advanced review
- Yoni Wolf on the new album from his indie/alt hip-hop band WHY?: "There’s a real soberness to the mix process - though I mix when I’m stoned a lot of the time"
- “That was like Van Halen reincarnated... you're amazing on that thing!”: 11-year-old guitarist wows America’s Got Talent judges
- August 30
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- “It has been used on dozens of famous recordings under the stewardship of its previous three owners”: Watch Chicago Music Exchange’s guitar genius Nathaniel Murphy play a virtuoso solo Led Zeppelin cover on a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- “I didn’t get it before because I was too scared to touch them”: St Vincent reveals how a gift from Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready changed her mind about the Stratocaster
- Quick! Get the original Spark smart amp at a super low price for a limited time in Positive Grid’s big Labor Day sale
- Who is the most wanted tribute act? The most sampled artist? The most successful cover version? The answers may surprise you
- Channel your inner Phil Collins with Solid State Logic's new GateVerb non-linear reverb plugin
- “The essence of my tone in a portable, versatile amp”: Engl unveils Steve Morse signature tube amp – a compact 20-watt head that’s packed with modern features
- “You don't need a wall of Marshall stacks in order to really be dark": Tom Morello on how acoustic music can be just as ‘hard’ as metal
- “It’s been a lifetime of searching for a small spring reverb effect unit that could be used as a stompbox onstage or in the studio”: Third Man Hardware and Anasounds unveil La Grotte, a Jack White reverb pedal with real springs in the tank
- How misusing vintage outboard gear changed the world of recorded music - and how software effects will do the same for its future
- “There was a Deluxe Reverb already there, turned everything up to 10, plugged the guitar in and said, ‘Roll tape!’ And that was it”: How Skunk Baxter grabbed a six-pack, a $35 guitar and tracked Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff in one take
- “Don’t even think about using my music, you fascists”: Now Jack White and Abba tell Trump to stop using their music
- Get creative with Logic Pro’s secret weapons for creating interesting effects
- "Re-engineered to look, feel, and play like an instrument": Novation unveils Launchkey Mk4 MIDI controller keyboard range
- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and… Bryan Ferry? The mind boggles
- August 29
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- “There is new music coming…. there's hope of a full album”: Dave Navarro says more new Jane’s Addiction material is just around the corner
- “My body was telling me, ‘You gotta stop.’ And so I listened to my body”: Neil Young explains why he cancelled Crazy Horse’s summer tour
- “We were blessed with a mini impromptu concert and it was lit!!” Lauryn Hill performs at her high school reunion
- "We are going to celebrate what brings together the most people on the planet - sport and electronic music": Jean-Michel Jarre to headline the 2024 Paralympics Closing Ceremony
- "It now pushes more air, flaps more trouser leg": The Orange AD200B bass amp comes back redesigned, revamped and reimagined
- “The house didn’t feel terrifying so much as sad… but that could just be my own insanity”: How Nine Inch Nails recorded a Platinum-selling album at a murder scene
- 3 next-level effect racks in Ableton Live
- "To my ears, it sounds like me when I was 15 years old": Michael Schenker reveals how he hears his influence on Kirk Hammett's playing in Metallica
- "This is it, this is happening": Oasis reunion and 2025 live shows confirmed - UPDATE: Extra dates added
- August 28
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- "I think an official Michael Schenker Gibson model will make a lot of people happy": The Flying V-loving guitar legend looks forward and back on his classic songs
- Is Spotify about to launch a live ‘share what you listen to’ feature on Instagram?
- “You’re in there with the act, with David. He was so theatrical I think being able to put him into an immersive place makes this a really good choice for an Atmos mix": Previously unseen footage released of Bowie’s Ziggy tour
- “David was a patriot... his passion for voting is something we wanted to honour and continue”: Martin celebrates David Crosby and the democratic process with the custom art D-11E Rock The Vote
- "I was getting my ass kicked. My group had broken up, my relationship of seven years was over, and the phone wasn’t ringing": DJ Nu-Mark on bouncing back from Jurassic 5's split to record his solo debut
- “If there’s a phase sound you’re dreaming of, it’s probably in here”: Chase Bliss launches its first ever signature pedal with the limited edition Billy Strings Wombtone Analog EnveloPhaser
- "'You’re just 5’ 7'? Sorry it’s not going to work out”: Yes, Marty Friedman really was too short to audition for Kiss
- “A generous update stuffed with ideas and real potential”: Ableton Live 12 Suite review
- “An inspiring opportunity to get inside the mind and skill set of the guitar world’s newest icon”: Matteo Mancuso shares all the secrets behind his breathtaking style in new Jam Track Central masterclass
- Computer Music 339 Autumn 2024: free downloads
- “This amp captures his iconic sound and personal design touch”: Steve Vai and Positive Grid team up for a signature Spark Mini with preloaded custom presets and a Hydra-inspired design
- "An inconspicuous, fantastically priced and great-sounding workhorse, the IRX ONE is an easy recommendation": JBL IRX ONE review
- Oasis open pre-sale ticket ballot - you have until 7pm tonight
- "It’s easy to see why the C40 has spanned generations of learners. It’s durable, affordable, easy to play, and stays in tune": Yamaha C40II review
- August 27
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- “Did I think me talking about being a messy bitch and, like, partying and needing a Bic lighter and a pack of Marlboro Lights would end up on CNN? No”: Charli XCX on Brat’s viral success and that tweet
- “Pull off chord voicings you never thought possible, compose transcendent melodies, orchestrate harmonic ensembles…”: MXR unveils the Layers Pedal, opening a world to adventures in hi-fi guitar sustain
- Arturia's KeyLab MIDI controller upgraded to mk3 with new keybed, bigger screen and touch-sensitive controls
- “A value-conscious workhorse with premium features”: Cort adds the impressively spec’d, competitively priced G250 to its super-versatile G series of S-style electric guitars
- “It’s a sector which has a lot to say about climate change, but unfortunately it’s not doing much about it”: Massive Attack unveil live music’s low carbon future in Act 1.5
- “A whacky fuzz with unique synth-y textures that resonate and warble and pair with an overdriven effects loop”: Step into the wild west of weird guitar tone with Old Blood Noise Endeavors’ Pardner Fuzz
- 9 easy sound-tweaking tips for any synth
- Ableton co-creator Robert Henke: “It’s clear that AI will change a lot of things in the music industry… We are looking at ways to incorporate that into our workflow in a way that’s inspiring, beneficial and interesting”
- “If Oasis can do it…”: Johnny Marr dismisses any idea of a Smiths reunion
- “That guitar is part of Dad. I never even thought that of the idea that there might be a companion guitar to his”: Gibson salutes two American musical greats with the Custom Shop Rosanne Cash J-185 and Johnny Cash SJ-200 acoustics
- "So long... it was enchanting": Wembley Stadium gifts Taylor Swift a personalised acoustic guitar in honour of her record-breaking run
- Clean Bandit on designing the Rather Be synth sound in Ableton Operator: "You just have to turn two knobs and you'll get it to sound like that"
- “A ‘90s classic gets the Adaptive treatment. More gain, warmth and playability”: Origin Effects conjures magic for your midrange with its dynamic, Bluesbreaker-inspired Halcyon Blue Overdrive
- Give me caffeine: Green Day issue special 20th anniversary American Idiot coffee brewer
- Avicii’s personal belongings and musical equipment to be auctioned off
- Issue 413 of Future Music is out now
- 6 of the most creative effects for sound design
- “My dad’s a musical genius. That’s the last thing I want to do, is try my hand at that”: Why Rashida Jones didn’t follow in her father Quincy's footsteps
- “I’d overslept and didn’t make the march... I was annoyed at myself and that’s where the idea for You’re the Voice came from. If you want to do something you have to go out and do it yourself”
- August 26
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- The drummers of Oasis: if the reunion rumours are true, these are the favourites to play drums
- “All-round easier and more effective, and remains a go-to for efficient audio”: iZotope RX 11 Advanced review
- "The band often made some questionable choices with the songs they chose to exclude from their 2000s albums in place of arguably stronger material": The 6 Oasis non-album tracks you need to hear
- August 25
- August 24
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- "There's more reverb options here than most of us will know what to do with, but there is something really attractive in that": Strymon BigSky MX Multi Reverb pedal review
- “Deceptively simple to use and hugely varied in the tones it’s capable of”: Intellijel Atlantix review
- How to use effects to take your sound design to the next level
- August 23
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- “I thought, ‘I’ve spent so much time overthinking every aspect of my work – what would happen if I didn’t?’”: Devin Townsend wrote new album PowerNerd in just 11 days – and you can watch the video for its heroic title track now
- “The full, rich and complex intensity that was once only possible by employing slick studio tricks”: Mr Black unveils the Double Tracker Stereo and it might just be the tone thickener you need
- “I took up painting again when we were recording at Rockfield, and I didn’t stop”: Pixies share new single Oyster Beds – two minutes of wall-of-sound punk inspired by Black Francis’ painting sessions
- “We certainly achieved the ‘Blah-talkie’ sound, but what surprised us was how versatile this pedal turned out to be”: Alex Lifeson’s Lerxt Amps and Morley team up to bring you vocal and synth-like tones from the Blah Blah wah pedal
- “A solidly built and versatile workhorse for studio and performance use”: Donner Essential D1 Beat Machine review
- Last Alex and Eddie Van Halen track ever to debut on AVH's memoir audiobook
- “We never expected hip-hop to be around forever. The same with house music. You’re just making this music and you enjoy it while it's happening”: Production legend Arthur Baker on the Brooklyn Funk Essentials anniversary and his storied career
- How to master modulation and make your synth sounds move
- August 22
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- "Mine's half a Guinness on a Tuesday. Liam's is ten shots of tequila on a Friday night": Noel Gallagher on how Oasis decided who would sing lead vocals
- "You can hate every piece of music I've ever made and still pick this up and be like, 'That's got some cool features'": Can Fender's new FINNEAS signature models bring new musicians over to the Acoustasonic guitar cause?
- "I still use the same hi-hat and cymbal combination when performing in my acoustic jazz band": Roland designer Atsushi Hoshiai on the origin of the TR-909's sounds
- 14 sound design tips that will make your tracks stand out
- “We're in the middle of all this woke bullshit... there’s a constant flow of information and suddenly nothing makes much sense”: Don McLean on the world in 2024
- “After all these years, I get to see a U2 show”: The Edge in the director’s chair for new U2 concert film
- Paul McCartney joins Chad Smith and Andrew Watt for a surprise knees-up in Long Island, NY
- “If this is not good, please don’t put it on YouTube, because I don’t want to get in trouble with Taylor": Chris Martin and Maggie Rogers pay tribute to Taylor Swift and her fans with Vienna performance of Love Story
- "Apple leaked it so I can say it": Flying Lotus reveals he wrote two iPhone ringtones
- August 21
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- “A very clever performance and sound design synth created for a small footprint and low price”: Oberheim TEO-5 review
- “Superstar Guitars showcases the most famous six-strings in the history of music, in exquisite detail”: Hendrix’s Woodstock Strat, Kurt Cobain’s Mustang, the Exile On Mainstream Burst and more iconic guitars to feature in stunning new book
- “We were told to stop making pop music and sent dance music playlists on Spotify and told ‘your music has to sit on here’”: How Clean Bandit fell out with Atlantic Records
- "What's the secret to making a hit record?": This free plugin promises to measure the commercial appeal of your mix - but does it work?
- “I mean, that is like so illegal in the Foo Fighters but I’ve slipped it in just a little bit without asking!”: Chris Shiflett says Richie Sambora inspired him to take a pink Superstrat on tour with the Foos, and now he’s divebombing in solos
- “I think she is one of the most singular, inspiring, powerful artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting”: Chappell Roan graduates from support act to guest star as Olivia Rodrigo invites her on stage to duet on Hot To Go
- "Professional-quality recordings with minimal effort": Shure's new SM4 microphone aims to simplify home recording
- “I get to make music with one of my best friends in the world”: Taylor Swift brings on collaborator Jack Antonoff and Florence Welch at Wembley
- “It became clear, as the evening unfolded, that there wouldn’t be time for You’ve Got a Friend with cello and voices”: James Taylor apologises to fans after his performance is cut from DNC
- “For players who want more – more pickups, more speed, and more in-your-face Kramer attitude”: Kramer delivers the face-melting shred candy with six refreshed electrics, complete with US-made pickups
- Melodic resonators, tube saturators and distortion-laced reverbs: 5 of the coolest free plugins we discovered this month
- “I got one minute to try something I’ve always wanted to try”: Paramore’s Hayley Williams channels Freddie Mercury at Live Aid with call-and-response vocal routine at Wembley during Taylor Swift Eras Tour show
- “Get the character and the affordability of pre-owned gear, plus Fender’s seal of approval”: Fender is now selling officially certified second-hand guitars and basses on Reverb
- Roland's JUNO-106 plugin captures the sound and spirit that made the original synth a legend
- August 20
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- “A collection designed to offer exceptional quality and player-friendly features at an accessible price”: Sterling By Music Man unveils entry-level Intro Series, offering a Cutlass for $199 and a StingRay for $249
- 6 of the best free plugins for sound design
- “Randy harnessed its raw energy to slam his high-gain amplifier with a torrent of harmonics to create the sonic signature that would etch an indelible mark on music history”: MXR unveils eagerly anticipated Randy Rhoads Distortion+
- “Unleash bone-crushing riffs, searing leads, crystalline cleans, and everything in between”: UAFX’s amp modelling stompbox lineup takes a turn for the brutal with the high-gain Anti 1992
- “He walks in the room like, ‘Don’t put that blunt down’”: What happened when Snoop met Paul McCartney
- “It taught me a lot about discipline and how sometimes even when you're not, like, ‘I'm just dying to sit at the piano,’ it's just important to hone in on your craft”: Olivia Rodrigo reflects on the writing of Guts, her hugely successful second album
- Universal Audio is giving the $199 Century Tube Channel Strip plugin away for free - but not for long
- “Whatever your ability, don’t settle for less than a professional sound”: Blackstar adds a 30-watt combo to its practice amp range as the Debut 30E makes its… debut – and it has onboard tape emulation too
- “He had a rig that was an amp for every string for output" Billy Sheehan discusses bassists’ strange set ups
- “I showed her how to play the song on the guitar. And that was the last time I ever saw Beyonce”: Toby Gad on songwriting for the stars, competing with Dr Luke and being in the dark about Milli Vanilli
- Pianist Jesus Molina had never heard Prince’s 1999, so could he play along to it when given just the vocals and drums?
- "It may have bothered him that people didn’t recognise his guitar virtuosity, which might be why the song devotes so much space to his shredding": A music professor breaks down the theory behind Prince's When Doves Cry
- “Randy, and his original design ideas, will continue to inspire us”: Gibson confirms exit of Mesa/Boogie founder and legendary ‘boutique’ guitar amp designer Randall Smith
- August 19
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- "It’s in 6:8 time, which is a waltz. It’s a long song. And the topic is a bit depressing...”: Billy Joel ponders surprising new interpretations of his much-loved track Piano Man
- Kurt’s Cologne is a Small Clone clone from PastFX that offers three decades of BBD-driven stereo chorus for Nirvana tones and more
- "It was disappointing when I found out - 'oh my God, that's four Splice sample loops on top of each other!": Afrojack on Fred Again.. producing with loops from sample packs
- “I wanted someone to put a chord chart in front of me and it didn’t matter what it is, I could play a solo over it, first go, and make the changes:” Fusion maestro Tom Quayle explains why he tunes his guitar to perfect 4ths
- How to use dynamic EQ in a mix
- “It’s a real honour to actually hold the man’s instruments and spend a few minutes playing them”: Watch Joe Bonamassa play throaty slide blues on Rory Gallagher’s Tele-modded ’59 Esquire and explain what made Gallagher a global guitar icon
- “Sounds better with armour on”: deadmau5 gets suitably suited and booted as he plays Teenage Engineering’s medieval-themed EP-1320 while dressed as a knight
- Aphex Twin DJ'd at a friend's wedding
- “In essence – you are playing a bolt of electricity”: Gamechanger Audio and Third Man Hardware celebrate 5 years of the Jack White co-designed Plasma Coil with limited edition version in white
- “Provides enormous variety and tonal colour, applicable to a diverse set of musical placements”: EastWest Sounds Hollywood Strings 2 review
- August 18
- August 17
- August 16
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- “The perfect magnetic combination to unlock the full tonal potential of your P/J Bass”: Fender releases a Tim Shaw-designed Chrome Cobalt pickups for the P/J configured bass guitar in your life
- The NAMM Show will return in 2025 with an expanded five-day program: "The show continues to evolve based on our members’ needs"
- “Handcrafted to be fully functional, authentically Gibson, and utterly one of a kind”: Leo Scala goes back to the future for the unique Master Artisan range of Theodore Retroliners
- Blink 182 invites fan up on stage to sing First Date - but she sings the words to All The Small Things
- 5 quirks and imperfections of vintage gear that producers ended up loving - and are now recreated in software
- “It was a historic moment for Gojira and for Metal!”: ESP officially welcomes Joe Duplantier to its artist roster after Olympic unveiling of his custom chrome offset
- How a chance encounter in rural Ireland inspired Dave Grohl to form the Foo Fighters: “Even in the most remote area I could possibly find, I can’t outrun this thing... so I thought, ‘I'm gonna go home, and I’m gonna start over’”
- The first ever AI-generated track to hit the charts has landed in Germany, and people aren't happy
- “These new guitars set a new standard in aesthetics and performance”: Ernie Ball Music Man unleashes the Heat Treated humbuckers and +20dB boost on Jason Richardson’s new signature Cutlass
- “It was a culture shock. America at the time was kind of racially divided – while in the UK, there were 5,000 white kids going crazy to my music”: Juan Atkins remembers the early '90s rave scene
- “A unique world of evocative and dramatic voices”: Arturia Augmented Yangtze review
- August 15
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- “The new Dark Walnut finishes let the beauty of the natural wood grain shine through”: Gibson gives its greatest hits a limited edition ‘70s inspired makeover
- “This depleted man transformed from this sort of suffering individual into something really extraordinary... it was as if all the frailty melted away”: Nick Cave recalls meeting his hero Johnny Cash
- UDO's Super 8 analogue polysynth is now available to order
- "I had a remarkable cast of musicians to help me tell this story": Emmylou Harris, Noah Kahan and the Lumineers pay tribute to Springsteen’s Nebraska in new PBS documentary
- “Designed to revolutionise the way musicians experience and interact with classic audio effects”: Gamechanger Audio unveils the Auto Series – reverb, delay and chorus pedals that let your performance automatically sculpt your sound
- “I’m feeling incredibly grateful and lucky”: Bicep's Matt McBriar undergoes surgery to remove brain tumour
- “I get some people don’t like relic guitars, but to talk trash on a really, really good relic job is just ridiculous!”: Zach Myers’ tech Drew Foppe posts pic of Shinedown guitarist’s relic’d John Mayer Silver Sky and internet loses its mind
- Is Charli XCX about to release an official mashup of 360 and Fleetwood Mac's Dreams?
- Play God with presets: Dillon Bastan makes sound design evolutionary with this innovative Max for Live device
- “Supercharged to meet the needs of the world’s most demanding players”: Jackson expands American Series with the Virtuoso HT – a high-performance bolt-on electric with a Hipshot hardtail bridge and Seymour Duncan humbuckers
- “A fairly underwhelming update to what remains a must-try synth”: Korg Opsix MkII review
- August 14
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- "I think that’s what makes the Pistols' album different from The Clash or The Damned – we didn’t just go in and crash, bang, wallop”: Steve Jones breaks down the Sex Pistols' seminal statement
- "It feels he was ahead of his time with a lot of the stuff he was doing": Is the most underrated rock guitarist of all time one of its greatest songwriters?
- What tonewood produces the lightest weight electric guitars? A new survey suggests it's one you may have overlooked
- “You have to keep fast-forwarding, rewinding, pausing and playing to find the right song you want”: Gen Z struggles to get to grips with old-school cassette technology
- SampleRadar: 493 free classic house piano and strings samples
- “I always liked hardware synths that were commercial failures, because they have something unique about them”: 10 things producers can learn from our In The Studio With... series
- “I want to walk through orchard fields and grab apples off of trees at will and fill my belly full of that fruit if the desire strikes me”: Jack White tour to support No Name album will be series of ‘pop-up’ shows
- "There is a real lack of education out there about protecting your hearing and how it’s so easy to damage your ears": Over half of music lovers have experienced tinnitus or temporary hearing loss
- "A rarely heard side of Liam Gallagher": Oasis reveals 1992 demo of Sad Song
- "Relive the reverb of the '90s video game generation": This reverb plugin has painstakingly emulated the sound of classic video games on the SNES, N64 and PlayStation
- "I remember thinking, 'that thing doesn't even have a keyboard, so where are the sounds coming from?'”: Snooker legend Steve Davis on how he ended up going down the modular synth rabbit hole
- “One of the most versatile, feature-laden mics for podcasting”: Shure MV7+ review
- August 13
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- “A primo signal destroyer, featuring an oscillating fuzz that dipped into tremolo territory as well as otherworldly squeals”: Catalinbread’s expanded Antichthon Deluxe might be the chaos unit your 'board has been waiting for
- “Its intent is to completely sidestep the sort of inconvenience of the artistic struggle, going straight to the commodity... We don’t make things any more. We just consume stuff. It’s frightening”: Nick Cave lambasts use of AI in music (again)
- “Each output is isolated, highly efficient, and heavily filtered, guaranteeing ample power with incredibly low noise”: Walrus Audio unveils the Canvas Power HP, offering juice for your amp modeller, multi-effects and pedals alike
- If you're a Logic user, Logic Buddy could be the time-saving file management tool you didn't know you needed
- “Paul’s bass playing is so lyrical and melodic, and it’s just so beautiful... He’s amazing”: Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea thinks McCartney is "the greatest rock bassist"
- “He’s just an incredible guy… So awesome, very spiritual. He helped my brain a lot”: Beabadoobee says that meeting Rick Rubin for the first time was like a therapy session
- “Stolen guitar alert!”: Paul Gilbert has had three Ibanez electrics and a Godin steel-string acoustic stolen in Frankfurt – issues plea for information
- “Used by Peter Green in the studio to record his In The Skies and Little Dreamer albums”: The late British blues icon’s 1965 Fender Duo-Sonic is heading to the auction block – and it sounds immaculate
- “It’s really awesome because you have to focus on the bending, the vibrato, having the right tone, the right attack”: Watch Jared James Nichols teach Eric Clapton’s Sunshine Of Your Love solo
- The Syncussion goes berserk with Aly James' beastly SY-4X drum synth plugin
- “A very powerful, trustworthy 2.1 system”: Dynaudio Core 5 & Core Sub review
- August 12
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- “One of the FLX10’s greatest strengths is its layout and ease of use”: Pioneer DDJ-FLX10 review
- “We have a completed, mastered album, but this might be a little soon.”: Dave Navarro talks unreleased material from NHC featuring Taylor Hawkins and Chris Chaney
- Nine Inch Nails set to follow in the footsteps of Wendy Carlos and Daft Punk as they're confirmed to be providing the soundtrack to the third Tron movie
- Does your acoustic guitar never sound properly in tune? This may solve it once and for all
- "I got the OP-1 when it first came out - I remember thinking, 'this is all I need now'": Richie Culver on the Teenage Engineering OP-1
- "We went directly from the last night of the Definitely Maybe tour to record Morning Glory, and then spent the following 29 years - and counting - trying to live up to both albums”: Noel Gallagher reflects on his early career peaks
- “The piano is my instrument, and I decided that by reversing it, you can see things differently”: Alain Roche on the real star of the Olympics closing ceremony - his ‘vertical floating piano’
- The masked Veleno player and a one-off Custom Strat for H.E.R: Things got interesting with the guitars at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony
- Physical Audio upgrades its Preparation physical modelling synth with extra effects, LFOs and a new modelled object
- Phoenix, Air, Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and H.E.R star in memorable Olympic closing ceremony
- How to sound like The Prodigy: "The organ style intro stab of No Good (Start the Dance) is a ’90s classic, and can be emulated with a detuned saw"
- "I think I need a noise gate": 8-year-old Miles Music Kid shows you how he wrote, recorded and produced his debut single, playing all the instruments himself
- “It sounds amazing and is a joy to ‘play’”: Knobula Echo Cinematic review
- August 11
- August 10
- August 9
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- “I may need a separate amp to cover that just one song”: Joe Satriani says his next challenge on the Best Of All Worlds Tour is nailing Eddie Van Halen’s clean tone so they can play a Sammy Hagar favourite
- “The object is to take your hands to a point where they are never confused by anything you present them”: Watch shred icon Rusty Cooley share his strategy for building up speed – and explain why he likes to avoid obvious note choices
- “Whoa! What?!”: Storage locker treasure hunters discover they’ve bought a huge haul of Kanye West gear, including clothing, AKG C414 mics and a classic ‘90s synth
- With up to 94% off at Plugin Boutique, these are the best plugin deals you’ll see for a while - here’s 5 picks from a mixing fanatic with 20 years in the home recording game
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg all rumoured to be performing in Olympics Closing Ceremony
- “You can really fine-tune a ton of sounds”: Mythos Pedals cooks up a delicious exclusive twofer drive for Carter Vintage Guitars with the Extra Hot full of classic Nashville flavour
- “This collection includes many of our go-to amps used on countless records”: IK Multimedia drops the Hyde Street Amp Locker for Tonex, offering 14 AI-modelled amps from the iconic San Francisco studio
- "It’s so great to look back on that period and see the little live show we did. We made a pretty good noise actually!”: Lost Paul McCartney and Wings documentary is set for September release
- “Say goodbye to awkward placement and bulky tripods, it’s time to reclaim your performance space”: Singer-songwriters, players with large 'boards, D’Addario’s adjustable pedalboard mic stand could be the stage space-saver you are looking for
- Kali Audio has probably just brought out the ideal studio monitor for home studios
- “All of the changes are positive and welcome, and many are an absolute dream”: Steinberg WaveLab Pro 12 review
- August 8
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- “I had no idea it would become such a classic… I just threw in the lyric ‘It was the summer of 69’ and it stuck’”: How Bryan Adams and his co-writer Jim Vallance created one of the greatest pop-rock guitar anthems of all time
- “I plugged it in, cranked it up, and said this is it – this is what I’m looking for. I knew it”: D’Angelico and Bob Weir unveil exquisite TV Jones-loaded semi-hollow signature guitar and it has been well road-tested with Dead & Company
- “When are we going to see you? In 2025 or 2026? The answer is neither”: Noel Gallagher provides blunt response to fan asking about Oasis reunion
- Alesis Strata Prime gets a software update, and it unlocks a key feature that was missing at launch
- “Easily set up your gear’s key info… keep track of your string tuning, string brand and gauge for each guitar”: MusicNomad launches free app for gear nerds to help stay on top of their maintenance regimen and showcase collections online
- “I don’t use presets that much, but this one just felt like, ‘yeah, let’s just throw this one in just to offset everything’, you know?”: Hyperpop producer AG Cook on his favourite plugins and how he used them on recent track Lucifer
- “When people plug into it, whatever guitar they are gonna use through this, it is going to amplify their personality’: Orange and Orianthi team up for the Oriverb – an all-tube 2x12 combo she describes as a “dream come true”
- “With any luck we’ll be able to launch these at NAMM but I can’t promise anything yet”: Rabea Massaad says Sterling By Music Man is developing a more affordable version of his signature EBMM Sabre
- “I can say 100% he’s not faking. He’s playing pretty badly, but he is playing”: Controversy surrounds Corey Feldman’s guitar ‘skills’
- “Designed to authentically produce the much-loved tones of the original Invective 120… the perfect pedal platform”: Nail Periphery tones in a more portable format as Peavey reworks Misha Mansoor’s tube amp as a 20-watt combo
- Reason's Mattias Häggström: "We’re leaning into what our main strengths are: making instruments and effects that are really good and unique, not emulations of something"
- Jess Camilleri on breaking into music production, all-night studio sessions and the Watkins Copicat: "MIA was actually my first engineering session!"
- Spice up your mix with these creative filtering techniques: "Filters are one of the most powerful mixing tools we have"
- August 7
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- "I think it's potentially the European Mecca for heavy progressive rock and metal": As Arctangent festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, it feels more important than ever for musicians and fans alike
- “We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime. And we’ll be back”: Jack Black promises Tenacious D will return
- "I have no technical ability, and I know nothing about music": Solving the mystery of Rick Rubin, the superproducer who says he doesn’t know how to use a mixing desk
- "I love artists who have a rawness to their sound": Kit Grill thinks that "if you over-produce, you can lose the essence of what makes an idea great"
- “If I wanted to have a string sound, I had to change, unload and reload while I was playing, and that led to all kinds of problems”: Queen live keyboard player Spike Edney on ‘80s tech, streamlining his rig and using Freddie Mercury vocal samples
- “It’s just so hideously sexist but it pretends to be a love song, but it’s really, really retrograde”: St Vincent brands John Mayer’s Daughters 'the worst song ever written'
- “Across the course of his troubled and tragically short life, he left behind a back catalogue that is as insightful as it is utterly captivating”: The 5 essential Elliott Smith songs to start with
- August 6
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- Issue 338 of Computer Music is on sale now
- “The culmination of years of experimentation by the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna bassist to find an instrument with superior electric tone”: Epiphone honours long-serving signature artist Jack Casady with fretless bass
- “A lot of the magic happens right around there”: Paul Gilbert had one of his guitars modded to just 20 frets so that he could play more pinch harmonics
- “There was half a bass note that got chopped. That was my fault. Nobody noticed, though. I think I got away with it!”: Alan Parsons on engineering the side 2 medley on The Beatles’ Abbey Road
- "The world's first medieval electronic instrument": Teenage Engineering announces medieval-themed version of the EP-133 K.O. II sampler
- “I’ve long been a fan of Jason’s playing, so it was an honour to work with him on these custom pickups”: Fender and Jason Isbell team up to bring you some Tim Shaw-designed aftermarket candy to sweeten up your Telecaster tone
- “You bring in the full band and it just sort of erupts”: Watch Julian Lage unleash the mother of all electric guitar jazz grooves in the live video of Northern Shuffle
- Tourist leans on a UK garage classic as he plays a piano version of Charli XCX’s 360 for BBC Radio 1
- “This is a huge update to music’s best octave pedal”: EHX unveils the POG3 – now with 6 voices, 100 presets, individual pan controls, MIDI and more, say hello to the ultimate polyphonic octave generator
- Moonilena on hardware vs software and why she loves the "hiss" on her Yamaha TG33: "I like gear with personality. Everything is ‘perfect’ in software, and that can be a bit boring"
- August 5
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- “It makes complex time-based effects a total breeze”: Arturia EFX Motions review
- “I only played the drums on that song”: Foo Fighters cover Tenacious D but Dave Grohl forgets the words
- “To have a collaboration with the legendary Roland 808 on my shoe is an honour”: Roland, New Balance and Tiago Lemos gets their skate on as they announce drum machine-themed sneaker for 808 Day
- Daniel Ek has made more money from Spotify in a year than Taylor Swift has, like, ever
- "Dan's musical talent and positive spirit will be greatly missed": Howard Jones keyboardist and former Behringer video host Dan Clarke dies at 31
- “It’s clear based on feedback that people viewed this service as inappropriate and saw us as profiteering”: Rough Trade bins Flip vinyl selling service after just two days
- How to create an old-school techno lead like Charlotte De Witte
- “Yesterday, we lost a music legend and, more importantly, a beautiful, luminous human being”: Snarky Puppy pay tribute to singer and keyboard player Shaun Martin, who has died aged 45
- "Through the years, we’ve had the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Mika and Amanda Palmer visit and stay": Step inside the "quirky" underground studio set up by Imogen Heap
- August 4
- August 3
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- "Their signature sound comes from a unique concoction of heavy metal, rock, blues and funk elements – all brought together by the alchemical musical alliance of guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford": 5 Aerosmith songs you need to hear
- “This impressive bundle supplies extensive sonic interest”: Kilohearts + Expressive E Phase Plant Expressive Suite review
- August 2
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- "This guitar came out absolutely killer": Luthier creates a unique 3D printed guitar that allows for "impossible geometry"
- “Teeming with classic Van Halen vibe... it provides killer tone and lightning-fast playability”: A Silverburst Frankie? EVH Gear unveils trio of limited edition worn finishes for the Frankenstein Relic Series
- “Steve Vai… I listen and I think, ‘How does he do that? That’s crazy!’”: Jacob Collier says what Steve Vai taught him on guitar was much bigger than technique
- “I am sad and slightly pissed off that he didn't live to see it - he deserved to go in decades ago”: Joe Bonamassa on the Hall Of Fame’s treatment of John Mayall
- This fan-made LEGO version of the classic Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable could become a real product
- “I was like, ‘Why are you making me do that - what are you talking about!?”: Why Billie Eilish’s collaboration with Charli XCX on Guess might not have happened
- "Perhaps the most pleasant surprise about this fashion-forward acoustic guitar is the tone": Yamaha Storia I review
- "Many of the mega hits that have become the soundtrack to our lives are often simpler to play on the guitar than we might think": Learn classic songs including Johnny Cash's version of Hurt with just a few chords
- “Some songs, I’ve probably spent like 600 hours on - you don’t clock out, ever”: It’s not just you who can’t finish tracks… Steve Aoki on his obsessive tendencies
- SampleRadar: 207 free '90s jungle samples
- “The new Ibanez guitar is exceptional, won’t be too expensive… I am pretty excited about it”: Pat Metheny’s new signature jazz box is out now – and the Charlie Christian-inspired pickup is star of the show
- “Rarely to never do I ever walk out here and just click two pedals on and go, ‘Yeah, all right! There’s your tone’”: First-call Nashville pro Derek Wells reveals why presets are no good for sessions – and why you should be tweaking too
- What's new in Reason 13?: "For any ex-users considering a trip on the nostalgia gondola, Reason has become even more worth it"
- "I have spent every day practising with the other three fingers and I think I have it sounding pretty good!": John Mayer injures finger but plays on
- “OK, so, wanna hear a boring story? I have a wireless ear pack...”: Taylor Swift explains the perils of having both wireless in-ear and guitar packs attached to your clothing
- "I have reached a wall which I am struggling to penetrate": PinkPantheress cancels 2024 shows to "focus on physical health and overall wellbeing"
- “A completely integrated monitoring and room correction package”: IK Multimedia iLoud MTM MkII review
- August 1
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- “We have entered one of the most exciting and dynamic moments in the history of creativity”: Roland launches new R&D group “to help design the future of music creation”
- Harley Benton just made its popular Extreme-84, Extreme-76, and Victory guitars available as kits
- "This acoustic is really making a show of its spec next to the $5,000 Gibson equivalent": Epiphone 1942 Banner J-45 review
- “A strong contender for the best beginner’s DJ controller on the market right now”: Pioneer DDJ-FLX4 review
- Microwave reheated? It looks like Waldorf could be bringing back its much-loved 1989 synth
- "I drink and I smoke and I use Auto-Tune": But what's the music theory behind Charli XCX's Brat?
- "The man's mind was on so many different levels – it's amazing": Eddie Kramer breaks down Jimi Hendrix's remarkable approach to guitar layering on the ambitious Night Bird Flying
- "One of the standout signature guitars I’ve played in my time": Gretsch Electromatic John Gourley Broadkaster review
- "It's extremely rare that this happens at any business": Thousands of dollars of drugs found hidden in an amp by shocked Guitar Center employees
- Rap/R&B songwriter Elsy Wameyo: "Bass is my favourite instrument - when I open Ableton, I always run to a bassline first"
- Another delay pedal? But EarthQuaker Devices' Silos takes a best-of approach that has us very interested
- Tame Impala's new synth company gives us a glimpse of its mysterious new instrument - but what is it?
- Don't miss your chance to save hundreds off a Gibson SG Standard plus loads more great savings in Thomann's giant 70th anniversary sale
- Future Music 414: Samples and downloads
- “Trash 2 fans will no doubt find the lack of depth or new ideas disappointing”: iZotope Trash review