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October 2021
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237 articles
- October 31
- October 30
- October 29
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- 20 years of Ableton Live: a history told by the founders and developers
- How to create sinister guitar tones with your effects pedals
- Zakk Wylde talks about the Black Label Society song that originated during his week of jams with Guns N' Roses in 1994
- SampleRadar: 459 free drum fill samples
- 13 artists on how they use Ableton Live: “Use it as a real instrument... it has infinite possibilities”
- “I don’t know if it would be a dream or a nightmare but I would love to have an original Mellotron” – 8 electronic artists on their dream studio additions
- “Plug it in and it just sounds bigger than anything else” – 10 producers on the studio gear they can’t live without
- Teenage Engineering's computer-1 DIY PC case sells out in minutes
- "I can tell you now: this is it" – no more new Abba music after Voyage album says Benny Andersson
- Will you escape Thomann's Halloween room with a €222 voucher?
- Duane Allman guitar lesson
- Decking out your studio with acoustic treatment has just got a whole lot easier
- Welcome to the Music Technology Showcase 2021!
- 7 artists shaping the future of electronic music
- October 28
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- If it ain't broke... 5 artists making music with old-school technology
- The history of Ableton Live in 10 key updates
- What does the future of computer music making look like?
- 21st century music technology: a gear timeline
- The best new synth plugins of 2021: VST/AU instruments for all occasions
- Vintage music tech icons: A-Z
- Vintage music tech icons: Yamaha DX7
- Vintage music tech icons: Oberheim Matrix 12
- Vintage music tech icons: Akai MPC3000
- Vintage music tech icons: ARP Instruments 2600
- Vintage music tech icons – Roland x0x series
- Vintage music tech icons: Roland Juno-60
- Vintage music tech icons: Eventide H3000 Ultra Harmonizer
- Vintage music tech icons: Roland CompuRhythm CR-78
- Vintage music tech icons: Sequential Circuits Prophet-600
- Vintage music tech icons: Oberheim OB-8
- 10 innovations that wouldn't exist without Ableton Live
- Vintage music tech icons: Moog Minimoog Model D
- Vintage music tech icons: EMS VCS3
- Vintage music tech icons: 1176N Limiter
- The new Electro-Harmonix Intelligent Harmony Machine gives you a twin guitar sound without another guitarist
- Bruce Springsteen on his iconic $180 'Born to Run' Fender Tele/Esquire: "It's been in every club, theater, arena and stadium across America"
- Klon KTRs will be available to buy "in about three weeks" according to founder Bill Finnegan
- Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx took bass, guitar and vocal lessons during lockdown
- "I just stopped playing": Joe Bonamassa on his lockdown blues, new album Time Clocks, and why he doesn't care for TikTok
- Waves’ Halloween FX plugins sale is scarily good - up to 92% off
- Manson Guitar Works' £13,000 and £10,000 Matthew Bellamy DL-0R models sell-out within one hour
- Watch Andrew Huang and Rob Scallon write and record an album from scratch in one day
- 11 productivity hacks to get that track finished
- Slate Digital and Murda Beatz team up for Murda Melodies multi-effects plugin
- Eric Clapton-gifted guitar expected to fetch over £360,000 at auction
- October 27
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- Batavia Collective: "We have stayed away from expensive vintage equipment; it’s common knowledge here in Indonesia that we have poor electrical routing, especially if it’s a dodgy venue"
- Rocksteady Music School launches inclusive exam-free music qualification for UK schoolchildren
- Rig tour: Me And That Man's Adam 'Nergal' Darski shows us his Gretsch guitars
- Play The Weeknd and James Blake producer Frank Dukes' synth collection in a new plugin
- Rhodes MK8 images, video and tech specs revealed: here's what we know so far
- October 26
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- Arturia's V4.0 MicroFreak firmware update adds WaveUser synth engine and 64 new presets
- Paleman: "I was making dubstep all day every day on Reason, inspired by DMZ and Burial. It was a magic time"
- Dune's sound designers reveal how they created the sound of the sandworms
- 10 timeless bass guitar tones and how to recreate them
- Bootsy Collins on James Brown and the state of bass: “He told me one time, ‘Son, y’all the greatest band in the world, but you just can’t play’. Haha! And the bad thing about it was that he was serious!"
- Native Instruments celebrates 25th anniversary with new free instrument and limited-edition hardware
- October 25
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- Ableton releases Extended Sounds Pack curated by Modeselektor
- Boys Noize: "I’m attracted to making extreme decisions and f*cking with people"
- Focusrite's FAST Verb uses AI to dial in reverb fast
- Jerry Cantrell interview: “I’ve always liked a healthy dose of the G&L, Rampage and Gibson Les Paul. That’s the meat in the meatloaf”
- Soundgarden's Matt Cameron "honoured" when Kurt Cobain asked him to change his guitar string
- Jon Hopkins timed his new ambient record to last the length of a ketamine trip
- October 24
- October 23
- October 22
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- Lone: "You could take everything away from me but the laptop and I'm confident I could make interesting music quite happily for the rest of my life"
- Rob Papen updates his classic Predator synth plugin to version 3, but is it still worth hunting down?
- Cory Wong plays Prince’s Cloud guitar at Paisley Park: “It’s really nice but it needed a setup”
- Back to the '80s: how to capture an '80s sound in your home studio
- October 21
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- Spitfire Audio shifts gears with Trinz Colours PST, a new drill sample library
- Behringer takes on the Moog DFAM with the Edge semi-modular percussion synth
- Bill behaviour: Benn Jordan entices ducks with food and gets them to play a free-range jazz beat on his MPC
- Artiphon’s pocket-sized Orba, a synth, looper and MIDI controller, can now be used to create “musical selfies”
- Who are the Greatest Of All Time? We're going on a G.O.A.T hunt...
- Who is the greatest guitarist of all time? Vote now!
- GOAT Hunt: The greatest guitarists 2001-2021 revealed
- Eric Gales takes on Joe Bonamassa in a blues battle for the ages in the video for new single I Want My Crown
- PreSonus’s second-generation R-Series monitors promise more control and improved performance
- Tutara Peak's top 5 creative production tips: "I’m a big fan of PaulStretch"
- IK Multimedia's new iRig Stream interfaces promise easy audio mixing for Instagram, Facebook and Twitch
- Zakk Wylde on stepping up for Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears: "It was like taking all the crayons out of the box, leaving myself just four to play with and seeing what I could draw with that"
- October 20
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- "I’m playing rhythm guitar for my heroes… it’s crazy!" – Zakk Wylde on new Ozzy Osbourne album featuring Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Tony Iommi
- This Telecaster was inspired by a 308-year-old Stradivarius violin
- Nathaniel Rateliff is selling key guitars and amps for charity
- Roland’s free TR-8S and TR-6S editor lets you dive deeper into your drum machine than ever before
- Spectrasonics hasn’t released Omnisphere 3, but it has built some Sonic Extensions
- Wondering what happened to all those fidget spinners? Turns out they’re being used to control NoodleVolt’s Eurorack LFOs
- Roland releases Zentracker, a free multitrack audio recording app for iOS and Android
- Classic album: Seefeel - Succour
- October 19
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- Wolgang Van Halen finding it "fu**ing exhausting" having to justify not playing Van Halen songs
- A-Z of electronic drums: every essential term explained
- Epiphone re-releases B.B. King Lucille signature semi-hollow guitar
- Isanna breaks down Mango, the track she wrote for Rihanna but couldn't bring herself to give away
- Open-source DAW Ardour 7 is getting Ableton Live-style clip launching
- Gibson hails rock 'n' roll with Custom Shop Murphy Lab Chuck Berry ES-355
- Tom Morello defends friendship with Ted Nugent: "I reserve the right to be friends with anybody"
- Muse's Matt Bellamy teases new Manson Guitar Works Delorean replica in Back to the Future-inspired video
- Issue 376 of Future Music is on sale now
- October 18
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- Apple celebrates its contribution to music with a unique track made from 45 years of its own sounds
- Logic Pro 10.7 brings Dolby Atmos to Apple’s DAW: mix your tracks in spatial audio
- Apple unveils the new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips: a music production dream machine?
- Ron Tutt, drummer for Elvis, Roy Orbison, Billy Joel and many more has passed away, aged 83
- Russian Circles have had their guitar, bass and drum gear stolen ahead of dates supporting System Of A Down
- My Daddy Has 100 Synths could be the children’s book you need in your life
- 9 tips to help you get more out of the Korg opsix
- Slate Digital's MetaTune is the game-changing automatic tuner you've been waiting for
- October 15
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- Adele teases Goldfrapp-inspired song on new album, 30: “I can do this music too!”
- 5 live Roland SP-404 jams that will blow your mind
- Nektar announces the Impact LX Mini, its most powerful mini MIDI keyboard yet
- 2021 has been ‘the year of the keyboard’, says Reverb - particularly the Teenage Engineering OP-1
- The beginner's guide to: electronica
- October 14
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- Les Paul’s heavily modded ‘Number One’ Gibson Les Paul Goldtop fetches $930,000 at auction
- It’s back to the 1980s with the latest, very special issue of Computer Music!
- Dolby and MGM Resorts bring Dolby Atmos to live music: “the audience will feel like they are literally on stage with their favourite artist”
- Sam Fender on the Jazzmaster: "It's the multi-purpose machine gun of the Fender guitars"
- Harley Benton expands its Pro Series with a new range of souped-up ’n’ shreddable T-style guitars with dual humbuckers
- Mary Spender has finished writing Adele’s new song Easy On Me based on a few piano chords
- Watch Black Sabbath guitar tech Mike Clement give an in-depth tutorial on how to set your guitar up like Tony Iommi’s
- Kill unwanted noise and dial in “sliced and diced metal rhythm tone” with Revv Amplification’s G8 Noise Gate
- Teenage Engineering undertakes "a scientific study in modular sound," and the results could change everything
- PRS unveils limited edition SE Santana to celebrate 50th anniversary of Abraxas
- Johnny Marr chooses “the greatest lyricist I’ve ever worked with” – and it's not Morrissey
- Mike Rutherford is playing entry-level Squier Bullet Strats on Genesis tour
- Boss doubles down with the RC-600 and RC-505 mkII Loop Station pedals
- iZotope releases RX 9, the audio repair software that promises to keep the noise down
- Eris Drew: "It was cool to like Guns N’ Roses and sh*t like that, but there was I with my Depeche Mode shirt listening to house music mixes on the radio late at night"
- David Guetta wins the DJ Mag Top 100 poll for the second year in a row
- October 13
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- Is it too early for Christmas songs? Not when it's a Paul Gilbert Christmas song!
- Harley Benton reveals its new MiniStomp effects pedals
- Axel Hartmann discusses the “challenging task” of designing the Rhodes MK8 electric piano
- The Succession theme song composer explains its blend of classical piano chords and hip-hop beats
- Apple set to “unleash” the new MacBook Pro (and maybe some new AirPods) next week
- Paul McCartney weighs in again on Beatles Vs Rolling Stones comparisons: "They're a blues cover band"
- Roland’s SP-404MKII creative sampler promises next-level performance beatmaking
- Harley Benton knows some players upgrade its guitars, so it's doing it for them with new SC and DC models
- The Track: Tutara Peak on the making of Shapes Over The Moorlands
- October 12
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- Electro-Harmonix revises a pedalboard classic as the Deluxe Memory Man gets the Nano treatment
- The Latin Percussion Wood Tapa aims to turn your snare drum into a cajon
- Black Rooster Audio goes into psychedelic space with its RO-SPR spring reverb plugin
- Kurt Cobain's Fender Jag-Stang returns: reissue of the Nirvana frontman's cult classic gets its official launch
- 5 great reverb pedals guitar players need to try
- Get your “bom-chicka-wow-wow” funk guitar sound sorted with SolidGoldFX's new Supa Funk Envelope Bi-Filter pedal
- Cableguys brings the Noise with its new Shaper plugin, which includes presets from BT and InsideInfo
- Deon Estus, bassist for Wham! and George Michael, dies aged 65
- Get over 85% off Native Instruments’ entire Soniccouture Premium Collection 2, and save up to 50% on individual virtual instruments
- IK Multimedia’s new T-RackS plugin emulates four classic Tascam tape machines, including the bestselling 1984 PortaStudio
- Blackstar unveils "the world's most advanced valve pedals" with Dept.10
- October 11
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- Waves updates its plugins to V13, adding compatibility with Apple M1 Macs and Windows 11
- Waves goes wild with 30% off plugin bundles, plus buy 1 get 1 free on single plugins
- Suzanne Ciani: "Work intuitively and enjoy the process"
- James Blake on the synths he used on his new album, and why he’s still happy to pay for all his Dave Smith gear
- See this innovative guitar cover of New Order's Blue Monday with a Fender Acoustasonic Jazzmaster
- Eric Clapton is helping to fund anti-vax band Jam For Freedom
- Jameela Jamil defends her production credits on James Blake’s new album, accusing critics of misogyny
- Justin Bieber fooled by deepfake Tom Cruise playing guitar, as he tells the actor that he’s "impressed with his skills"
- October 8
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- How the JBL PRX ONE will transform your next set
- Crazy Tubes Circuits upgrades its Golden Ratio compressor and packs three separate circuits in one pedal
- Toontrack announces Fields of Rock Superior Drummer SDX recorded by Royal Blood producer Tom Dalgety
- Play through Jimi Hendrix’s amps, effects and guitars with Positive Grid’s Authentic Hendrix pack for BIAS FX 2 and Spark
- Nandi Bushell, Roman Morello and Tom Morello join forces for charity single, The Children Will Rise Up
- Could InstaComposer be the MIDI plugin that writes your music for you?
- Google now has a free built-in guitar tuner, so you’ll never be without one
- Tom Morello recorded the guitar parts for his new solo album on his iPhone, and it’s all thanks to Kanye West
- Death By Audio's new Speed Tripper pedal sounds like “listening to the Rolling Stones through a kaleidoscope on acid”
- Fender launches online ‘Beginner’s Hub’, a one-stop shop for new and aspiring players
- Epiphone releases stunning replica of Joe Bonamassa’s ’59 Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘Lazarus’
- UVI’s Falcon synth/sampler plugin flies again, as version 2.5 is launched
- Video game composer Alexey Nechaev: "Many composers tend to believe that melodies are not important in game soundtracks, but I completely disagree"
- October 7
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- Dave Grohl drums along to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit during The Storyteller live event
- Watch over 100 drummers including Ringo Starr, Chad Smith, Steve Gadd and more team up for charity Beatles cover
- Songwriting basics: chord, melody and music theory tricks for DAW users
- Red Hot Chili Peppers announce global tour
- The third wave of Harley Benton Fusion III guitar releases is the best yet
- Here’s why JZ Microphones’ groundbreaking Golden Drop Capsule technology puts it in first place
- Does Martinic’s AX73 plugin make Akai’s ‘80s synth the classic that it could have been?
- Output releases Arcade 2.0: one-stop music creation plugin now lets you play chromatic instruments as well as loops
- 1979 recording featuring original Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea, Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons unearthed by Alain Johannes
- October 6
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- "There are no rules" – Eddie Van Halen: the last guitar mag interview
- Origin Effects has renamed its RevivalTREM pedal
- "People with this don’t usually make it to the hospital alive" – Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner issues update after emergency open heart surgery
- GOAT: Help us choose the greatest 2001-2021 guitarists
- Music Nomad's GOMAD Gear Bag is designed for guitarists
- Peter Frampton's gear sale comes alive
- Snarky Puppy keyboard player Bill Laurance gets his hands on the new Rhodes MK8: “It’s beautiful… a really serious instrument”
- Public Service Broadcasting: "I don’t think we’ve had so much fun in the studio as the day we were just smashing stuff up"
- Adele’s new single, Easy On Me, suggests that she hasn’t made the drum ‘n’ bass album that she promised us
- October 5
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- Universal Audio brings power to the people with affordable Volt USB audio interfaces
- Eventide unveils the TriceraChorus, a modulation powerhouse it calls its “lushest chorus ever”
- Fender teams up with luxury car brand Lexus for a hotrodded Custom Shop Strat designed by Ron Thorn
- Celebrate the past, present and future of music technology
- 15-year-old chiptune composer wins Retro Sounds game soundtrack competition inspired by the BBC Micro home computer
- Guild and the Marley family have collaborated on a Bob Marley signature acoustic guitar
- How to fix a common Bigsby guitar tremolo problem
- A British cult classic electric guitar makes its return as the Rapier 33 is revamped and brought back from the dead
- Mattoverse Electronics unveils the Just A Phase, a compact phaser pedal offering a “pleasing panoply” of sounds
- October 4
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- The Signal State is a new video game that requires you to save the world with your modular synth programming skills
- A guitar pedal that makes fart sounds has smashed its target on Kickstarter
- Blancmange: "I love G-Force plugins, each and every one of them. They are absolutely the dog’s bollocks. Unbelievable"
- Apogee’s DSP-powered Duet 3 USB audio interface is now shipping, and it promises to sound as good as it looks
- Deep-dive Boss Metal Zone sound examples, with settings and… a synth!
- Billie Eilish confirmed for Glastonbury 2022, becoming the youngest headliner in the festival’s history
- Has MXR perfected the mini phaser pedal with the Deep Phase?
- Nirvana Reimagined As House & Techno album highlights Kurt Cobain’s support for the LGBTQ+ community
- Slate Digital's Custom Opto gives you precision control over the classic LA-2A sound
- Paul McCartney gave Dave Grohl’s daughter her first (and only) piano lesson
- Check out the four exclusive new Jackson Concept Series guitars
- October 3
- October 1
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- JBL runs ‘Back to Stage’ competition offering UK musicians chance to play London's Between The Bridges
- Mastodon has just revived the rock bass solo on their new song
- Benson Amps unveils the self-biasing, tone-enhancing Germanium Boost
- On our radar: Unto Others
- Get gets and get paid with GigRealm, an online platform for musicians to promote their music and build connections
- Music Technology Showcase 2021: A-Z
- Peavey updates its digital amplifier lineup with the feature-packed VYPYR X Series
- You can now get a free Orange Dual Terror amp for AmpliTube 5
- IK Multimedia at Music Tech Showcase 21: Take your podcasting and streaming to a new level
- Korg at Music Tech Showcase 2021: Create. Perform. Control.
- Novation at Music Tech Showcase 2021: Circuit Tracks and Circuit Rhythm – Sample. Make beats. Perform
- Softube at Music Tech Showcase 2021: Heart, soul, and rock and roll science
- Pioneer DJ at Music Tech Showcase 2021: Take your performances to the next level
- EastWest Sounds at Music Tech Showcase 2021: the award-winning Hollywood Orchestra Opus Edition
- Focusrite - Scarlett at Music Tech Showcase 2021: 10 years of making music accessible to anyone, anywhere
- Beyerdynamic at Music Technology Showcase 2021: introducing the new PRO X Series
- Strandberg unveils the latest evolution in its Boden models with refreshed spec on NX Concept series
- Free guitar pedal plugin from Nembrini: The Black Distortion
- Slate Digital claims to have beaten Auto-Tune at its own game with the new MetaTune plugin
- Noga Erez: "Going back and playing a song on the piano is the best test to check whether your song is based on production more than you wanted"
- Cherry Audio’s Stardust 201 plugin is a $19 Roland Space Echo emulation that will “never break down”
- Auto-Tune Slice is a new vocal synth/sampler plugin with presets from Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner
- Light up your fretboard – and your guitar instruction – with Fret Zealot, the ultimate learning toolbox
- Is this the Goldilocks humbucker? Bare Knuckle reveals Polymath Adam 'Nolly' Getgood signature pickups