Gear Reviews
The Ultimate Guitar Pedal Buyer’s Guide
OK, pedal newb, listen up! Making music should be fun! So don’t let any jaded a-holes talk down to you, and especially don’t let anyone call you ‘newb’ – even us. It’s rude and gatekeeping in music is stupid and childish. Anyway, let’s talk PEDALS! Let’s say you are...
HOW TO USE CHORUS, COMPRESSOR & REVERB PEDALS — THE RIGHT WAY!
The chorus pedal was an eighties staple, and although it’s not as common today, it’s still a valuable addition to any guitarists’ arsenal. It’s designed as a replication of the sound of two guitarists playing the same piece – there are inevitably minor differences in...
BUYER’S GUIDE: The Best Synthesizers Under $1000
1. BEST OVERALL SYNTH UNDER $1000: The Moog Sub Phatty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22M6_2xG-ms WHY WE LOVE THE MOOG SUB PHATTY Well, to be blunt, we think the Moog Sub Phatty is the best damn synth you can buy for under a thousand bucks. How’s that? Hands down,...
How To
How Musicians Can Maintain Nutritional Health on Tour
Nutrition impacts performance, creativity, productivity and mental health. The belief that artists must suffer to create is outdated and can be quite harmful to many. While art can be an outlet for pain and a way to cope with one’s struggles, great work too can come...
Are Music NFTs Dead?
To a casual observer, all of the news stories about crypto and NFTs recently would lead you to think that the entire space is dead. The naysayers of crypto and blockchain are already doing their victory laps and tossing about their “I told you so’s”. The true...
How To Be Like Dylan And Avoid The Subterranean Homesick Blues
No, not that Dylan,...but nevertheless, a cautionary tale Americans who aren’t scientists appear to believe that they can decide for themselves whether the world is experiencing climate change (you know who you are). But, regardless of degree, there’s no argument that...
Buying Guide
WATCH: The Positive Grid Spark Live is the Ultimate Rehearsal Room PA/Amp for Your Band
https://youtu.be/klI69syvLq0 We recently sent the new Positive Grid SPARK LIVE to Boston-based indie pop band Air Traffic Controller to test out in their rehearsal studio. To show just how easy it is to get set up and rocking right away, we gave them no prior...
WATCH: How to Record KILLER Vocals with the new Telefunken TF17 FET condenser microphone
https://youtu.be/wYVmcUZvMQY?si=Gf698iUc66A7uGjz We recently sent the brand-new Telefunken TF17 into the studio with Amanda Ayala to show off just what a powerhouse this new condenser is. Sit back as she unboxes, sets things up and tracks vocal parts for her new...
WATCH NOW: Get Amazing On-The-Go Sound with new All-in-One Mackie ShowBox
Learn how to get better live sound in a small, affordable and portable PA/acoustic amp package. The new Mackie ShowBox is an awesome battery-powered PA and acoustic amp with a few tricks up its sleeve. We enlisted the help of singer/songwriter Travis Shallow to walk...
Industry News
REVIEW: Audeze MM500 Studio Monitor Headphones
Previously, our only experience with planar magnetic headphones was an older review we conducted using Audeze’s own LCD-XC headphones, which featured super stylish carbon fiber earcups and some of the best sound reproduction we’ve ever experienced in the studio. Now...
REVIEW: Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen Audio Interface
Intro and Use Cases We recently got sent one of the new Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen Audio Interfaces to install and check out, and this one’s a doozy – coming it as the flagship model in the range, the 18i20 boasts 18 inputs, 20 outputs, rackmount options and a whole...
Stream Performer’s ‘Class of 2024’ Mixtape NOW
It's that time of year, time for Performer's annual end-of-year mixtape celebration! As always, we thought, “What if we showed off the gear we were digging this year in the best way possible, by making some new music with all of it?” So, we enlisted the help of a...