Gear Reviews
IK Multimedia’s UNO Synth now shipping
IK Multimedia's first hardware synthesizer, UNO Synth, is now available. Designed for everyone interested in rich, true analog sound, this monophonic synth offers a wide sound palette and easy programmability in an ultra-portable, battery-powered format for on-the-go...
REVIEW: Graph Tech Ratio Tuners
Locking tuners seem like a no brainer when it comes to any guitar with a tremolo; ease of re-stringing and positive hold on strings prevents any slippage that results in being out of tune. Graph Tech took the concept of locking tuners to the next level, with their new...
DrumCore 4 Ultra Review
Performer reviews DrumCore 4 Ultra from Sonoma Wire Works. Is this the killer app for songwriters? Find out below. For an artist who wants a good drum sound but doesn’t have all of the acoustic drum resources, the choices used to be very limited. Sonoma Wire Works...
How To
How To Leverage Free Music Sites to Increase Fan Engagement
Free music online can either spread like wildfire or sink like a stone. It largely depends on the work put into promotional efforts. Many bands post their album for free and think “I’m done! Our album is free and available, and who wouldn't want a free album?” Well,...
4 Simple (But Effective) Tips For Selling Your Music to TV, Movies & Commercials
Most musicians don’t exactly dream of hitting the big time by being background music, however any time a film or TV studio, production company or someone else wants to use your composition, they need to pay you for the synchronization license. This practice of Sync...
3 Creative Ways to Make More Money Gigging
Gigging and touring is the bread and butter for indie musicians today. Playing local gigs on the weekend with a few regional or national tours can provide enough income to get by, but there’s a lot more to gigging than performing and ticket sales. The fan...
Buying Guide
Mackie Thump15BST Review
The newly redesigned Thump Series from Mackie is an excellent solution to just about any band or DJ’s PA needs. We got our hands on a pair of the Thump15BST speakers, which were pretty impressive – both in terms of clean volume and features. Let’s get sound quality...
Mackie MR624 Monitors Review
We’ve tested out a number of Mackie studio monitors in the past, and for our money, they make some of the best affordable speakers you can get for a budget-conscious home studio build. Shortly before NAMM, we got our hands on some of the new MR Series monitors, namely...
VIDEO: A Closer Look at the Bose S1 Pro PA System
We recently got a hands-on look at the Bose S1 Pro at Winter NAMM, and were pretty impressed with the build quality, feature set, and smart controls it afforded to working musicians. So, we enlisted the help of filmmaker and musician MikelParis (touring keyboardist...
Industry News
The March Issue Is Out Now!
Performer Magazine releases its March 2017 issue, featuring a cover story on Lady Lamb. INSIDE you'll find tips for setting up PA speakers, 5 things they don't tell you about pressing vinyl, and tips on turning lyrics into revenue. Read the issue in print, find it at...
3 Tips For DIY Recording, Touring and Band Promotion
Before anything, take time to deeply connect to the foundational reasons as to why you do what you do as a DIY band. Determine what it is about your music that’s most important to you. That understanding will help you sustain focus on meaningful goals and remain...
Lake Street Dive Live at NEC
Celebrating their 150th Anniversary, the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA held a special concert featuring alums Lake Street Dive along with several student ensembles. “Having an orchestra, and big band, great faculty, arrangers and conductors – that...