Gear Reviews
REVIEW: Sterling By Music Man Sabre Electric Guitar
Typically, when a manufacturer offers up a lower-priced import instrument, it’s been streamlined for costs; components are often inexpensive, electronics are simpler, and design features found in higher end models are skipped over. Ernie Ball Music Man took their...
Review: Taylor 514ce Urban Red Ironbark Acoustic Guitar
Taylor’s been pushing the expectations and limits of Acoustic guitars for decades now; just when you’d assume there’s a plateau, they go further into new territory. Their 514CE in Urban Red Ironbark is a perfect example of design, materials and execution that makes...
How to Set Up a USB Audio Interface with First to Eleven and Focusrite
We recently hooked up the band First to Eleven with a brand-new Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 USB Audio Interface so they can record their tracks, livestreams and live performances with ease. Watch all four episodes as we go from unboxing, to DAW setup, to capturing...
How To
Thai Orchestra Relieves Pressures of COVID-19 Lockdown with Musical Horror Film
Thailand has thus far been lucky in avoiding the level of COVID fatalities that other countries have seen. But this has been achieved by imposing curfews, lockdowns and travel bans.The economic impact has been catastrophic, particularly in a country which depends on...
How to Play the Streaming Game in 2021
A little inside info for my music makers. I often get asked, “What exactly do I have to do to become successful by releasing music this year?” I get it, everyone wants THE answer, they want it to be simple and doable. Unfortunately, the way the music streaming system...
What’s Really Behind the Music Catalog Buying Frenzy?
All of the music industry is wondering why these classic catalog artists (Dylan, Paul Simon, et al.) are selling for 18x-25x multiples. Well, there is no one answer. One is taxes. Another is streamlining the estate process for wills and inheritance. In some cases,...
Buying Guide
REVIEW: Palmer PWT08 Powerbar
Pedalboard power supplies are often overlooked, but it’s an area that can not only mess with your pedalboard, but with your pedals themselves. Palmer’s PWT08 has plenty of clean and safe power on tap, so consider adding one to power your board today. There are eight...
REVIEW: Revv Shawn Tubbs Tilt Overdrive Pedal
In case you didn’t know, Shawn Tubbs is a highly regarded session player, and one thing session folks know is tone. The Tilt Overdrive is a collaboration with Shawn and Revv, and has a few tricks up its sleeve. It’s a medium gain drive pedal with a boost; the drive...
Solid State Logic (SSL) Guitarstrip Modeling Plug-in REVIEW
Guitarists who dive into recording are often overwhelmed; things get much more nuanced in every way, and finding the right combination and application of effects, EQ and dynamics can be difficult. SSL has taken a lot of the guesswork out of navigating multiple...
Industry News
The Myth of Fanbase Building
There is a disturbing trend I am seeing on YouTube and TikTok where the majority of music marketing gurus are telling indie artists to “stop chasing streams” and focus on building a dedicated fanbase. They say that tripping the algorithm for Discover Weekly or...
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...