Gear Reviews
MEET YOUR MAKER: Vertex Effects
VERTEX EFFECTS BACKGROUND I got my start building pedalboards in 2009, thanks to Josh Smith (my first major client). Through Josh, I quickly started building for some of the top LA-based guitarists, including Kirk Fletcher, Michael Landau, Robben Ford, Scott...
Yamaha MONTAGE6 61-Key Synthesizer Review
We recently got our hands on a new Yamaha MONTAGE6 61-Key Synthesizer for review -- arguably the most intense, feature-packed synth we've ever had the pleasure to test out. If you’re serious about audio production and synthesis, then no doubt the new MONTAGE6 from...
5 Keys to Avoiding Insurance Claims on Tour
THE TOUR VAN CHECKLIST You’ve got the tour van all loaded up for that string of club dates, or perhaps that awesome summer festival gig your agent scored. Let’s go through the checklist. Instruments and amps? Check. Food and water? Check. Clean clothes? Check. Gas...
How To
Legally Produce Your Hip-Hop Mixtape
Quick Tips for Avoiding Some Serious Trouble IN MARCH 2012, KANYE WEST WAS SUED IN UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT by The Persuaders' Robert Poindexter for $500,000, alleging that a track on Kanye’s mixtape Freshmen Adjustment 2 contained an illegal sample of the song...
Business Models of Pirating Websites Studied by Google in UK
Google and PRS for Music recently commissioned a study from data organization company BAE Systems Detica that discovered commercial purposes behind business models used by copyright infringing websites. PRS for Music, formally known as the Performing Right Society is...
Scissor Sisters Live in Boston!
When: June 30, 2012 Where: House of Blues - Boston, MA I’ve had the fortune of seeing Scissor Sisters twice before this show at House of Blues. Once was way back in 2006 at the Siren Music Festival in Coney...
Buying Guide
MXL DX-2 Review
Performer Magazine Reviews the MXL DX-2 Dual Capsule Variable Dynamic Instrument Microphone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfZf2Q9j84s It’s not uncommon to use multiple microphones on a single guitar amp, and blending the two signals. This approach has a few small...
D&A Gig Strap Review
Does the new D&A Gig Strap actually help guitarists soften the blow to their shoulders and back during long sets? Let's find out... When we met with D&A at NAMM, they handed us one of these new Gig Straps with more enthusiasm than we’d seen at most booths...
Mojave MA-50 Review
Let's see how the Mojave Audio MA-50 Condenser Microphone stacks up against the competition. Mojave is a sister company to Royer Labs, one of the premier high-end microphone manufacturers specializing in ribbon mics. Mojave’s specialty seems to be in condenser mics,...
Industry News
Guest Column: The Importance of Providing Musicians Supportive LGBTQ-Friendly Outlets
[Editor's note - as with all the articles in this month's social justice issue, the following is a first-hand essay from an active member of the indie music community. Their experiences and opinions are their own, and we encourage you to join the discussion in the...
Ask a Publicist: What Are the Top 5 Things Your Bands Have No Idea You Do?
This article originally appeared on Sonicbids.com. It has been re-posted here with permission. As publicists, we do a lot for bands besides pitching and securing interviews, reviews, and media coverage. That's the baseline, and it's anything but basic. That said, the...
The Reality of Being a Black Female Journalist in Today’s Music Industry
[Editor's note - as with all the articles in this month's social justice issue, the following is a first-hand essay. The author's experiences and opinions are her own, and we encourage you to join the discussion in the comments section below or on our social media...