Gear Reviews
MY FAVORITE SYNTH with Umphrey’s McGee
I play keyboards for progressive improv rock band Umphrey’s McGee. My arsenal includes a Roland V Piano, MiniMoog Voyager, Hammond B3, Sequential Prophet 6, Fender Rhodes and Mellotron M4000d. I’m based in Los Angeles and hail from Chicago. MAKE & MODEL: 2005...
MY FAVORITE SYNTH with Ghost Love
Montreal three-piece Ghost Love is led by David Rancourt. The band delivers a soundscape of enigmatic moods and upbeat drum machine grooves influenced heavily by 80s synth-pop . The push and pull between pop and experimental is an overarching theme on Ghost Love’s...
Demystifying Analog Synthesis & Signal Flow
In an era where creative or commercial success is possible without the need for physical hardware beyond a computer running the right application, one could be forgiven for believing there is no longer a need for seemingly antiquated analog technology in music...
How To
How to Read the Fine Print and Get a Fair Advance Deal
Knowledge in Advance With all the legitimate criticism of record deals we’ve heard in recent years, advances have gotten a bad rap. They aren’t the kiss of death for an artist; when done right, they can benefit your career. “Advance” shouldn’t be a dirty word, though...
“I Know What Love Is” musical collaboration to support MusiCares
https://youtu.be/42pBPL4JAWI Wanted to make sure our audience had a chance to see this, in case they missed it, from our friends over at Taylor Guitars: "Like countless businesses across the globe, the music industry has been acutely impacted by COVID-19–throttling...
How to Maximize Your Digital Mechanical Royalties Through The MLC
As an independent artist, you are probably all too familiar with the issues that have long clouded and complicated the process of getting the digital audio mechanical royalties that you are owed for the use of your songs. It’s also likely that you’ve heard about The...
Buying Guide
REVIEW: Donner DMK-25 PRO MIDI Controller
The Donner DMK-25 PRO MIDI Controller comes in an attractive blacked-out finish, and a two-octave keyboard that’ll get any budding producer started, whether it’s adding bass lines, melodies, drum samples or chord changes to their tracks. It’s all USB powered, so you...
REVIEW: Donner B1 Bass Synthesizer
Donner sent us one of their new B1 Bass Synthesizers to check out and do some video work with (check out a killer track that Kyle Andrews made for us on below), and we were super impressed with this small format, yet ultra-cool, bass synth. View this post on...
WATCH: How to Obtain Insurance For Your Live Performances
Our friends at K&K Insurance know how to make shopping for insurance less intimidating for musicians and live performers of all kinds. If you're hitting the road this summer, or are getting booked for live events that require its entertainers to carry liability...
Industry News
REVIEW: Zildjian ALCHEM-E Perfect Tune Over Ear Headphones
Full disclosure: we have been privileged over the past few months to be one of a select group of behind-the-scenes beta testers for a new line of over-the-ear headphones from Zildjian, designed from the ground up for casual music listening, critical audiophile usage,...
Audio-Technica launches ltd-edition ATH-M50xLAB and ATH-M50xBT2LAB headphones
Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, announces the winning limited edition color design of the wildly popular fan-favorite ATH-M50x and ATH-M50xBT2 headphones. The winning design was chosen by fans. After more than a...
VIDEO SERIES: The AM&S Home Studio Makeover with Alisa Amador
We recently hooked up with the amazing singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Alisa Amador, hot on the heels of her new album Multitudes, to overhaul her home studio with some killer new gear from the good folks and brands at American Music & Sound (AM&S)....