Gear Reviews
REVIEW: Vidami Blue Video Looper Pedal
So many performance devices are pedalboard based, but studio devices still require the disruption of taking your hands off of an instrument to work a keyboard or mouse. Vidami has freed up player’s hands with their Blue video looper pedal. This Bluetooth device works...
REVIEW: Manhattan Prestige Session One Bass Guitar
When a player starts a company, they’re drawing on years of practical experiences. Neil Jason is a session bassist with some serious cred, and he started Manhattan Prestige Basses to share what he learned with other players. His Session One bass is a perfect blend of...
REVIEW: Jamstik Studio MIDI Guitar
MIDI and guitar sometimes don’t mix well; Jamstik figured out how to make an electric guitar with a modern aesthetic, along with full MIDI functionality that can open up new sonic doors to six stringers, without a lot of hassle. Enter the Jamstik Studio MIDI Guitar....
How To
Emma McGann on Maintaining Artistic Momentum During the Pandemic
Originally, I planned to be on an April 20th plane to Seattle to start the ‘Duality Tour,’ the biggest tour of my career to date - 21 dates across North America. No easy challenge for an artist with no label support. While planning the tour, I came up with a new...
Amazing Radio and The Return of CMJ?
An Interview with CEO Andy Zicklin In a world where we are encouraged to pick the music we listen to or follow a playlist, some have forgotten the joy of true discovery. I’m not talking about algos that match your birth date with your prom date and the last three...
Music Will Survive COVID-19
Everyone I talk to in the music industry these days is truly uncertain about the near-term future of music. Oh, you’ll find some who are optimistic about venues reopening “safely,” just as you will find some that say live music won’t return until next spring. You can...
Buying Guide
The Difference Between TRUE BYPASS and BUFFERED BYPASS
It’s impossible to shop around for effects pedals without noticing claims of “true bypass” coming from a wide range of manufacturers. Like many things in the guitar effects world, there is some disagreement about the benefits of true bypass, with some players...
Practical Tips and Tricks for Stacking Gain and Overdrive Pedals
In the guitar world, especially when it comes to tone, everyone has an opinion on what’s “right.” However, between the blurred lines of audio science and the endless chatter of gear forums finding what’s best tonally for yourself can be a challenge. With seemingly...
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FUZZ, OVERDRIVE AND DISTORTION PEDALS?
They all do the same basic thing – add harmonics and clip the audio signal. However, the sounds that they produce, and the amounts of distortion can be quite different. OVERDRIVE GUITAR PEDALS An overdrive guitar pedal produces enough gain to push your amp into its...
Industry News
Session Player Royalties: Making Harmony out of Discord
On June 29, 2022, a declaration was filed in federal district court in New York confirming that $45 million had been paid to nearly 60,000 session musicians and background singers as part of a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit had been brought by six Texas session...
5 Rules for Modern Songwriters to Get Noticed
Secure More Licensing Opps Anyone in the music business will tell you that teaching songwriting is a difficult—if not impossible—task. There are some who do it well. For instance, Judy Stakee at Berklee is excellent. Whenever I am asked to teach songwriting, it...
Get Schooled at the ASCAP Experience
Learn new skills & career-boosting tips from the pros Just wanted to share some exciting news from our friends at the ASCAP Experience: "Shake off the lazy days of summer and kick back into gear with ASCAP Experience! We’ve got tons of sessions to help you set...