Gear Reviews
REVIEW: Indio by Monoprice 66SB DLX Plus Guitar
At first glance the Indio by Monoprice 66SB DLX (what a mouthful) looks like classic Kalamazoo, with the gold top, P90’s and inlays, but the modern headstock and sharp cutaway add a contemporary twist. It’s not far from its Michigan roots, with a mahogany back and...
Mackie Acquires Babelson Audio Plug-Ins
Mackie, a leader in high-quality, easy-to-use, and innovative professional audio designs, has announced the acquisition of Babelson Audio’s catalog of highly acclaimed processing plug-ins. With an innovative range of products including vintage tube EQ and saturation,...
Focusrite Vocaster Two USB-C Podcasting Audio Interface REVIEW
Podcasting started out pretty simply: a computer and a microphone. Then the ability to have someone call in, like a radio show, and the hardware and software needed for more (and better) microphones meant more gear that in many cases were overkill for most...
How To
Why You Should Be Thinking About Insurance RIGHT NOW
“In these uncertain times…” Friends, I’m sure you’re growing as tired of hearing that phrase as I am. And yet, here we are. Uncertain times indeed. Had you told us a year ago that touring and live performances as we knew them would come to an immediate halt, and that...
Audio-Technica and Discogs Announce Partnership in Support of Record Stores
Audio-Technica and online record marketplace Discogs today announce a partnership in support of record stores around the world. Audio-Technica will be supporting Discogs on their Homespun series – which sees record stores from all over the world sharing their favorite...
Shure Works With Musicians To Start #FoundSoundChallenge
Shure Works With Musicians To Start #FoundSoundChallenge While Supporting MusiCares Foundation While people adhere to stay-at-home guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are looking at new ways to maintain creativity. Shure, a global leader in audio equipment,...
Buying Guide
Top Six YouTube Pedal Channels
THOSE PEDAL SHOWS Smash That Like Button: These Are Our Fave YouTube Pedal Shows Ah yes, the tube of you. We’ve all embraced the YouTube culture in which we now find ourselves living in, and in so doing have come to find a sea of endless YouTubers hawking gear in our...
REVIEW: Positive Grid Riff Guitar Audio Interface
Positive Grid’s new RIFF is tiny, even by today’s standards, with plenty of functionality that’s portable with excellent sound quality across the board. We dig it, and so should you – read on… The anodized aluminum case is smaller than a standard iPhone, with a 1/4”...
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...
Industry News
The August/September Issue Is Out Now!
Performer Magazine releases its latest issue, featuring a cover story on GA-20. INSIDE you'll find our feature interview with the blues-roots band GA-20 as well as features on Jenn Bostic, Baxter Hall, The Beths and much, much more. Read the issue in print, find it at...
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...