PinkPantheress on her lightbulb MIDI keyboard moment, and her whirlwind music production journey
"It's sampling, but in terms of what I was doing, I was being quite low-lift with it,” she says of her early music-making efforts
Artists
PinkPantheress on her lightbulb MIDI keyboard moment, and her whirlwind music production journey
"It's sampling, but in terms of what I was doing, I was being quite low-lift with it,” she says of her early music-making efforts
Thomann launch Montreux Jazz Festival competition with hour long slot plus €3,000 performance fee up for grabs
Applicants can be different genres that ‘make up the festival’s varied palette’
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
What is Superbooth 2026?: Everything you need to know about the Berlin music tech show
Europe's most exciting synth showcase is upon us. When is it, what new gear is getting announced and how do you get tickets?
London High Court throws out Hendrix royalties lawsuit from estates of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell
Relatives argued they were owed streaming revenue
6 little-known synth bands from the 1980s that deserve your attention
Forget your OMDs, your Depeche Modes, Human Leagues, Pet Shop Boys and A-has, because these not-so-popular bleep combos are well worth tracking down instead
“One of the few times Axl and I ever went out in public was to see Nirvana in Hollywood”: Slash on the alternative rock revolution
“I was never a big Pearl Jam fan, but Soundgarden was great”
Music Tech
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
“No menus to dive through. No modes to get stuck in. Just play, loop, and explore your musical ideas”: Auxy unveils Svensson, a minimalist keyboard built for instant music-making
The debut hardware instrument from the makers of Auxy Studio, Svensson 49's sounds were designed by YouTuber and musician Cuckoo
What is Superbooth 2026?: Everything you need to know about the Berlin music tech show
Europe's most exciting synth showcase is upon us. When is it, what new gear is getting announced and how do you get tickets?
Neural DSP unveils the Darkglass Ultimate plugin – a fully featured digital platform for studio-quality bass tone
Darkglass Ultimate expands upon the Ultra dual-preamp plugin with effects, cabs, full signal chain control and more – and it's a free update for Darkglass Ultra users
Expressive E launches Osmose CE, a MIDI controller version of its MPE-equipped synth
Osmose CE ships with a free companion plugin that gives users access to a library of expressive sounds from third-party developers pre-mapped to the Osmose keybed
iZotope upgrades RX with a film-focused stem separation module and improved machine learning
RX 12 also promises an improved workflow and a smoother interface
Seven weird synthesis types that died on the vine
These are the synthesis types that didn’t make it into the big time, from Vector to Vocal and so many unique points in-between
We speak to Moog Music President Joe Richardson who exclusively reveals what's coming up
With the Muse and Messenger signalling that Moog is still in rude health following its acquisition by InMusic, we catch up with its president to learn more about life behind the scenes at the world’s biggest synth brand
The ultimate soft synth showdown: Serum 2, Pigments, Phase Plant, Vital and Massive X: But which is best?
We put five of today's most powerful, flexible and versatile synth plugins to the test to find out who comes out on top
10 extraordinary synths that are almost certainly out of your price range
If money were no object, what new synthesizers could you buy? We draw up our wish list of current big-bucks contenders
Guitars
Neural DSP unveils the Darkglass Ultimate plugin – a fully featured digital platform for studio-quality bass tone
Darkglass Ultimate expands upon the Ultra dual-preamp plugin with effects, cabs, full signal chain control and more – and it's a free update for Darkglass Ultra users
“It certainly appears a lot more expensive than it actually is”: Harley Benton Fusion IV HH FR review
The return of Harley Benton's Fusion series brings boutique spec at bedroom prices
Harley Benton drops a sub-$250 baritone that proves you can do low tunings at low prices – and stay fashionably offset
Once upon a time a baritone offset was exclusive, a super-niche instrument that'd cost you, but the entry level JA-Baritone HH BK changes all that
Sadler Vaden on when he and Jason Isbell jammed Little Wing with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready
Vaden and Isbell were playing the Paramount in Jimi Hendrix's hometown Seattle when they invited another local legend onstage to join them. A top-tier performance ensues
"For blues players and fingerstyle enthusiasts especially, it’s hard to imagine a better-suited companion": Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret review
Gibson harkens back to its past with a 12-fret version of an acoustic classic
Fender releases the Brian Fallon ’59 Telecaster Custom, a high-end replica of the guitar that built the Gaslight Anthem sound
The Brian Fallon '59 Telecaster Custom has Righteous Sound “Fourth Man” pickups, Dual Stack wiring, a Journeyman Relic finish and an eye-watering price tag
With less than 24 hours left to go in Guitar Center's massive Guitar-A-Thon sale, this is your last chance to grab up to 30% discounts across the board - including $700 off a beautiful Gibson Les Paul
Here are 11 of the best deals still available in the Guitar-A-Thon, with the sale set to end on April 29th
![Oliver Ackermann [left] playing on a red-lit stage and Richard Fortus playing his White Falcon live with Guns N' Roses](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CcjY3C3kpgNSN94DKEHuGX-840-80.jpg.webp)
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? I’m a professional guitar gear reviewer and these are my highest-rated lessons platforms
My expert pick of the best online guitar courses will supercharge your playing wherever you are, and whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
Latest Tuition
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"Record everything all the time – and keep it all": 8 pro techno producers explain how they create their tracks
We delve into our In The Studio archive to compile the techno secrets behind releases on esteemed labels including Drumcode, Cocoon, Dekmantel, Second State and more
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
How to pan like a pro and spread your mix across the stereo image
We help you broaden your mixing horizons with some useful tips for panning perfection
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Adding small or even large amounts of saturation doesn’t have to be bad for you, as we explore how to singe your sonics
How to conjure the spirit of early techno and trigger your own retro zaps in software
How a sound design approach originally deployed for television effects became an electronic music staple - and how to make it yourself
How to replicate the trailblazing pulse of I Feel Love
I Feel Love’s innovative electronic rhythm section set the stage for pretty much everything that followed, and here’s how you can recreate its bewitching energy in your DAW
Improve the impact of your basslines by quickly learning the basics of bass compression
Creating the perfect foundation for your track begins just the right amount of compression for your bass - here’s how to not overdo it!
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
The former One Direction star’s latest effort is a far cry from his previous output
How close listening to Chic can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
If you want to add more punch to your production, start at the foundation of your track, with the kick and bass
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process
37 heavyweight bass production tips
More than three dozen priceless nuggets of bass recording and production wisdom
Latest Reviews
“It certainly appears a lot more expensive than it actually is”: Harley Benton Fusion IV HH FR review
The return of Harley Benton's Fusion series brings boutique spec at bedroom prices
"For blues players and fingerstyle enthusiasts especially, it’s hard to imagine a better-suited companion": Gibson L-00 Century 12-Fret review
Gibson harkens back to its past with a 12-fret version of an acoustic classic
“An undeniable classic, for the modern age”: Rhodes MK8 review
The new Rhodes electric piano is no longer a vintage curio from the '70s and '80s. We play the new MK8, with all of its FX and MIDI finery
“An excellent addition to the 64 Audio product line, bringing their excellent build quality and design to a more affordable price point”: 64 Audio Aspire series review
There’s an enticing new offering from in-ear leaders 64 Audio and we have three of the models on the test bench
“The ability to save multiple scenes for content creation, podcasting, and other creative endeavours makes it a very powerful interface indeed”: Yamaha URX44V review
Yamaha’s newest interface offers a high-tech hub for the multi-hyphenate creator
"Danelectro’s finishing falls noticeably short of what the market now expects at this level": Danelectro Dan O. Cool 12 String
Plenty of Dano charm in the tone department, it's just a pity about the build
“It’s easy to use, packs a tiny footprint and looks to counter two of the biggest drawbacks of going sans cable”: Blackstar AirWire i58 review
The affordable British brand enters the wireless market with an anti-intereference trick up its sleeve
“Easily one of the most inspirational and accessible Elektrons we've used”: Elektron Tonverk review
With a depth and flexibility you'll want to abuse…
