The 10 Top Brands of Musikmesse 2014 - Best of Musikmesse 2014
LearningAfter a big NAMM, you would've expected a quieter Musikmesse. Notwithstanding, Europe's largest audio trade show had a couple of nice surprises in store.
Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Review - NextGen Virtual Drums
Written testInnovation awardEight years after releasing the first EZdrummer, Toontrack introduces version 2, which gently revolutionizes the virtual drum market. Far from trying to grow in terms of gigabytes, EZdrummer bets on …
Mastering at Home - Part 1 - An Introduction to Mastering Audio
LearningIf you're fortunate enough to be able to afford professional mastering with a dedicated engineer in a well-designed and equipped mastering studio, that's clearly the route to the best quality results…
Minimize Drum Bleed in Your Home Studio - Reduce or Eliminate Leakage When Tracking Drums and Other Instruments Together
LearningSo, you’ve got a band, you’ve got some recording gear, and you’re ready to start cutting your album in your home studio. If you’re recording with a drummer and you want to do a “live” basic-tracking …
KRK Rokit 8 G3 Review - The Return of the Yellow Cones
Written testRokit speakers ─ the entry-level product range of Californian manufacturer KRK ─ have found their way into numerous home studios for many years. But until the recent release of the third-generation o…
Universal Audio Apollo Twin Review - Twin Sound
Written test"It would be ideal if UAD offered a less expensive Apollo with only two mic preamps," we wrote in our review of the first Apollo almost two years ago, and also, "Given the choice of transparent-sound…
Panning Strategies - Advice For Placing Elements in the Stereo Soundscape
LearningPanning seems like a simple enough task. You turn the panning knobs to the positions you want your tracks to be situated in the stereo image and you’re done, right? Well there’s more to it…
Korg Kross Review - Entry-Level Redefined
Written testTwo years after Kronos, Korg keeps on developing its workstation range ─ this time with its most affordable model yet.
iZotope BreakTweaker Review - Tweaking the Breaks
Written testThe partnership between artist BT and iZotope has resulted in a new plug-in, the BreakTweaker. Is it just another drum machine or a more advanced tool than it seems?
Phase – The Solutions - Everything about Phase Problems - Part 3
LearningAfter having seen the theory and the cases where you could have phase issues, in this final installment we will see different ways to identify eventual problems. And we will also go through the vario…
Helpful Advice for Before, During, and After the Show - 10 Tips for Successful Gigging
LearningAs a musician, you've probably experienced the near-euphoric feeling of playing a gig in which everything is going right: you’re playing well, the crowd is into it, and the sound is good. Conversely,…
Yamaha F370 Review - Folk in Tune
Written testWe took this new, inexpensive dreadnaught from Yamaha for a test drive. Here's what we found.
Comparing Both Types of Pedal Setups - Pros and Cons of Pedalboards vs Multi Effects Pedals
LearningUnless you're one of those guitarists or bassists who flat-out refuses to consider digital effects, it’s worth comparing the merits of multi-effects pedals with traditional pedalboard setups, before …
TC Electronic BG250-210 Bass Combo Review - Please Turn on Your Cell Phones!
Written testYesterday I downloaded the free version of a mobile application that makes cats fly!
Phase — Practical Cases - Everything about Phase Problems - Part 2
LearningAfter a simplified — but not simplistic — approach to the theoretical aspects of phase in our last article, today we will see in which cases you may find yourself having to deal with phase problems.
Palmer Automat Review - Distautowah
Written testOn the occasion of our recently published Palmer Mutterstolz distortion pedal review, your favorite website decided to revisit some of the German brand's Root Effects, and here we review Automat, an …
Doubling Made Easy - What is a fat guitar sound and how do I reproduce it?
LearningOne of the most powerful ways to make a track sound bigger and more impactful is by doubling it. The quintessential example of this is the doubled rhythm guitar part, which can really fatten the soun…
Audio-Technica AT5040 Review - AT a Premium
Written testSince its introduction, Audio-Technica's new high-end mic has provided plenty to talk about.
Tech 21 VT Bass DI Review - A New Bass Pedal in Town
Written testBest Value awardThe VT Bass DI offers vintage tone and lots of handy features. How does it compare to Tech 21's other VT Bass products?
Gadgets for Guitar Players - 10 Cool Accessories for Every Guitarist
LearningGuitarists are well-known for their countless effects pedals, exotic strings and other not-always-indispensable thingamajigs. So, here's a list of 10 useful and/or eccentric toys that you can buy wit…
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Review - The Return of the Same Thing
Written testFollowing up on the success of the original Ditto, which had only two controls, TC strikes again with the X2, featuring more than twice that. Can it give the final blow to its competitors in the not-…
Waves J37 Tape Review - A Wave of Saturation
Written testAs you probably have already noticed, tape saturation is really hip right now. Although already having plug-ins in the same genre, a leading publisher like Waves couldn't simply ignore the current fr…
Improve Your Microphone IQ - Understanding the Differences Between Mic Types Will Improve Your Mix
LearningIf you're not sure of the difference between condenser mics, ribbon mics, and dynamic mics, or what a polar pattern is, here’s a quick overview that will get you up and running when it comes to micro…
Understanding Phase - Everything about Phase Problems - Part 1
LearningIf you are into audio, you have surely heard about phase many times — whether in reference to mixing or recording live in the studio — and usually in a negative way.
Palmer Mutterstolz Review - Make Your Mamma Proud
Written testBack in the day when fluorescent colors were in fashion, amps resembled fridges, all the songs on the radio had a guitar solo after the second chorus, and the Berlin Wall was still standing (Bingo!, …
