[Feature Article] The Top Overdrive Pedals for Electric… - The Best Overdrive Pedals for Electric Guitar
The overdrive pedal is one of the most timeless and classic effects for electric guitar, and finding the overdrive of your dreams can be a lifelong endeavor. They have become a true cult object and m…
[Feature Article] The Top Electric Guitar Tuners - The Best Electric Guitar Tuners
Is there anything more annoying than a guitar that won't stay in tune? Most guitar lovers will say no. While there are several factors to consider, the quality of the tuning machines plays a crucial …
[Feature Article] The Role of Cadence and Characteristi… - Harmony Basics - Part 18
It's not uncommon for a composer/songwriter to feel the need to leave the original key of the song he's writing and go explore some other ones. There are many reasons for that: to change the mood (i.…
[Feature Article] Let's Get Small - Mini-effects pedals make configuring your pedalboard a whole new ballgame
One of the great things about pedalboards is that they give you the freedom to choose the effects you want for your rig. There is one caveat: Your pedalboard is a finite size, and you can only add ef…
[Feature Article] The Enemy of the Good is Volume - How to keep excessive stage levels from ruining your band’s sound
Many factors can negatively impact your band’s sound, from lack of rehearsal to bad acoustics to feedback to malfunctioning gear to burnt-out sound engineers. But perhaps the most consistent impedime…
[Feature Article] Breaking the rules is standard proced… - If It Sounds Good, Do It!
Prince, Tom Petty, System of a Down, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sevendust are just some of the artists on producer and engineer Sylvia Massy’s discography. The 30-year studio veteran has never b…
[Feature Article] Producer Andrew Wade shares his mixin… - Studio Tips from The Big Boss
Andrew Wade (aka “The Big Boss”) knows a little something about guitar recording. Wade is a producer/engineer/songwriter who has focused heavily on the pop-punk/Emo genres and has produced music (inc…
[Feature Article] Modulate It! - Harmony Basics - Part 17
In the previous articles... Yes, I know I often begin my articles this way but it's simply because I like things to make sense chronologically.
[Feature Article] Drive it Home - The Operating Principles of Loudspeakers - Part 3
To finish with this overview of the most widely used type of speaker, we'll discuss electrodynamic cone models. To improve the performance in the high frequencies, the cone is usually replaced with a…
[Feature Article] The Last Note - Recording a clean ending is not as simple as it may seem
When recording an ensemble or just overdubbing one instrument, there's one part of the song that gets very little attention: right after the very last chord or note has been struck. Especially if the…