Nick started playing guitar in 2004 and stepped in as a drummer for his band shortly thereafter. Nick honed his performance and production skills with his projects released on labels like Deathwish Inc., Flesh & Bone, Save Your Generation, and more. At zZounds, Nick handles all Bass, Drums, and Effects Pedals marketing, and he’s a huge fan of Fender Telecasters, fuzz pedals, his Marshall JTM 45, and DW Drums. Other loves are Formula 1, house cats, and Michigan history facts.
How to Make Your MIDI Drums Sound Human
Programming drums in a DAW MIDI channel is a convenient and easy way to plot out the skeleton of a composition you intend to record without busting out the big, loud drums. With the amount of drum plug-ins and modules available today, you can have pretty realistic-sounding drums on your track in a matter of […]
Seamoon is Bringing Back The Funk Machine
The good people at Seamoon want to know, “Where has the funk gone?” They came up with a solution by building the Seamoon Funk Machine pedal — a booty-shaking, rump bumping good time in a stompbox built like a tank! Resurrected by all-star session bassist Neil Jason, the original Funk Machine was used on countless […]
The Triangle: Earth’s First Big Muff
Arguably the most famous distortion pedal of all time is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. With its nearly endless sustain, amazing textures, and its ability to take your solos to the next level, the Big Muff has gained fame by appearing on some of the biggest records of all time. But where did this world-changing […]
EarthQuaker Devices Casts Afterneath into the Third Age
Cast forth directly from the palms of powerful tone sorcerer Jamie Stillman comes the third age of Afterneath! The EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath was a darling of NAMM 2020 with a third pedal version being announced, along with a potent Eurorack module. Stillman recounts crafting the rack module and stumbling upon a rather interesting feature, “Drag.” […]
EarthQuaker Devices Release the Life V2 Pedal
The massively popular and hard to-get-your-hands-on EarthQuaker Devices Life pedal is getting a version 2! The EarthQuaker Devices Life V2 Pedal boasts a more traditional EQD enclosure, but packs all the magnitude and amplitude of the original design. The Life pedal was originally designed in collaboration with the band Sunn O))). Known for their huge […]
Fender is Making Waves with Their Latest Pedals
Fender is making huge waves with their expanding line of premium stompbox effects. Each pedal is housed in an ultra-durable, anodized aluminum chassis and are all designed in-house by Fender engineers creating totally original Fender circuits. Each pedal features an incredibly clean design, complete with LED-illuminated knobs for ease of use on stage. The zZounds […]
Strike Pro SE: Alesis Brings Out the Big Drums
The biggest difference between acoustic and electronic drums is often the feel — sometimes even more so than the actual sound. Alesis has redefined what an electronic kit can feel like with their Strike Pro Special Edition. A 20-inch bass drum rounds out the realistic look and feel of this powerful electronic drum kit. Up […]
Wampler Tackles Digital Effects with the Terraform
Brian Wampler started his legendary career by modding pedals, and has always been a self-described “gear nut.” Not wanting to make something “boring” (his words) Brian decided to combine 11 custom-designed modulation effects into a single stompbox unit. He’s thrown Wampler into the digital realm with the Wampler Terraform multi-modulation pedal. The eleven custom-designed modulation […]
The Art of Cast Cymbal Making
The modern cymbal brings life, complexity or even darkness to a composition like nothing else. From the fast and fiery splash cymbal, to booming and ominous oversized ride cymbals, each has unique characteristics and sound. But some of the best and most prestigious-sounding cymbals from brands like Zildjian and Sabian are built the same way […]
