How-To Guides 5
At Home With the Beyerdynamic M 160
Designed and built by German microphone manufacturer Beyerdynamic (that’s pronounced like “buyer-dynamic”), the M 160 is a unique microphone that’s perfect for many difficult recording situations. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the features that make it so suited for harsh sources and the unique challenges of recording in a home […]
Subscription vs. Perpetual License: Smart Buys for DAW Software
Should you buy a subscription or a perpetual license for your DAW software? Some DAW makers give you a choice of either model. Let’s consider the reasons it may be smarter to subscribe, rather than buy your music production software outright. With this information — plus a look at the release history of your DAW […]
32-Bit Float Recording: What It Is and How to Use It
As any recording engineer will tell you, setting proper gain levels has always been key to capturing audio accurately — but 32-bit floating-point recording, commonly known as 32-bit float, is here to make setting levels a thing of the past. 32-bit float as an audio capture format — now widely accessible via affordable gear like […]
Native Instruments Noire: Set the Mood
A good piano is a must-have for any serious recording space. Whether you are a bedroom producer, studio engineer, or classical musician, just about everyone is searching for the perfect piano tone and value. While there is no “one piano to rule them all,” sometimes there are diamonds that really make a mark on the […]
Drum Workshop: The Beginnings of a Great American Brand
Drum Workshop has been an elite, American-made drum and hardware brand for over 50 years. Their artist roster reflects the high-quality approach they take to their kits, and their time in business is a testament to that fact. But before handcrafted DW drum kits began flying off the line, their sole focus was on drum […]
They’ve Gone Mini! Fishman AFX Pedals Are Back and Smaller Than Ever.
The Fishman AFX line was originally founded on preserving acoustic tone while offering a host of effects and utility to the players using them. Even today, they still carry a cult-like following among players looking to build out a pedalboard with limited options in the acoustic space. Now, Fishman is bringing back their line of […]
TASCAM Portacapture X6: TikTok Audio Hack
Any independent musician in this day and age knows how important social media is. Love it or hate it, the apps are the best way to get your name out there and your talent noticed. It is no surprise that TikTok has taken the world by storm with its massive user base, intelligent algorithm, and […]
Fender Tone Master Princeton vs Tube Princeton
When the Fender Tone Master Princeton Reverb was announced, I was pretty intrigued. I’ve played my ’65 Princeton Reverb for a long time now, and it has become one of my favorite guitar amp designs of all time. Nothing on my amp has been modified, so I thought it would be fun to compare the […]
A Full-Stack of Overdriven Marshall Amp Tone in a Pedal?
Marshall’s history of designing guitar pedals dates back to the late 1960s. But in the late ’80s, music was changing, and the need for a dimed-out Marshall distortion tone was higher than ever. Enter the Mark 1 series of Marshall distortion pedals. Within this original lineup, two pedals in particular — the DriveMaster and ShredMaster […]
