COVID-19 Relief Options for Music Industry Workers
If you’re a musician, music educator, sound engineer, live event staff, or anyone who owns a small business or earns income as a self-employed worker, the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been particularly painful. We at zZounds wanted to help share information about the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Stimulus (CARES) […]
Exclusive Video: Martin SC-13E
With the recently released SC-13E, Martin proves that they can push technological boundaries while maintaining a rich legacy. Constructed with a solid Sitka spruce top and attractive koa back and sides, the SC-13E fuses the genuine Martin acoustic sound with modern playability and features — expanding what you thought you could do on a traditional […]
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.” […]
Talking Shop: Show Us Your Boards
A guitarist’s pedalboard layout and signal chain says a lot about them. Do they prefer a small board with just the essentials, or go for a massive one capable of producing any sound known to man? To complement our Pedal Board Buying Guide at zZounds, we thought to ask zZounds staffers to share pictures of […]
Chameleon Labs 7721 Stereo VCA Compressor Demo
In our demo video, we review the features of the Chameleon Labs 7721 VCA compressor, then put it through its paces on drum submixes and stereo mixes. Grab your headphones (or turn up your studio monitor speakers) and hear how the 7721 adds punch, loudness, and acoustic “glue” — resulting in tracks that sound tighter, […]
All-Star Electric Guitars in Action
To complement our All-Star Electric Guitars guide on zZounds, we’re showcasing these top-rated guitars in action! Scroll down to see happy owners flex their chops on Instagram, and get an idea of what makes these guitars so popular! Shop the All-Star Gear Guide >> Gibson SG Standard ’61 Let’s see…@ampturco plays a Gibson SG, plugged […]
Gibson Exclusive Firebird I Demo
In the early 1960s, a well-known car designer by the name of Ray Dietrich retired to Kalamazoo, Michigan. He had done some styling work in the auto industry for manufacturers like Packard and Lincoln as well as designing some custom luxury vehicles. Soon after he had moved to Kalamazoo, Ted McCarty, then president of Gibson, […]
Enhance Your Guitar Tone with Preamp Overdrive
Getting the tone that’s in your head sometimes involves more than just twirling the knobs on your amp. Learn how to utilize hardware or software preamps, and you’ll open up a rainbow of tonal possibilities for your tracks. Join me as I attempt to augment a standard rhythm guitar tone with a software preamp model […]
Using Pitch Riding to Improve Your Mixing
In our era of master tempo and the “sync” button, mixing can become very stagnant and boring. These features easily become crutches and they aren’t always correct. You may find yourself in a situation where you need to know how to manually beat-match and, most importantly, mix songs unassisted. So while computers and CDJs/media players […]
