Legends of Tone: Heart
In our next installment of Legends of Tone, we’re showcasing a band that certainly deserves this special title based upon their influence on hard rock. That band is none other than Heart, a genre-defying group that reshaped what the general landscape of rock was or could be. They are considered the very first female-fronted hard […]
Behind the Design: Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan (the company) has been producing top-tier pickups since 1976, but Seymour Duncan (the man) got his start in the late ’60s wiring pickups for the likes of Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, and working with Seth Lover (the inventor of the humbucker) as a mentor. Seymour Duncan guitar and bass pickups […]
Yamaha Teases New Synth Announcement
If you’re a synthophile, there’s been a lot to be excited about lately. Just this past weekend, Knobcon’s seventh annual event took place, and the zZounds Blog was there — check out the photos! Roland is set to debut new synth and drum products Thursday per its “Music Connects” site. And now, hot on its heels, […]
Knobcon 2018 Recap and Gallery
One wouldn’t expect the great city of Schaumburg, Illinois (home of an IKEA and in the vicinity of some of the Midwest’s best Japanese food) to be the destination city for legions of synthesizer fans and makers. Yet, here, in its seventh iteration, Knobcon (founded by massive synth head Mr. Suit & Tie Guy) is […]
Talking Shop: Essential Gear
Take a moment to think about the most important piece of gear in your rig or studio. Maybe it’s your most powerful, most capable, or most expensive piece of gear. But what happens when the strap comes off your vintage guitar and all its sweet, inherent mojo falls from your shoulder to make contact with […]
Cymbal Anatomy Part 1: Hammering
Those small divots in your cymbals have a larger impact on tone than you might think. Hand hammered, machine hammered, what’s the difference and why should it matter? You’ve read it before, in the ambiguous, adjective-filled world of cymbal descriptions: hand hammered. What do they mean? How does this affect my cymbals’ sound? We’ll explore […]
TD-17KVXS Kit Demo
In this exclusive video, Roland’s own James Petercsak offers a full rundown of the TD-17KVXS kit and its key features. The included Roland TD-17 sound module boasts a sound engine inherited from the flagship TD-50 module — unlocking pro-quality, expressive sounds that can faithfully reproduce the playability of an acoustic kit. The TD-17 also has […]
EarthQuaker Devices Releases Aqueduct Vibrato
EarthQuaker Devices’ newest pedal, the Aqueduct Vibrato, is a pitch-shifting enigma that just emerged from the watery depths, sending the High Council of Tone into a frenzy. Are its intentions good or evil? Are its eight modes of vibrato meant to bring peace to the Planet Ohio, or to destroy it from within and defile […]
How to Mix Voiceover Audio
Voiceover artists are often solely associated with cartoons, commercials or audiobooks by most average consumers. But in today’s content-driven world, voiceover or VO has become incredibly important for things like live streaming, general branding and broad marketing. If you’re creating content with voiceover, whether you do the read yourself, or you bring a professional VO […]
