zZounds Mark Knopfler Instagram Giveaway
Since the disbanding of his the genre-defying group Dire Straits in 1995, Mark Knopfler has had a prolific solo career accompanied by countless collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins, Elton John and more. In celebration of the release of his new record, “Down The Road Wherever,” we’ve teamed up with his iconic […]
Restoring a Thrift Store Snare Drum
If you’re someone who pinches every penny like me, or just someone who wants to wear other people’s used clothes, the thrift store is a great place to frequent when you’re in the buying mood. But short of an old church organ too big for your sub-compact car, there aren’t ever that many musical instruments […]
Does a Guitar’s Finish Affect its Tone?
The first time I heard anything about Fender applying finish to their guitars was in a lesson with my first guitar teacher. Upon showing him my first Midnight Blue Telecaster, he responded with stories of men in hazmat suits, who might as well have stepped off the set of E.T., bulk-spraying dozens of guitars. Attached […]
Gibson Releases 40th Anniversary The Paul
You may know Les Paul, but this is THE Paul! Gibson recently announced this 40th Anniversary limited edition “The Paul” model, and if you weren’t around in 1978, here’s a little history. Gibson developed The Paul to be a lower-priced option that provided the same Les Paul tone as the Standard, but with a few […]
Studio Solutions Collection: DAW Production Techniques
Audio production has come a long way since the advent of the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Whether you’re just starting to mix and master your own tracks in your DAW at home, or you’re a more experienced producer, check out this collection of zZounds Blog posts and pick up a new technique to try on […]
Savory Softube Plug-ins
We all have our own obsessions. Some musicians drool over the newest boutique guitar pedals. Another musician that works at zZounds may dream about a tweed couch that matches all of his vintage Fender tweed amps. I, on the other hand, obsess over my new favorite plug-ins. I recently purchased a bundle of Softube plug-ins, […]
Cymbal Anatomy Part 3: Thickness
So far, we’ve discussed attributes that affect your cymbals’ overall tone, namely its hammering and lathing. Here we’ll discuss one of the most important features that affects a cymbal’s aural envelope: thickness. The thickness of your cymbal shapes everything from strike feel to its attack, decay, sustain, and release (terms familiar to synthesists that might […]
Beat Techniques: Binaural Production
Welcome to Beat Connection, a series dedicated to promoting modern and vintage dance styles the only way we know how…by providing you a musical starting point to help you create that beat. In the majority of our recent posts, we’ve been taking you on a journey to what I’d dub “foundational beats.” These foundational beats […]
Top 10: Spookiest Gear
The weather is growing colder, the leaves are turning and falling off the trees, you’re noticing your old t-shirts from college don’t fit, probably because you ordered too many buffalo wings while watching the game. its autumn and that means Halloween is upon us. Sure, you could deck out your house with fake cobwebs, rubber […]
