Why Drum Tonewood Matters
The shell kit is a drummer’s main weapon when fighting for a spot in the mix and drum tonewood has to be chosen to match a drummer’s mix desire. From punchy, attack-driven shells to low and slow, resonance-based ones, choosing the right drum tonewood is all about your taste. Though many tonewoods have cool aesthetic […]
Something New This Way Comes from EarthQuaker Devices
Just over an hour ago EarthQuaker Devices dropped a quick teaser video for something new to come in just a few days, August 29th. With a laid-back, sultry track from Lisa Bella Donna to match the sexy components dripping in swirling black ink shots, there isn’t a whole lot given away. It feels like Netflix just […]
Connecting a Light to a DMX Controller
Have you ever gone to a concert and been completely floored by the light show? Believe it or not, it was all intentional and run with a DMX controller. Live concert budgets often have a huge chunk reserved for lighting, but you don’t need a major budget to create a great and effective light show. […]
Guitar Amp Wattage: Needs vs Wants
What guitarist doesn’t dream of being up on stage, shredding out hot licks from a monolithic wall of blaring amp stacks? It’s the quintessential, “famous rock star” look. Rarely though do you stop and really think about what that would sound like, and the fact that most of those bands are standing in front of […]
Beat Techniques: Trap 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 main bulk of our posts, we’ve been taking you on a journey to what I’d dub “foundational beats.” These foundational beats […]
10 Music Gear Brand Names You Should Know How to Say
If you’re into making music, you’re probably into talking gear, too. But what’s the proper way to pronounce all those audio gear and musical instrument brand names that you’ve seen so many times? Here at zZounds, we’ve heard them all. Here are 10 commonly mispronounced brand names, and our guide to how to say them […]
1956 Harmony H2 Lap Steel
I bought this vintage Harmony lap steel at a time when I was really diving deep into alternative country music. The guitar is 100% original and according to the potentiometer date codes, they were made on the 13th week of 1956 by Cetralab. Lap steel guitars originated from Hawaii, which is probably why they are […]
Top Tones: EHX Oceans 11 Reverb
Packed with eleven reverb modes, an internal tails switch and powerful hidden parameters, the Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 is a “Swiss army knife” of reverb. We’re putting this pedal through its paces by showcasing its spaciest, shimmering sounds in this Top Tones video. Peep the Fender Player Jaguar we’re using as well — its unique pickup […]
Demo of Roland SYSTEM-500 510 Synth Module
Looking to get outside the world of synth presets and clean, digital sounds? Modular analog synths are a great way to do that, which is one reason they’ve been making such a comeback in recent years. Once relegated to only the most technically minded enthusiasts, modular synths are now available from multiple manufacturers in the […]
