Foundational Beats: Punk Drums
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 our previous posts, we took an in-depth look at all the tools available to help you create a beat and we’ve begun […]
A Guide to Studio-Friendly DI Boxes
If you’ve ever played a show at a venue with a legitimate PA system, you or someone in your band has most likely needed to use a direct (DI) box. Direct boxes allow you to split your instrument’s signal, sending a balanced output to the front-of-house mixer, and the unprocessed “thru” signal to your amp. […]
Legends of Tone: Radiohead
Radiohead: a genre-bending, convention-defying archetypal rock band. Just when you think they are done reinventing their sound, they release another album that proves everyone wrong. The band has traveled through many musical avenues over the years, from their earlier grunge and alt-rock beginnings, all the way through art rock, experimental music, electronica, and many others. […]
Two Mods to Make Your Stratocaster Sound Like a Telecaster
Since its release in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster has proved to be a tried-and-true instrument. Loved by many for its tone and versatility, it featured a number of innovations that separated it from other guitars of the era, including a three-pickup system which was controllable with a 5-way blade switch. While the new middle pickup gave […]
Gibson Ceases Development of Cakewalk Products
Earlier this week, Gibson Brands released a statement announcing that they are ceasing production and development of Cakewalk products. From the press release: “Gibson Brands announced today that it is ceasing active development and production of Cakewalk branded products. The decision was made to better align with the company’s acquisition strategy that is heavily focused […]
Justin Meldal-Johnsen: A zZounds Exclusive Interview
As a master tonesmith both on stage and in the studio, Justin Meldal-Johnsen has worked with a number of acclaimed artists, showcasing his refined sense of sound in a variety of ways. From the hard electronic sound of Nine Inch Nails and the mellow grooves of Beck, to producing pop-punkers Paramore, JMJ’s versatility and vision […]
Why Don’t Guitar Manufacturers Make More Left-Handed Models?
When I was 12 I decided that playing guitar was rad, and I wanted to do it. My parents weren’t too excited to get me something I could make endless amounts of noise with, but eventually they caved and my dad drove me down to the local music store. I grabbed a guitar off the […]
Rockers with a Cause: the Dayna Clay Project
“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being…When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups…” — John Coltrane When it comes to coping with feelings, many people turn […]
Bob Dylan’s “Concert for Bangladesh” Guitar Up for Auction
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Bob Dylan fan and you have an extra half a mil laying around, we’ve got something you might want to check out. A vintage ’63 Martin D-28 acoustic that once belonged to the freewheelin’ Robert Zimmerman is being auctioned off. The guitar was most famously used at the concert George Harrison […]
