So, you’re a DJ. One inexpensive, small piece of gear that often ends up playing a critical role in a DJ’s set is the slipmat, which sits between the turntable and record. Slipmats come in a variety of designs and help with controlled mixing, cutting, and scratching during performance. In this guide, we look at…
Maybe you’re looking to fulfill guitar shipments. Or perhaps you’re about to travel and need to know how much your guitar weighs. Whatever the case, an acoustic guitar’s weight can vary based on its size, shape, and design. And that can certainly affect your plans, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. In this guide,…
Looking for an acoustic guitar amp? They can sure come in handy, whether you’re practicing, jamming, performing, or even recording. Although there aren’t a ton of options to choose from, they are all a little different, and it’s worth knowing about these differences before you commit to a purchase. In this guide, we’ll look at…
It’s never been easier to find free, quality DAWs. Just five to 10 years ago, your choices were a little limited. There were some decent options, but only a couple that ever stood out. Today, there are at least a dozen quality options, with a few coming close to premium DAWs with advanced features costing…
Bassists don’t always get to branch out with their sound. Typically, in a band situation, they are asked to hold down the beat and basic structure of the song. But branching out can be worthwhile. There are a lot of great effects out there, and you can broaden your tonal palette and even add some…
Different types of strings are made for acoustic and electric guitars. But that raises a question. Can you use electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar? What about the other way around? The answer to this question isn’t as straightforward as you might think, and it might even surprise you. Here’s what you need to…
When you think “musician” there’s probably a certain image that immediately comes to mind. But the truth of the matter is that there are many types of musicians. And some musicians even belong to multiple categories. There are many types of careers one can pursue in music, and the industry keeps splitting up responsibilities to…
If you’re shopping for a baritone ukulele specifically, it’s probably because you know what you’re looking for. A baritone ukulele usually measures 30” in length and features a slightly lower tuning compared to a soprano, concert, or tenor ukulele (it’s also bigger). People who love ukuleles generally end up with multiple models. In this guide,…
So, you’re interested in learning the bass. But you’re not interested in buying a big bass. You want something a little easier to hold and play. Or maybe you’re looking for a bass that’s more portable, and easier to carry around. It could even be that you’re looking for a gift for a friend. Whatever…
Japanese guitar brands are more common than you might think. It’s entirely possible you have a Japanese manufactured guitar sitting at home in your collection already. And once upon a time, Japanese made Stratocasters far exceeded the quality of American Starts. Fender was relatively quick to put an end to that. So, we know that…
The guitar can be a lot of fun to play. But the instrument requires some ongoing maintenance, such as when you break a string. When you break a string, the only thing you can do is replace it. You can take your axe to a professional, or you can replace the string yourself, but either…
As with any industry or niche, music production comes with a lot of proprietary jargon. Terms like “track” and “fader” might be basic and easy to understand, but then you have things like “NLE” and “VST,” which might cause some confusion. What is a VST plugin? In this guide, we look at what VST stands…
So, what part of your tenor saxophone affects your instrument’s tone? The right answer is every part. And, of course, it depends a lot on the person playing the sax too. But in this guide, we’re talking tenor saxophone ligatures. The ligature can affect your instrument’s performance, tone, as well as its overall “tightness” (how…
Looking to pick up an alto saxophone reed? With so many choices on the market, how do you even choose? And does the quality of the reed make that much of a difference? What strength of reed do I need, what cut, and how many? In this guide, we answer all these questions and more….
So, you’re looking to incorporate the sound of a choir in your production. Only problem? You don’t have access to a choir. You could sit in your studio all day multi-tracking your vocals (and maybe get a few friends in there). But that can be a long, laborious process. Well, if ultra-realism isn’t too much…