Exploring the link between spirituality and synthesizers
Why has the synth has become a key navigational aid for those seeking deeper truths?
Artists
“My mind’s the most cosmic place I could ever visit. All I have to do is zone out and play the guitar, and before you know it, I’ve visited places unheard of”: Remembering Brent Hinds, the maverick who trampled metal guitar underfoot with Mastodon
Unorthodox, virtuosic, wild in all the right ways, wholly unique, Brent Hinds was the guitar hero the 21st-century metal needed
“Without Chuck Berry there wouldn't have been The Beatles or Stones”: Gene Simmons' eulogy for a rock ’n’ roll legend
Plus: the shocking stories Simmons heard from his former partner Diana Ross
11 live mistakes every drummer makes
Avoid these common pitfalls and your gigs will go a lot more smoothly
When sampling ruled the world - and drummers didn’t get paid!
Believe it or not, there was a time when drummers weren't paid properly for their samples, in fact they weren't paid at all!
“I never liked film music very much”: World famous film composer makes startling admission
He says it was “just a job”
“The way she delivered it was more important than the subject matter”: How The Cranberries created the mega hit Zombie
"That song just seemed to hit a nerve and click"
Music Tech
Exploring the link between spirituality and synthesizers
Why has the synth has become a key navigational aid for those seeking deeper truths?
“An excellent build and pretty formidable soundset make it a desirable studio-based keyboard”: Arturia AstroLab 88 review
Arturia brings us a galactic-sized update to the AstroLab series, with a full 88 notes, more sounds and extended functionality
“I'll never be able to sing perfectly in tune. But I don't want to": Meet the real artists that are victims of AI fake tracks
Grifters are apparently targeting folk and Americana artists
“I never liked film music very much”: World famous film composer makes startling admission
He says it was “just a job”
MusicRadar deals of the week: Here are the best Labor Day sales for musicians from across the internet
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Fender, Roland, Yamaha, Epiphone, and more
“Well designed, feature rich and reasonably priced interface expander or standalone line level USB interface”: SSL Alpha 8 review
If you need to make use of your interface ADAT connections this flexible unit could be just what you need
“Any musician should be able to find a brilliant new colour to add to a developing mix”: EastWest Lo-Fi review
Aimed at those looking to rough up their software-constructed songs, Lo-Fi is a vivid playground of blended effects that will twist your sounds deliciously
"I look forward to hearing everyone’s interpretation - don’t hold back”: Remix Madonna's Ray of Light and win $12,000 of music gear
Beatport's Global Remix Challenge invites producers to put a spin on the title track of Madonna's Grammy-winning 1998 album
“C’mon bro... It could generate $2M for teen cancer”: Zak Starkey pleads with Axl Rose to give the go-ahead for charity cover of Bolan classic
Axl sang on an all-star version of Children Of The Revolution
"He made so many of those songs better with just one little nudge”: Daron Malakian on Rick Rubin
He’s the ultimate sounding board, guitarist argues
Guitars
“My mind’s the most cosmic place I could ever visit. All I have to do is zone out and play the guitar, and before you know it, I’ve visited places unheard of”: Remembering Brent Hinds, the maverick who trampled metal guitar underfoot with Mastodon
Unorthodox, virtuosic, wild in all the right ways, wholly unique, Brent Hinds was the guitar hero the 21st-century metal needed
MusicRadar deals of the week: Here are the best Labor Day sales for musicians from across the internet
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Fender, Roland, Yamaha, Epiphone, and more
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Get more for your money with my pick of the best value electric guitars below $500/£500
A compact series stompbox you can turn into any one of 16 classic Boss effects? Meet the Plugout FX
The PX-1 Plugout FX is a pedalboard chameleon with 8 preset slots for loading models of Boss’ most-loved effects, with 16 in total to choose from
Don Felder on why he had to mod his white Gibson doubleneck to play the Eagles’ biggest hit – and how he got the idea from Chet Atkins
What do you do when a standard doubleneck is just not enough?
Jack White’s Third Man teams up with Black Mountain for the Roto-Echo, a delay controllable by foot
This delay packs a PT2399 chip under the hood and roller wheel for adjusting parameters as you play
“Dumb idea to give a guitar away that meant so much to you”: John Fogerty explains why he let go of his iconic guitar
Fogerty admits the return of his Acme Rickenbacker used on many of Creedence Clearwater Revival's greatest tracks gave his Legacy rerecordings an authenticity – but why did he let it go?
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
With over 84,000 lessons at your disposal, this is one of the best value guitar tuition subscriptions online right now
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
Uneven frets are a common issue with our guitars, but MusicNomad has come up with different ways to empower players to deal with it themselves
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
Learn the guitar style of the most expressive and accomplished playing The Beatle would ever commit to tape
How to play guitar like David Gilmour: Bluesy diads, slides, quarter-tone blues curls and more
Tackle the expressive phrasing and minor pentatonic tricks of one of rock's finest guitarists, David Gilmour
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
We take a look at two different products that can help you get your frets gleaming and your guitar back to its best for smoother bends and clearer vibrato
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
How learning and understanding chord symbols can prove a major benefit for sharing your musical ideas
Chord hieroglyphics can take several forms. We unravel the mysteries of one of the most symbolic and common examples
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
Latest Tuition
How to think like a human drummer when building software beats
Ditch the repetitive loops and unlock more dynamic rhythms
10 tips for recording perfect drums
Essential information for anyone who wants to capture a kit
“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
We explore the theory behind beats, and how we score kicks, snares, hats and percussion
10 common electronic drum set issues and how to troubleshoot them
Don’t let annoying gremlins spoil your playing. From no sound to too much noise, most problems can be solved with some simple settings or affordable upgrades - here’s how
The easy guide to recording drums: kit tips, mic placement and setting up your DAW
Inject some feel into your tracks by recording a real human drummer (no jokes, please) playing actual drums!
How to make virtual acoustic drum performances sound like the real thing
If you find that your MIDI recreations of acoustic drum parts are sounding a little robotic, we've got some tips and tricks to bring them to life, along with some great suggestions for acoustic drum plugin suites.
Where to start with a drum kit
Before you start your drumming journey, let’s take a tour of the instrument it’s all about…
6 ways to bring your tracks to life with Ableton Live’s revamped Auto Filter
Let’s explore some sound design tricks and tips using the highlight of Live 12.2 update
How to get famous sounds and effects using only Logic’s stock plugins
If you’ve got Logic, you’re already more than capable of recreating Skrillex’s manipulated reverb, Billie Eilish’s formant shifting and much more…
How to emulate a classic analogue recording system entirely with plugins
It’s entirely likely that you could recreate many legacy analogue set-ups with just a few chained plugins. Here, we’ll show you how to get started
How to use reverb to build impressive-sounding filters, reverses, risers and pads
Create your own reverb effects with our step-by-step tutorial
“Learning how to mix is almost as important as hitting on your original musical idea”: New to the mixing process? Start here
Don't let a brilliant song be swallowed up in a bad mix by following our guide to the central principles of the process
How to master virtually any software synth
Don't let your software arsenal overwhelm you - sometimes the best route to creative success is to mine just one instrument
How to record virtual and live instruments more smoothly by taking stock of your sample buffer
Latency on your plugins and audio recordings can derail a developing musical idea - but if you get a handle on managing your sample buffer you’ll have a much smoother ride
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: The Wave Warden Odin 2
Hybrid synths offer a wealth of synthesis options and this one is absolutely free. What are you waiting for?
Don't know where to start with virtual instruments? We're here to help
Because there's never been a better, easier, more affordable time to make great music on your computer
8 things you can do with Ableton Live's updated Auto Filter device
Given a major overhaul in Live 12.2, Auto Filter features a variety of creative filter types, new modulation options and real-time visualization
The ultimate compression cheat sheet – go-to settings to help you make better music
Confused about where to start with compressors and dynamics effects? We'll guide you through the essential features and settings
Latest reviews
“An excellent build and pretty formidable soundset make it a desirable studio-based keyboard”: Arturia AstroLab 88 review
Arturia brings us a galactic-sized update to the AstroLab series, with a full 88 notes, more sounds and extended functionality
“Well designed, feature rich and reasonably priced interface expander or standalone line level USB interface”: SSL Alpha 8 review
If you need to make use of your interface ADAT connections this flexible unit could be just what you need
“Any musician should be able to find a brilliant new colour to add to a developing mix”: EastWest Lo-Fi review
Aimed at those looking to rough up their software-constructed songs, Lo-Fi is a vivid playground of blended effects that will twist your sounds deliciously
“A versatile set with dry and dark tonal qualities”: Zultan 25 Series Cymbals review
Zultan delivers another extremely versatile cymbal range for a wallet-friendly price
"They may be the spiritual successor to Sony’s Scheps-approved mixing cans, but they tread their own path": Sony MDR-M1 review
Sony’s new studio cans nod to the legendary MDR-7506, swapping forensic mids for balance you can wear all day
“New look, features and MIDI out – this is a big update we truly rate”: Novation Launch Control XL 3 review
Novation’s Launch Control XL Mk 3 features a revamped design, more control and improved connectivity
“A quality, backpack-friendly controller that's under £50”: Arturia MicroLab Mk3 review
Sometimes only the most compact controller will suffice. We check out this latest candidate
“A classic Stage Rhodes, which plays like a dream and sounds every bit as classy as its timeless heritage would suggest”: Rhodes Stage 61 review
Owning a brand new Rhodes electric piano just became a viable alternative to the used market. We find out more, as we head for the Stage!
