Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
Our picks of the modern virtual tools that will transform any self-sustaining producer’s workflow
![Epiphone goes high-end with its Inspired By Gibson Custom 2025 collection: [from left] the '63 Firebird in Polaris White is joined by a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a '64 SG Standard, a 1960 Les Paul Special in TV Yellow and a 1962 ES-335 reissue.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3N4uVp3ezzrrhjCbY8KNfn-1200-80.jpg.webp)
Artists
Charli XCX's Brat mastering engineer Idania Valencia on her go-to plugins and the threat of AI
The Mexican mastering engineer on working on Charli XCX's Grammy-winning behemoth and why she works entirely with software
“He stopped writing because he just ran out. He'd used that guitar neck up”: Sammy Hagar on Eddie Van Halen's lost years
“When I joined the band, everyone says, ‘Oh man, they started playing keyboards"
How legendary producer Mutt Lange drove the Cars half-mad
And the result? 'A beautiful record,' says guitarist Elliot Easton
"The tall tales of a short rock star”: Bono shares trailer for his Apple TV+ documentary
Songs Of Surrender is a TV version of his 2023 one man show
Super-songwriter Diane Warren on why she prefers to work alone
"I’m like, Really? Wow. What did you guys do?”
What is Superbooth 2025?: Everything you need to know ahead of the Berlin music tech showcase
All the info on the year’s hottest synth show – When is it, who'll be there and how to get tickets?
‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight’: Michael Bolton confirms he has incurable brain cancer
Singer says he is living with “a reality of mortality”
Music Tech
Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
Our picks of the modern virtual tools that will transform any self-sustaining producer’s workflow
Soundtoys just dropped the best free reverb plugin we've tried in years - grab it now before it costs $99
The retro-futuristic SpaceBlender is an experimental sound design tool that blends an innovative approach with vintage inspiration
What is Superbooth 2025?: Everything you need to know ahead of the Berlin music tech showcase
All the info on the year’s hottest synth show – When is it, who'll be there and how to get tickets?
Why reverb is one of the most reliable effects in a producer's arsenal
“When used correctly, a good reverb can lift a song into the stratosphere”
Bastl Instruments' Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a cute, patchable and experimental groovebox that fits in your pocket
Get hands-on and let the Wave Bard’s pattern-generating brain take the creative strain
“When you want a boring sound to sound rhythmic and exciting - reach for the delay”: How to understand and use delay effectively in your productions
It's one of the most widely used effects for producers, synthesists and guitarists alike, but how does it work?
Neuzeit Instruments drops Drop, a snapshot-based MIDI and CV controller that's designed for... drops
A master controller for all your live performance gear, Drop can schedule snapshot changes to trigger at the end of predetermined cycles, making it easy to perform dramatic build-ups and impactful transitions
10 producers share the studio gear they can’t live without
A raft of music-makers choose the items that are integral to their workflow
Digging into the enhanced abilities of today's EQ plugins to enhance your productions
Get up to speed with state-of-the-art EQ tools and techniques
"I can clearly see how quickly things can come together when you have the right tools at your disposal": I tried both face-to-face lessons and Pianote to learn the piano in 8 weeks - here's how I got on
Will combining online learning with face-to-face lessons be just what I need to become the piano player I've always wanted to be? Let's find out
Imogen Heap on Taylor Swift's "extremely efficient" songwriting and recording process
“By the time she left, we had managed to write the song, produce the song, record the song, chat, meet, have tea, sit by the fire, eat lunch, eat dinner, do an entire record all by ourselves”
“I want you to just dive in, use the music, and see what happens”: Moby makes 500 instrumental tracks available for free as he relaunches Mobygratis sound library
"You can remix it, you can edit it, you can add parts to it, you can play clarinet on it, you can use it for social media, for films, for choreography: the idea is complete creative freedom"
Guitars
Don’t sleep on Catalinbread’s Wake if you’re looking for “dream pop” tones on your pedalboard
Wake is a chorus with a blendable clean sub-octave effect that can help you dream a little bigger and make one guitar sound huge
PRS keeps the limited edition releases coming with the return of the classic CE22 bolt-on
Low turn pickups, coil split, top-shelf hardware and sweet finishes make this rare bolt-on a serious high-end option for all occasions
![YouTuber Aaron Rash [left] wears grey and an Adidas beanie and checked trousers as he poses with his Veleno-clone aluminium guitar. On the right, Kurt Cobain performs in 1993 with Nirvana at their MTV Live and Loud show in Seattle.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aqcaqZZK7FsRFWvoMPzMF9-840-80.jpg.webp)
Nirvana tone sleuth Aaron Rash solves the final part of the mystery – Kurt Cobain's In Utero guitar
Rash’s many years down the rabbit hole have been rewarded as he finally gets his hands on the exact same model Cobain used and it’s an oddball offset with “absolutely wild” pickups
“If you’re all about getting as close as possible to period-correct as you can for this price point, then you won’t be disappointed here”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue review
We get hands-on with Epiphone’s ode to one of the most coveted Gibson guitars of all time
Devin Townsend is taking an indefinite break from touring but promises “dozens” of projects to come
Townsend’s forthcoming hiatus from the road will see him launch The Ruby Quaker YouTube series, allowing him to explore “dozens of creative ventures” he never had time for before
“You do have to pay premium numbers": Gene Simmons explains why he’s charging fans $12,000 to be a roadie
Humping gear is all part of ‘The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience’
“A genuinely fun take on the classic distortion-slash-fuzz pedal”: Soma Laboratory Harvezi Hazze
Soma Labs' foray into guitar pedals adds an element of the unhinged into a classic format
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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
“When you want a boring sound to sound rhythmic and exciting - reach for the delay”: How to understand and use delay effectively in your productions
It's one of the most widely used effects for producers, synthesists and guitarists alike, but how does it work?
Want to record some real musicians in your studio? Here’s how to prep for success
One of the biggest learns when becoming a producer is just how you manage - and work with - real musicians.
Here's how to compress your mix bus for sonic punch
What does mix bus compression do, how do you use it, and which compressor should you use?
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Full Bucket FB-3300
Classic synthesizer plugins offer a great entry point for unusual and rare synth designs, and this Korg design is one of the rarest
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
Technically capable, but struggle to make your tunes sound musical? 5 simple music theory hacks to make your tracks stand out
Level up your music-making with these simple but effective tricks that can be easily used by those with zero knowledge of music theory
Play mono synth properly: the skills you need
How playing mono synths differs from standard keyboards
Fantastic (free) plugins and how to use them: Newfangled Audio Pendulate
This free mono synth plugin is creative, chaotic and fun to use. It’s time to go West (Coast)
"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
“If you don’t have an idea, go mow the lawn": Follow Neil Young’s lead to demolish those frustrating songwriting barriers
It’s true, sometimes working relentlessly on perfecting a song or track that you’re just not feeling can do more harm than good
“It’s tougher and faster than ever”: Jump aboard the modern hardgroove train and learn to build a club-ready beat
Putting together the elements you need to craft a beat that just won't let up
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
Key techniques guitar players can learn from the Led Zeppelin legend
Don't know where to start with virtual instruments? We're here to help
In today's world of music production, pretty much everything you can dream of will have a virtual counterpart. Let's explore
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
UA is giving away its 1176 plugin as a Valentine's gift – here's how to get it and use it!
Forget flowers, chocolates or champagne – give your loved one a free vintage compressor plugin instead! Better still, just get it for yourself…
Are all interpretations of songs correct? Kate Bush certainly thinks so
It’s easy to get precious about the true meaning of our creative endeavours, but how much authority do songwriters really have to own the definitive reading of their work?
How Aphex Twin fought the temptation to continually refine, and how we can learn from his example
It’s easy to carry on fiddling with our tracks, but as Richard D. James knows all too well, that urge to keep going can prove a problem
“Maybe I’ll write out five or six chords, then discipline myself to write something only with those chords involved”: Why David Bowie’s restrictive songwriting strategies provide a lesson for us all
Sometimes imposing rules can force us out of our creative comfort zones. It's a tactic David Bowie used to birth some of his most celebrated songs.
“It’s a favourite with jazz and funk players, but it's just at home in hits by artists such as Jessie Ware”: Expand your chordal colours with 9ths
Building an extension to a chord doesn’t require planning permission, but it might require a degree of design. We add 9ths to our extension palette
Latest reviews
“At full throttle, this speaker is capable of delivering room-filling volume without strain”: Alesis Strike Amp 12 MK2 review
This workhorse amplifier has had a rethink, improving specs whilst maintaining the affordable price point that Alesis is known for
“If you’re all about getting as close as possible to period-correct as you can for this price point, then you won’t be disappointed here”: Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Standard Reissue review
We get hands-on with Epiphone’s ode to one of the most coveted Gibson guitars of all time
“A genuinely fun take on the classic distortion-slash-fuzz pedal”: Soma Laboratory Harvezi Hazze
Soma Labs' foray into guitar pedals adds an element of the unhinged into a classic format
"There’s potential for a degree of chaos here": Cherry Audio Yellowjacket review
The EDP Wasp gets the Cherry Audio treatment
“It has the ingenious ability to give you easy routing to external hardware with no re-patching”: Audient iD48 review
Audient’s iD range gets a new flagship audio interface with a potentially game-changing feature
"The Rehearsal is compact, does its one job well, and is easy to navigate without needing instructions": Walrus Audio Canvas Rehearsal review
Want a silent practice solution that lets you use your whole 'board? Read on...
"An unholy amount of features in a standard-sized compact pedal": Mooer Prime Minimax M2 Intelligent Pedal review
Mooer updates its compact Prime series to offer even more tones in just as small a package
“It’s honestly got me thinking hard about adding one to my own studio set up”: Two Notes Reload II review
A reactive load box from Two Notes that makes the case for keeping your tube amp and forgetting about switching to a modeller
