When Ritchie Blackmore had an "embarrassing" encounter with Eric Clapton
"Believe it or not, Eric was in the next room to where we were"
Artists
Fender unveils limited edition Blu DeTiger Player Plus Jazz Bass in Sky Burst Sparkle
The NYC bass phenom's signature model is funk-friendly but built for all styles with custom humbucker and a Noiseless Jazz single coil. And what about that mirrored pickguard!?
Taylor Swift’s viral I Believe In A Thing Called Love singalong sends The Darkness to number one
Her air guitar skills were on display, too
Always crashing in the same car: Man attempts to gain entry to Berlin club by driving into it
Man attempts to gain entry to a Berlin club by driving into it
Cory Wong teams up with Hotone Audio for the Wong Press, a 3-in-1 volume, expression and wah pedal
The funk maestro's new pedal is the very definition of a hard-working stompbox, and will save you pedalboard space. But will it help trigger a wah comeback? Wong says it's long overdue
Steve Vai’s guitar collection to be documented in upcoming book, and there’s a $25,350 Ultra Edition
Wire & Wood: The Guitars of Steve Vai took Michael Mesker 5 years to finish, and features more than 1,000 pages
Wish You Were There?: David Gilmour makes surprise appearance at Hove pub
David Gilmour appears to Hove open mic night
Music Tech
“An easy and big multi-effect with a lot of appeal”: SSL Module8 review
Multi-effects are getting more powerful at the expense of ease of use, but Module8 manages both and is therefore pretty gr8
“Sounds every bit like a vintage string machine, and far more besides”: GForce Software VSM IV review
This updated VSM continues to prove that strings are very much the thing! We swot up on our virtual string theory
Apple set to introduce track layering to Voice Memos in iPhone 16 Pro
Record a new track while listening to another through your speaker… then break them apart
Modalics' Plugin Buddy is a free plugin host and utility that lets you run VST3s in Pro Tools - and much more
Use Plugin Buddy to create complex chains of MIDI effects, audio effects and instruments that can be run inside a single plugin or standalone app
dBdone enables you to view, tag, search and preview your DAW projects from one place
New app is currently in beta and free to download
"Double the take and poof... it makes total sense”: Jack Antonoff on the power of vocal production techniques
Antonoff opens up on the studio techniques heard on The 1975's Part of the Band in a new video from Mix with the Masters
Best keyboards for beginners 2024: Get started with our expert pick of beginner keyboards for all ages
Looking for the best piano keyboard for beginners? Well MusicRadar has you covered with expert advice and useful recommendations from industry professionals
"Winona was made 100% in-the-box": DJ Boring on the making of his breakout lo-fi house hit
We visited the Australian-born DJ/producer in the studio to talk DJ-Kicks, production techniques and the synth he considers his "first child"
Why Norway's Indie Recordings chooses old-school collaboration to help guitar bands
MD Erlend Gjerde explains the inspiring independent label's journey and the ways they empower their artists
“Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul”: Tributes paid to bass legend Herbie Flowers
Tributes have been paid to bass legend Herbie Flowers
Guitars
Fender unveils limited edition Blu DeTiger Player Plus Jazz Bass in Sky Burst Sparkle
The NYC bass phenom's signature model is funk-friendly but built for all styles with custom humbucker and a Noiseless Jazz single coil. And what about that mirrored pickguard!?
Taylor Swift’s viral I Believe In A Thing Called Love singalong sends The Darkness to number one
Her air guitar skills were on display, too
Best Stratocasters 2024: Our top choice Fender Stratocasters
Our experts countdown the best Strat guitars - from budget to pro - that showcase arguably the most iconic guitar of all time
"Offers a huge amount of options for all players of stringed instruments, and provides the highest accuracy available for any clip-on tuner": Peterson Stroboclip HDC review
One of the most accurate clip-on tuners available for musicians, and discuss that astronomical entry fee
Cory Wong teams up with Hotone Audio for the Wong Press, a 3-in-1 volume, expression and wah pedal
The funk maestro's new pedal is the very definition of a hard-working stompbox, and will save you pedalboard space. But will it help trigger a wah comeback? Wong says it's long overdue
Steve Vai’s guitar collection to be documented in upcoming book, and there’s a $25,350 Ultra Edition
Wire & Wood: The Guitars of Steve Vai took Michael Mesker 5 years to finish, and features more than 1,000 pages
Wish You Were There?: David Gilmour makes surprise appearance at Hove pub
David Gilmour appears to Hove open mic night
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Learn these unexpected Oasis guitar chords
Definitely maybe some chords you don't know
Matteo Mancuso shares all the secrets behind his breathtaking style in Jam Track Central masterclass
The Sicilian maestro introduces his course with a blazing solo with JTC promising everything you need to nail his fingerstyle fusion approach, with easy-to-follow exercises, solos and more
“World’s fastest player” Rusty Cooley shares practice tips for building hyper-shred speed
The “world’s fastest player” Cooley endorses the discipline of non-stop repetition until you find your fastest clean speed but argues variety is key to building technical excellence
If you've ever wanted to learn to play guitar and sing at the same time this is how to start
Gibson shows you how
Are you getting the best out of your guitar-picking hand? You might be using it wrong
Your hand position is vital
Learn classic metal riffs for beginners with Chimaira guitarist Rob Arnold
Featuring Black Sabbath and Metallica
Latest Tuition
Learn these unexpected Oasis guitar chords
Definitely maybe some chords you don't know
How to tailor reverbs to work with any mix
Reverb is a great tool, but cleverly thinking about its application can really take your mix to the next level. Here’s how to get tailoring…
How to use your audio interface with a patch bay – a step by step guide
Revolutionise your home studio connectivity and signal paths with a patch bay – here's how
Music theory you can use: 6 chord tricks for songwriters and producers
Go beyond the basics with these handy power-composer tips and techniques
Get creative with Logic Pro’s secret weapons for creating interesting effects
Elevate your sound design with fantastic stock plugins Logic users will already have
How to use effects to take your sound design to the next level
Branch out into the world of effects and expand your sound design aspirations beyond the basics
How to master modulation and make your synth sounds move
Create sounds with movement, layering and drama that you won’t quite believe
14 sound design tips that will make your tracks stand out
In these days of ‘ultimate sample banks’ and ‘preset-packed’ synths and effects, it’s easy to think that sound design is a dying art. But, if anything, we think it should be your go-to creative process
How to use dynamic EQ in a mix
Dynamic EQ is a great tool for achieving level-dependent frequency changes, and can be a true life saver in certain mix situations
Spice up your mix with these creative filtering techniques: "Filters are one of the most powerful mixing tools we have"
Creative filtering can both elevate and finesse your mix. Let’s check out some of the best ways to apply it
How to create an old-school techno lead like Charlotte De Witte
In this lead-focused tutorial, we also walk you through designing an arpeggiated pluck sound inspired by Eli Brown
How to set the preamp gain on your audio interface
Ensure you are getting the best recording quality possible every time with our top tips
How to plug mics and instruments into your audio interface
Not sure how to plug into your shiny new audio interface? Get set up for recording like a pro
How to use your drum machine as a controller
Trigger your DAW's internal sounds with your drum machine's sequencer, or hook it up to a synth or sampler
How to sound like Jack Antonoff: "He puts Minimoog through a fuzz pedal for an absolutely massive sound"
These tricks won't land you an instant invite to the Swift, Lorde or Del Rey HQs but he certainly knows his stuff
Latest reviews
“An easy and big multi-effect with a lot of appeal”: SSL Module8 review
Multi-effects are getting more powerful at the expense of ease of use, but Module8 manages both and is therefore pretty gr8
“Sounds every bit like a vintage string machine, and far more besides”: GForce Software VSM IV review
This updated VSM continues to prove that strings are very much the thing! We swot up on our virtual string theory
"Offers a huge amount of options for all players of stringed instruments, and provides the highest accuracy available for any clip-on tuner": Peterson Stroboclip HDC review
One of the most accurate clip-on tuners available for musicians, and discuss that astronomical entry fee
“In purely sonic terms the SM4 shone, capturing rich mid-range frequencies, making it an ideal choice for vocals and acoustic instruments”: Shure SM4 review
Is Shure’s new home studio mic the secret to achieving simple, mix-ready sound?
“Its versatility in use, coupled with huge levels of programmability, make it a must-have”: Cherry Audio Chroma review
If you’re after a colourful new synth, Cherry Audio has something that covers the whole spectrum. We look through the prism
“The physicality of the guitar was already making its presence felt – but we guess that's the price of rock stardom”: Harley Benton DC-Custom II 612 review
Thomann takes an affordable swing at a bona fide rock icon - but is a sub-£600 double neck too good to be true?
"Worth the extra money for the added features over the original": Fender Mustang Micro Plus Headphone Amp
How do you improve on excellence? Fender has found some ways to do it here
“A great option for beginner players or those looking to expand their tonal palette on a budget”: Harley Benton DNAfx GiT Advanced review
The middle model of Harley Benton’s budget multi-effects pedal range looks for your attention in a crowded market
