Kathy Sledge explains why Sister Sledge didn't get to hear We Are Family right up until they recorded it
“They believed in spontaneity,” she says
Artists
Kathy Sledge explains why Sister Sledge didn't get to hear We Are Family right up until they recorded it
“They believed in spontaneity,” she says
Here’s when you can watch Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour concert special on Netflix
And the good news is that you don’t have long to wait
John Williams recalls the first time he played the Jaws theme for Steven Spielberg in new documentary
Music by John Williams is coming soon to Disney+
Steve Howe on 6-string explorations and how a Novatron Summit shaped his new guitar-centric solo LP
Guitarscape, is the sound of the prog icon deploying his guitar collection in search of new sonic frontiers. The results are typically inventive, and here the Yes guitarist tells us how it came together
“We embarked on a mission to craft the ultimate pedalboards that meet Greg's every need”: Jam Pedals teams up with Greg Koch for Koch Ness Monster signature multi-effects units
Celebrating 15 years of partnership, the stompbox specialist digs into its greatest hits for two deluxe effects units – with the Supreme a $2,190 featuring an onboard Wahcko wah
"Most dyed-in-the-wool Gibson people... their favourite pickup is a P-90": Joe Bonamassa introduces new Epiphone signature guitar with the 1955 Les Paul
"I can already tell you this one sounds better than one of my original '55s," says Joe. And there's a new Flying V too!
"Back in the Stu with Stuart Price": Madonna is back working with Stuart Price
Confessions On A Dance Floor producer is back behind the boards for her Madge
Man seemingly spends $4,000 on a guitar signed by Taylor Swift and then immediately destroys it
It looks like someone might need to calm down...
"It’s become indispensable": Mastering engineer and musician Rafael Anton Irisarri on the piece of gear that he calls his “secret weapon”
The in-demand engineer and adventurous musician – formerly known as The Sight Below – on the subtle art of mastering ambient music and his new solo album
Music Tech
M-Audio’s new Forty Series monitors promise “precision sound, adaptability, and seamless connectivity”
Forty Sixty and Forty Eighty both feature Bluetooth streaming and DSP-assisted sound profiles
Behringer's Grind is a hybrid semi-modular synth that borrows oscillators from a beloved Mutable Instruments module
Bringing together a variety of digital oscillators with an analogue ladder filter and 34-point patchbay, Grind joins Edge, Crave and Spice in Behringer's Producer series
A new immersive music and dance-based VR game aims to improve mental health in young people
Could EmbodyXR provide the musical and visual therapy that many young people need?
Want 33,000 classic sound effects for free? The BBC expand their enviable archive for musicians and creators
Time to get plundering a massive archive of vintage and classic audio recordings
Vintage-inspired drum machines, glitchy reverbs and an Arturia Polybrute 12 library: 7 of the coolest free plugins we discovered this month
Our monthly round-up of free plugins continues with a healthy selection of software instruments and effects processors
“An enhanced application that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar and reasonably priced”: Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4 review
The DJ software gets a long overdue refresh, but is it still in the mix?
"The HDJ-F10s sound (mostly) great, and look good, but are they worth the £469 price tag just to remove a wire on the stage?": AlphaTheta HDJ-F10-TX review
AlphaTheta adds a slick-looking pair of wireless DJ headphones to its line up
AlphaTheta launches new ultra-low-latency headphones for DJs
Can these ultra-low-latency, over-ear monitors replace your trusty old cans?
“It screams ‘party speaker’, with a definite focus on bass; but not, happily, at the complete expense of detail”: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review
It lights up and is so waterproof you can chuck it in a pool, but how does this low-end-loving Bluetooth speaker sound?
How to build a complete mastering chain in Logic Pro using only stock plugins
Setting up an entire mastering chain in your DAW needn’t be a daunting task. Here we take a look at one way you can go about it…
Guitars
The Gibson ES-330 is back! And the iconic P-90-equipped hollowbody arrives in four classic finishes
The hollowbodied electric is back and looking fresh in four finish options – including Gibson exclusive Ebony – and comes complete with dog-ear P-90s, deep-set neck and a trapeze tailpiece
“Ideal for players who love the dreadnought tone in a more comfortable size”: Martin debuts all-new body size and salutes Hawaiian influence on steel-string acoustics with the koa-backed O’ahu HG-28
Martin says mahalo to the pioneers of steel-string guitar design with new player-friendly acoustic featuring a slope-shouldered dread-style body with a 000 depth
“We embarked on a mission to craft the ultimate pedalboards that meet Greg's every need”: Jam Pedals teams up with Greg Koch for Koch Ness Monster signature multi-effects units
Celebrating 15 years of partnership, the stompbox specialist digs into its greatest hits for two deluxe effects units – with the Supreme a $2,190 featuring an onboard Wahcko wah
Harley Benton to ship direct in the US as budget-gear superpower partners with Reverb
In a move that is sure to shake up the marketplace for beginner and under-$500 gear, Harley Benton has an official store serving the US via Reverb
"Most dyed-in-the-wool Gibson people... their favourite pickup is a P-90": Joe Bonamassa introduces new Epiphone signature guitar with the 1955 Les Paul
"I can already tell you this one sounds better than one of my original '55s," says Joe. And there's a new Flying V too!
LR Baggs is making guitars now – can the pickup expert bring something unique to the market with its AEG-1?
An electro-acoustic with a HiFi Duet pickup offers pickup and mic settings to enhance versatility
Man seemingly spends $4,000 on a guitar signed by Taylor Swift and then immediately destroys it
It looks like someone might need to calm down...
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
How to build a complete mastering chain in Logic Pro using only stock plugins
Setting up an entire mastering chain in your DAW needn’t be a daunting task. Here we take a look at one way you can go about it…
How to troubleshoot common audio interface issues
Hearing unwanted buzz? Not getting any sound at all? Here’s how to fix these and other unwanted interface issues and get your session back on track
How to produce a dance pop hit
Dance music’s core genres have influenced pop for decades. We dig into their impact on the mainstream
How to make a searing lead synth patch with GForce Axxess
It’s time to turn up the heat and Axxess a spicy lead
How to make a loop into a fully-fledged track
It’s simple to make a killer loop, but how does that become a dancefloor-filling hit? It only takes a few steps to get the process started…
The MPE masterclass: Express yourself with the new generation of software synths and hardware controllers
We take you step by step through some of the basic operations of MPE, from setting it up to understanding basic parameters to creating or amending a patch
5 practical music theory tools to help you make better electronic music
Find out how to use today's top theory tools to make your tunes stand out
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
Latest reviews
“An enhanced application that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar and reasonably priced”: Native Instruments Traktor Pro 4 review
The DJ software gets a long overdue refresh, but is it still in the mix?
"The HDJ-F10s sound (mostly) great, and look good, but are they worth the £469 price tag just to remove a wire on the stage?": AlphaTheta HDJ-F10-TX review
AlphaTheta adds a slick-looking pair of wireless DJ headphones to its line up
“It screams ‘party speaker’, with a definite focus on bass; but not, happily, at the complete expense of detail”: Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review
It lights up and is so waterproof you can chuck it in a pool, but how does this low-end-loving Bluetooth speaker sound?
“A restrained update to the Seaboard Block”: Roli Seaboard Block M review
We board this re-engineered version of the modular-capable, MPE-toting keyboard
Peterson StroboStomp Mini review
One of the most accurate and feature-packed tuners on the market - plus, it fits in your pocket!
"If you get the whole Junior-style single pickup thing, you might have found a new beau. We certainly have": PJD Guitars St John Apprentice review
A quality-led, UK-made offset at an affordable price
“Sounds aren’t just ‘good for a module’, they’re genuinely useable, realistic and ultimately very enjoyable to play": Roland TD716 review
Roland is back with a flagship replacement for the TD-50X. There’s a new module and new pads, but does it have the same old problem?
“Couples audio fidelity and stylish visuals with ease of use and good software”: PreSonus Quantum HD 8 review
Want your audio to take a quantum leap? We test out this latest premium interface
