Bad Brains? It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #9!
Tenshun! Have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world of music this week?
Artists
Bad Brains? It's MusicRadar's Quiz of the Week #9!
Tenshun! Have you been paying attention to what's been going on in the world of music this week?
Taylor Swift thanks “the incomparable” Randy Newman as she releases her Toy Story 5 song
“Writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time," she says
How Paul McCartney created his greatest post-Beatles song
“He did the whole thing, start to finish, every instrument, everything, in a day”
“It’s boring to know what you’re doing in the studio – once you know what you’re doing, the magic leaves”: Jack Antonoff on why music production "expertise" is overrated
The three-time Producer of the Year winner argues that the less you know, the better
“They inspire me to be weirder and more myself”: Olivia Rodrigo names her current favourite band
“I was so lucky to get to perform with them at Lollapalooza last year,” she adds
Paul McCartney shows you how to play the mystery guitar chord that kickstarted his new album
“These notes are D, C, Eb and B,” he confirms
Ace Frehley’s iconic ‘Budokan’ Les Paul Custom sells at auction for $512,000
The 1975 Cherry Sunburst Les Paul Custom was the late Kiss guitarists go-to electric in the late '70s and was all over Love Gun
Music Tech
MusicRadar deals of the week: A guide to the best music sales right now
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear at Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Musician's Friend and more
“It’s boring to know what you’re doing in the studio – once you know what you’re doing, the magic leaves”: Jack Antonoff on why music production "expertise" is overrated
The three-time Producer of the Year winner argues that the less you know, the better
We explore how Reaper is taking over the production world one enthusiastic user at a time
If you’ve never given Reaper much thought, it might be time to look again. The DAW is gaining fans at remarkable speed and it’s all happening by word of mouth
Universal Audio takes on Auto-Tune with Topline Vocal Tune – and promises pitch-perfect vocals "from the first take"
Based on the vocal tuner from UA’s Topline Vocal Suite, the new “ultra-low-latency” plugin adds Elastic and Sustain controls and MIDI repitching
After seeing them in action, I’m convinced that Ableton’s Extensions are going to change how music-makers use Live forever
An "experimental playground" and free JavaScript toolkit released today, Extensions SDK can "expand, reshape and customize" Live Suite with new tools and features
How Radiohead were finally convinced to embrace wireless guitar and mic tech for their most recent shows
“We brought it into Jonny Greenwood’s studio and did some blind tests. We all listened and even the most cynical guitar techs were impressed!”
Audience member steps in for ailing keyboard player during a live orchestral showing of La La Land
“I took a little bit of a creative liberty and just decided to improvise, which I think ended up being a good choice,” says 21-year-old student Sterling Nasa
Best studio chairs 2026: banish the backache with these comfy home studio chairs
Experience exceptional ergonomia with these studio chairs from Boulies, Ikea, Herman Miller and more
MusicRadar deals of the week: A guide to the best music sales right now
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear at Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Musician's Friend and more
“I bought one in 1984 – I'm looking at it now": Vince Clarke reveals his favourite synth of all time
Plus, why he disagrees with former Depeche Mode bandmate Martin Gore about Eurorack
Guitars
“Ibanez serves up another RG that’s built for stunt guitar, priced for virtuosos-in-training, and with enough sounds to please the fusion kid and headbanger alike”: Ibanez RGR431PB review
The hallowed mid-priced speedster gets a poplar burl glow-up with a hard-tail for white-knuckle riffing and a reverse headstock for metal cool points.
MusicRadar deals of the week: A guide to the best music sales right now
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear at Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Musician's Friend and more
Meris unveils the Ottobit X, a high-end purveyor of lo-fi guitar sounds inspired by the ‘80s
The Ottobit X is a serious piece of equipment for creating fun sounds that take you back to a less serious time
Harley Benton unleashes a $185 shred-ready hotrod with a roasted maple neck and dual-humbuckers
Harley Benton's latest drop includes the ST-Modern HH, a right-handed version of the ST-Modern Plus HSS in Dark Purple Sparkle, and a smart retro acoustic electric parlour for lefties
Fender gives the Tone Master Pro a mighty firmware update, adding some classics from its amp archive
Free to existing users, this update includes a bundle of top-tier amps and effects, and there is a bunch of new features
Epiphone unveils beginner-friendly $229 ‘Tribute’ to Gibson’s iconic Hummingbird acoustic
These beginner-friendly versions of one of the world's most legendary acoustic guitars are available in Ebony, Antique Natural and Heritage Cherry Sunburst
Ace Frehley’s iconic ‘Budokan’ Les Paul Custom sells at auction for $512,000
The 1975 Cherry Sunburst Les Paul Custom was the late Kiss guitarists go-to electric in the late '70s and was all over Love Gun
“I had confused the two similar circuits and made a horrible mistake. I made a video. I told everyone”: JHS Pedals unveils the Fumble – an $89 boost pedal with a seriously complicated back story involving John Mayer, Dumble amps and a ‘70s acoustic preamp
The Fumble is a two-knob clean boost with a compact housing and lots of pedalboard uses. It might be easy to use, but how it got here is a little more difficult to explain
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
Learn to play acoustic and electric guitar in record time with our guide to easy-to-read notation
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? I’m a professional guitar gear reviewer and these are my highest-rated lessons platforms
My expert pick of the best online guitar courses will supercharge your playing wherever you are, and whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
The Rage Against the Machine axe-man’s most memorable moment saw him emulate a DJ scratch breakdown using a trick that few have fully mastered
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
Guitar Tricks is our number one online tuition platform for guitar players
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
Latest Tuition
Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
Learn to play acoustic and electric guitar in record time with our guide to easy-to-read notation
I’m so obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s Drop Dead trance bass sound that I remade it in my DAW
We create our own transient-heavy synth bass with leanings towards the trance-heavy sounds of the 90s. ‘Drop Dead’ you exclaim? No way! We were Born Slippy!
How to emulate the sound of Gary Numan’s synth-pop classic Cars
We lift the bonnet on a foundational piece of synth genius, and demonstrate how you can achieve its distinctive sound yourself in your DAW
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
"Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
The A major pentatonic, A minor pentatonic and Mixolydian are great places to start and we'll show you how
"Record everything all the time – and keep it all": 8 pro techno producers explain how they create their tracks
We delve into our In The Studio archive to compile the techno secrets behind releases on esteemed labels including Drumcode, Cocoon, Dekmantel, Second State and more
"There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
A string change is the ideal opportunity to get your 'board back to its best
How to pan like a pro and spread your mix across the stereo image
We help you broaden your mixing horizons with some useful tips for panning perfection
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Adding small or even large amounts of saturation doesn’t have to be bad for you, as we explore how to singe your sonics
How to conjure the spirit of early techno and trigger your own retro zaps in software
How a sound design approach originally deployed for television effects became an electronic music staple - and how to make it yourself
How to replicate the trailblazing pulse of I Feel Love
I Feel Love’s innovative electronic rhythm section set the stage for pretty much everything that followed, and here’s how you can recreate its bewitching energy in your DAW
Improve the impact of your basslines by quickly learning the basics of bass compression
Creating the perfect foundation for your track begins just the right amount of compression for your bass - here’s how to not overdo it!
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
The former One Direction star’s latest effort is a far cry from his previous output
How close listening to Chic can teach us about the integral relationship between the kick and bass
If you want to add more punch to your production, start at the foundation of your track, with the kick and bass
How unquantizing your tracks can make them stand out from the AI-dominated crowd
If your music is sounding a little mechanical, maybe it deserves a sprinkle of organic nurturing. We invite you to un-click the quantize!
Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
In our latest video tutorial, we explore how to use Live generative MIDI tools and hardware-inspired sequencers to create riffs and patterns
7 great house and techno tips from Don’t Be Afraid label boss Semtek (aka DJ Persuasion)
The producer, DJ and founder of one of the UK's most respected underground labels revisits a 2012 release to explore what he's learned in 15 years of releasing house and techno
Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process
Latest Reviews
“Ibanez serves up another RG that’s built for stunt guitar, priced for virtuosos-in-training, and with enough sounds to please the fusion kid and headbanger alike”: Ibanez RGR431PB review
The hallowed mid-priced speedster gets a poplar burl glow-up with a hard-tail for white-knuckle riffing and a reverse headstock for metal cool points.
"The app is where things get both wild and a little weird:" Positive Grid Reactor 50 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Is 'Amp Intelligence' the future of guitar tone? If this new Positive Grid amp is anything to go by, we've still got a few years before our digital overlords take over
“Make no mistake, it could grace any professional stage”: Fractal AM4 review
Fractal’s AM4 aims to make the company’s prestigious amp and effects modelling accessible to a larger audience
“The very essence of the Fender aesthetic”: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV 30th Anniversary review
The ubiquitous Hot Rod Deluxe celebrates its 30th birthday with a snazzy new look and some subtle sonic enhancements
“For those who find Strandberg’s space-age designs a little too alien, Ibanez’s Q series is the perfect middle ground”: Ibanez QX527B review
All the joy and versatility of a metal-minded seven-string Ibanez, smartly converted into a travel-friendly format
“We’re back in Laurel Canyon in the late '60s”: Eastman Fullertone Offset review
Having launched two very impressive FullerTone models last year, Eastman delivers another – the first with an offset vibrato and oh-so hipster style
“Chunky, organic, trashy and very characterful”: Zultan Raw 8” Mini Hi-Hat review
FX meets organic with Zultan’s hole-filled mini-hats
"If you’re after a pedal that delivers classic Cry Baby attitude with plenty of versatility, this is the one": Dunlop Cry Baby BB535 Reissue review
Dunlop has crafted a wah-shaped love letter to the guitar gods that made this expressive effect popular in the '90s
“I wanted to write it off after seeing the fretboard and feeling the back of the neck, but it won me over,”: Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 SD2 HH HT review
Charvel takes on the lower end of the market with an Indonesian-built T-type that has some very intriguing specifications
