Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on why he created his Aquarii Studios and his dub mixing technique
Watch the UK keyboard player and producer discuss his new studio and ambitious double LP, All The Quiet
Artists
Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on why he created his Aquarii Studios and his dub mixing technique
Watch the UK keyboard player and producer discuss his new studio and ambitious double LP, All The Quiet
“People ask Pete Townshend, ‘Why do you jump about on stage?’ He doesn’t know. Nor me”: Iron Maiden’s gung-ho guitarist
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I get out there,” he says
Alex Lifeson on the disguised guitars and soloing strategies behind Envy Of None’s Stygian Waves
Envy Of None's sophomore album, Stygian Waves, is the sound of Lifeson's post-Rush project stretching out with a sound you can really sink right into
Radiohead’s five members just minted a new LLP, sparking rumours that they're about to break cover
Speculation mounts as the band's second album, The Bends, marks its 30th anniversary
“I really just did it for fun”: Despite her new single, Chappell Roan isn’t going 'full country' any time soon
"I am just here to twirl and do a little gay yodel for y'all," she explains
New teaser trailer for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues reveals that the band's amps now go past 11
They're so loud, in fact, that you can't even put a number on it
Our forgotten interview with big-beat legends Basement Jaxx reveals the oddness of working with John Lennon’s widow - and a love for Atari
A rediscovered interview from our archives with the Grammy-winning duo touches on the stress of making sure that their studio time with Lennon’s widow went without a hitch
Music Tech
Behringer synth prices just rose by up to 70% in the US - are Trump tariffs to blame?
The price hikes seemingly occurred overnight at US retailer Sweetwater
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score a massive £800 off the Gibson Mary Ford Les Paul, £400 off the Dave Grohl signature Epiphone, as well as hundreds off live sound equipment
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Yamaha, Gibson, Truefire, PreSonus, Fender and more
Best external hard drives for music production 2025: Back up your music and boost your computer's performance
Store recording sessions, video files, and sample libraries with our expert pick of the best external hard drives for Mac and PC
“An ideal tool for capturing ideas on the move”: Zoom R4 MultiTrak review
If you like recording your ideas on the move, Zoom could have just the device you’re after
It might be called Hate, but Dawesome's new wavetable distortion plugin actually looks rather loveable
An innovative take on distortion equipped with 29 additional effects, Hate promises to do "raw, destructive and crushing" things to your audio
IK Multimedia has just made its digital guitar tone ecosystem easier to manage with the Tonex Editor
The app is free and sure to be an essential tool for players with a Tonex pedal on their 'board, streamlining workflow and allowing for real-time edits of Tone Models, presets and IRs
“A wide-ranging and very useful, yet quirky module”: Bastl Instruments Neo Trinity review
You can never have enough modulation sources for your modular, but is Bastl’s Neo Trinity a step (CV or LFO) too far?
Early Bob Dylan promoter Terri Thal talks recording first ever demo as it comes up for auction
With Dylan interest at a new high, Thal shares her story of discovering the star and making his first ever recording
Ableton Live 12.2 overhauls the device I use on pretty much every track – and rectifies Push 3’s most notable missing feature
Live 12.2 lands in public Beta, also bringing updates to Meld, Roar, new Max devices and more
"Potential for Aphex-style bleeps and mayhem": Cherry Audio KR-55C Software Drum Machine
Steppin’ Out with Cherry Audio’s post-punk beatbox that provides more than a few surprises
Guitars
Alex Lifeson on the disguised guitars and soloing strategies behind Envy Of None’s Stygian Waves
Envy Of None's sophomore album, Stygian Waves, is the sound of Lifeson's post-Rush project stretching out with a sound you can really sink right into
Crazy Tube Circuits cooks up a crazy tube circuit for real with Venus overdrive pedal
Inspired by the BK Butler Tube Driver, a favourite of Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson's, Venus has a heap of tone-shaping features, including tube bias control – and you can swap out the tube
Benson Amps teams up with Jessica Dobson for the awesome and unorthodox Deep Sea Diver Fuzz-Echo
Three years in the making, this pairs a vintage-inspired silicon fuzz circuit with echo and promises gated skronk, wooly fuzz, “gauzy My Bloody Valentine textures” and much more
Pedal power to go? Harley Benton unveils two high-powered budget power bricks with onboard batteries
Available with five outputs or nine, these pedalboard power supplies can supply current-hungry digital and multi-effects, have a switchable 9V/12V/18V options, and are very budget-friendly
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score a massive £800 off the Gibson Mary Ford Les Paul, £400 off the Dave Grohl signature Epiphone, as well as hundreds off live sound equipment
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Yamaha, Gibson, Truefire, PreSonus, Fender and more
Charvel’s launches hotrodded S-style with one seriously distressed finish and DiMarzio HSH pickups
Charvel stacks the specs up high on a $1,599 shred machine that comes fresh with a super-distressed finish, DiMarzio HSH firepower and a Floyd Rose 1000 Series vibrato
IK Multimedia has just made its digital guitar tone ecosystem easier to manage with the Tonex Editor
The app is free and sure to be an essential tool for players with a Tonex pedal on their 'board, streamlining workflow and allowing for real-time edits of Tone Models, presets and IRs
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
"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
Fingerboard care basics: 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
Proggy pentatonic! How to use the good ol’ pentatonic scale in cool new ways
Get strumming: The 22 essential beginner, blues and folk guitar chords every guitarist should learn first
Inspiration for every skill level
Latest Tuition
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
“If you're listening to amazing gear through terrible monitors, you've wasted your cash”: Why monitors are the most important part of your studio
Don't know where to begin with buying and using studio monitor speakers? Listen up
“The net result of this process is a progression which sounds smoother, calmer and more musical”: The value of adding chord inversions
If your chord progressions sound a little clunky, try approaching your harmony in an inverse way.
How to connect your audio interface to your computer – for both PC and Mac users
My guide to hooking up your audio interface to a laptop or computer, step-by-step
“When used in conjunction with other unextended chords, it will sound amazing”: How to enhance your songwriting with major sevenths
From bossanovas to Carole King and even James Bond villains, the major seventh can completely change your song’s mood.
How to connect a MIDI keyboard to your audio interface
Learn how to hook up your MIDI keyboard to your audio interface - no matter how complex your setup
“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
Latest reviews
“An ideal tool for capturing ideas on the move”: Zoom R4 MultiTrak review
If you like recording your ideas on the move, Zoom could have just the device you’re after
“A wide-ranging and very useful, yet quirky module”: Bastl Instruments Neo Trinity review
You can never have enough modulation sources for your modular, but is Bastl’s Neo Trinity a step (CV or LFO) too far?
“A truly modern take on the high-powered ‘super amp’”: Blackstar St James 100 212 review
A 100-watt, 2x12, four-channel 'super amp' that weighs the same as a Deluxe Reverb?
"Potential for Aphex-style bleeps and mayhem": Cherry Audio KR-55C Software Drum Machine
Steppin’ Out with Cherry Audio’s post-punk beatbox that provides more than a few surprises
"The Stream Light feature is nothing short of revolutionary - a learning tool that once felt like science fiction": Yamaha CSP-255 digital piano review
This technology-packed digital piano is the ultimate home learning companion for aspiring pianists - all backed by Yamaha’s renowned craftsmanship
“It will get on with the job, with or without your involvement”: Waves Curves Equator review
This dynamic EQ will improve your tracks and entire mixes, and doesn’t cost much – what else do you want?
“A clear winner on portability and ease of use”: Zoom H1 Essential review
Zoom’s H1 Essential aims to be the most compact and affordable field recorder available
“An attractive and highly usable on-stage companion for anyone looking to get out there and play”: Cort GA-DAO electro-acoustic guitar review
Can Cort's reputation for quality hold true at this budget-friendly price?
