Unearthed BBC video from 1986 shows what music technology in the classroom used to look and sound like
Can a Yamaha CX5M computer succeed in a world of glockenspiels and triangles?
Artists
How Mark Morton and Gibson reinvented the Les Paul for modern metal – and why passive beats active humbuckers hands down
The Lamb Of God guitarist walks us through the evolution of his signature Les Paul Modern Quilt and explains why passive humbuckers beat active every time
“I use it on absolutely everything": Art School Girlfriend on the second-hand mic that shaped the "intimate" sound of new album Lean In
Polly Mackey walks us through the making of The Peaks from her London-based studio
Dissecting the musical magic of Superstition, the song Stevie Wonder just couldn’t let go
Exploring the mechanics of the song which was taken to mega-success by Stevie Wonder - much to Jeff Beck's frustration
“Afterwards he sent David an invoice for $10,000”: Tony Visconti on Dave Grohl’s “ludicrious” Bowie session fee
He guested on the Heathen album
Harry Styles says that “hypnotic” electronic music by the likes of Floating Points and Jamie XX has influenced his new album
Kiss all the time. Disco, occasionally. is released on Friday
“Some people assert that the CIA was involved”: Billy Corgan thinks that rock was “purposely dialled down”
He says rock stars don’t have “a voice in the culture”. Er...
Sam Fender releases behind-the-scenes footage of him working on a guitar part for hit single Rein Me In
It’s just won a Brit Award and reached Number 1 in the UK singles chart
Music Tech
Unearthed BBC video from 1986 shows what music technology in the classroom used to look and sound like
Can a Yamaha CX5M computer succeed in a world of glockenspiels and triangles?
Best MIDI keyboards 2026: Find your perfect match for the home studio
My expert guide to the best MIDI keyboards of all sizes and budgets to integrate with your home studio
Elektron’s latest Syntakt update adds sample synthesis and new sequencing tools to the hybrid drum synth
The free v1.40 update is out now for all existing users
“I use it on absolutely everything": Art School Girlfriend on the second-hand mic that shaped the "intimate" sound of new album Lean In
Polly Mackey walks us through the making of The Peaks from her London-based studio
Apple’s new MacBook Neo might be cheap, but for music producers, could it be a false economy? It’s complicated
Whisper it quietly, but this new $599 laptop might just be powerful enough for many musicians
Best pianos 2026: Our pick of acoustic and digital options for home, studio and stage
Here’s our pick of the best pianos - and the best piano brands - including Yamaha, Casio, Nord, Roland and more…
Chompi's latest firmware update turns this cutesy sampler into an "entirely new instrument" with an arpeggiator, sample-slicing and more
Tempo turns Chompi into a groovebox designed for tempo-synced, pattern-based beatmaking
Sam Fender releases behind-the-scenes footage of him working on a guitar part for hit single Rein Me In
It’s just won a Brit Award and reached Number 1 in the UK singles chart
"An analogue FM synth that is actually fun to play": Frap Tools’ debut polysynth Magnolia might be the most exciting new instrument of 2026
The Italian synth can do 8-voice through-zero FM, wavefolding and more – and comes equipped with a poly aftertouch keyboard
Tembo is a kid-friendly magnetic drum machine and sampler that promises "unforgettable family jam sessions"
Designed to empower "everyone to create music from the very first touch", Musical Beings' debut product hopes to make beatmaking accessible for all ages
Guitars
How Mark Morton and Gibson reinvented the Les Paul for modern metal – and why passive beats active humbuckers hands down
The Lamb Of God guitarist walks us through the evolution of his signature Les Paul Modern Quilt and explains why passive humbuckers beat active every time
IK Multimedia just put $300,000 of Dumble mojo into a Tonex One mini pedal
The Tonex One Double Special is a limited edition pedal preloaded with 20 models from two über-rare Dumbles – and the bundled software presents sounds from six Overdrive Specials
"This might be the most amp-like option out there, and it's certainly convinced me of the benefits of the humble FRFR speaker": Blackstar Artist FR Standard
The race for the ultimate FRFR speaker is hotting up, with Blackstar going up against Fender, Laney, Positive Grid and Line 6 with its own range of digital amp modeler speaker companions
Here's 7 of the hottest guitar gear releases I tried at The Guitar Show this weekend that are available to buy right now
I joined a sold-out Guitar Show in Birmingham, UK, to get hands-on with the latest and greatest from the world of guitar
Epiphone raises the bar for its acoustic guitar range with all-solid builds, rosewood fingerboards and affordable takes on Gibson classics
The Inspired By Gibson range comprises cutaway and non-cutaway Hummingbird and J-45s, and a very smart L-00, all with Fishman electronics and a serious build upgrade
Fender celebrates three decades of the Hot Rod Deluxe with a stunning anniversary edition
The much-loved 40-watt combo gets a fancy looking textured 'Western' vinyl covering, classy and vintage '50s-style grille clothe – and a 12" Celestion Creamback under the hood
Sam Fender releases behind-the-scenes footage of him working on a guitar part for hit single Rein Me In
It’s just won a Brit Award and reached Number 1 in the UK singles chart
“I’m watching this genius develop right in front of me”: Joe Satriani on what it was like to teach a teenage Steve Vai
Here's this "goofy" Ace Frehley fan with big hands and he keeps coming back for more... Satch says it wasn't long before he recognised Vai's potential
“A couple of the lyrics turned out to be AI-generated… I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll go for it’”: How Paul Gilbert accidentally wrote a song using an AI hallucination
Gilbert's first vocal album since 2016, WROC finds him adapting George Washington's "rules for civility" into lyrics for rock songs. But what happens when AI injects itself into the process?
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2026? 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
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
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
Latest Tuition
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 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 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
37 heavyweight bass production tips
More than three dozen priceless nuggets of bass recording and production wisdom
Creating chords for electronic music: 3 ways to generate more interesting progressions in Ableton Live 12
Let’s explore how Live’s MIDI effects can help us write better progressions
25 recording tips and tricks everyone should know
Get better takes in the studio and on the stage, with our essential advice for producers and DIY music-makers
Produce better music with our ultimate compression cheat sheet
Confused about where to start with compressors and dynamics effects? We'll guide you through the essential features and settings
Ever wondered how a microphone really works?
If microphone terminology confuses more than it helps, this guide will illuminate the microphone basics
Latest Reviews
"This might be the most amp-like option out there, and it's certainly convinced me of the benefits of the humble FRFR speaker": Blackstar Artist FR Standard
The race for the ultimate FRFR speaker is hotting up, with Blackstar going up against Fender, Laney, Positive Grid and Line 6 with its own range of digital amp modeler speaker companions
“Undoubtedly the most versatile lunchbox amp Victory has ever made”: Victory MKX review
The British amp specialist unveils its most advanced lunchbox amp to date
"Some excellent creative features that help you enhance and manipulate patterns": Arturia KeyStep 37 mk2
Arturia’s upgraded keyboard-based sequencer could provide the creative kick start you need
“The breadth of control, countered with the joy of random probabilities, is simply fun”: ADDAC System 511 VC Stochastic Voltage Generator review
If you want happy accidents and repeatable madness galore, the 511 is the module for you
“A cost-effective wavetable synthesizer you could fall in love with”: Waldorf Protein review
If you’re lacking a little Protein in your production diet, Waldorf has just the supplement for you
“An absolute steal when it comes to quality and value for money”: Harley Benton ST-Modern Carlos Asensio CGM review
The Guitarraviva YouTuber teams up with Harley Benton to deliver one of the most spec’d-out affordable guitars we’ve ever seen
"The tones may not quite be best of the lot, but it's comfortably the easiest and most enjoyable modeller to use": Line 6 Helix Stadium XL review
A decade after the Helix was born, the Helix Stadium has big boots to fill – is it a worthy successor to the hugely acclaimed modeller name?
“Powerful, extremely versatile and creatively refreshing, it offers a ton of inspiration if you click with it”: LAG HyVibe 10 HV10ACE review
A capable acoustic guitar that’s its own pedalboard and speaker, too
