“There are players with amazing dexterity”: Journey’s Neal Schon says that “classic guitar records” still matter
"You need more than just guitar thrills – you need an overall artistic statement"
Artists
“There are players with amazing dexterity”: Journey’s Neal Schon says that “classic guitar records” still matter
"You need more than just guitar thrills – you need an overall artistic statement"
Unpacking the technical genius behind one of the most iconic rock songs of the 1980s
Take an old 4-track demo, add a splash of expensive 80s tech, and the results might be a good enough reason for a band of prog legends to reform!
“Nobody can play better than that guy, man!”: Steve Morse on the supernatural powers of Petrucci, Johnson and Blackmore
His new Steve Morse Band album Triangulation is an audacious work of instrumental rock
Dan Nigro says that he always knew that Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club was something special
Recorded in 2019, it took five years for it to become a hit
"One of the hardest things I ever had to do was mix that song": A music professor breaks down Steve Cropper and Otis Redding's (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay
Following Cropper's passing at the age of 84, we explore the songwriting genius behind one of his most beloved collaborations
“It’s quite normal to be groped by men”: Harassment, low pay and exploitation all reported by young musicians and artists in new survey
Over 70% say they feel unsafe in a music industry workplace
"They put it on hold so nobody else can record it. But he didn’t actually record it. That was when Don Henley said, ‘You need to quit giving your songs away’”: Sheryl Crow says that she once wrote a song for Eric Clapton that never saw the light of day
She still isn't telling who My Favorite Mistake was written about, though...
Music Tech
ALM Busy Circuits new Pamela’s Disco module lets you sync a Eurorack rig to a CDJ or mixer
The 4HP Eurorack module can convert a Pro DJ Link master into analogue clock outputs
This $99 plugin recreates a classic studio technique invented at Abbey Road for The Beatles – and it's free for the next three days
AIR Music Tech has made Tape Double Track available as a free download until December 8
"We didn't want to make just another controller": OXI Instruments' E16 is a sleek and portable MIDI controller that's more powerful than it looks
Snapshot morphing, knob recording and LED-ringed encoders give this performance-focused controller an edge
AlphaTheta and Serato launch Slab, the first hardware controller for Serato Studio
The entry-level pad controller offers a slick, simplified workflow for Serato Studio, but can also work with Serato Sample and Serato DJ Pro
"It's the most influential drum machine ever created – and has likely featured on more records than any other": A history of Roland drum machines, from the TR-77 to the TR-1000
We take a backwards glance at the boundary-pushing beatboxes that led Roland to its latest landmark release
How TEED went back to basics with a bedroom set-up and a borrowed synth for third album Always With Me
The artist formerly known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs dives into the making of his latest project, driven by a desire to keep things simple and find joy in the creative process
"They appeared to revel in the confusion that has been created”: Jorja Smith’s label claim royalties on AI track
I Ran was created using Suno
These 58 Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for musicians are still live - but they'll be gone soon
Missed out on a Black Friday or Cyber Monday music bargain this year? There's still a chance to save on guitars, drums and recording gear with these epic deals
19 of the best plugins under $50 for last-minute impulse buying this Cyber Monday
Forget high-end hardware or mammoth bundles – these are our favourite Cyber Monday music software bargains to be had for little more than pocket change
I switched to Ableton Live from Logic Pro, and I've never looked back. If you want to do the same, you can still score 25% off in the Sweetwater Cyber Week sale
Save up to $187 right now on Ableton Live Suite, Standard, and Intro at Sweetwater - but be quick, it ends soon!
Guitars
“Nobody can play better than that guy, man!”: Steve Morse on the supernatural powers of Petrucci, Johnson and Blackmore
His new Steve Morse Band album Triangulation is an audacious work of instrumental rock
Dirty Boy turns the tables on guitar’s digital revolution with an all-analogue preamp pedal inspired by a plugin
SilverBOY is fully wired for sound and presents players with a high-functioning preamp pedal with all mod cons, proving that the inspiration between pedals and plugins can go both ways
EVH Gear turns “holy grail” Eddie Van Halen amp Hypersonic with super-lightweight 5150III 6L6 digital modelling combo
The three-channel 50W monster is a super lightweight combo that is easy on your back while showing no quarter with its high-gain tone, and EVH Gear says its faithful to the original tube amp
Adrian Belew on how he and Seymour Duncan made one of the first relic’d guitars
The prog guitar icon has posted new pics taken by Seymour Duncan that show off their handiwork as they turned Belew's new Strat into a relic and started guitar's most controversial trend
Electro-Harmonix presents 100-watts of solid-state power in a compact guitar amp head weighing just 2.5lbs
An amp you can throw into a backpack, the ABRAMS100 is a single-channel head with digital spring reverb, 3-band EQ, Bright switch and effects loop and it has ample clean headroom
Flea teases his first solo album with a seven minute jazz rave single
The video is directed by his daughter
Fender and Jackson celebrate 50 years of Iron Maiden with limited run signature collection
Choose your fighter, Maiden fans, with four variations on the archetypical Superstrat including a Custom Shop doozy... And it is foot on the monitor time with that Harris P-Bass
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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 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
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
30 essential acoustic guitar chords, with charts
Massively expand your musical vocabulary and songwriting options with these beautiful acoustic guitar chords
Latest Tuition
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
How to stress test a laptop for music production in any DAW - and why every producer should do it
Get the most out of your machine and find out how far your laptop can really take your recordings
Never miss a MusicRadar thing: Google has made it easier to keep us in your feed
How to make MusicRadar.com a preferred source
Why imposing hard limitations could be the secret to finishing more music
We’re all struggling to fit in music-making between our other time consuming responsibilities. Optimise your process by cutting back on the options
5 creative ways to use distortion in Ableton Live: From punchier drums to dub techno delays
Let's explore how devices including Saturator, Roar and Erosion can help bring a track to life
How to think like a human drummer when building software beats
Ditch the repetitive loops and unlock more dynamic rhythms
10 tips for recording perfect drums
Essential information for anyone who wants to capture a kit
“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
We explore the theory behind beats, and how we score kicks, snares, hats and percussion
10 common electronic drum set issues and how to troubleshoot them
Don’t let annoying gremlins spoil your playing. From no sound to too much noise, most problems can be solved with some simple settings or affordable upgrades - here’s how
The easy guide to recording drums: kit tips, mic placement and setting up your DAW
Inject some feel into your tracks by recording a real human drummer (no jokes, please) playing actual drums!
How to make virtual acoustic drum performances sound like the real thing
If you find that your MIDI recreations of acoustic drum parts are sounding a little robotic, we've got some tips and tricks to bring them to life, along with some great suggestions for acoustic drum plugin suites.
Latest Reviews
"In terms of audio and signal performance, it delivers everything I would want as a vocalist": Positive Grid Spark Link XLR wireless system review
A simple way to add wireless connectivity to an XLR device with mic signal levels, I find out how well Positive Grid's solution holds up in a full band rehearsal
"With a DI box and some time to learn the layout, it's a robust, reliable and ridiculously well-equipped powerhouse for the stage and studio": IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal Bass Edition review
The sonic power of TONEX, ported to a bass-friendly version of the TONEX Pedal
"When it comes to sound, I'm convinced there isn’t a bad tone in this pedal": Crazy Tube Circuits Mirage JR reverb pedal review
With a clutch of reverbs from standard to experimental, this could be your one-stop shop for all your spatial requirements
“If you already own an Apollo or Volt interface and want to upgrade your inputs, then the Volt 876 is a no-brainer”: Universal Audio Volt 876 review
UA's biggest Volt interface makes recording drums or full bands a breeze with some neat workflow-enhancing touches
Warm Audio Tube Squealer review
Adding options to a tried-and-tested circuit, Warm Audio releases its take on an iconic overdrive pedal
"This pedal excels at delivering a completely clean volume boost - and there's plenty of volume on tap": Fender Hammertone Boost review
Hammer your solo tone into shape with Fender's hard-hitting but affordable boost pedal
“For a budget amp, it offers an impressive feature set without costing the earth”: Harley Benton DNAFX AmP20 review
Can Harley Benton offer something new in the highly competitive world of modelling amps?
“A feral supernova awaits if you dime those dials”: EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker review
EarthQuaker Devices' latest fuzz is a love letter to the fabled Tone Bender MkII that presents its dynamite sound in a mini-pedal format
