Watch synth pioneer Wendy Carlos in the studio, working synth and synthesis magic back in 1989
Footage from a UK BBC documentary show’s Carlos at the top of her game, making the transition from analogue to digital
Artists
Watch synth pioneer Wendy Carlos in the studio, working synth and synthesis magic back in 1989
Footage from a UK BBC documentary show’s Carlos at the top of her game, making the transition from analogue to digital
“It was originally called Everybody Wants To Go To War”: How Tears For Fears made an ’80s mega-hit
It all started with two simple, chimey chords...
“Just vibes curated for influencer culture”: Reggie Watts just summed up everyone's Coachella experience
As we head into Coachella 2025’s second weekend the festival's naysayers are only getting louder
Ed Sheeran’s court case forced him to hand over his old phone. Now he’s got a new single out of it
While being accused of a crime he didn’t commit cut deep, at least the experience provided some unwanted inspiration
How a feat of spontaneous creativity resulted in one of Pink Floyd’s most majestic moments
A gentle meditation on mortality was brought to passionate life thanks to one woman’s improvised vocal
Songwriter Eg White on how Adele took some “very boring chords” and turned them into an “explosive” hit
Why working with the star on 2008’s Chasing Pavements led White to question some of his own creative instincts
“I needed to scratch an itch”: Mike Portnoy talks about his years away from Dream Theater
“I was fried” he says, “but I went off from there to form, like, 87 bands”
"That's what it takes to make music that's gonna last forever": Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan producer Daniel Nigro on crafting timeless tracks
In the first episode of Universal Audio's Apollo Creators series, the Grammy-winning producer/songwriter opens the doors to his studio and shares some valuable insights into his creative process
Music Tech
MusicRadar deals of the week: I'm feeling this! Score an impressive £350 off the Fender DeLonge Starcaster, as well as hundreds off Epiphone, Gretsch, Gibson and more
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, Gretsch and more
“Do you dare to ditch those ‘normal’ beats in favour of hands-on tweaking and extreme sounds? Of course, you do”: Sonicware CyDrums review
As many beats and blips as you need, and as much sound-design depth as you dare to dive into
The Keybird L1 is the MIDI-friendly acoustic piano that anyone can fit in their living space
Meet the tiny piano that's making a big noises on Kickstarter
"I really like Equinox – it’s a shame it's priced for the post-production market”: iZotope Equinox review
iZotope spin Exponential Audio tech into a top end reverb – it's great, but you'll want to try to get it at a sale price
With the same mesh-head playability and powerful new Strata module as its bigger brothers, Alesis Strata Club brings a new compact form to its best-selling range
Want the power and playability of Strata but don’t have the room to manoeuvre? The join the Club
Universal Audio releases its UAFX Woodrow '55 pedal as a plugin, putting an "American classic" in your DAW
Another of UA's amp modelling pedals gets the plugin treatment - and this time it's the company's take on the 1955 Fender 5E3 Tweed Deluxe
"Yamaha has achieved an extraordinary level of immersiveness and realism, crafting an instrument that sounds closer to an acoustic piano and feels like one under your fingers": Yamaha Clavinova CLP-885 digital piano review
Yamaha is the undisputed king of digital pianos, and the Clavinova range is the jewel in their crown
With its latest free update, Ableton has finally turned Note into the app I always wanted it to be
Offline MIDI editing makes Ableton’s iPhone and iPad app more of a must-have iOS companion for Live users
"Despite its size, it delivers impressive audio quality and premium functions as well as featuring a good selection of inspired sounds": Roland GO:Piano 88PX review
A new digital piano that’s ultra-compact, simple, sounds great, and comes at an affordable price? Yes, but what's the catch?
Baby Audio's Smooth Operator spectral balancing plugin goes pro
With a redesigned interface and an upgraded core algorithm, Smooth Operator Pro promises to address common mix issues and improve balance and clarity
Guitars
MusicRadar deals of the week: I'm feeling this! Score an impressive £350 off the Fender DeLonge Starcaster, as well as hundreds off Epiphone, Gretsch, Gibson and more
We've uncovered the very best offers on a range of music-making gear from the likes of Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, Gretsch and more
Gamechanger Audio unveils the Motor Pedal – a real synth pedal with a “multi-modal gas pedal”
Forget synth emulation pedals, Gamechanger describes this mechanically powered stompbox as “the sound of a spinning brushed DC motor, pushed to the edge and tamed with precision control”
“I don’t think they’re New Order. They don’t sound anything like them”: Peter Hook on his estranged bandmates
He says he gets DMs from fans complaining about the current band
![PRS Archon Classic and Mark Tremonti MT 15 v2: the newly redesigned tube amps offer a host of new features and tones, with the Alter Bridge guitarist's new lunchbox head [right] featuring the Overdrive channel from his MT 100 head, and there's a half-power switch, too.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FD37q5pRLCQDhCpT8y94Zi-840-80.jpg.webp)
PRS refreshes tube amp range with the reworked Mark Tremonti MT 15 head and Archon Classic
One of the best low-wattage high-gain amps around just got an upgrade while the Archon Classic offers hot-rodded vintage tone
Jackson gives Misha Mansoor’s Juggernaut a new lick of paint and upgrades to stainless steel frets
Mansoor's arch-top Superstrat has never looked so good, and while it might be designed for crushing downtuned riffs but that five-way switching yields a lot of tones from the signature MM1 humbucker pairing
Chase Bliss teams up with Mike Piera for Analog Man collab based on the legendary King Of Tone
Years in the making, Brothers AM applies Chase Bliss’s expansive digital controls and a cornucopia of dip-switches to an overdrive classic – and it has a Beano Boost mode
Fender remixes its blockbuster Player II range with the Modified Series and got IDLES to demo them
The Player II Modified range is a refresh of the familiar favourites, with Noiseless pickups, locking tuners, treble bleed circuits and of course there is an HSS Strat with a Floyd Rose
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
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
"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
Latest Tuition
Technically capable, but struggle to make your tunes sound musical? 5 simple music theory hacks to make your tracks stand out
Level up your music-making with these simple but effective tricks that can be easily used by those with zero knowledge of music theory
Play mono synth properly: the skills you need
How playing mono synths differs from standard keyboards
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.
Latest reviews
“Do you dare to ditch those ‘normal’ beats in favour of hands-on tweaking and extreme sounds? Of course, you do”: Sonicware CyDrums review
As many beats and blips as you need, and as much sound-design depth as you dare to dive into
"I really like Equinox – it’s a shame it's priced for the post-production market”: iZotope Equinox review
iZotope spin Exponential Audio tech into a top end reverb – it's great, but you'll want to try to get it at a sale price
"Yamaha has achieved an extraordinary level of immersiveness and realism, crafting an instrument that sounds closer to an acoustic piano and feels like one under your fingers": Yamaha Clavinova CLP-885 digital piano review
Yamaha is the undisputed king of digital pianos, and the Clavinova range is the jewel in their crown
"Despite its size, it delivers impressive audio quality and premium functions as well as featuring a good selection of inspired sounds": Roland GO:Piano 88PX review
A new digital piano that’s ultra-compact, simple, sounds great, and comes at an affordable price? Yes, but what's the catch?
“Excels at unique modulated timbres, atonal drones and microtonal sequences that reinvent themselves each time you dare to touch the synth”: Soma Laboratories Lyra-4 review
This unique synth built around ‘organismic’ principles is so much fun, you just might want to buy two
“The included sample content is sonically amazing”: Spitfire Audio BBC Radiophonic Workshop review
This long overdue curation of one of the most distinctive archives in Electronic Music history, finally brings Radiophonics to your DAW
"Yes, its small proportions mean it’s somewhat restricted tonally, but forget what it can’t do and concentrate on the areas where it excels.": Gibson L-00 Special review
Small-bodied acoustic built from solid tonewoods and with an LR Baggs pickup, for well under two grand
“A well spec’d device that bridges the gap between a basic stereo field recorder and a more advanced multitrack device”: Zoom H4 Essential review
If you’ve outgrown your stereo field recorder, this could be just the upgrade you’re after
“A high-quality solution for capturing your drums”: Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt review
A drum and instrument studio classic gets the scaled-down treatment
“A beautiful, well-executed Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘50s Double Trouble review
Looking for a collectible Gibson electric without the Murphy Lab price tag? This limited edition model is a compelling twist on the current Les Paul Standard with the subtle whiff of vintage mojo