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The sound quality of free plug-ins has come a very long way in the past decade. Freeware used to be somewhat synonymous with effects that sounded inferior, forcing you to shell out precious budget on paid plug-ins and preventing you from investing in other areas of your recording setup – but this is no longer […]
Is a “handmade” guitar really better than one with a CNC-carved body? Well, some people would have you think so! In this YouTube video Rhett Shull gives you all the facts on both sides of the argument. CNC vs. Handmade Guitar CNC stands for Computer Numerically Controlled, and means that someone programmed a computer that controls […]
Which Squier Strat would a Fender Master Builder buy? Bet you’ve asked yourself that question before! YouTuber Philip McKnight has just posed this question to Fender Master Builder Ron Thorn. The two try out three current Squier Strat models during a visit to Thomann. Which Squier would a Fender Master Builder buy? The YouTube video below […]
The Raspberry Pi is a complete computer in a miniature format. In its standard enclosure, it’s only slightly larger than two boxes of matches – that’s incredibly compact, especially if you consider the amount of available connectors. And it’s expandable, too. But is that enough to replace a DAW computer in the near future, or […]
Who mixes in mono any more? Well, virtually no one, and in most cases you don’t want to end up with a mono final mix. But if you start mixing with all channels panned to center, it’s easier to hear which tracks conflict with each other; you might not notice these problems if the tracks […]
Ever wanted to make your Stratocaster more versatile tonally? How about modifying the switching on your guitar to give you new pickup combinations? The simplest of these is the 7-way switch, also known as the “Gilmour mod”. This adds more tones to your guitar with minimal modification. Even if you’ve never used a soldering iron before, […]
Recently, the “tube amps versus modelling” debate has heated up online. Products like Line 6’s Helix, Fractal Audio’s FM3, Hotone’s Ampera and, of course, the Kemper Profiler are getting closer and closer to the sounds of real classic valve amps. Recently, players like John Mayer and even Mark Knopfler have used guitar modellers live during concerts, instead […]
JHS’s Josh Scott has over time built one of the best YouTube channels for pedalheads. His latest video shows 10 effects pedals that you’ve probably never seen, let alone heard. So are there any treasured gems in amongst the weirdness? DOD Corosion with that extra feature The first pedal featured in the video is the DOD CoRrosion. Sonically, it’s rather, ahem, special, […]
If you have the right amp simulation for your needs, but can’t find the right cabinet… then make your own using an EQ! For example, I like the Metal Lead amp in AmpliTube 4, but on a recent mix I found the matching cab didn’t give the sound I wanted. Although some of the other […]
If you’ve heard people talking about adding “glue” to a mix, this usually involves a bus compressor. But you can also “glue” tracks together in a subtle way by placing two standard compressors in series with high thresholds, low ratios, and no attack time. This method of glue compression gives you dynamics control that’s so […]