gear giveaway

At the SNAMM Stompbox Exhibit 2013: Holowon and the Tape Soup

The first Stompbox Exhibit at NAMM is next week (Summer NAMM in Nashville!) and we want to take the opportunity to highlight the various boutique manufacturers who will be participating. Holowon is a small company based in Rochester, NY specializing in hand-built effect pedals. All their designs are 100% originals - no…Click on the title for more

At the SNAMM Stompbox Exhibit 2013: Holowon and the Tape Soup

Pedal News: iRig HD and AmpliTube Studio

IK Multimedia has become such a force in the realm of iOS interfaces for audio and software. They recently released two new items that the guitar pedal loving community may find useful. The first is iRig HD which is a high quality audio input for mono instrument sources and the…Click on the title for more

Pedal News: iRig HD and AmpliTube Studio

Transient Shapers for An Explosive Drum Sound

While all elements in a recording conjure up to create a great sounding track, drums are a particularly important instrument for non lo-fi, punchy rock music, which requires particularly explosive kicks, snares and toms. Great drummers playing great drums in great sounding rooms, and vintage compressors like the UREI 1176…Click on the title for more

Transient Shapers for An Explosive Drum Sound

Lightning Boy Audio launches the Opti-Mu Prime compressor

Based in Eden, NY, Lightning Boy Audio is a small manufacturer focusing on designing hand made analog equipment - including stompboxes (but they also manufacture studio gear including an optical compressor and a plate reverb). They currently have 4 pedals on their "roster" including 2 distortions and one EQ, and they…Click on the title for more

Lightning Boy Audio launches the Opti-Mu Prime compressor

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Mooer Micro Pedals Distortions

Back in April we reviewed four pedals from Mooer's Micro Series of miniature guitar pedals. This is the second installation and this time it's all about distortion. We've got four more pedals on hand from the fantastic series of pedals covering a wide range of distortion styles including the Flex…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Mooer Micro Pedals Distortions

Recording Tips: Acoustic Guitar as a Resonant Microphone

To make the music production process more creative and interesting, it's always good to try and record your tracks in ways that are not entirely ordinary. One way to add a new, intriguing layer to any loud instruments (like amped electric guitars or drums or even horns) is to use…Click on the title for more

Recording Tips: Acoustic Guitar as a Resonant Microphone

Pedal Review: TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb

The TC Electronics Hall of Fame is a compact and convenient digital reverb pedal. With ten separate modes along with TC Electronics’ TonePrint options, the Hall of Fame is one of the most versatile reverb pedals in its price range. The pedal’s deceivingly simple design conceals just how adaptable it truly is. …Click on the title for more

Pedal Review: TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb

DIY recording tips: Micing The Snare

No other drum sound conveys as much character to a rock song as the snare (although the kick is a close second). Recording a snare drum is not hard, but getting the right sound is a challenge that might take longer than expected. Here are some tips that can help…Click on the title for more

DIY recording tips: Micing The Snare

Guitar Pedal News: MI Effects Cross Over Drive

MI-Effects is about to release the Cross Over Drive, a FET overdrive designed to capture the response and touch-sensitivity of an amp's organic overdrive. It will be available in August as a limited run of 250 due to a limited supply of transistors needed to make the pedal. The preamp design…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal News: MI Effects Cross Over Drive

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Fairfield Circuitry Four Eyes

In a world of Fuzz overload (where every company''s first pedal is a Fuzz) it's kind of hard to stick out and do something innovative without stepping on the feet of innovators' past. However, I will have to say that the Fairfield Circuitry's Four Eyes Crossover Fuzz, consisting of three…Click on the title for more

Guitar Pedal Reviews: Fairfield Circuitry Four Eyes

Recording Tips: Fixing Proximity Effects, Sibilance and Plosives when recording vocals

Slow, sparse songs allow the vocals to become the central focus of the recording, and that’s when the choice of microphone and mic preamp can make a big difference. Not many can afford a Neumann U47 (pictured) through a Neve channel, but even with a limited microphone/preamp arsenal, a lot…Click on the title for more

Recording Tips: Fixing Proximity Effects, Sibilance and Plosives when recording vocals

Pedal Review: Analog Man’s ARDX20

Analog Man’s ARDX20 ($265) is the epitome of boutique production on a global scale, handsoldered in China, before heading to Japan where pedal designer Ohbayashi San and his team calibrate, tune and engrave each one. Unusually, the ARDX20 is a two-channel delay. Each channel gets three knobs, delay time, feedback,…Click on the title for more

Pedal Review: Analog Man’s ARDX20