303 State: A History of the Roland TB-303
The Roland TB-303 houses one of music’s most singular sounds. Scroll down a bit and hit play on Phuture’s “Acid Tracks.” What do you hear? That knocking beat of the TR-707 gives way to what sounds like...
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Who Was Ted McCarty?
The president of Gibson during its most accomplished era, the man who oversaw the development of the Les Paul and first conceptualized the ES-335, nearly took a job with Brach’s Candy. Perhaps in a...
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A Quick Take on Flanging
Flanging, whether created by a reel-to-reel tape machine, a guitar pedal, or a plugin on your DAW, is an instantly recognizable, transformative effect. But where does flanging come from? What exactly...
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Audio Gear Brand Names: What Do Those Initials Stand For?
What does AKG stand for? What does JBL stand for? If you’re familiar with pro audio and recording gear brands, you’ll recognize many names that just go by their initials. But what do those initials and...
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10 Music Gear Brand Names You Should Know How to Say
If you’re into making music, you’re probably into talking gear, too. But what’s the proper way to pronounce all those audio gear and musical instrument brand names that you’ve seen so many times? Here...
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Raymond Scott, A Synth Pioneer
Born in Brooklyn and a graduate of the Julliard School of Music, synth pioneer Raymond Scott began his career in music in 1931, playing piano for the CBS Radio house band. In 1936 Raymond Scott put...
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The Shure SM58: From Flop to Top
It may have been your first mic, or it may be the one you’ll use at the gig tonight — either way, this mic set the standard for nearly every microphone built in the last 50 years. Shure’s SM58 leads...
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The Triangle: Earth’s First Big Muff
Arguably the most famous distortion pedal of all time is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. With its nearly endless sustain, amazing textures, and its ability to take your solos to the next level, the...
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Guitar Parts That Made History
While most guitar enthusiasts recognize and revere the likes of Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstrat,” or Jimi Hendrix’s beloved Stratocasters, the individual components in these guitars have stories to...
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Stop Trading Gear So Soon
As tone chasers and curious musicians, it’s pretty easy to keep trading gear. While new gear won’t make you play any better, new tools can expand what we as musicians can do. Most of the gear that I...
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