Production & Pro Audio Music Gear Guides

Top Studio Monitor Speakers for Music Production

Music producers from around the web say these are the Best Studio Monitors for Home Studios. Read on to see if you monitors made the cut.

5 Best Wireless Microphones: Superior Wireless Systems

Something that many musicians don’t really think of is wire management during a live performance. Why? Because it’s boring. It’s like thinking about a gas bill. Actually, it’s more like thinking about someone else’s gas bill. With that being said, like many of the boring parts about being a musician wire management can actually be pretty important. Having a messy stage that looks like it’s covered in black spaghetti looks pretty unprofessional, as does face planting into the groupie in the front row after stumbling over your mic cord. The latter is also a good way to lose groupies, which would be a shame considering that’s why 90% of us got into music in the first place. While wire management involves the majority of your gear, an easy to clean up your stage is to invest in a wireless microphone system. The only question is, how do you go about figuring out how to select the best wireless microphone system for your needs?

Top MIDI Keyboard Controllers - Updated 2019

A solid MIDI keyboard can unleash your creativity and improve your workflow dramatically. We recommend the best MIDI keyboards for various budgets in all key sizes, from portable 25-key keyboards to 88 keys.

5 Best XLR Cables: Guide to Pro Audio Cables

Microphone cables are an incredibly important addition to any musician’s rig. As a performer, your sound is made up of a million different variables. Any one thing going wrong will have an impact on your tone, and assuming that you want to sound as good as possible (which who doesn’t?) you’re going to want to make sure that you purchase equipment that doesn’t limit you. A bad microphone cable can let you down mid-show, introduce electronic interference into the P.A., and result in a lessened signal that’s devoid of rich frequencies. We’ll give you all the information that you’re going to need to make an informed purchase, and down at the end of the article we’re even going to give you a few great recommendations to aid you in your search.

The 5 Top Audio Interfaces - Updated 2019

Choosing the best audio interface can be a daunting task. In this guide we’ll talk a bit about what you should look for in an audio interface, example uses, and make 5 audio interface recommendations for your home or mobile studio.

5 Best Vocoders: Speech Synthesizers

Among effects that you can use to add in (relatively) unique elements to your songs is a vocoder. Though often confused with a talk box, a vocoder is actually a device where you sing into a mic and have the ability to translate the tone of your voice to an instrument, most commonly a keyboard. This effect is used extensively in a wide variety of pop music, both modern and older examples. A notable example of which would be both [Cher](http://equipboard.com/pros/cher) and [Daft Punk](http://equipboard.com/pros/daft-punk). Because this effect is relatively underutilized in many genres it can be hard for musicians to find an option that suits their needs well. There’s a variety of different options available at a staggering array of different price points. Luckily for you, this article is going to give you all the information you need to figure out for yourself just how to select the best vocoder for your needs. Even better, at the bottom of the list we’re going to give you five great recommendations to help aid you in your search.

5 Best Mic Preamps: Signal Stimulus

Every company says that there product is the best, and even your fellow musicians are going to disagree on what the best piece of gear is for any given rig. So if you’ve had trouble selecting the best mic preamp, you’ve come to the right place. This article is going to help inform you on the product, as well as giving you a free great recommendations that will help aid you in your search.

5 Best MIDI Cables: Top Convenient Connectivity Choices

Buying the right MIDI cable seems like a simple purchase - and in many ways it is - but there is still some confusion to be had with dozens of models available on the market today. We’re here to clear up some MIDI confusion and make recommendations for the best MIDI cables for your hard earned money...

5 Best Patch Cables: Guide to Guitar Patch Cables

There are a lot of parts of being a musician that you never really consider when you’re first starting out, because odds are that you’re likely to be the first musician in your immediate family. Things like cables, matching ohms between a head and a speaker cabinet, and finding the best patch cable(s) for your needs aren’t really explained to you until you run into a situation where you need to figure these things out for yourself. Luckily for you our articles are aimed at exactly that. If you’ve ever run into issues trying to figure out how to select the best patch cables for your needs you’ve come to the right place.

5 Best Synth VSTs

Choosing what VST synth to use is not easy. It’s a very personal choice, and there are hundreds of them out there to try out. So, if you need a hand, we’re here to help. In this guide, we’re talking all about VST synths - what they are, what to look for, and we’ll review 5 of our favorites...

Top 5 Synthesizers - Updated 2019

Choosing a first synth can be a daunting task for anyone first starting to dabble in hardware synthesizers. In recent years, the market for low-cost synths has grown tremendously, making the number of choices almost too many to count. Some options are better than others though - let's talk about those...

5 Best DAWs: The Complete Guide to Choosing Your DAW

Selecting your DAW is very important - it's the start of a long-term relationship, and you'll be spending a lot of time together as you create and record music. Check out our guide to the best DAWs to ensure this relationship has the best chance of success...

Top 5 Piano VSTs

Armed with a computer and a MIDI keyboard, piano plugins let you own the sounds of legendary pianos from Steinway, Bösendorfer, Fazioli and more at a tiny fraction of the cost. Unfortunately there are so many piano VSTs out there, choosing the best one can be very confusing...

5 Best Condenser Microphones: Finding Your Sound

Knowing what you’re purchasing a microphone for is essential before heading into the deep sea of options you’ll find.

Top Studio Headphones for Music Production

66 headphones go head-to-head for the title of Best Headphones for Electronic Music Production. Read on to see the best ones to get, and to see if yours make the cut.

How To Make Electronic Music: The Complete Guide

So, you want to try your hand at producing electronic music. Well, we’re very glad you found your way to this guide. The world of electronic music production can be a little confusing and even a bit intimidating, especially when you have little clue as to how to get started...

Top Drum Machines

In today's world where everyone is using the same tired drum samples they download on the web, owning a hardware drum machine can be a game changer and take your drum sound design and beat-making skills to the next level.

Top 5 Free VST Plugins

While some might be able to afford top of the line plugins, the rest of us, who are on a budget, need to be careful where we put our money. Thankfully, there is a ton of free software available for our music production needs. From a range of great synths to a go-to compressor, as long as you have the software to host it, there is sure to be something for you.