This guide is for anyone looking for a new compressor for their 500 Series rack.

For this June 2018 update we expanded our short-list and examined reviews and forum comments from around the web to produce a new set of ratings for all eligible 500 series compressors.

As part of our June 2018 update we've expanded this guide to include smaller mic kits in addition to 7 mic kits. We made this change because although 7 mics are the minimum you need to properly mic a standard 5-piece drum set, many of our readers already have some mics and don't need a full 7 mic set.

Guitar amplifiers don't just amplify sound, they also shape and color the sound. This is especially true for tube amps, and is the reason why amps are considered as vital to tone as guitars themselves. Here we feature the best tube amps that fit the average guitarists' budget, based on actual user feedback and market sentiment.

61-Key MIDI keyboard controllers are big enough for complex two hand playing, while still retaining compact and portable profiles. As such, they are ideal instruments for Keyboardists who are looking for a controller that can be used both in the studio and for live performances.

With the right audio interface, you can turn your iPad into a full featured recording studio. Unfortunately, it can can tricky to work out which audio interfaces works best wit the iPad. So to help you find the best audio interface for your iPad, we have scoured the market for ones that actually work with the iPad and get good reviews, ratings and recommendations.

Getting a wireless system for your guitar can free you up from being tied to your amplifier and reduce cable clutter on stage.

We short-listed the 23 most popular systems at major online American music gear stores and examined over 4,300 sources to bring you the highest rated options on the market.

As the title suggests, this list features the best of what the sub $1000 market has to offer, divided into three popular price brackets for your convenience, the sub $200, sub $500 and sub $1000. This way, you can narrow down your selection to the best ones that you can actually afford.

Portable audio recorders are versatile devices that are used for recording rehearsals, live shows, and field recordings.

This guide is for you if you want to purchase a recorder to capture better quality audio than you can with a phone app.

In addition to keeping your stompboxes organized, pedalboards address clutter, storage, gear protection and transport needs. Here we take look at which boards are considered the best by users and experts, including those with and without a built-in power supply.

When you need to work on your recorded music you need to hear exactly how it sounds, warts and all.

Generally speaking, multimedia and hi-fi speakers are not suitable for the task because they tend to color the sound. This is where good studio monitors come in...

Whether you play Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic-Electric Guitar or Bass, we've got you covered when it comes to choosing your next tuner. In fact, we short-listed 52 tuners and analyzed over 23,000 sources to bring you what we believe is the most comprehensive guitar tuner guide currently available.

Building your very own personalized guitar has never been this easy, thanks to DIY (Do-It-Yourself) guitar kits. Here we look at what the market considers to be the best of them, covering a good variety of guitar shapes and styles.

The $200 to $300 price range has some nice amps with serious tone and flexibility. Since tone quality inspires better and longer playing, and sonic versatility allows for exploration of other musical styles, these amps are ideal for first time buyers, and for experienced players who want something compact.

The sub $500 price range is the sweet spot where you can find many guitar amps with good value and overall quality. Here we look at the best of these market leading combo amplifiers, to help you in your pursuit of great guitar tone and functionality.

We sought to make this the most comprehensive guide to electronic drums by conducting a detailed survey of the most popular and highly rated electronic kits at major online American music gear stores, which led to us short-listing 34 kits for detailed analysis for which we examined over 3,100 reviews, ratings, videos, and forum posts.

To enjoy your instrument without testing the limits of people's noise tolerance, you'll want a good guitar headphone amplifier.

Stand alone mic preamps are a great way to enhance the quality and character of your microphone recordings as well as allowing you to add extra mic enabled channels to your setup. Ordinary preamps built into audio interfaces and mixing desks are usually solid performers but dedicated preamps can add that extra warmth and clarity.

A great pair of headphones can make all the difference in producing quality studio recordings and overall listening satisfaction. This goes especially for home recording environments where proper acoustically treated rooms are less common, often limiting the accuracy of open air speaker systems.

When budget is limited, we often go for gear that can do more. This applies to condenser mics in the sub $100 price range, where musicians are mostly looking for an all-in-one budget friendly mic. This list serves this particular demand, featuring condenser microphones that have proven themselves to be valuable additions to home studios.

Stage pianos are great instruments built for live use by piano players. They tend to have the necessary components that a travelling musician needs. Given that they have a slimmer and more compact build, transporting and setting them up is easy.

Guitar cables can't make you sound better, but bad ones can make you sound bad, if not totally cut off your sound. This results in uninspiring and often awkward experiences that musicians try to forget. To avoid this we present the best guitar and instrument cables, covering a wide price range so you can choose one that fits your preference and budget.

If you're a DJ, musician or live sound engineer, the first thing you will have noticed when looking for professional PA subwoofers is that the market is extremely crowded with an almost endless number of options - this guide will help you decide which subwoofer to get by showing you the highest rated ones currently available.

Overdrive is an incredibly useful effect. To start with, it gives you familiar rock guitar tones, from subtle grit to crunch. On more complex setups, it can be used to add girth to an already distorted sound, and give your lead the cutting boost to take your solos to the next level. If you’re looking for the best overdrive pedals, check out our recommendations!

Stage monitors allow performers to hear themselves and others on stage. Without stage or floor monitors it can be very difficult to stay in time and sing in tune.

We have decided to focus this gear guide on floor monitors (also called wedge/foldback speakers) since they provide good area coverage and they are what most people use.

This guide is designed to help anyone who wants to get some new full-sized microphone stands either for stage or studio use.

Powered Speakers, also known as active speakers, are loudspeakers with amplifiers built into their enclosures. This combination results in improved versatility, making powered speakers more and more popular among musicians, sound engineers, and DJs.

The basic mechanical filtration of pop filters is so practical and efficient, that we still haven't found better alternatives. Positioned between the singer and the microphone they stop fast moving air from hitting the mic capsule and while filtering unwanted "pops", they also prevent saliva and moisture from getting into the microphone.

Just like any other instrument, ukuleles come in different shapes, sizes, and materials. And in order to find the best ukulele for you, you have to know what it kind of you tone you’re looking for. So if you’re not sure which ukulele is going to work best for you, check out our recommendations!

Guitar pickups impact your sound in a big way, and this is why many who are looking to improve their tone choose to replace their pickups. Here we present you with the best guitar pickups that you can get for under $200, covering both single coil and humbucker size.

This guide presents a range of synthesizers for those who are interested in choosing their first hardware synth and for musicians who are looking for a unit to add to their collection.

Everyone has heard the saying "practice makes perfect", and you know what, that saying just isn’t true. In reality, perfect practice makes perfect. So if you're looking to get the most out of your drum practice sessions, you’re going to want to have the best equipment. This is where we come in with our list of the highest rated drum practice pads.

Guitar stands are kind of like a belt. They’re cheap, and you’re not going to see a lot of people debating the pros and cons of different models on forums, but if you don’t get a good one you’ll end up regretting it. So rather than trying to search through scores of different models through online retailers, check out our recommendations.

Hearing yourself well can often spell the difference between mediocre and inspiring performances.

In-Ear Monitors (IEMs) let you do just that, by feeding personalized sound directly to your ears while blocking out ambient sounds on stage.

Finding the best drum sticks can be a challenge. There’s so much that goes into how they’re designed, and if you don’t get the right type for your needs and skill level you’re not going to get the tone or response you want.

While many of us are infatuated with gear, your sound when recording is only as good as the equipment you use to record. Finding the best overhead drum mics can be a challenge, so rather than go in blind check out this guide.

Finding the best bass guitar strings can be a challenge. With so many different materials and approaches to bass string design, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which is going to work the best for you and your style of playing.

When it comes to acoustic instruments, a huge part of your tone is decided by the strings you use. The gauge, the material they’re made from, and their design can all transform your tone; for better or worse. Make the most out of your instrument, equip it with the best sounding acoustic guitar strings - check out our recommendations!

A reality of being a guitarist is that you can’t always play at full volume. If you live with other people, especially in an apartment complex, you have to keep your volume at a reasonable level. Thankfully, there’s a solution available: practice amps. To find the best practice amp for your situation, check out our recommendations.

Your playing experience is decided just as much by your accessories as it is by your actual instrument, and there’s no better example of this than drum thrones. If you’re looking for the best drum throne, check out our recommendations!

Demand for multi-effects continue to rise, thanks to their ever improving quality and practicality. In line with this, we present you with what the market considers as the best guitar multi effects pedals, covering everything from beginner friendly compact units, to advanced flagship models

The ukulele has experienced a resurgence in popularity, and with that has come a huge wave of people trying to figure out which ukulele is right for them. If this sounds like you, check out our recommendations,

Chorus is one of the most pervasive effects in the industry, used in dozens of the most famous records ever released. However, like other modulation effects the factors that decide a chorus effect’s overall quality are shrouded in technical jargon. So rather than go in blind, take a look through the pedals we’ve collected.

We have decided to sift through what's available to present you with the best modeling amps for guitar, divided into three price brackets that fit the average budget. In addtion, we've included important features and noteworthy feedback from both experts and users, to give you a good overview of how well each one is received.

MIDI Pad controllers are great tools, originally used for playing or sequencing drums and other forms of percussion. Today, musicians are finding creative ways to use these types of controllers where hitting a pad triggers sound samples and loops. This guide is for those who are looking for an alternative or supplementary tool for keyboard controllers.

Looper pedals have become indispensable to musicians, thanks to their ability to create clones which you can use as virtual backup musicians and singers. Here we look at what the market considers as the best looper pedals, divided into two categories - Compact & Multiswitch.

Whether you're a pianist looking for something in the MIDI controller arena, or you're looking for a DAW controller and want a full sized bed, this updated guide has you covered.

Here we look at the best travel guitars on the market today, covering both acoustic and electric models, all of which are smaller and lighter to make your journey more comfortable.

From subtle reverb and compression, to robotic and alien sounds, vocal effects let you improve, tweak and even transform your voice. At first, this was achieved through post processing, but technology has made it possible for on-the-spot effects application and adjustments while performing - even realtime pitch correction is now possible...

Compressor pedals are the unsung heroes of many musicians’ rigs. The pedal is used to remove a portion of a signal’s dynamic range. Depending on how you set the pedal, it either makes quiet notes louder or loud notes quieter (or both).

A guitar rig is only as strong as its weakest link, so it pays to get the right patch cables for the job. Here we present you with what the market considers to be the best guitar patch cables, covering a variety of price ranges and bundles. Our list of recommendations includes detailed descriptions of each one, along with noteworthy feedback from real world users.

Open-back headphones are commonly identified by their vented or mesh-covered enclosed earcups. This design promotes a more natural sound that minimizes internal reflection and standing waves making them much better suited to mixing and mastering compared to closed-back headphones. This guide is for anyone who is looking for headphones suitable for mixing and mastering.

The acoustic guitar has long been, and continues to be, the most accessible music instrument available.

Having the right mic to record this prolific instrument is critical to a good recording setup for any musician or studio.

Here we feature the best guitar straps for electric and acoustic guitars. We also include top rated strap button adapters and classical guitar straps, to better accommodate different guitar types.

You can get some surprisingly good studio headphones for less than $100 these days, however not all types of headphones are available in this price range so we explain what the different types of headphones are and provide you with the information you need to get the best option for your needs.

For solidbody electric guitars, the $200 to $500 price range is where things start to get serious - quality is good enough for mid to advanced level players, while the prices remain beginner friendly. This guide aims to help you narrow down the options to only the most popular and top rated ones, so you can confidently and conveniently pick what suits your playing style.

While there's really no replacing a good drummer, the convenience, versatility and reliability that drum machines provide make them very practical and useful.