A volume pedal is a must-have piece of gear for many guitarists, facilitating control over gain as well as advanced techniques like volume swells. However, because there are so many options available it can be hard to figure out the best volume pedal for a given situation.

 
Delay is a unique effect in that it has a place in every genre. Whether you’re looking for dry country slapback chunk or the smooth “filling out” effect you hear in metal. Essentially, if you play guitar you’re going to want to pick up a delay pedal at some point.

64 combo bass amps analyzed for this guide covering all of the information that you’ll need in order to make an informed purchase, and we’ve recommended some great amps in case you don’t feel like scrolling through scores of different options trying to figure out which one will work best for your situation.

The ukulele, an instrument characterized by its soft lilting tone, is a great fit for accompanying singer-songwriters. It’s also experienced a resurgence in popularity, inspired in part by folk’s resurgence as a segment of the Americana movement.

When you don’t really know anything about the guitar, finding an instrument that will make learning fun is a pretty tall order - so we've put this guide together for anyone buying their first acoustic guitar or for those buying a beginner guitar for someone else.

49 Key controllers hit the sweet spot for many musicians and music producers. They are much more of a playable instrument than their smaller 25-Key siblings, yet still compact enough to be reasonably portable and not take up too much valuable space in a home recording studio.

The great thing about 25 key MIDI controllers is their portability and the small amount of space they take up. They're not designed to replace a full size keyboard, but rather to offer convenience - that said some of the higher-end options are packed with an impressive range of features these days.

A capo is a must-have accessory for any guitarist. The ability to play different chords in a variety of positions (for example, playing a C chord with a capo on the second fret makes it a D chord) is an invaluable asset to any vocalist or finger-style musician.

Nylon has been the material of choice for flamenco, classical, and many fingerstyle guitarists for decades. First introduced as an alternative to the gut strings used prior to the material’s introduction, nylon has proven itself to be a valuable option due to its affordability and resilience.

The ukulele has experienced somewhat of a resurgence in recent years. It’s trademark bouncy and uplifting tone has proven to be an asset to the modern singer-songwriter as well as acoustic focused musicians, and judging by the last few years its prevalence won’t diminish anytime soon.

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.

Solid state amplifiers offer a lot of advantages and there are a ton that sound amazing. They’re (generally) cheaper, more durable, don’t have to warm up/cool down, and are significantly easier to transport than most tube amps.

The 2017 version of this gear guide is focused on stand-alone digital multitrack recorders that have everything you need built-in for recording, mixing, and producing music - if you're looking for handheld multitrack recorders then please read our Handheld Recorder Guide.

Gearing up for recording has never been easier, all you need is your computer, instrument of choice, microphone, and a good quality budget-friendly audio interface. Since cheap audio interfaces continue to get better, we decided to take another look at what the market considers as the best and update our list for 2017. This time around, we decided to include interfaces with any number of channels as long as they do not exceed the $200 ceiling price.

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.

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

Whether you're looking to get your first good MIDI interface, or if you're looking to upgrade so you can plug more MIDI devices simultaneously into your computer, then this guide is for you. Note that many of these interfaces are class compliant so you'll also be able to use them with iOS or Linux as well as Mac and Windows.

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.

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.

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 20 most popular systems at major online American music gear stores and examined over 2,600 sources to bring you the highest rated options on the market.

Looking for a portable and affordable alternative to your expensive and bulky bass amplifiers? Or are you simply looking for a way to improve your sound? If yes, then this gear guide is for you, featuring the best bass preamps available.

A solid and reliable stand is a must not just to help with playing, but also to protect your precious keyboards and synthesizers. This article focuses on stands primarily designed for 49 key instruments and up - if you need a stand for a mini or micro keyboard then you should probably consider getting a music laptop stand or something similar.

This guide is intended for adults, including both musicians and non-musicians, who want to buy a drum set for children around 10 years old or younger. If the intended recipient is much older than that, or if they're tall for their age, then please refer to our guide for full-sized beginner drum sets.

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 microphone. This list reflects this particular demand, featuring condenser microphones that have proven themselves to be valuable additions to home studios and stages world over.

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.

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.

As you take your home recording to the next level, you will outgrow your 2-channel audio interface. This guide is designed to help you with this expansion, featuring the best stand-alone audio interfaces that have 4 to 18 channels.

NB: We have separate guides devoted to 2-Channel and iPad audio interfaces.

This guide is intended to help anyone who is currently looking to buy a new acoustic or acoustic-electric guitar with a budget between $100 and $2000. Hundreds of guitars and over 16,000 reviews, ratings and discussions were analyzed to produce what we believe is one of the most comprehensive acoustic guitar guides you'll find anywhere online.

Reverb refers to the reflection of sound as it bounces off physical objects, and manipulating this effect continues to fascinate guitarists, so much so that it has become a staple feature in many guitar amplifiers. Because of the need for hands free control, manufacturers long ago built the effect into the stompbox format and many have added advancements in Digital Sound Processing (DSP) technology.

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

Unlike standard MIDI keyboards, a portable keyboard has built-in speakers so you can play anytime without having to plug in additional equipment. The keyboards included in this guide have built-in speakers plus they have MIDI so you can also use them with your computer.

This guide is intended to help people who are either looking to buy their first full-sized electric guitar for themselves or as a gift, or those who simply want a cheap axe to play around with.

If you have an acoustic guitar with pickups you need a specialized acoustic amp if you want to bring out the natural tone of your instrument.

These amps aim to be transparent so they are also good at amplifying vocals - this means that many of these amps are also designed to work well as small PA systems.

Balanced XLR Cables are used to connect microphones and other balanced output music gear into mixing consoles. They continue to be the industry standard for both recording and live performance because they can shield your signal from interference, and transfer your audio over longer distances.

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.

Preamps for acoustic guitars and other acoustic instruments are great for bringing out a more natural and clear sound. Every kind of acoustic pickup has it's trade-offs and good preamps help emphasize the acoustic tone, add warmth and make the sound more realistic as well as reducing any unwanted frequencies.

Passive PA Speakers are designed to work in conjunction with an external power amplifier.

Since the amplifier is not included in the speaker cabinet, passive speakers are generally lighter, and are easy to maintain and troubleshoot. This setup also allows for easier expansion as long as you go within the limits of your amplifier.

Closed headphones are essential for any recording setup to prevent spill into live microphones while tracking. The following list of recommended headphones are all circumaural (they cover your ears completely) and are designed specifically for use in recording rather than for standard consumer applications, although audiophiles will appreciate their high level of performance.