This guide covers all the main types of guitars with nylon strings including classical, flamenco, hybrid and both acoustic and acoustic-electric models. It also provides advice on topics such as Tonewoods, Scale Length, Nut Width, Action / String Height, Acoustic and Acoustic-Electric options.

If you're serious about improving or maintaining your drumming skills, practice shouldn't end the moment you step away from your drum kit. Training with drum practice pads keeps your skills sharp while helping you notice small things to improve because you're no longer bombarded with high decibel sounds.

This guide is about 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.

MIDI has been connecting musical equipment since 1982 and it's still going strong. Here we present to you the best MIDI interfaces for connecting your computer, tablet or even phone to your other MIDI gear. We've focused on interfaces with single in/out ports as these are what most people without complex setups need.

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.

Humidifying your guitar is an important part of maintaining your instrument. So to protect your precious instrument from damage, you’re going to want to find the best guitar humidifier for your situation. Check out our recommendations to see which will work best for you!

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.

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

Here are the highest rated pop filters along with professional advice from recording engineer Raphael Pulgar to help you select the best one for your recordings.

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. Includes tube and hybrid amps.

Platinum selling guitarist Alden Acosta presents the highest rated solidbody electric guitars between $500 and $1000 along with advice to help you chose the best one for your style.

Hearing protection is probably one of the most overlooked types of gear for musicians. Long term exposure to the average concert at around 100db or more can permanently damage our eardrums, reducing our ability to hear. Even worse than hearing loss is developing tinnitus, which is a constant ringing of the ear that doesn't go away.

Stage monitors allow you to hear yourself and others on stage. Without stage or floor monitors it can be very difficult to stay in time and sing in tune. This guide features the highest rated powered options on the market.

With the right audio interface, you can turn your iPad into a full featured recording studio. Featured here are the best audio interfaces that you can use to maximize the iPad's mobile recording potential.

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.

Compressor pedals are the unsung heroes of many musicians’ rigs. This type of 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).

Guitar teacher Alexander Briones presents the highest rated $200 to $500 solidbody electric guitars arranged by pickup types: Single Coil, P-90, Humbucker, HSS, HSH and other mixed combinations.

This gear guide will help you find the right studio recording microphones for your budget and needs. The focus is on top rated condenser and dynamic mics that are currently being used to record vocals in home recording and professional studios.

With their ability to handle high sound pressure levels and reject background noise, dynamic microphones continue to be vital in both live performances and recording. We have analyzed reviews and ratings of the many dynamic mics on the market, to bring you a list of the top ones deserving of your consideration.

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.

Gearing up for recording has never been easier, all you need is your computer, instrument, microphone, and a good audio interface. With so many cheap audio interfaces available, this guide will help you make the best choice with our list of current market favorites.

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 well suited to mixing and mastering.

Distortion is the sound that powers hard rock and metal. As such, many guitarists' first pedal is a distortion stompbox, and the love for this effect continues to grow with experience, with some having tried many different distortion pedals by the time they're playing on stage.

When you need to work on your recorded music you need to hear exactly how it sounds, warts and all. Multimedia and hi-fi speakers are not suitable for the task because they color the sound. This is where good studio monitors come in...

Parlor guitars offer a smaller, lighter and more comfortable alternative to regular-size acoustics. More importantly, they have a distinct sound that harks back to Victorian era guitars that were played in parlor rooms, and affordable "blues box" mail-order guitars from the early 1900s.

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.

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 can also run on batteries so you can play them anywhere.

We analyzed a record number of guitarist ratings and reviews, more than 157k sources, to bring you the highest rated sets of guitar strings in five standard gauge ranges.

A good guitar headphone amplifier will let you enjoy your instrument without testing the limits of other people's noise tolerance. Here we look at the best of these headphone amps for guitar, updated for 2021, plus top rated compact guitar processors that can do the job just as well.

For the modern electronic musician, performing goes beyond playing keyboard MIDI controllers and tweaking knobs. Songs arranged in the studio can now be performed and altered live. Sounds, samples or even entire sections of music can be triggered with the help of dedicated MIDI pad controllers assigned to specific functions in a DAW.

Loopers have become indispensable 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 loopers, divided into three categories: Compact, Multiswitch and Tabletop.

Tired of lugging around drums? Electronic drum pads can either augment your live and recording set up or replace them all together. All of these have MIDI and can be used to trigger external sound modules or DAW software.

Electronic drums are a heck of a lot of fun to play with, but more importantly they're the best way to learn, practice and improve your chops without making all the noise associated with acoustic drums - just slip your headphones on and you're good to go!

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 16 simultaneous analog inputs.

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...

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.

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.

If you go to many of the major online retailers you'll find well over 100 options priced under $1,000 listed in their drum set categories which can be very confusing if you're just starting out. This guide simplifies the process of buying a beginner drum set and tells you what you need to know to avoid some of the pitfalls in buying drum kits online.

To make the most out of your studio monitors, you'll want to pair them up with top quality stands that are designed for studio use. In addition to positioning and securing your speakers, these stands prevent cabinet vibration from transferring to your floor or desk, which results in improved sonic clarity.

Here are the best cheap ukes you can get for under $50. We've included bundled packages that have extras like carry bags and tuners which help make them suitable for beginners.

Channel strips provide a high degree of control over the input signal before it reaches your audio interface by providing better mic preamps and more control such as compressor / limiters to prevent exceeding the input limits on your interface.

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!

Audio engineer Raphael Pulgar presents the highest rated compressors for 500 series racks, both single channel and stereo bus compressors, along with detailed advice to help you select the best one for your recording setup.

Wireless systems are great because they free you up from being stuck in one spot. Today's wireless systems are relatively free from interference and drop outs, so if the fear of these things happening has been holding you back then there's no longer any need to worry - just ensure you get a system with the range you need.

The main job of a DI Box or is to convert your instrument lead (1/4" TS) signal 'directly' into the microphone (balanced 3-pin XLR) inputs that a mixing console typically has. Unlike a simple headphone adapter (1/4" to 1/8") it has to convert the differences in impedance and voltage between the two sides of the connection.

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.

Getting a wireless system for your guitar or bass frees you up from being tethered to your amp or pedalboard and reduces cable clutter on stage. In addition to showing you which systems are the most highly rated by musicians, this guide provides analysis and advice that will help you select the best one to add to your rig.

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.

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.

This is different to our other guitar amp guides in that we have first determined which brands have the highest average ratings via analysis of more than 90,000 review and rating sources, then we have selected the highest rated amp by each brand.

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. So get yourself one of the top rated cables and avoid the problems.

Gigging with an acoustic guitar can be a headache if you don’t have an acoustic guitar pickup, and if you don’t get the most appropriate pickup type for you you’re never going to get the tone you want. So rather than go in blind, check out our recommendations!

Acoustic guitars priced between $500 and $1,000 tend to have better tonewoods and construction than many of the cheaper options. You'll find many of these guitars also have better tonal definition and projection than their lower priced counterparts.

This year we expanded the scope of this guide to include both hybrid and standard electronic kits across all price ranges. Our recommendations are separated into 4 price brackets to help you choose the best one that fits within your budget.

Demand for multi-effects continues 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

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.

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, head and pedal board amplifiers, to help you in your pursuit of great guitar tone and functionality.

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.

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. Includes both analog and digital keyboard synths under $500 and under $1000.

We have examined over 6,800 reviews and ratings in order to present you with the highest rated acoustic-electric guitars that you can buy with a budget of no more than $200.