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.

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.

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.

Audio engineer Raphael Pulgar presents this rundown on the highest rated powered mixers along with detailed advice to help you select the most appropriate one for your live performances.

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.

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!

A guitar rig is only as strong as its weakest link, so it pays to get the right patch cables and/or couplers for the job. Here we present you with what the market considers to be the best, covering a variety of price ranges and bundles, along with advice to help you get the best for your rig.

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.

Whether you play Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic-Electric Guitar, Bass or Ukulele we've got you covered when it comes to choosing your next tuner. In fact we analyzed over 70,000 owner and user opinions to bring you what we believe is the most comprehensive guitar tuner guide currently available.

The main job of a DI Box 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 adaptor (1/4" to 1/8") it has to convert the differences in impedance and voltage between the two sides of the connection.

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...

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 will want to pick up a delay pedal at some point.

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

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.

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.

Keyboard amplifiers tend to be quite versatile with many able to amplify a wide range of input sources from keyboards and synths to vocals, electronic drums, acoustic guitars, bass, drum machines and backing machines. Some of the multi-channel options can even be used as small PA systems ideal for practice sessions or performing in small venues.

We intend this guide 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.

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.

When budget is limited, it is best to find gear that squeezes the most value for your money. This applies to condenser mics in the sub $100 price range, where you're mostly looking for an all-in-one budget friendly mic. This guide serves that demand, featuring condenser microphones that have proven themselves to be valuable additions to home studios.

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...

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 combo tube amps that fit the average guitarists' budget, based on actual user feedback and market sentiment.

Here we feature the best guitar straps for electric and acoustic guitars as well as for bass. We also include top rated strap button adapters and straps for classical guitars and ukuleles, to accommodate different instruments.

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.

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 best acoustic guitar pickup for you you’re never going to get the tone you want. So rather than go in blind, 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.

Guitar amps are an integral part to your sound, but a lot of musicians just can’t justify dropping hundreds (or even thousands!) of dollars on a guitar amp. If you’re looking to get a great tone for as cheap as possible, check out our recommended list in this guide.

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.

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 best option due to its affordability and resilience.

A battery powered guitar amp gives you the freedom to play on the go. Inspiration can also hit you from the most unexpected of times so an amp that is ready to play anywhere is a valuable tool for guitarists. Instead of taking time to fire up your entire rig just to get ideas down, a portable battery powered guitar amp can get you going right away.

Here are the highest rated 7-string electric guitars up to $2000 along with advice to help you find the best one for your needs.

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.

Want something you can crank at home without annoying the neighbors? Maybe a small gig or two in the future? Need saturated dirty tones for recording? Small, Low Watt Tube Amps are the perfect solution for all these needs

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.

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.

The number one barrier to entry towards having a great microphone is that most of them require an audio interface for recording. Major manufacturers now offer some of their models as USB mics with built in analog-to-digital converters to address the needs of people who simply want a good microphone for recording without an audio interface.

Here are the highest rated $200 to $500 solidbody electric guitars in each of the following pickup categories: Single Coil, Humbucker, Filter’Tron and Mixed type combinations, to help you narrow down the options so you can confidently chose the one that suits you best.

Looper pedals 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 looper pedals, divided into two categories: Compact & Multiswitch.

In this edition we present the highest rated of both reverb pedals and delay-reverb combo pedals. You'll also get advice and important pointers to keep in mind while choosing which one to get.

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.

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).

As the title suggests, this list features the highest rated MIDI keyboard controllers across all prices ranges. This way, you can narrow down your selection to the best ones that you can actually afford.

MIDI controllers have been fundamental tools for producing music due to their versatility and portability. They provide control over a computer software sequencers and virtual synthesizers, as well as external sound modules. This guide covers highly rated affordable keyboard controllers, with options ranging from 25 to 49 keys.

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.

Keyboard workstations are versatile electronic instruments that integrate a keyboard with a sound module and sequencers. They are pretty much a "studio in a box" since they let you play and record ideas right away, practical and convenient for those who perform or create original music.

Anyone who has ever gigged with an acoustic guitar can tell you what a lifesaver acoustic pickups are. The days where guitarists had to carefully position their instrument in front of a microphone are long gone, because acoustic guitars have become plug and play instruments.

There's just no replacing the feel and sound of acoustic pianos, but they are not always practical when considering real world space and budget restrictions. This is where we come in with our feature on the Best Digital Piano keyboards, featuring market favorites in the sub $500 price range that have impressed student and professional pianists alike.

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.

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.

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 audio interface. Ordinary preamps built into audio interfaces and mixing desks are usually solid performers but dedicated preamps can add that extra warmth and clarity.

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 gear guide is focused on the best microphones for singing and rapping live as opposed to mics best suited to speaking conferences or making announcements over PA systems. All of these mics are great for vocals, but some can also be used on instruments, and some are also handy studio mics.

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.

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.

Over a century after it was first introduced, the Condenser Mic continues to be an indispensable tool for music production. This guide focuses on the highest rated large and small diaphragm mics that cover all the tasks studio condensers are used for.

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.

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!

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!

Distortion is the sound that powers hard rock and metal. As such, many guitarists' first pedal is a distortion box, 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.