The Roland TD-11KV is an upgraded version of the TD-11K, replacing the rubber toms with premium mesh pads.

One tom is the same as the 8" mesh snare, while the other two toms are slightly smaller at 6.5" but also feature mesh pads.

This makes the playing feel more consistent as you hit the snare and the different toms.

The cymbals are also bigger, having a 12" crash cymbal with two triggers and choke, and a 13" ride with three triggers.

With their years of experience building portable instruments and amplifiers, Roland knows how to balance quality, affordability and portability, as exemplified by this drum kit.

The TD-4KP's distinct feature is its foldable drum stand, which hastens breakdown/setup, and lessens its overall footprint for convenient storage and transport.

And it does all this without straying too far from the familiar drum kit setup, making it ideal for drummers who are always on the go, and for those who reside in small dorms and apartments.

Most 5-piece kits have 2 mounted toms and 1 floor tom - the point of difference with the RS525WFC is that it comes with 1 mounted tom and 2 floor toms - the smaller of the two floor toms has a greater diameter than most mounted 2nd toms so it allows for lower tones.

While dreadnought is still the most popular shape, there are other shapes that provide a slightly different tone and comfort. One such shape is the concert size, with its narrower "waist" that makes it a bit more comfortable to sit on your lap, and a subtly warmer sound.

This is the particular shape that the OG10CE comes in, and is made by Oscar Schmidt, a sub-brand of Washburn.

It features an all-laminate body (spruce top and catalpa for the sides and back), and comes with a built-in active MET-10 preamp system with built-in tuner.

Earthworks believes in the quality of the SR40V so much, that it comes with a 15 year warranty.

This by itself is telling of the quality, which many popular singers noticed and put to good use on the big stages, most notable of which is James Taylor who's been using it live since 2011.

This is a mic that's truly ready for the big stage, with its quiet operation, background noise reduction and Shure's brand of quality and reliability.

It lets you switch between Cardioid or Supercardioid polar patterns, both of which are well known for their feedback reduction qualities, with the Supercardioid having a tighter polar pattern.

The On-Stage KS7190 is a simple single braced X keyboard stand.

Like the World Tour SXKS it is best suited to use at home or in the rehearsal room as opposed to regularly gigging.

It works well with keyboards from 49 to 88 keys and being able to reduce to 11" in width at it's highest setting, it will also hold some 25 key instruments.

The Shure KSM141 SL is a premium small diaphragm condenser microphone, featuring a low mass 2.5 micron thin mylar condenser diaphragm that allows it to handle loud sound sources.

To achieve this, Shure designed the mic to have high max SPL handling of 159dB thanks to its three position switchable pad which attenuates at 25 dB, 15 dB and 0.

It also houses a Class A transformerless design preamp that further improves overall performance while reducing noise.

Behringer is known for the incredible value that their products bring, and this is exemplified by the MOTÖR 61.

For the price, you are getting a full-featured MIDI keyboard controller complete with velocity-sensitive pads, transport controls, encoders, and buttons - but what sets it apart is its motorized faders, something that's normally only seen on expensive keyboards and mixers.

As for the keys, Behringer equipped it with 61 semi-weighted synth-action keys that are velocity sensitive and feature aftertouch.

The MiniNova is a small and affordable synthesizer that includes 256 tweakable factory sounds along with 128 user patch storage in order to store your own customized sounds.

Its eight animate buttons are a prominent feature used to trigger certain parameters that allow you to warp your patches in real-time.

It also features Vocaltune- a vocoder function that records and tunes your vocals to the keyboard.

The Sub Phatty includes an all-analog signal path that showcases Moog’s Multidrive - a feature that delivers a warm and gritty effect and modern distortion.

This synthesizer also has a sub oscillator that brings out depth and thickness in bass tones, a noise generator for sculpting analog percussion and sound effects, and its Moog Ladder Filter that gives that punchy Moog sound.

The Shure Beta 87A has a built-in pop filter and a low-frequency roll-off that reduces the proximity effect so you can get your lips up close to this mic.

This mic is used live by Kris Allen who won the 8th season of American Idol.

To reduce handling noise the Shure SM86 has a three-point shock mount and it has an internal windscreen which effectively reduces wind and breath sounds.

The Heil Sound PR 40 is a dynamic microphone that can handle a variety of vocal applications, from recording singing and voice overs, to live broadcasting.

While it may look like a condenser mic, it is a true dynamic microphone, with a large diaphragm and low mass magnet that allows for high SPL handling and improved dynamic range.

This makes the PR 40 viable for capturing loud sound sources like kick drums.

The DT 990 is among the best rated open-back studio headphones you can get for under $200.

Features include their robust and soft padded headband, along with their cushion ear pads for maximum comfort.

They provide pleasant bass and precise trebles when it comes to frequency response.

The DT 150 are studio headphones that offer maximum noise isolation, ideal for referencing or monitoring in professional environments.

With a wide and extended frequency response, they provide an accurate reproduction of playback of your recordings.

Their distinctly rectangular design coupled with an impedance of 250 Ohms makes these better suited to studio and home use rather than listening out in public.

Teenage Engineering OP-1 is a portable synthesizer, sampler and controller all in one compact unit with a futuristic design.

It comes with eight different synth engines, and exchangeable effects and LFOs available on the manufacturer’s website.

The color-coded interface corresponds to the color graphics on its OLED display, making it easy to read and shape sounds in a non-technical way.

Steinberg, the creator of Cubase and VST technology had a lot of legacies to live up to when they announced they announced the UR12 as an affordable, entry-level audio interface in collaboration with Yamaha.

This means that the UR12 fully integrates with their software while providing true discrete class A preamp circuitry.

Couple this with compatibility with Windows, Mac OSX and iOS and you have an audio interface perfect tor taking with you.

Before the February 2020 price increase, the QSC KW153 had the highest rating among all the powered PA speakers under $1500.

And it's not surprising because this three way powered loudspeaker can get really low and loud, while still retaining the sound quality expected from QSC.

It features a 1000W (Continuous RMS) amplifier that drives a 15" LF driver, a 6.6" MF (Middle Frequency) Driver and a 1.75" tweeter, all of which converge nicely thanks to combination of great DSP and projection.

With over three decades of experience building loopers, DigiTech pulled no punches with the JamMan Solo XT, a feature packed looper in a standard size stompbox.

It starts off with an already impressive total loop time of 36 minutes, but it can go as far as 16 hours when you utilize a micro SDHC card.

You can divide the loop time into 200 internal memory slots and 200 external memory slots, for a total of 400 loops, which is expansive considering the unit's size.

The Takamine GD71CE is a feature packed acoustic-electric guitar, with its solid top construction, visual embellishments and improved electronics.

Takamine equipped this guitar with a solid spruce top and rosewood for the back and sides - a nice tonewood combination known for its articulate sound.

It also comes with matching aesthetic appointments that include maple binding for the body, neck and headstock, abalone rosette, rosewood headcap, maple dot inlays, gold die-cast tuners with amber buttons, and the body is wrapped in a nice looking gloss finish.

The Telecaster is the guitar that effectively started the solid-body electric guitar revolution.

During the 1930s and 1940s several companies tried to produce a solid-body electric but none of them were commercially successful. Then Leo Fender released his design in 1950 with a single pickup under the name Esquire, then added a second pickup and sold it under the name Broadcaster but soon had to change it due to a lawsuit from Gretsch who were already selling a drum kit using that name. Thus the "Tele" as we know it today was born.

Fractal Audio is well reputed for their premium quality guitar processors, and as of this update, the AX8 is the best rated floor-based model that they are offering.

It is a streamlined version of their flagship Axe FX series, carrying over many of its best features including its simulated amp and effects models.

Note that streamlined doesn't mean lack, because this multi-effects unit has more effects than you'll probably ever use on stage - with 130 different effects in 20 categories, from overdrives, to reverb, to harmony and it even comes with looping.

What do you do when another company improves on your existing design, you also improve on their design. This is exactly what happened with the BD-2W, it is a mod of a mod of their original BD-2.

What sets it apart from the original Blues Driver is its voicing switch, obviously inspired by other mods, only this one is officially inserted into the pedal by Boss.

The Blues Silver 1847 is well known for its stainless steel reeds and non-corrosive silver-finish reed plates.

Instead of having the Classic 1847's maple comb, the Blues Silver version has been upgraded to a solid polymer comb built with an addition of stainless steel reed plate screws.

Its cover plates are built to be beard and lip-friendly due to its rounded edge design.

With 50mm Neodymium drivers, the LyxPro HAS-30 gives you quite a lot of sound for the price.

But it's not just about overall volume increase because these bigger drivers are meant to reproduce bass frequencies better, making it viable for electronic musicians and DJs, and for listening to tracks with more low end.

To make it more road worthy, LyxPro opted for detachable cables, and they included both a straight and coiled cable in the package.

The TASCAM DR-40 is a solid handheld recorder that offers 4-track recording and adjustable microphones, its internal mics are adjustable from XY to AB position.

While the two XY built in microphones are positioned close together at a 90 degree angle, the built-in AB position is when the microphone's configuration pans in left or right to capture the stereo image of audio recordings.

The microphone preamps have phantom power so you can use it with external condenser mics.

The H1n is a revamped version of the Zoom H1.

It offers series of new features including its 1.25" monochromatic display with a clean layout and backlight that's visible in dark or direct light, and a redesigned one touch button for recording.

Additionally, it has a tone generator feature that syncs up audio with video, great for filmmaking with DSLR and video cameras.

The Gator GPT-BL-PWR is the smaller version of the GPW-PRO-PWR, with space for up to 8 regular size pedals.

The frame follows traditional plywood design, albeit covered in tolex for a more premium look.

The face of the board is covered in velcro for attaching your guitar pedals, velcro strips for the pedals are included in the package so you can setup your gear right out of the box.

The Donner DB-3 pedalboard carries over the same stability and portability of other rail-type almunimum boards, only this one is much more affordable.

While it may not have the same quality and weight reduction, it will get the job done at a more reasonable price, which is what matters for most guitar players.

The DB-3 has four aluminum rails with a 20" x 11.4" space for fitting in a good number of pedals, (around 12 standard size ones) for the money.

Gator continues to break the monotonous black color theme of aluminum pedalboards in the market, this time capturing the fancy of guitarists with a large size board that comes in various color finishes.

As the name implies, it is crafted from aluminum, which is preferred by many for it is strength and lighter weight.

It has an angled profile and features routing perforations for clutter-free positioning of your cables underneath the board.

Pedaltrain's Metro series features the same powder-coated aircraft grade aluminum railings that are favored for being lighter and stronger than conventional plywood boards.

The main difference that the Metro series offers is its 3 railing configuration and non-angled flat profile. The 3-rail design is specifically meant for musicians with pedals that have different shapes and sizes. The top rail is ideal for accommodating taller pedals, or for positioning compact pedals horizontally.

NB: This 2nd Gen version has been superseded by the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 3rd Gen.

Part of Focusrite's second generation of audio interfaces, the Scarlett 18i20 carries over the best of the original version with upgraded 24-bit/192kHz resolution, improved drivers and software bundle.

It gives you the 8 combo XLR/TRS inputs with Focusrite's popular mic preamps, a 2-channel S/PDIF input and an optical ADAT input for expansion to a total of 18 channels.

With its 2-in/4-out configuration, the PreSonus Studio 2|6 allows for two channel real-time recording and versatile monitoring.

At its core are two XMAX-L solid-state preamps, both of which run on standard USB bus power while providing good headroom.

For monitoring, PreSonus equipped this unit with Cue Mix A/B functionality, wherein you can switch between two sound sources conveniently.

The Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD is an affordable 4-channel audio interface with a wealth of input/output options.

At its core are four combo jack inputs with Midas Designed preamps, which allows for simultaneous recording of up to four sources. Each channel comes complete with dedicated controls that include Pad switches, Line/Instrument switches and Gain knobs.

The Korg CA-40 has a handy battery saving feature where it turns itself off when left on unused for 20 minutes.

It's not specifically designed for guitar but has found a place with guitarists who also play other instruments from ukulele to brass and woodwind, or who share it with others at home who play those instruments.

The Creanoso pedal coupler is as straightforward as it gets, just two 1/4" male plugs connected back to back so you can save as much space as you can on your board.

The obvious downside of this design is that it will only work if the pedal jacks are of the same height and aligned properly, which limits its use. Still it is quite practical to have, especially since it is affordable.

The Art ZDirect is incredibly affordable. Those who have used the unit were pleasantly surprised to find that their expectations were not only met, but exceeded.

Reviews are consistent in saying that this unit sounds good and works as intended, it even comes with nifty features like input attenuation and phase inversion.

Also, in a price range where plastic reigns supreme, the ZDirect feels solid with plenty of metal, so you're not too scared of carrying it around.

Coming from a manufacturer of tube guitar amps, the Redbox 5 is a guitar amp DI bod that's meant to be a straightforward way to connect old tube amps to PA systems with features that guitarists appreciate.

Speaking of features, the Hughes & Kettner Redbox 5 comes with selectable speaker emulation, which lets you choose from vintage to modern voicing, small or large cabinet size, and it even lets you set tighten or loosen the response. This allows this DI box to function as an easy to use direct recording tool.

The Yamaha DXR12 is the bigger sibling of the DXR10, featuring the same amplifier section, controls and input/output selection, with the main difference being its bigger 12" woofer.

Consequently, the enclosure is bigger and the overall weight is a bit heavier, but this results in more bass response when compared with the DXR10.

The same Class D amplifier is used, along with Yamaha's DSP FIR-X tuning technology which dynamically optimizes the time alignment between the tweeter and the woofer.

More than just a vocal effects pedal, the Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer is an all-in-one preamp and effects solution for vocals and acoustic guitars.

It starts off with dedicated preamps for mic and guitar, both of which come with independent effects, of which the microphone side is of particular interest because of its myriad of features.

This includes essential effects like reverb and smart harmony, while also incorporating experimental ones that include distortion, robot and other electronic effect types.

The Markbass Micromark 801 is a boutique quality petite amp with good sonic flexibility. This flexibility is credited to its one-knob tone control VPF (Variable Preshape Filter), turning it higher boosts treble and bass frequencies and cuts mid-range frequencies. When lowered, the VPF adjusts the sound to emphasize the mids while lowering treble and bass frequencies.

The amp comes with three options for sound production: using the included speaker, passing the signal directly to a P.A., or driving an extension cab. It also features an AUX-in as well as a headphone-out.

Due to the popularity of Americana/folk based genres, there’s a significant number of electric bassists who play a genre that fits very well into the coffee shop scene. In this scene, you’re not really going to need a ton of wattage. Rather, the ideal amp in this situation is something light, versatile, reliable, loud (and preferably cheap!) - and the Fender Rumble 100 V3 fits the bill nicely.

Sound Devices is an American company known for making field recording and live production products like their flagship Scorpio series.

The MixPre series was released in 2018 as a musician-centered mixer/recorder hybrid that offers overdubbing, punch recording, and track bouncing, along with professional-quality effects.

The PreSonus Temblor T10 subwoofer offers serious low-end that can fill small to big studios.

It features a 10" woofer that's driven by 250 watts of Class AB amplification, which can be quite loud when needed.

With its versatile input/output ports, the Temblor T10 is very easy to implement in home studio setups.

Countryman continues the be the DI of choice for many musicians and professionals, thanks to its impeccable reliability and its transparent sound.

Korg is known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to music gear technology, and the microKEY AIR-61 is an excellent example.

This MIDI keyboard offers true wireless operation with its built-in Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to control your software instruments without having to plug-in any cables.

The MK2's most notable update is improved compatibility with Ableton Live, further establishing the Launchkey series as the MIDI Keyboard Controller to get for said DAW.

Hardware improvements were also implemented, including reliability improvements for the knobs and pads, as well as the addition of RGB color-matching feature to its 16 velocity sensitive pads.

It retains its 61-key velocity sensitive synth style keys and its class compliant design.

The Samson Carbon 61 is as streamlined as it gets, with minimal controls, focusing only on what's important in the entry level price range, which is the keybed.

This reduces clutter and movable parts, resulting in a more compact and lighter controller that gets the job done.

The 61-key keybed is semi-weighted, which gives it a synth style action that many prefer. The keys are velocity sensitive, allowing for expressive playing.