When Fender added famed music technology company PreSonus to its roster way back in 2021, it was speculated that the guitar giant could eventually rebrand the creator of the ever-popular Studio One Pro DAW to better fit within the Fender family. However, with the launch of both Studio One 6 and 7 under its stewardship, that possibility looked increasingly unlikely – until now.

The new Fender Studio unites the PreSonus Studio One Pro software and its acclaimed recording interfaces under the Fender banner for the very first time.

Studio One Pro transforms into Fender Studio Pro, while naturally, the Quantum and AudioBox interfaces are reborn as the Fender Quantum Series and Fender AudioBox.

​“We're really building on the legacy you know of Studio One and bringing Fender's ‘special sauce’, like a clear tonal identity,” Max Gutnik, Fender’s FMIC Chief Product Officer, tells Guitar World.

“We wanted to modernize and evolve by creating a beautifully refreshed interface, with more intuitive workflows that make a lot of sense for guitar players and creatives,” Gutnick continues.

Existing Studio One users may be worried that their go-to DAW is about to operate and behave differently, but Arnd Kaiser, Fender’s General Manager of Software, is quick to point out that this is most definitely not the case.

​“This newly designed or redesigned user interface will look familiar because we haven't really moved anything. We've just updated the look and feel. It was a great opportunity to take a fresh look”, continues Kaiser.

“We haven't really updated the user interface in a while – I think version three was the last time we updated the main user interface. Our goal was to give Fender Studio Pro a more modern, more polished, more professional look – get rid of some of the quirkiness that we had in certain areas.”

He is keen to point out that this is not a V1 scenario. In fact, Fender is counting this as a continuation of PreSonus Studio One Pro, and is therefore designating this as version eight.

“Underneath it is still the same code base, so this is not a version 1.0,” says Kaiser. “This is the next major update for an existing Studio One Pro user, so we don't have version one bugs, but we have version eight features and improvements, so this is truly building on the legacy of more than 15 years of development.”

​Of course, people are understandably protective of their preferred DAWs and pushback is inevitable.

Across the past few decades, Studio One has become a staple in countless studios and, not all rebrands are successful – we only need to look at what happened when Gibson acquired Cakewalk, which it ultimately closed in 2017, before BandLab brought it back a year later.

It's also entirely possible that some producers and music-makers may feel alienated by the new guitar-centric branding, leaving them nervous about the change in direction, but Fender isn’t losing any sleep over it.

​“There will definitely be some hot takes on the name. We're sure about that, but we understand it. You know, PreSonus is a really loved brand, and we love it too,” says Gutnik.

Kaiser – who joined Fender as part of the PreSonus acquisition back in 2021 – offers his opinion on the issue.

“For a long time, die-hard Studio One users, this is also the next major release with a ton of new features, many of which come directly from feature requests from those users.

“We have an online portal where anyone can post feature requests, and other users can vote on those requests. We actually read this every day, and with every feature update, you could say two-thirds or three-quarters of what's [included] is based on this feedback.”

​Naturally, with Fender at the helm, we’re expecting the guitar titans to implement a heavy dose of its iconic amps and effects – and thankfully, that’s exactly what we’ve got. Fender Studio Pro is the only DAW with native Fender Mustang and Rumble amp and effects models onboard, with no requirement to download extra third-party plugins to gain access to a wealth of tonal possibilities.

​“These are the [Mustang] GTX models, which are really, really high-quality models that you know. Every artist that we've put through Fender Studio Pro, they're like, ‘Wait a minute, that's the plugin?!’ We're really excited about it because it's integrated into Fender Studio Pro, so you have all this content available to you right out of the [box]," says Gutnik.

​Gutnik is quick to point out that these amp models and effects are the same that can be found in Fender’s free-to-download Fender Studio app, which is available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. And better yet, Fender Studio 1.2 introduces a unique transmit feature that seamlessly sends Fender Studio sessions directly to the new Fender Studio Pro 8.

​“By the way, this is the same technology we have in Fender Studio. We just have a smaller set of amps and effects,” Gutnik tells GW. "With the updates that are being released next week, we are fully compatible in either direction, so you can start on your iPhone using some basic amps and effects, record your music, and then wirelessly transfer it to your computer in the studio, and then start editing and mixing.”

We were keen to know if the Tone Master Pro sounds could make their way to the Studio Pro. Fender wasn't giving anything away, but Gutnik did tell us that they did used Tone Master software as a blueprint for features in the new DAW.

"We wanted all the vernacular to be common so that you weren't trying to figure out what things meant. You can see it kind of takes [elements] of Tone Master Pro. If you know how to use it in one place. You know how to use it everywhere. That really speaks to the Mustang and Rumble plugin - you'll see how that's very similar to the other stuff we do, so you learn it once. And then you know how to use it everywhere."

Now, it’s not only a fresh new look and a slew of digital amps and effects to play with – Fender Studio Pro also boasts an intuitive suite of AI-powered tools perfect for the modern musician. We’re talking Audio-to-Note conversion that turns your riffs into editable MIDI in a snap, and a Chord Assistant that not only identifies your progressions but can transpose and suggest new chords to keep your songwriting fresh.

AI can get a bit of a bad rap in creative circles, but Gutnik is quick to clarify.

“We're not replacing the creative process. We're enhancing it,” confidently states Gutnik. “So this is still about you, creating authentic content for yourself, but then giving you tools to go do the things that maybe aren’t your personal expertise and being able to give you the tools to get the job done.”

​Fender Studio Pro 8 is out now, along with Fender Quantum and AudioBox interfaces. For more information, head to Fender.com.

As we’re all well aware by now, it’s the best time of the year to pick up a deal on music gear, but with five of my top six audio interfaces on sale right now, even I’m surprised at how many deals are on offer right now. It’s still a few days to go until the Black Friday guitar deals officially arrive, but if you’re looking to up your guitar recording game, then now’s the time to cash in.

I’ve tested loads of audio interfaces over the past year or so, giving me a great overview of what’s on the market and which interfaces best suit different kinds of musicians. Nearly every interface will suit the modern guitar player; it’s simply a case of different features that separate them from one another.

Below you’ll find five of my top-rated audio interfaces, all of which have hefty discounts for Black Friday:

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• Thomann: Up to 70% off Cyber Week sale

What is it?

There are precious few mobile-friendly USB audio interfaces out there that work on both Android and iOS, so when I came across the Blackstar Polar Go, I was intrigued to see what it could do for guitarists looking to quickly and easily create videos for social media. It’s interesting then that the Polar Go’s marketing campaign seems more aimed towards content creators versus guitarists, particularly as the Polar 2 and 4 interfaces were heavily geared towards guitar players.

The idea with the Polar Go is that it can help you quickly and easily create content anywhere you go, just by simply plugging it into your phone or laptop. There’s a companion app that allows you to control the interface's inputs and outputs, and it features a camera mode that lets you record video with your phone camera while capturing your guitar or vocal through the interface.

On paper, it seems like an absolute winner, as creating content with your phone and a traditional audio interface has always been a time-consuming process. Videoing and recording with separate devices has typically been the go-to, but this results in the fiddly editing process of syncing with your video, so the idea of having it all in one app will be very appealing to content creators everywhere.

Specs

• Price: $129.99 | £79 | €89
• Simultaneous I/O: 4 x 4
• A/D Resolution: 24-bit/96kHz
• Built In DSP/FX: Reverb, compression, EQ
• Number of Preamps: 1
• Phantom Power: Yes
• Analog Inputs: 1 x XLR-1/4" combo
• Analog Outputs: 1 x 1/8"
• MIDI: No
• Headphones: 1 x 1/8"
• Power Supply: USB-C or internal rechargeable battery (up to 6 hours)
• Contact: Blackstar

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

The Polar Go is a teeny-tiny interface, no bigger than your average bar of soap. Into this diminutive package it squeezes in a single combi input with a Rean connector, 1/8-inch headphone output, and, intriguingly, two stereo microphones built into the front face of the unit. There are two USB-C connections, one for connecting to a phone or computer and the other for dedicated power.

Like all of the Polar family of interfaces, it’s an extremely good-looking bit of kit, the classy monochrome of its construction accentuated by the backlit symbols that glow gently when you plug it in. The smooth edges of its frame make it look a lot classier than some of the blocky and bulky gear you typically find in the audio sphere.

Despite much prodding and pulling, I can find nothing loose or willing to succumb to pressure across the whole unit, leaving me in no doubt that it will withstand the rigors of being chucked in a backpack and taken on the go. The knobs have a satisfying resistance when I turn them, and the two buttons for powering it on and engaging phantom power click nicely without feeling flimsy.

It’s incredibly lightweight too, weighing no more than my TV remote and less than my Pixel smartphone with its rather bulky protective case. There’s a lot of music gear that claims to be pocket-sized but the Polar Go really can be chucked into your jeans or trackie bottoms and taken anywhere and everywhere.

Usability

Usability rating: ★★★★☆

My first test of the Polar Go’s capabilities is to plug it straight into my Pixel 9 smartphone running Android. In the combi input I plug my Telecaster guitar directly in, and a pair of Sony MDR-M1 headphones go into the headphone out for monitoring. I load up my camera app and am greeted with a pop-up that tells me the phone has detected an external microphone. So far, so good.

Hopping into the settings to switch to the external mic, I prop my phone on my desk, upside down to account for the USB input, to try filming some noodling on the guitar. I’m immediately greeted by a glitchy and distorted sound, which is definitely not the direct sound of my guitar, and something I’ve encountered attempting to use other audio interfaces and guitar amp headphones via a smartphone.

Wondering if it’s because I haven't downloaded the official Polar Go companion app, I head to the Play Store to grab it, and the process of getting it downloaded, installed, and recognizing the interface is absolutely rapid, taking no more than five minutes of my time. Unfortunately, I get the same issue, unwanted distortion with every input I make, whether it’s through the direct input or the onboard stereo mics.

After a little back and forth with Blackstar and a few different iterations of the software, I finally got a beta version that allows me to get a sound free of unwanted noises, and I can continue with my testing. Blackstar themselves state that this is an issue with phones that support up to 96kHz playback, whereby the unit defaults to the higher sample rate. The fix returns the sample rate down to 48kHz, which hopefully should mean no further issues for Android users.

The app features three main tabs, the first of which is called home, and gives you control over the inputs. You can choose to mute the direct input or the mic input, adjust the input and output levels, and delve deeper into the tone by adjusting the sensitivity, silence, body, clarity, and space. The sensitivity control acts as a compressor, while body and clarity are EQ adjustments. Space adjusts the amount of reverb you hear.

There are presets on the direct input for vocal mic and bass guitar, while the stereo mics have acoustic guitar, vocals, and wide vocals presets. You can also save your settings and the Polar Go will remember them next time you power it up. I’m a little surprised to find there’s nothing for electric guitars here, though, especially considering the Polar’s heritage as a guitar audio interface.

The camera tab takes over your phone's camera and allows you to film without having to exit the app. There’s a setting here for removing the built-in reverb, but everything else is as you’d expect from your typical smartphone. Finally, there’s a settings section that lets you adjust the reverb types and EQs, record multi-track, direct monitor, USB loopback, a switch for built-in mics or headset mic, and a power saving mode that auto switches the interface off should you unplug the USB.

I find everything super easy to use, and the touch dials respond really quickly to my inputs. The app has zero lag, making switching between the tabs and scrolling around super smooth. The additional side scroll function, like what you get when editing photos on an Android phone, makes fine movements possible, so you can quickly and accurately set your levels.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

My first test involves plugging a Gretsch semi-hollow guitar into the direct input to see how that sounds. It’s as expected, a clear and crisp but a little lifeless and as there’s no preset for guitar, it doesn’t really make much sense to use it this way. So, I grab my IK Multimedia Tonex One, and use that before the direct input to generate some proper guitar tones.

Loading up the camera portion of the app to film myself playing some Mars Volta-inspired freakout licks, when I watch back it sounds fantastic. There is a little compression that comes when I strum a full chord hard despite having the sensitivity control at the minimum, but for the most part it sounds exactly as the pedal does. The body and clarity controls allow me to tweak the sound to get it how I want, and with that I’m quickly and efficiently able to record myself playing, all without having to edit audio and video together in post.

Switching to a Lowden small-body acoustic guitar and utilising the onboard microphones, I find them to be astonishingly sensitive for something so small. They catch the sound of the rain outside, my partner coughing across the other side of the house, and every little touch on my desk, even the sound of me dragging my finger across the touchpad of my laptop. It’s like having a condenser microphone with the gain whacked up, I can hear every tiny detail of what’s around me.

They're really incredible sounding, picking up the ambient space with rich detail. I can see them getting good use for a wide variety of content creation tasks, whether you're interviewing someone for a podcast or creating a promo video for your band performing an unplugged version of your next hit song.

Strumming some moody chords in DADGAD, I play with the space setting on ‘Cave’ mode, which applies some galactic-sounding reverb to my guitar tones, pinging off the squeak of the strings as I move around the fingerboard. There’s also Hall, Room, Plate, and Vocal reverbs to play with, so there’s plenty of choice if you want something a little less gargantuan.

Verdict

For singer-songwriters and acoustic instrument players, the Polar Go is a great tool whether you’re recording videos for Instagram or just want to quickly put down song ideas. The dual onboard microphones deliver recordings of fantastic quality, augmented by a luscious-sounding set of onboard reverbs. It’s not just musicians it will appeal to either, as podcasters, vloggers, and other content creators are sure to find plenty to love here.

Electric guitarists will probably feel a little underserved though, due to the surprising omission of any onboard amp simulation or even just a preset for DI electric guitar. Paired with an amp modeler however, the Polar Go quickly becomes an excellent tool for creating recordings on the go, as well as guitar videos for social media.

Guitar World verdict: It’s about time Android users got a compact audio interface that works with their devices, having been massively underserved while the iPhone hoarded the vast majority of previous offerings. Regardless of your OS allegiance, the Blackstar Polar Go represents one of the best ways to quickly and easily record your music alongside your smartphone, whilst simultaneously being a powerful tool for curating your online profile via video.

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Hands-on videos

Absolute Music

Chug Nerd

What is it?

Even the most modest home studio should have a decent variety of microphones at its disposal.

The proliferation of high-quality, inexpensive condenser and dynamic mics introduced over the last few decades has helped aspiring engineers reach this goal somewhat.

However, many studios still lack a ribbon microphone, which is a versatile mic for capturing great sounding recordings in numerous applications, particularly miking guitar cabinets.

Until recently, ribbon mics were rather expensive, required a high-quality, high-gain mic preamp and were notoriously fragile and unable to handle high sound-pressure levels (SPL).

Warm Audio’s new Fen-Tone WA-FT selectable passive/active ribbon mic combines classic, compact, pencil-style ribbon mic design with modern features like a built-in selectable +26dB in-line preamp/gain-lifter, custom Japanese 1.8-microns thick aluminum ribbon, Neodymium magnets, USA-made Cinemag transformer and the ability to handle high SPLs up to 148dB.

Specs

• Launch price: $699/£599/€698
• Type: Ribbon mic
• Features: Selectable 26dB In-Line Warm Lifter Preamp (Phantom Power Required), five-year warranty, single mic includes heavy-duty flight case, mic clip and protective sock
• Frequency Response: 30 Hz-15 kHz (+/- 3db)
• Max SPL: 148dB (1kHz≤1%T.H.D)
• Output Impedance: 300 Ohms (Passive) 150 Ohms (Active)
• Sensitivity (Passive): -47 dBv Re. 1v/pa | (Active): -21 dBv Re. 1v/pa
• Weight: 0.67lbs / 0.30kg
• Contact: Warm Audio

Usability and sounds

Ribbon mics typically feature a figure-8 polar pattern, and the Fen-Tone is no exception. The ribbon element picks up sound from the front and the back while eliminating sound coming from the sides, which makes it great for applications like miking a guitar cabinet and simultaneously capturing the room sound or recording two acoustic guitar players facing each other.

Unlike the figure-8 patterns on many ribbon mics that have “bright” and “dark” sides, the Fen-Tone’s central ribbon placement provides consistent sound quality on either side.

A small switch below the ribbon element allows users to select a passive or active setting, with the latter engaging the +26dB gain lifter for use with audio interfaces or mic preamps that may not have ample gain. The active setting also requires +48V phantom power.

A high-gain mic preamp, ideally one that provides 65dB gain, is required for passive mode and is highly recommended if you want to maximize the Fen-Tone’s impressive performance.

With its chrome-plated housing, bullet-shape design, slotted grill and neodymium magnet “wings” on either side of the ribbon element, the Fen-Tone WA-FT is durably built to last a lifetime. The mic comes with a padded carrying case and mic sock to protect the mic in transport or storage, and a mic clip is also included.

The Fen-Tone WA-FT’s 30Hz-15kHz frequency response captures warm, natural sound without harsh high frequency overtones, making it ideal for miking guitar cabs and overhead drums and cymbals.

The bass response is especially impressive, delivering tight, focused and detailed low end without excessive boom or flabbiness. I found myself using less EQ and lighter compression on my guitar tracks while mixing, as the overall sound captured by the mic was close to finished quality.

The natural “air” of the room sound captured behind the mic also provided a sense of dimension and space superior to using reverb in post processing.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

Although the Fen-Tone can handle high SPLs extremely well without distortion, I still recommend being as cautious as one would be with older, more fragile ribbon mics.

The ribbon element is still quite sensitive to explosive blasts of air, so it shouldn’t be placed near bass ports, extremely expressive singers (a pop filter is absolutely essential) or amp/speaker rigs with especially percussive attack – if you can feel the speakers moving air you should consider placing the mic further away.

Guitar World verdict: The Warm Audio Fen-Tone WA-FT is an affordable, professional-quality ribbon mic that delivers the polished, natural-sounding tones that have made ribbon mics the preferred approach for miking guitar cabinets and many other instruments over the last 20 years.

Hands-on videos

Sweetwater

Studio Time

Spinlight Studio

• Best microphones for recording guitar 2025: top mics for recording acoustic and electric guitar
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

The last thing we want to happen after spending hours curating the perfect mix is to find that our painstakingly constructed audio only sounds good on the one set of speakers we did the mixing on. We want our guitar mixes to translate from our reference speakers to the car stereo, phone, tablet, and the myriad of other devices it may be played on. Hence, it is important to have a good set of studio monitors.

Thankfully, we have plenty to choose from, one such option being the PreSonus Eris Studio Pro 6. Designed to give us an accurate representation of the audio we are listening to, PreSonus is aiming to provide a reasonably priced, capable set of monitors.

Specs

• Launch price: $279/£289/€339
• Type: Speakers/Studio Monitors
• Design: Coaxial, front ported, active
• Output: LF 75 Watts, HF 65 Watts
• Drivers: LF 6.5" HF 1.25"
• Power Amplifier Type: Class AB
• Controls: Mid, High, Gain, Acoustic Space, Low Cut
• Inputs: 1xXLR, 1xBalanced 1/4" TRS, 1xRCA
• Weight: 16.9lbs/7.7kg
• Dimensions: 24cmx29cmx28.4cm, 9.45"x11.4"x11.19"
• Power: IEC, 100-240 VAC
• Frequency response: 35Hz - 20kHz
• Peak SPL: 106dB (At 1 meter)
• Contact: Presonus

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

The ruggedness of the PreSonus Eris Pro 6 is immediately apparent, with a clumsy proof heft that will happily cope with most mishaps that may befall a set of speakers. They do look quite understated without the colours present in other speakers, such as the Yamaha HS range or the KRK Rokit equivalent, which will please some folks but perhaps not others.

Continuing in a subjective vein, the tweeter protrudes from the housing in a way that some might call fairly utilitarian. I don’t mind it, but something like the Tannoy Gold series might be more aesthetically pleasing to those who do. Either way, the coaxial design provides a sound that doesn’t change much as you move around the speakers, so a good choice for someone mixing at home who will often be sitting quite close to the monitors.

The Eris Po 6's front ported design is another good choice for desks positioned near walls, as desks tend to be. Moving round the back of the speaker, the ¼” and XLR inputs are found along with an RCA input, covering all the bases most would reasonably need. The expected IEC cable and the controls for acoustic tuning sit here too.

All these controls and inputs feel sturdy and built to last, so aside from the aesthetics, which are, of course, entirely subjective (I like them), the build quality leaves nothing to complain about.

Usability

Usability rating: ★★★★★

Using speakers should be a simple affair with not much to get the head around, as long as the user understands what goes where. For this, PreSonus provides some foolproof labels, meaning that even the most inexperienced of audio enthusiasts won't have any trouble hooking these up.

A touch I always appreciate is a notch within an EQ control’s sweep to indicate when the control is set flat. On the PreSonus Eris Pro 6, we have two rotary controls that give us + and - 6 dB on the treble and mid frequencies and work exactly as expected.

The low end is served with two slider switches, one of which is a Low Cut set at 80 Hz, or 100 Hz, and the other being an ‘Acoustic Space’ specifically designed for dealing with circumstances where the monitors are set up close to walls. This function is well explained within the manual, and upon operation, seemed to be adding additional control to the low end in order to compensate for the type of bass that can reflect off walls and make mixing a little tricky.

The combination of these things makes for an easy-to-use to use piece of gear, with a well-designed suite of simple controls that allow for straightforward dialing in for most rooms.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

The most important part - how do they sound? To test this, I recorded and mixed some music I've recently tracked via a PreSonus Quantum HD2 interface I also had in for review, as well as playing through a collection of songs I am very familiar with. I also used a pair of KRK Rokit RP5s for comparison, a cheaper set of speakers from which the PreSonus Eris Pro 6s should be a significant step up.

And a step up they indeed are. What I find is a high-end that's well-rounded and clear, devoid of any sense of tiny-ness that can be present in cheaper speakers. The same can be said of the mid-range, providing a very pleasing listening experience.

This clarity is incredibly important when it comes to mixing. Recording guitars with my Line 6 Helix, the track I put together for this test is quite guitar-heavy (this is Guitar World after all), and managing the busy mid-range in this type of mix can be a little tricky. However, the tweaks I made were well represented by the Eris Pro 6's accurate response, making the process of mixing guitars and vocals very rewarding.

Where I feel the PreSonus Eris Pro 6 speakers warrant a little criticism is in the low end. Mixing bass and listening to bass-heavy mixes such as Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole reveals a touch of muddiness here, but not in a way that affected the rest of the mix. Low frequencies were still present and accounted for, they just lacked a little clarity.

The PreSonus Eris Pro 6 is at a competitive price point, so if there is some budget left, the issue could be solved by adding a subwoofer such as the Eris Pro Sub 10 to handle the low end.

Bringing it back to the point made at the top of the review, it’s a horrible feeling when hours are spent recording and mixing to find that all the hard work does not translate outside of the speakers on which the mixing was done. I'm happy, in this very exposing test, the Presonus Eris Pro 6’s passes with flying colours.

Testing my mix completed on the Pro 6s in the car, phone, tablet and on the KRK’s, the track sounded as intended on each device, proving the Presonus Eris Pro 6 as a great choice for a studio reference monitor.

Verdict

The PreSonus Eris Pro 6 proves to be a capable and enjoyable speaker as both a listening device and a reference monitor for audio work. No mean feat given the exposing nature of testing via mixing audio in a recording.

Whilst I did find an issue with low-end clarity, this could be solved with the addition of a sub, and this test pair still proved to be well capable of providing a reference for mixes on their own, making the PreSonus Eris Pro 6 an excellent speaker worthy of any home studio.

Guitar World verdict: The PreSonus Eris Pro 6 is a speaker that, whilst lacking a little clarity in the low end, excels in every other aspect, providing a great listening experience and a valuable reference for mixing in a home studio.

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Hands-on videos

PreSonus

Sweetwater

What is it?

In today’s increasingly online world, it seems that everyone is a podcaster. Recently, the Shure MV7 and MV7+ became the favored microphone choices of podcasters for their excellent vocal clarity and internal DSP capabilities.

Now Shure offers the MV7i, which offers the same outstanding sound quality, ease of use and internal DSP of these mics with the added benefit of a built-in 2-channel audio interface and combo XLR and ¼-inch input to provide a simple, streamlined recording or audio streaming rig that’s ideal for studio and on-location applications.

Specs

• Launch price: $349/£329/€369
• Type: Recording microphone and audio interface
• Controls: [via app] Auto level mode with Smart Gate, high-pass filter (off/75 Hz/150 Hz), real-time denoiser, digital Popper Stopper and reverb (plate, hall, studio) functions plus customizable tone and sound signature (speech, singing, acoustic/instrument), gain, EQ, compression and limiter controls for each channel
• Connectivity: USB-C, combo 1/4"/XLR input jack
• Contact: Shure

Usability and sounds

Like its MV7 and MV7+ predecessors, the MV7i is a dynamic cardioid mic that connects directly to a Mac/PC computer or iOS/Android phone or tablet via USB-C.

To control both channels and the MV7i’s DSP features, you’ll need to download the free MOTIV Mix desktop or MOTIV Audio mobile app. MOTIV provides auto level mode with Smart Gate, high-pass filter (off/75 Hz/150 Hz), real-time denoiser, digital Popper Stopper and reverb (plate, hall, studio) functions plus customizable tone and sound signature (speech, singing, acoustic/instrument), gain, EQ, compression and limiter controls for each channel.

Muting for each channel can be engaged by tapping the LED panel on the mic itself, and the multi-color LED makes it easy to monitor levels.

Setup is simple and uncluttered. A USB-C cable connects the mic to the computer or mobile device, and a second sound source (additional mic, guitar, synth keyboard, etc.) plugs into the combo input jack.

In addition to controls for each channel’s settings, the MOTIV software includes a simple recording function that can be set up to capture stereo, mixdown or multi-track mixes and save them in the app’s Library section where you can later perform basic editing functions like trimming and splitting.

Like its predecessors the MV7 and MV7+, the MV7i is an excellent vocal mic that provides a slick, pro broadcaster polish to almost any voice with outstanding clarity and low-noise operation.

The MOTIV software’s auto level, Smart Gate, real-time denoiser and Popper Stopper functions are like having an engineer constantly monitoring and making crucial adjustments to keep the vocal audio signal pristine.

When using a direct electric guitar, I found that its signal would usually drown out the vocal mic when both inputs used the auto level settings, but it was easily tamed by using the software’s manual level setting for the guitar input.

If you plan on using MOTIV’s recording capabilities to record podcasts, I recommend using the combo input for a second microphone rather than plugging an electric guitar or other instrument direct to the input.

If you’re fine with the sound of direct electric guitar with only reverb and light compression, go ahead and plug it in, but if you want distortion, various effects and speaker cabinet emulation you’ll need to connect an external processor between the guitar and the MV7i’s input.

However, since the MV7i is both a mic and 2-channel audio interface, you can connect the mic/interface directly to a DAW on your computer or mobile device and insert your favorite guitar processor there.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

Guitar World verdict: Combining the excellent vocal audio capturing capabilities of the acclaimed Shure MV7+ mic with a 2-channel audio interface, the Shure MV7i is an affordable and extremely useful creative tool for podcasting, streaming and studio or location recording that provides helpful processing for delivering consistent professional-sounding results.

Hands-on videos

Shure

• Shure GLXD16+ Dual Band Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System review
• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

It wasn’t too long ago that recording a piece of music would involve a pricey trip to your local studio to gain access to the gear and expertise needed to lay down that perfect track. While there is still something to be said for the high-end nature of recording studios and the immeasurable value of an audio engineer's knowledge and experience, it is an inescapable fact that quality home recordings are now more accessible than ever. Provided you have the right gear and some knowledge. Enter the PreSonus Quantum HD 2.

In a sea of audio interfaces now available for home recording artists, PreSonus has worked with parent company Fender to make the HD 2 stand out as an interface seemingly aimed at giving guitarists a ticket to easier home recording with flexible I/O and intelligent level-setting to reduce the hurdles.

As a guitarist first who has accidentally ended up doing a fair bit of audio work, this, if it works as advertised, should fit someone like me perfectly. Let's see how it stacks up.

Specs

• Launch price: $499/£429/€499 (includes Studio One Pro and 12 months ' access to Studio One Pro+)
• Simultaneous I/O: 20x24
• A/D Resolution: 32-bit, 192 khz
• Number of Preamps: 2
• Channels: 20
• Maximum sampling rate: 192 kHz
• Phantom Power: Yes
• Analogue Inputs: 2 x 1/4" or XLR
• Analogue Outputs: 4 x 1/4" (2x stereo)
• Digital Inputs: 2x ADAT, S/PDIF
• Digital Outputs: 2 X ADAT, S/PDIF
• MIDI: In, out, USB
• Headphones: 1x 1/4"
• Power Supply: 12vDC
• Contact: PreSonus

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

Upon taking it out the box, I am immediately struck by how sturdy the HD 2's 2.9lb metal chassis feels. Equally sturdy are all the controls on the front panel, which have a reassuring resistance when being used, creating an impression of a unit built to last.

The I/O is pretty comprehensive and well thought out, covering a range of circumstances. Starting with the inputs, there are two ¼ inch jacks on the front panel, specifically designed for passive instruments like guitars and bass, then another 2 combo jacks on the back for mic and line level inputs.

It is important to note that there are only two analog (there are also digital inputs) inputs in total - using the instrument input on the front panel will defeat the corresponding combo jack input located on the rear of the interface, meaning the functionality here is in accommodating the differences in level and impedance to get the best out of varying types of instrument.

If you need more than just these two, the rear panel includes 2 x ADAT lightpipe inputs and outputs for multi-channel expansion. Beside these sits a port for MIDI and S/PDIF (via a breakout cable), the expected stereo output, plus an additional stereo/2 x mono line out - all via 1/4" jacks.

In short, the I/O is going to serve the majority of circumstances and is contained within a box that feels as if it will withstand all but the most unreasonable of abuse. As far as build quality goes, there’s nothing to fault.

Software and Installation

Software and Installation rating: ★★★★☆

Given that guitarists like me seem to be the target market here, I began testing the Quantum HD 2 by working it into my everyday life and have it replace both the Focusrite Scarlett interface and Boss GCS8 that I would usually use. This meant it was tasked with recording audio for Guitar World demos, more audio for online teaching sessions (I was a guitar teacher in a previous life and still do a little of this after work), and meetings over video conference software.

In all these applications, over multiple pieces of software and different operating systems, the HD 2 connected to it all flawlessly. It just worked. I already had drivers installed as a user of other PreSonus gear, but the guide that the unit arrives with clearly points you in the right direction, keeping the installation process smooth.

Moving on to the UC Control software, which is not a requirement of the unit, it offers more functionality and handy routing. The base features are all displayed coherently, and routing is achieved via meters that clearly display what is going where.

I found the extra routing to be particularly useful, as the software includes LoopBack functionality, which allows for the sending of audio between applications within my computer. A godsend when using a mixture of instrument inputs and audio from different applications whilst streaming and using video conferencing software for teaching.

Looking into the software's deeper functions, there are a few buttons that have labels that indicate an operation in a way that isn’t completely obvious at first glance but simple enough to figure out with a little experimentation.

Continuing with my very minor complaints, I would also have preferred not to have downloaded two different manuals, as a ‘User Manual’ and a ‘Software Reference Manual’ are needed. Both are quite important to the interface's function, so having them in the same download would have been a little easier.

My workflow was improved with the low-latency monitoring, which seems to function similarly to direct/hardware monitoring, allowing me to monitor my inputs with no perceptible latency. This is something you can turn off if you need to monitor from a DAW instead. (Through a ‘Mixer Bypass’ button - one of the aforementioned, not completely obvious labels)

An oddity, however, is that this low-latency feature is not available when connected to a computer without the UC Control (or Studio One Pro) software installed, but is available when the Quantum HD 2 is operating without being connected to a computer at all. This struck me as a rather strange restriction, particularly with some competitors having functionality here via 'Direct Monitoring' switches and such like.

With this, however, it is worth bearing in mind that the UC Control software is free, easily accessible, and not particularly resource-hungry. Therefore, there is no reason not to run it.

For users of PreSonus' Studio One DAW, the Quantum HD 2 allows for the use of the Zero Latency mode within the DAW. This is incredibly useful for recording vocals with send effects applied from Studio One Pro, which is included when purchasing the interface. As a bonus, buyers also get a free 12-month membership to Studio One +.

Usability

Usability rating: ★★★★★

The hardware was easy to get my head around, as here there's a collection of well-designed labels and icons that will keep even the most inexperienced of users right when it comes to hooking things up and getting started.

Furthering its fool-proof nature is the autogain feature, which is a breeze to use from the front panel. Select your channel, hit the ‘Auto’ button, and then play while the interface listens and sets the gain appropriately for your instrument. This worked well on every occasion I used it, proving delightfully easy and consistent.

When adjusting channels and navigating the menu, there are associated lights that change color and indicate what is being affected, making getting around pretty straightforward. Plus, lights just look cool.

The input LED meters are easy to read from the display, click the rotary knob to browse through your outputs, and hold it to get to general settings - easy, with only minimal visits to the manual required.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Conveniently, PreSonus Studio One has been my DAW of choice for a few years now. Utilising it to test the audio from the Quanutmn HD2, I started with recording a demo for another review I was working on - the Tonex One Joe Satriani signature pedal. What resulted was good, clear audio that represented every bit of the soaring, saturated Satriani-ness of the pedal.

I then went over some old recordings from previous bands and re-recorded the vocals using my Neumann TL102, yielding the same clarity with a well-defined and crisp vocal sound. Also well defined were my flat notes, but I can’t hold the interface responsible for that.

Next, having recently heard Vulfpeck’s Dean Town' being played around the office, I loaded it up and gunned the volume from my thankfully detached house, through the HD2 and my KRK speakers. Again, pleased with the results, I spent some time here, all in the name of ‘work’.

On audio alone, the differences between one well-made interface and the next are a little tricky to define, as they are both minute and subjective. Much more important at this level is the quality of audio being fed into the unit, but what I can say is that the PreSonus Quantum HD 2 sounds great, as you would expect.

Worth noting, however, is the 75 dB of gain available from the PreSonus MaxHD pre-amps. More than enough to power something like the notoriously gain-hungry, yet still popular, Shure SM7B microphone.

Finally, we have the re-amp output on the front of the unit. The main advantage in this lies with an output impedance set for operation with guitar gear, thereby removing the need for a re-amp box. A little knowledge of routing within your chosen DAW is required, but the process is simple enough

Using the Autogain feature to make it extra foolproof, I recorded a D.I signal from my Fender Telecaster, did a little routing to send the recorded audio out via the re-amp output, and voila. I now have a tone-hunt facilitating guitar part that I can play through any gear I fancy.

Testing with my Line 6 Helix, the signal from the D.I track was a touch hotter than the guitar going straight to the pedal. All that is needed to fix this is to pull down the fader a touch within the DAW, leaving it sounding exactly as it should.

It’s also worth noting that the re-amp output isn’t just limited to guitar. It facilitates the sending of any recorded audio - vocals, keys, drums anything at all - through guitar effects, which is endless fun and incredibly useful.

Verdict

From a guitar player's perspective, the PreSonus Quantum HD 2 is an interesting piece of gear. It’s quite squarely aimed at us guitarists by virtue of its feature set and how the associated blurb reiterates Pre-sonus’ collaboration with parent company Fender. My approach was to consider this as a guitarist first, and within this context, it impresses.

While the audio is great from the PreSonus Quantum HD 2, a big win is that it is also easy to use, particularly from the front panel. The software does take a little learning, but nothing that isn't within reach for anyone with a little time.

When aimed at those who are not necessarily audio engineers by nature, this is incredibly important and a valuable plus point of the interface.

Going beyond this, it also has an extensive feature set that can accommodate those who do have audio experience, and therefore, the PreSonus Quantum HD 2 won't end up as E-waste as you grow familiar with the field and start doing some more advanced audio work.

Guitar World verdict: A serious bit of gear capable of serious work, all whilst serving the needs of guitar players. A valuable addition to any guitarist's home recording setup.

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Hands-on videos

PreSonus

Sweetwater

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What is it?

Whether you're home recording or practicing discretely, a decent set of monitoring headphones is worth the outlay. Audio-Technica has ticked both boxes for years with the ATH-M50x, which launched in 2007 and still sits at the top of our list of the best headphones for guitar amps. The company's M series has proven reliable, somewhat overshadowing the R series, which takes an open-back approach to the company's line of reference headphones.

Open-back reference headphones make a lot of sense: this design principle is the best option for a clear, uncolored reproduction of the sound source, which is the whole point of monitoring headphones. It works because the drivers aren't enclosed in a shell that can cause unwanted vibrations to affect the sound. Similarly, the drivers aren't affected by the stymied air flow of an enclosed case, which means they can "breathe" more easily and thus deliver more accurate sound on the level of detail.

But it has drawbacks too: open-back design tends to let exterior sound in and speaker sound out. You may not be too picky, but if you're using open-backs in loud environments, that can be a dealbreaker. Similarly, if you're practicing fingerstyle next to, say, a sleeping partner, open-backs bleed a lot of sound and probably aren't ideal. The R70xa is a new iteration of the R70x, which competed directly with Sennheiser's open-back perennial, the HD600.

Specs

Type: Open-back, reference
Frequency Response: 5Hz - 40,000Hz
Impedance: 470 ohms
Driver: 45mm
Connection: 3.5mm with 6.3mm stereo mini-plug included
Contact: Audio-Technica

Build quality

Removing the R70XA from the box, the first thing I noticed was how light and inconspicuous it is. The headband cover is pocked with oval holes, the honeycomb speaker housing has no protrusion, and the headband base is so thin as to seem flat. The aluminium speaker housing feels almost fragile in the hand, almost malleable, but I can confirm that no amount of clamping with my hands could break it.

These headphones are clearly meant to disappear once you've placed them on your head, and that goal is mostly achieved: I used this for playing guitar through an amp, yes, but I also used them all day at my desk, and they never became painful. Weight comes in at a slight 199 grams, while the cups are perfect circles rather than ovals, which suits the dimensions of my ears, but your mileage may vary.

The headband did have a weird habit of flapping out from under the headband cover, which meant that I fell into the habit of placing the unit onto my head while holding the headband in place. The headband is locked into the cover arch with a simple flap through one of the aforementioned oval holes, which makes it customizable, yes, but also inclined to pop out occasionally. This is obviously in the interests of making the unit as light as possible, but it remains a small annoyance.

The headset comes with a removable (and thus replaceable) dual-sided three metre cable with locking jacks and a 6.3mm adapter which can be screwed off to reveal the 3.5mm jack. The earpads are velour and can be replaced. A drawstring pouch is included.

Performance

The frequency range is 5 to 40,000Hz which results in some astonishing detail, particularly at the higher, treble-centric ranges that are commonly clouded by the bass in most conventional headphones. Flicking between the R70xa and a couple of other non-monitor headphones I have at hand – the Audio-Technica ATH-S300BT and the Sennheiser Momentum wired – the differences are stark when listening to a whole range of material.

Some examples: In Bell Witch's Mirror Reaper, the ride and crash cymbals sound full irrespective of the dread-inducing bass growl, while listening to Bert Jansch's brilliant collab with Loren Auerbach, it felt like the former's bright fingerstyle was being performed in the room. This sense of presence and spaciousness can be attributed to the open back design, and especially AT's treatment here: aside from the honeycomb plating, the rear of the speakers are entirely unobstructed by branding or the headband base. It's a real boon for the mid-range, which maintains its weight and vibrancy without shearing layers off either low or high frequencies.

These headphones are great for listening because they bring to life aspects of recorded music otherwise obscured by speakers tuned to foreground bass – which most consumer-level headphones do nowadays. As a player, the effect is less pleasant, albeit welcome. Tracks that I thought sounded fine through inferior units sounded not so great thanks to the harsh truth afforded by these reference headphones. This is, to be clear, exactly what you want from reference headphones, and is the strongest argument for why they're worth having around.

Are reference headphones worth having for home practice, even if you're not a home recorder? It's possibly overkill, though if you have to practice quietly, it's smarter to invest in a more neutral set of headphones that won't make you sound much better (or worse) than you are. The ATH-R70xa is great for practice but really – and this is the rub – designed for recording. It's brilliant for listening, though its loooong dual-sided cable makes it fairly impractical for commuting, if you had versatility in mind.

Verdict

With the R70xa, Audio-Technica has built a superlative set of open-back reference headphones that ticks every important box. It has a gorgeously detailed and neutral sound stage and feels virtually weightless on the head. It does have some quirks, such as the sometimes argumentative headband, but overall, this is a brilliant mid-range professional headset.

Hands-on videos

Benny Fade

Major HiFi

• Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 review

A brand-new recording studio has opened up in Hollywood, California, honoring the legacy of Les Paul, the man who helped revolutionize the electric guitar.

Named The Les Paul Recording Studio, of course, it features “meticulously restored original equipment used by the legendary inventor and guitarist, including his groundbreaking audio console and 8-channel recording set up”.

Les Paul is best known for his namesake solid-body guitar design, which Leo Fender courted before Gibson was convinced of its worth, but he also made a raft of innovations in the recording world.

Working out of his Hollywood garage, Paul poured hours into developing “the new sound” and his work brought multi-track recording, sound-on-sound, close mic’ing, overdubbing, speed manipulation, and echo to the fore, changing the recording landscape forever.

As such, the change-making 8-track console he built with Rein Narma in the 1950s stands as the new studio’s centrepiece. Known as “The Monster” – but not to be confused with “The Beast”, a seven-necked guitar that is heading to auction this month – the console featured in-line equalization and vibrato effects that were way ahead of its time.

In fact, multi-track recording, today more commonplace than darkness at night time, was born on the console. Les Paul’s Ampex 5258 Sel-Sync machine, dubbed “The Octopus,” sits alongside it – he loved a nickname, apparently. This was the first-ever 8-track recorded producer.

However, the studio isn’t just about showcasing the groundbreaking and now vintage gear. The Les Paul Studio has plenty of state-of-the-art technologies nestled within its four walls, too.

“We’ve painstakingly restored Les Paul’s original gear to working condition, allowing today’s artists to record using the exact tools that revolutionized popular music,” says studio owner Michael Braunstein.

“Combined with the newest technology and digital recording tools, the Les Paul Recording Studio will welcome musical artists, producers, engineers, and students to a new and innovative studio environment that is the only one of its kind in the world.”

The studio will also double up as an educational tool for students to study and record with its equipment. Braunstein calls it “an ideal setting for the next generation of musical artists, to find inspiration in the rich history the studio has to offer”.

Guitar World has also spotted Gibson’s Mary Ford-honoring Standard Gold Top Les Paul in a studio snap, which is a lovely touch.

The Les Paul Recording Studio is located in the historic United Recording building at 6050 Sunset Blvd, which has seen everyone from Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys to Tool and the Mars Volta record albums.

Head to Les-Paul.com to learn more.

Here at Guitar World, we've cooked up an amazing deal for anyone who wants to get started recording their guitar for less - but it's only available until midnight on 02/17. Exclusively for our readers, you can get Positive Grid's Riff audio interface for just $59, which is the lowest price it's ever been.

All you need to do to claim the offer is head over to the Positive Grid official website and add it to your basket, then just use the code GUITARWORLD50 during checkout to claim your discount.

This audio interface is ordinarily priced at $109 which puts it just above half price, which as you’ll find out below is an absolute steal. Be advised this offer only runs between 02/15 and 02/17 though, so you’ll have to act fast to take advantage of it. If you need more convincing, go check out our Positive Grid Riff review, where we praised it for its ease of use and compact size.

Taking the steps to record your own playing might seem daunting at first, but take it from me, it will improve you as a player. Putting together your own tracks also gives you a greater sense of how music is put together, opening your eyes and ears up to a huge array of sonic possibilities that just aren’t possible playing by yourself.

Below you’ll find my top 5 reasons Positive Grid Riff will help improve your guitar playing and overall musicianship.

1. Help hone your rhythm chops

Whether you’re playing to a metronome or to a VST drum loop, getting into the groove when you’re recording your guitar and Riff will massively improve your own feel. This is a vital skill for playing with others, and enables you to slot in more effectively as part of a band, or if you’re jamming with backing tracks by yourself.

Getting locked in with a metronome at a variety of tempos and time signatures is probably one of the most powerful things you can do as a guitarist, and especially so if you want to play well at faster tempos.

2. Drastically improve your lead-playing

Soloing by yourself? That just ain’t it. With Riff you can record your own chord patterns to jam over, meaning you’re not locked into whatever backing you’ve bought off the internet. This will allow you to hone your craft as a lead player, practicing different chord changes and improving your overall ear for melody.

One of the key aspects to getting faster with your guitar playing is to practice with a metronome, and use it to build up your speed to where you want to be. This is much easier if you’re using an audio interface and DAW combo.

3. Enhance your songwriting

It’s only by imitating our favorite artists and writing our own music that we can improve as a musician overall. With Riff, you’ve got a low-cost gateway into the world of recording that will enable you to start crafting your own music, which can be a huge boon to your overall playing skills.

Doing this will help you understand how songs are composed, and what’s required to make a great one. It will help with your ear for harmonies and melodies, and could even get you a better understanding of other instruments like drums and keys if you really want to get stuck into crafting some epics.

4. Analyze your own playing

One of the key things you need to do to develop is take a good honest look at your own playing. That fast riff you’re playing on your own might sound great in that context, but putting up against the relentless strike of the metronome can really put into perspective how off your rhythm is.

This is something I’ve come up against over the years, and I’ve no doubt that repeatedly listening to my own mistakes and poor timing has dramatically affected the way I play. Add an audio interface like Riff into the equation is a great way to highlight the weaknesses in your own playing and get to correcting them, It’s not always pretty, but you will become a better player by doing this.

5. Collaborate with others

One thing I absolutely love doing is sending my song ideas to my bandmates for them to rip apart! Seriously though, sharing your work with others is another fantastic way to develop as a musician. Others will look at your songwriting with fresh eyes and ears, offering new ways to develop your songs that you might not have considered previously.

You’ll need to not be precious about your work to take this step, but having an audio interface like Riff as part of your arsenal means you can quickly and easily send your riffs and licks to others. It allows for easy collaboration whilst you’re away from the rehearsal space too, which means your band will develop more quickly.

Check out more Presidents' Day sales

• Save up to 40% in the Guitar Center Presidents' Day sale
• Fender is offering up to 20% off in their Presidents' Day sale
• Save on smart amps with Positive Grid's up to 40% off Valentine's Day sale

NAMM 2025: Fender hopes to come to the aid of players who find inspiration strikes away from the confines of a studio or full home recording setup. Its answer, the Fender Link I/O interface, is “a studio-grade audio interface designed to fit in a pocket,” to help capture quickfire recordings anytime, anywhere.

It’s a familiar concept by now, but Fender entering the field is the latest step in its integration to the home recording market. As such, the Link I/O aims to be a “one-stop solution” with jack inputs for instruments and a headphone output. It’s compatible with phones, tablets, Macs, and PCs, with the promise of latency-free tracking prevalent across all devices.

Regarding recording quality, the compact interface boasts “pristine, bidirectional audio over USB connection,” via “uncompromising 24-bit / 96kHz audio”. That means players can expect high-fidelity riff capturing on electric guitars and basses with either passive or active pickups.

Its input stage has been designed to replicate the dynamic response of much-adored Fender amps for a more authentic recording experience. At the same time, its streamlined controls allow players to personalize their experience with little faff. Side-mounted controls for monitoring levels, assisted by a reactive LED signal meter and a pad switch to better accommodate high-output guitars, ensure clipping and sub-par recordings can be easily avoided.

There have been some heavyweight additions to the audio interface market in recent months, with Blackstar’s Polar 2 getting rave reviews for its ability to replicate the sound and feel of a tube amp. Native Instruments has weighed in with its plugin-friendly Komplete Audio 6, and alongside Universal Audio's Apollo Twin X, they have how far the tech is advancing.

The mini interface market is becoming just as dense, too, meaning Fender will have to fend off competition from the Apogee Jam X ($199), which has a built-in analog compressor, and IK Multimedia's long-standing one-knob wonder, the iRig HD X ($119).

At $79.99, though, the Link I/O’s low-ball price tag (combined with Fender’s mass market nous and reputation) should see it carving out a foothold pretty quickly.

“Whether tracking the next big song or practicing through a favorite amp simulator app, quality recording is always on the go with the Fender Link I/O,” says Fender. “It is the perfect tool to capture the next riff.”

The Fender Link I/O Interface will arrive in the spring and is set to cost $79.99.

Visit Fender for more.

NAMM 2025: Boss has launched the Waza Tube Amp Expander Core – a new recording and practice solution designed specifically for tube amp users.

Based on the Waza Tube Amp Expander, the downsized Core version is a variable reactive loadbox, an analog power amplifier, IR loader, and loudspeaker emulator all in one, but offers a streamlined footprint, with a 30-watt reactive power driver at its core.

This, Boss says, “allows users to hook up a speaker cabinet and enjoy sweet spot amp tones at home-friendly levels”.

Tube amps, of course, have always excelled at ear-splitting volumes, which presents obvious neighbor-upsetting issues for regular players. So, the Tube Amp Expander Core aims to rectify that problem by capturing a driven amp’s speaker output with “a reactive load that accurately emulates combo and stack-style speaker behaviors”.

The resulting isolated signal can then be used for “mix-ready recordings” and low-volume jams, and its companion editor software “provides a studio playground for shaping the raw amp sound”.

There are 22 cab sims to play with, which can be blended with five microphone types – of which two can be used at once. Their position, distance, and levels can be edited, and there’s also an option to use two speaker Impulse Responses at once, too, either from the 10 included Celestion flavors or from 64 slots left vacant for players to load in third-party IRs.

Finally, high-quality internal processing can apply compression EQ, delay, and reverb within the unit, and custom setups, which include cab choices and effects, can be saved for rapid-fire recall.

Connectivity comes in a few forms. There’s USB for linking to DAWs, or stereo XLR output jacks for connecting to mixers and audio interfaces. Alternatively, it can be plugged into a cab, or Air Feel can do its thing during headphone sessions.

The optional addition of the Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor (approx $40) also adds wireless capabilities, for connecting smartphones for controlling the editing software.

Though digital amp modelers seem to be all the rage right now, there is still a large contingent of traditionalists who favor playing through genuine tube amps. As such, there’s no shortage of products out there to help players make the most of their setup.

To that end, the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core is going up against some established recording and performance tools, particularly in the form of the Universal Audio Ox Amp Top Box and the more basic Two Notes Torpedo. With its feature set, though, the Core might just fancy itself as the pick of the bunch.

The Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander Core costs $699.99 and helps players “harness the complete output of a tube amp, supported by premium cab emulation and studio processing to craft impactful, mix-ready guitar tracks”.

Head to Boss for the full scoop.

Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone: What is it?

In the not-too-distant past when guitarists asked me what I would recommend as a first microphone purchase for their home studios, I would usually recommend a Shure SM57.

It’s a studio standard that remains relevant and useful as a studio gets upgraded to higher equipment standards, but perhaps its only setback is that it’s ideal mainly for a limited variety of uses – such as mic’ng amps and acoustic guitars – and is not the best budget vocal mic.

With the rapid growth of amp emulation software and awesome direct recording devices, it’s no longer as important to start with a great mic for recording traditional amps as it used to be.

To me, it’s now better to begin with a much more versatile mic, particularly one that is great for recording vocals. There are a lot of good choices out there, but the new Shure SM4 may have an edge over the competition when it comes to capturing vivid vocals, great guitar tones and much more.

The Shure SM4 is a dual-diaphragm condenser microphone with a 1-inch brass capsule that provides a uniform cardioid (kidney- or heart-shape) polar pattern for effective isolation of centered sound sources and rejection of off-axis sounds.

Its frequency response is relatively flat, with a slight upward bump of a few dB at 4kHz that dips to 0dB at 8kHz and bumps upwards again with a curve between 8 to 20kHz.

This provides enhanced articulation for vocals and midrange instruments like guitars as well as a brilliant sensation of upper frequency presence and air. The mic can handle maximum sound pressure levels (SPL) of 140dB, which is more than enough headroom for miking a fully cranked 100-watt guitar amp.

Beyond these impressive specs, several other features make the Shure SM4 stand out from similar competition in its price range. Most notable is its patent-pending internal woven-mesh Faraday cage that blocks RF noise from devices like mobile phones, laptop computers and wireless routers.

The diaphragm is designed to reduce the bass emphasis of the proximity effect, and both internal and included detachable magnetic external pop filters plus an included shock mount keep plosives, rumbles and vibrations from ruining recordings.

Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone: Specs

Launch price: $199/£195
Type: Condenser microphone
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 79 dB
Maximum SPL: 140 dB
Connector: XLR
Power Requirements: 48 VDC phantom power
Contact: Shure

Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone: Usability and sounds

The Shure SM4 is an outstanding multi-purpose microphone that sounds so good on a wide variety of instruments that you may not feel the need to acquire an additional mic for quite some time.

With its large dual diaphragm design that maintains focus and clarity of bass and treble frequencies, it is particularly effective at capturing rich, natural-sounding vocals, especially when recording singers with strong bass resonance (are ya listenin’ Barry White?).

I’m still mainly a dynamic mic purist when it comes to recording electric guitar amps, but the SM4 does a great job capturing bold midrange tones and it has an edge over my trusty SM57s when it comes to recording the full range of modern high-gain amps with more aggressive bass thump.

Acoustic guitars fare equally well, although the bass can be more “hyped” without using a high-pass filter to roll off lower frequencies (which I tend to do anyway). I had only one SM4 to test as an overhead on a drum kit, but the mic captured the full range of the kick, snare, toms and cymbals with excellent detail.

I tried to get the SM4 to capture interference by waving cell phones, iPads and laptop computers in the area around it, but the test recordings remained quiet.

I have previously had an occasional recording ruined by interference from mobile device signals, but with the SM4 I no longer feel the need to enforce a “no cell phones” ban when other musicians are working with me.

Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone: Verdict

The Shure SM4 is certain to become a standard for home studio engineers seeking a very versatile first mic, but it’s also recommended for users seeking a useful addition to their mic collections thanks to its super affordable price and value.

Shure SM4 Home Recording Microphone: Hands-on videos

Shure

• Shure GLXD16+ Dual Band Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System review

Ed Sheeran has expanded his burgeoning guitar gear brand by unveiling the Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA speaker.

Earlier this year, the chart-smashing singer-songwriter embarked on his first gear business venture when he debuted Sheeran Loopers – an all-new outlet that sold purpose-built looper pedals.

It was a nice full-circle moment for the Lowden acoustic guitar loyalist, who has made the humble looper a core part of his live act – be it intimate pub gigs or record-breaking stadium shows – throughout his career.

Likewise, the new Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA represents a similarly fitting release for the guitarist, who spent much of his early career performing to passers-by in city streets long before he became the global sensation he is today.

It further shows Sheeran’s commitment to revisiting his roots and giving aspiring players the tools he needed to develop his craft and become the artist he is today – with a few premium twists, naturally.

This 200W PA features a 6.5 inch woofer and a one inch tweeter, and is designed for ultimate sound projection “from street corners to live stages”. It also offers Bluetooth streaming for playing along to backing tracks, and a battery that can last up to 24 hours, depending on the mode it's in.

For sound-sculpting, there is a three-channel mixer for dialing in the two instrument channels and the Bluetooth audio channel, as well as built-in effects from Alesis – reverb, delay, flanger, chorus and more.

The rear panel otherwise offers a Main Volume parameter with phantom power, Record Out jacks and a Mix Out XLR, as well as a ‘Speaker Use’ section that supports a variety of practical applications, as well as a USB outlet for charging devices.

There is also the possibility for attaching an upright stand, meaning the Sheeran Busker can be used as a floor wedge monitor or raised PA.

“One thing in my early years of gigging I wish I had was a portable setup that could gig anywhere. So much of the shows relied on other people and other equipment,” Sheeran wrote on social media. “When I set up Sheeran Loopers I wanted to make an on-the-go loop pedal with all the functions I used in a live show.

“But I thought why not create a portable PA speaker for it too, so you could do shows anywhere. The idea came from wanting to just do pop up shows in the city centres of places I was touring.

“It’s brilliant, portable, get up and go, and perfect for beginners who wanna just practice in their room, or experts who wanna take a live show anywhere in the word.”

The Sheeran Special Edition Busker PA is available now for $349.

Head over to Sheeran Loopers for more.

Blackstar has unveiled the latest iteration of its audio interface for guitarists, the Polar 4, which expands on the recently announced Polar 2 with new MIDI connectivity and up to four instrument inputs.

The Polar 2 was only unveiled in early July, but caused a stir among players with its promises to address what Blackstar outlined as the three key weaknesses of the audio interface market for guitarists, namely: ease of use, setting guitar input levels and poor feel/response.

As such, the channels featured independent gain controls and ‘Enhance’ switches, with the latter intended to emulate the feel of playing through a real amp when recording into a DAW.

In addition, the use of FET instrument inputs means the Polar interfaces should offer high headroom with a low noise floor and the manufacturer also promised that, with the Enhance circuit engaged, players would not have to worry about digital clipping, thanks to its amp-like response.

Now, a month on, the firm has added the Polar 4 to the line-up, “elevating its feature set for professional recording and production situations”.

In practise, this means does all of the above, but gives you an additional two instrument inputs and outputs, plus MIDI connectivity and two headphone outputs (opening up your monitoring options).

As with the Polar 2, all four instrument channels have independent gain controls, with combined jack/XLR inputs, instrument/line switches and the enhance circuit available on all channels. There’s also a phantom power switch.

Then there’s that distinctive chunky monitor dial, surrounded by LED input and output indicators, while on the rear there are now an additional two outputs, alongside the MIDI I/O.

The recording quality remains the same across the two units, with 24-bit/192 kHz A/D conversion.

So what does that extra connectivity cost you? The Polar 4 comes in at a street price of $379.99, which means it’s getting on for nearly double that of the Polar 2 ($199.99).

For comparison, the Polar 2 matched the price of the industry-leading Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, but the Polar 4 comes in a little higher than its rival, the MIDI-capable Scarlett 4i4 ($279.99). However, it offers more physical controls and four XLR/line inputs with mic pres (as opposed to two, with two line inputs on the 4i4).

For more information on the Polar 4, head to Blackstar.

Our new Summer Ultimate Gear Guide magazine hits newsstands and bookstores this week. The issue is jam-packed with info on hundreds of new products from all your favorite guitar, amp, pedal and live sound manufacturers like Fender, PRS and JBL, but also some newcomers like Cream Guitars, Johnny Foreigner, Lava, Orangewood and many more. We’ve got a sneak preview right here of some of the awesome gear you can find in the issue.

Electric Guitars

Ciari Ascender P90 Solo

Ciari Guitars introduces the Ascender P90 Solo, the latest addition to the manufacturer’s line of professional-grade, full-sized folding guitars. The Ascender P90 Solo breaks new ground by offering an OEM-exclusive Seymour Duncan P90 bridge pickup. With its patented compact, foldable design and unique sonic character, the Ascender P90 Solo is the ideal travel companion for the modern musician who demands precision, portability, and most of all, performance.

$1599 MSRP, ciariguitars.com

Cream Guitars Revolver Deluxe

Powered by three Seymour Duncan pickups, SSL1, SSL2 and JB, a piezo bridge and top quality parts and hardware, the Revolver Deluxe provides the versatility needed to achieve any sound you need.

$3,000 MSRP, creamguitars.com

Cream Guitars Voltage Deluxe

This guitar has Seymour Duncan PAF and JB humbuckers, a 25.5” scale, a Graph Tech Resomax NV2 Tune-O-Matic bridge, CTS push/pull pots and Graph Tech tuners.

$3,000 MSRP, creamguitars.com

Donner Seeker Electric

The DST-600 has an alder body, C-shaped maple neck and comes in either SSS or HSS configurations with a maple or rosewood fretboard. The models featuring the rosewood fretboard come with 22 frets, while the maple fretboard version features 21 frets. Boasting special tuning on each pole piece, the vintage staggered SSS/HSS configured DST-600 gives an authentic 60s sound that is sparkly clean, while providing a rich and smooth tone when pushed with some overdrive. The DST-600, with a trio of alnico V single coils, marks Donner's faithful attempt for the vintage aesthetics while maintaining versatile play capabilities by providing an alternative HSS configured option.

$429-$499.99, donnermusic.com

Eastman Romeo California

This guitar has a mahogany laminate back and sides, a flame maple laminate top., an ebony fingerboard, a 24.75” scale and Bare Knuckle Old Guard humbuckers.

$1699 MSRP, eastmanguitars.com

Epiphone Cornet

This guitar is USA-built, with a 1.695” nut width and a comfortable SlimTaper neck profile, a slightly slimmer (1.375”) body depth for better balance and lighter weight, a Graph Tech nut, and a single P-90 Soapbar pickup.

$1699 MSRP, epiphoneguitars.com

Ernie Ball BFR Majesty

The BFR Majesty showcases a carved flame maple top backed with an alder body and paired with a matching headstock. The electronics include dual DiMarzio Dreamcatcher and Rainmaker humbucking pickups with a piezo bridge pickup system. Available in 6- and 7-string models.

$5499 MSRP, music-man.com

Fender Player II Telecaster

The Player II Telecaster is primed for today’s players, from the Modern C-profile neck with satin urethane finish on the back to the 9.5”-radius slab rosewood or maple fingerboard with rolled edges and 22 medium jumbo frets. Choose from alder, chambered ash or chambered mahogany bodies.

$899 MSRP, fender.com

Fender Player II Jaguar

Player Series Alnico V (Bridge) and Alnico II (Neck) Single-Coil Jaguar pickups offer crystalline highs, musical mids and tight lows, while a six-saddle Jaguar bridge with Floating Tremolo ensures precise tuning stability.

$899 MSRP, fender.com

Gibson ES-335

The Gibson ES-335 is the cornerstone of the Gibson ES line-up. From its inaugural appearance in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 set an unmatched standard. The acrylic dot inlay rosewood fingerboard on a Rounded C mahogany neck reminds players where it all started. Gibson's T-Type humbucking pickups are paired with our handwired control assembly. The result is that versatile Gibson ES tone that players have craved for over 60 years.

$3499 MSRP, gibson.com

Jackson American SL3

The American SL3’s alder body is matched with a sustain-enhancing through-body three-piece maple neck that has a pair of graphite-reinforcement rods for the ultimate stability to resist temperature- and humidity-induced bending and warping

$2599.99 MSRP, jacksonguitars.com

Johnny Foreigner The Intro+

A US-made, entry-level guitar with an African mahogany body and neck, 25” scale length and choice of pickup configurations

$848 and up, johnnyforeignerguitars.com

Johnny Foreigner The Six

This guitar has over 25 customization points, from tonewoods and hardware to pickups and color scheme.

$1349 and up, johnnyforeignerguitars.com

Klos Full Carbon Travel Guitar

This portable instrument comes with a Carbon Fiber body and neck and a composite Ebony fingerboard. It has a 24.75” scale length and a 15” body length, and Fishman Sonitone pickups feature on the Acoustic-Electric version.

$1,439 (Acoustic) $1,579 (Acoustic-Electric), klosguitars.com

PRS Guitars SE CE 24 Standard Satin

The most affordable guitar in the PRS catalog. Modeled after the company’s classic CE 24 model, the SE CE 24 Standard Satin is an all-mahogany workhorse, full of PRS DNA and quality.

$499 MSRP, prsguitars.com

PRS Guitars Custom 24

Carved figured maple top, mahogany back, rosewood fretboard, 25” scale length.

$4260 MSRP, prsguitars.com

Reverend Guitars Crosscut

With Railhammer Cleancut pickups at the bridge and neck, a string-thru body hardtail, and a roasted maple neck, the Crosscut has a rosewood or roasted maple fretboard, and dual action headstock access.

$1099 MSRP, reverendguitars.com

Sterling Valentine Chambered Bigsby

This guitar has a chambered White Ash slab body with F-hole, a roasted maple neck, a Tune-o-matic bridge with a Bigsby B50 tailpiece, and locking tuners. The SH pickup configuration comes with a three-way selector and 12dB push-push boost.

$849.99 MSRP, sterlingbymusicman.com

Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe Surf Green

Features of the Travelcaster include a poplar body, a maple fingerboard and neck, 22 medium jumbo frets and a 3” depth.

$299.99 MSRP, travelerguitar.com

Yamaha Pacifica Professional & Standard Plus

Reflectone™ pickups, developed in partnership with Rupert Neve Designs. Rosewood or maple fingerboard. Slim C-shape neck and joint heel. 5-position selector. Coil-split capabilities for tonal versatility. Premium Gotoh locking tuners and 2-point tremolo bridges.

Professional: $2199.99 MSRP, Standard Plus: $1349.99 MSRP, usa.yamaha.com

Yamaha Revstar Professional RSP02T

3 Café racer inspired finishes. Chambered maple and mahogany body. Carbon-reinforced neck and body. 2 P90-style pickups. 5-Position pickup selector. Passive Focus Switch.

$2199.99 MSRP, usa.yamaha.com

Acoustic Guitars

Bourgeois Guitars Touchstone Signature

Madagascar Rosewood back/sides, a Torrefied Alaskan Sitka spruce top, Adirondack Spruce bracing, Schaller Grand-Tune Gold with ebony buttons, an ebony fingerboard, and 25.5” scale.

$3599 MSRP, bourgeoisguitars.com

Cort Modern Black

Inspired by the modern-jazz era, the Modern Black’s body shape is a complete redesign of the conventional grand concert shape, with modified curves. The addition of the Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup/preamp system provides a clear and transparent tone when plugged in.

$1499.99 MSRP, cortguitars.com

Eastman AC222CE Deluxe

Solid Ovangkol back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top., an ebony fingerboard, a 25.4” scale and Fishman Presys VT electronics.

$849 MSRP, eastmanguitars.com

Fender Acoustasonic Player Jazzmaster

This acoustic-electric hybrid guitar transitions from acoustic to electric voices with a three-way switch, or from clean to driven with a turn of the Blend Knob. The Acoustasonic Player Jazzmaster has two pickup systems, a Fender Acoustasonic Shawbucker and a Fishman Under-Saddle Transducer.

$1199.99 MSRP, fenderguitars.com

Furch Little Jane

The Little Jane foldable, all-solid wood travel guitar by Furch has seen a recent expansion of the range with four new models in 2024, including the LJ 11-SR, featuring an individually tuned Sitka spruce top over Indian rosewood back and sides in a travel-friendly size that fits most airlines’ cabin bag limitations.

$1963 MSRP, furchguitars.com

Gibson Hummingbird Original

Square-shoulder body design, Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, a 24.75’’ scale, and an LR Baggs Element VTC pickup.

$3999 street, gibson.com

LAVA ME air

In an ultra-thin, 3/4 scale (36") carbon fiber body, LAVA ME air delivers massive sound with builtin speaker and freeboost system. Powered by an upgraded magnetic pickup and internal microphone, a player can effortlessly use effects unplugged or plugged in.

Integrating LAVA's plethora of software developments via bluetooth and the LAVA+ app, effects can easily be altered by turning the three customizable digital knobs. Easily and seamlessly change effect patches, parameter assignments, output EQ, and much more. Additionally, a "tone wheel" has been added which blends the magnetic pickup and an acoustic simulated sound for ultimate live sound control. The newest family to the LAVA family comes in all silver and all black.

$499 MSRP, amazon.com/dp/B0D45G3TYK

Martin Guitar SC-10E

The SC-10E features a sapele top, back and sides, a satin finish, high-performance taper neck, Fishman MX-T electronics, and a soft-shell case.

$999 MSRP, martinguitar.com

Orangewood Dolores

With its slope-shoulder dreadnought body — made of a Torrefied solid Sitka spruce top, and a solid mahogany back and sides — the Dolores has a mahogany neck with ebony fretboard and bridge. The finish is a vintage-inspired sunburst colorway in a natural satin finish.

$795 Street, orangewoodguitars.com

Peavey Delta Woods Series

Peavey's new Delta Woods series guitars are made using only high-end materials and a minimalist satin finish, resulting in rich tonal resonance and premium playability. The three new models (two acoustic, one acoustic-electric) all offer a gorgeous spruce top with mahogany back and sides for premium tone. The DW-2 CE (cutaway and electronic) offers both a cutaway for easy access to upper-register strings as well as custom electronics.

$229.99 to $349.99 street, peavey.com

PRS SE A60E

PRS Hybrid “X”/Classical bracing, solid sitka spruce top, ziricote back and sides, PRS-Voiced Fishman Sonitone pickup.

$1149 MSRP, prsguitars.com

Yamaha FG9 Series

Acoustic Steel-String guitars. FG dreadnought body shape. Adirondack spruce top. Scalloped X bracing. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. Bone nut/saddle. Nitrocellulose lacquer finish.

$3999.99 MSRP, usa.yamaha.com

Basses

Cream Voltage

This bass has Seymour Duncan pickups and preamp, Graphtech tuners, a five-piece laminated neck and the looks that you need to rock on stage.

$3000 MSRP, creamguitars.com

Ernie Ball StingRay Special Custom Design Experience

The Custom Design Experience is a custom instrument configurator where you can design and build your dream StingRay Special Bass. Choose from 4-string and 5-string models, right and left-handed orientations, single and double humbucking pickups, and more.

From $2599, music-man.com

Reverend Decision P

The Decision has a korina body, Reverend P-Blade neck pickup, Reverend Jazz Bomb bridge pickup, a five-piece maple and walnut neck with a satin amber finish, 34” scale length, roasted maple or rosewood fingerboard, and dual action headstock access.

$1099 MSRP, reverendguitars.com

Traveler Ultra-Light Bass

This five-string has a 30” scale, passive electronics, an under-saddle piezo pickup, Eastern American Hard Maple body and neck, and a neck-through-body construction. It weighs just 3 pounds and 15 ounces

$449.99 MSRP, travelerguitar.com

Amps

Boss Katana-100 Gen 3

With 100 watts of power, the Katana-100 Gen 3 delivers stage-ready sound in a portable 1x12 combo. Featuring six amp characters, including newly developed Pushed type and advanced tone-shaping tools, this amp takes guitar ambitions to the next level.

$399.99 MSRP, boss.info

Dr. Z Z-80

Six years of relentless evolution has gone into the Z-80, having been built-up, then torn down to the tacks over half a dozen times; a testament to considerations taken for an amp Dr. Z considers a touchstone in his company’s legacy. The Z-80 retains the original AC80’s quad of individually cathode-biased EL34s, two 12AX7 preamp and one 12AU7 phase inverter, includes both a custom power transformer that exceeds the original’s requirements and reliability, and is fitted with a replica output transformer designed around the original AC80 schematics, manufactured exclusively for Dr. Z by Heyboer Transformers. Hand-wired meticulously by Dr. Z himself.

$3599.99 (head only), https://drzamps.com/product/z-80/

ENGL Ironball Special Edition E606SE

20-watt all-tube head with power soak, tube buffered FX loop, noise gate, headphone output with level control, impulse response balanced output. The IR selection, reverb level, delay level and the noise gate threshold are MIDI programmable.

$1450 MSRP, engl-amps.com

Fishman Loudbox Mini

The Loudbox Mini packs 60 watts of clean acoustic power, and has two channels featuring Fishman’s legendary preamp and tone control designs. Now with Bluetooth.

$399.95 MAP, fishman.com

Gibson Dual Falcon 20 2x10 Combo

Selectable full, half or low Multi-Watt power modes, producing approximately 15, 6, or 2 watts of output power with standard 6L6 power tubes, Reverb, Tremolo, Buffered Series Effects Loop and more.

$2199 MSRP, gibson.com

Mesa Mark Five: 35 1x12 Combo

We’re proud to add the first ever Mark preamp to the 9-Pin power lineup and introduce this light-middleweight combo, an upgraded rendering of the mini-platform Mark Five: 25. We’ve added a Channel Independent Solo Feature, a long-spring tank for the all-tube Reverb, and an upgraded footswitch.

$2239 MSRP, mesaboogie.com

Peavey Classic 20112

With an all-tube preamp and power amp, this combo delivers Peavey Classic series in a compact package. The Classic 20 112 features a specially designed boost function and two channels that mirror the voicing and gain structure of the Classic amps.

$999.99 MSRP, peavey.com

Positive Grid Spark Live

Portable, all-in-one amp and PA system for guitar, bass, vocals, keys, or all at once. Sonic IQ Computational Audio offers adaptive sound for any event. Unit offers 150W and includes onboard amps, effects and a mixer plus optional battery power.

$549 MSRP, positivegrid.com

Bass Amps

Phil Jones BP-800

This 800-watt amplifier with Class A pre-amp and PJB’s five-Band EQ has a Mute/Passive/Active switch, Headphone out and auxiliary input jacks, a Balanced line out with pre/post EQ and ground lift switches, FX send and return Jacks, Pre Amp out and Power amp input jacks, and a High-Current Speakon Out.

$899.99 MSRP, pjbworld.com

Trace Elliot ELF Series

The ELF 1x10 and 1x8 Combos feature an ultra-quiet integrated Trace DI, allowing you to easily send your optimized tone to the house. These versatile combos are also expandable. Got a big gig? Add a Trace Elliot 2x8 or 1x10 speaker cab for pristine full-range bass reproduction with more than enough power.

$349.99 to $599.99 street, traceelliot.com

Pedals

Fishman AFX Broken Record Mini Looper/ Sampler

This looper and sampler pedal with six minutes of high-quality audio recording features intuitive one-button operation, overdub capability, and easy transfer to a computer. It lets you capture ideas and build on them, or play along with audio you pre-load from a computer. Built-in memory will retain what you recorded even after the power is disconnected.

$119.95 MAP, fishman.com

Interstellar Audio Octonaut Hyperdrive

Each Octonaut Hyperdrive features rare germanium diodes rigorously tested for optimum tone, an IC3 that converts voltages to give the player more headroom, and a refined circuit design for ultra consistent performance from pedal to pedal.

$199 MSRP, interstellaraudiomachines.com

Keeley Angry Orange, Blues Disorder, MK3 Driver, Noble Screamer, and Super Rodent

Keeley’s pedal range represents their take on tweaked yet classic effects circuits, each with two standard modes and two hybrid modes. They’re Buffered or True Bypass, with top-mounted jacks and a new case design.

$199 street (each), rkfx.com

Maestro Discoverer Delay

The Maestro Discoverer Delay is a modern analog delay pedal that proudly utilizes analog bucket brigade device (BBD) technology to deliver classic, warm, and inviting delay sounds. The intuitive three-knob control layout lets users quickly dial up the length of the Delay time (with a range from 20 ms to 600 ms), the amount of Sustain (delay repeats), and adjust the level of the delays in the Mix.

$159 MSRP, maestroelectronics.com

Strymon Big Sky

Reverb workstation featuring 12 new reverb algorithms: use any two at once with flexible output panning/routing, 10-second full stereo IRs with full editing capability, new OLED screen, dedicated Infinite/Freeze footswitch, and full IO complement.

$679 MSRP, strymon.net

Pickups

DiMarzio Steve Vai UtoPIA Neck and Bridge

Designed for Steve Vai’s signature Ibanez PIA guitar, the UtoPIA pickups feature custom, laser-cut baroque style covers over a gold patterned layer. Upper midrange frequencies have been dialed back to produce a less aggressive attack and provide more control. The UtoPIA boasts a big, bold low end, high output, and thick top end.

$179 MSRP, dimarzio.com

EMG David Gilmour DG20

A complete active and noiseless drop-in replacement pickguard system for Stratocaster guitars, loaded with the EMG SA Set, EXG, and SPC, and available in two new colorways.

$329 MSRP, emgpickups.com

Fishman Fluence Tim Henson Signature Series

The wide array of tones available from the Fluence Tim Henson Signature Series set spans the entire range of aggressive lead and rhythm tones to the cleanest of clean single coil combinations, even touching on sounds Tim was previously only able to produce with his acoustic guitars. Available in black or white sets

$289.95 MAP, fishman.com

Gibson Greenybucker Set

Double black set with Nickel cover: the Rhythm pickup has reverse polarity

$299 Street, gibson.com

Johnny Foreigner SSS Set

These single coils chime like a bell, with Alnico 5s across the board, wound with 42AWG heavy formvar wire and a RWRP middle pickup for hum-canceling in positions 2 and 4.

$199 Street, johnnyforeignerguitars.com

Lollar Broiler

Lollar’s take on the Rickenbacker Toaster. Get the classic jangle and chime in a format that’s a drop-in replacement for 6- and 12-string Rickenbacker guitars.

$175 Street, lollarguitars.com/broiler

Railhammer Alnico Grande Bridge Pickup

A humbucker pickup with 15 K Ohms, 43-gauge wire, and an Alnico-5 magnet. A bridge pickup only, it is available in black, chrome, or gold.

$109–$119, railhammer.com

Seymour Duncan Hot Chicken

For contemporary country guitarists with high-gain demands, these Strat and Tele Stack pickups deliver searing tones with classic character, clarity, and definition, ensuring they cut through any mix with ease.

$119–$357 MAP, seymourduncan.com

Accessories

Allparts Certano T-Bender B and G Bender Bridge for Tele

The T-Bender allows Tele players to bend the B and G strings up a half or whole step to achieve glistening pedal steel tones. Installation is super-simple. No routing required. Simple and elegant, the T-Bender is the ultimate B and G bender solution.

$299 Street, allparts.com

Gator TSA Style XL Case for Neural DSP Quad Cortex

A deluxe hard-shell case for Quad Cortex, power supply, and up to two expression pedals

$199.99 MSRP, gatorco.com

Kyser Quick-Change Capo

Fits a six-string acoustic guitar in Pink Revival Color or Camo 2.0 Pattern.

$24.95 MSRP, kysermusical.com

Truetone 1 SPOT PRO XP5

This compact isolated power supply adds five isolated outputs to your 1 SPOT PRO CS 11. 9vdc 500ma per output. Links to additional Truetone expansion boxes and includes DC cables for your pedals.

$99.99 MSRP, truetone.com

Live & Studio

AmpRX BrownBox

This adjustable AC voltage Reducer/ Optimizer for tube amplifiers delivers up to 540W/5A of power, available in 5A 120V/60Hz (BrownBox), 5A 120V/50-60Hz (BrownBox II), and 2.5A 220V-240V/50Hz (BrownBox 200).

$349 street, https://www.brownbox.rocks/

Aurally Sound SongMaster

This software is designed to help you learn and practice songs efficiently. It is loaded with practice tools and advanced analysis algorithms that work with any recorded song. Free demo available.

$60, aurallysound.com

Boss VE-22 Vocal Performer

The VE-22 is a portable multi-effects toolbox specially designed for singers. Perform with a diverse library of high-quality Boss processing, from basic studio enhancement to dramatic voice-changing effects.

$349.99, boss.info

Cloud Vocal EverSync Wireless IEM

EverSync is a wireless IEM system designed for live performers. The size of a stomp pedal and with a flexible I/O design, it assures clear, convenient monitoring.

$349, cloudvocal.com/products/eversync-wireless-iem

JBL EON ONE Compact

This unit weighs just 17.6 pounds and includes EQ, reverb, chorus and delay, a built-in four-channel mixer, eight-band output EQ, customizable via presets and two pro-grade preamps. Connect mics, instruments and playback devices with two XLR/TRS combo jacks, one 1/4-inch hi-Z guitar input and one 3.5mm (1/8- inch) aux input.

$599, jblpro.com/en-US/products/eon-one-compact

MendAudio Giga DC Battery Pack

With Mendaudio’s Giga premium-quality rechargeable 9V DC Battery Pack, you can connect up to 200 milliamps of max continuous current with a daisy chain, and get 11 continuous hours of operation on a single charge, with analog and digital pedals on the same circuit. This device works without any AC/DC adapters anywhere in the world.

$199 MSRP, mendaudio.com

Nakupenda GM 25 Stool

The “GM” stands for Guitar Master Stool, and the “25” indicates the stool’s height of 25 inches. This height makes it ideal for both practice and performance settings, providing optimal comfort and support for guitarists. Ergonomic Seat: The seat is designed with CNC carving and hand-polishing, fitting the contours of the human buttocks. This eliminates pressure points and supports the hips and spine, reducing fatigue during long sessions. Built-in Guitar Stand: After performing, you can conveniently place your guitar on the built-in stand at the back of the stool, keeping your playing space organized and your guitar safe.

$529 MSRP, nakupenda.co/products/guitar-master-stool

Strings

D'Addario XS Acoustic

Phosphor-bronze strings have the longest life of any D’Addario acoustic guitar string. XS coating gives these warm, balanced phosphor/bronze strings maximum life. Uncommonly smooth feel, incomparable break strength and tuning stability.

$17.99, daddario.com

DR Strings Dragon Skin+

DR Handmade Strings, Inc. is proud to announce their new Dragon Skin+ line of Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Multi-Scale Bass, and Mandolin strings. These premium strings are designed to bring out more from your guitar using DR’s patented Accurate Core Technology and patented K3 Coating. This technology primes the core wire to be pristine and creates locking grooves on the core to cradle the wrap wire in place, with superior sound, fine-tuned tension for comfort and playability, and longer life.

Price TBD, drstrings.com

Elixir Acoustic Phosphor Bronze

Rich and full tone. Smooth feel. Extended tone life. Nanoweb coating.

$17.99, elixirstrings.com

Ernie Ball Earthwood Acoustic Strings

Phosphor Bronze strings are made with phosphor-bronze wire wrapped around brass-plated high-carbon steel-hex cores, producing deep, rich bass notes with clear bright trebles. Earthwood 80/20 strings are made from 80 percent copper and 20 percent zinc wire wrapped around brass-plated high-carbon steel-hex cores, and Aluminum Bronze are made with steel-hex cores and Aluminum bronze wrap wire.

$6.99 to $11.99, ernieball.com

Stringjoy Signatures Electrics

Stringjoy Signatures are the do-it-all electric guitar strings that deliver unsurpassed tone, playability and longevity.

$11.99 and up, stringjoy.com

Gone are the days of the inferior bedroom producer. As production gear and software becomes ever-more affordable, spare rooms become more viable alternatives to Abbey Road. Whether your homemade productions are for sharing with bandmates, seducing industry professionals or official releases, the tech is more accessible than ever – but making your music stand out in a saturated market isn’t.

With so many variables to self-recording and mixing guitars, as well as a raft of conflicting information online, Guitar World sat down with esteemed producers George Lever (Sleep Token, Loathe, Monuments) and Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Tesseract, Caligula’s Horse) to learn about what to do, and what not do, to make your productions pop.

Before recording

Like everything, preparation is key. Savell stresses the importance of players learning their parts before entering a recording environment; but Lever goes one step further by emphasizing the value of players “understanding their instrument to the best of the ability”.

He says: “There’s an assumption that recorded guitar should sound like MIDI, but that ignores the builds of different guitars – the way it's set up, the string tension relationship with the tuning that you’re playing in, and how the left-hand influences microtonal changes to the tuning.

“Or whether the pickups can perform in the way you want them to. The best thing someone can do before hitting record is become the most intuitive musician that they can, based on what they want to achieve with their instrument.”

He also recommends tuning to a piano at full volume, rather than relying on a tuner, as they “don’t tell you about the variation that might be occurring above and below the pick attack, or during the sustain.” He adds: “When tuning to a piano note, you can hear how in tune you are versus the piano – that’s why you’ll see orchestras tuning to each other.”

Safety first

Savell says bedroom producers can be guilty of “poor tonal choices,” so it’s important to set up a get-out-of-jail-free card. “As a safety mechanism you should be recording your guitars with a DI so that your tone can be rescued if needed.”

You also want a suitable gain level. If it’s too loud there’s the risk of clipping, which is a difficult thing to fix. But if you overcompensate, a recording may include too much of the electrical noise inherent in guitars, cables and pedals. Says Lever: “I’ll make the loudest sound I can make on the guitar until it doesn’t clip on a preamp, then go back one notch.”

Setting the tone

In order to avoid the tone-chasing rabbit hole while recording, familiarity outranks experimentation. “Always record with a guitar sound you like,” Savell says. “It’s good for comfort and it also gives mixing engineers – if you’re going to work with one – a reference point if they want to build new tones.”

If you’re demoing your new track with your favorite tone, how should you dial in the double track’s tone? Savell says it comes down to trial and error, but adds: “There are characteristics of different amps and tones that I find work well together.

“A high-gain, smooth-sounding amp like a Peavey 5150 or Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier pairs well with a slightly backed-off breakup amp like a Marshall. It gives you a combination of saturation and a more percussive sound.”

Lever’s approach is a little more streamlined: “You can’t use one rule for everything: add what you think is missing from that first tone. You don’t want to compromise either tone.”

Less is more

Both engineers agree that recording more guitars isn’t necessarily conducive to a bigger, punchier sound. “Quad tracking is something that I only really do when I know that the guitarist is exceptionally tight,” Savell says. “The more guitar performances you start stacking on top of each other, the smearier they can become – you lose the articulation of what’s being played.

Lever adds: “Instead of tracking more of the same, I’d be thinking about playing something different with other layers, like higher or lower octaves, ambient or lead parts to fill out the sound. Then it becomes more melodious and interesting.”

Tracking

Recognizing that many of us record their demo parts in isolation, Savell stresses that it’s “important to listen to what the other instruments are playing. If each member records to an earlier demo version, they’re not bouncing off each other’s performances – it gets a little stale and things can fall out of sync.”

Asked if it’s better to aim for fluid takes or a more fragmented approach, Lever says: “It comes down to how shit the guitarist is. If it sounds good, then I don't care. There’s a lot of ego involved in recording, but that’s often for the musician on their own. The person who ends up enjoying the music doesn’t give a fuck about how you recorded it.”

Editing

As technology improves, it becomes easier to salvage a poor take or rescue an ear-bleeding tone. But therein lies another pitfall: precision editing can starve takes of their character.

“I like to keep the drums and bass nice and tight, but I’ll leave the guitars quite unedited unless they’re out of time or out of tune,” says Savell. “The guitars are where you can re-inject an organic feel to the song.

“Distorted guitar tones can get pretty gnarly up in the higher frequencies, to the point that you can hear if too many notches have been made with the EQs. It can be detrimental.”

How do I use EQ?

Savell offers a jargon-free explanation of what guitarists should be looking for when they pull up their guitar’s EQ.

“It's going to depend on the voicing of the guitar part,” he explains. “If it's a low, heavy rhythm part, you might be concerned about how much body and bottom end is in there.

“You might want to take some of the low-end out so it doesn’t flood the mix. With high parts, you might want to remove some of the harshness by taking some high-end out.

“The first thing I’d always be trying is volume – finding that point where the guitar is audible. Then I’d approach it as more of a subtractive EQ approach to remove the parts of the frequency spectrum that aren’t necessary.”

Mixing and panning

Once guitars are tracked, finding a spot in the mix where they shine can be a real headache. “Guitars are always slightly above cymbals but below vocals,” Lever says. “That’s the pocket they’re given because they sit on the extremes of the stereo image.

“The thing they’re going to come into contact with the most when mixing is cymbals. But the cymbal information that takes up the area the guitars are in is not very musical; it can be quite brash. You don’t need to hear it.”

Both engineers hard-pan rhythm guitars, meaning they’re put as far out on either side of the mix as possible. Lever only changes that “if you intentionally want to make the song smaller” – a quiet verse section, for instance. This can also help make other sections sound even bigger.

“Where you pan ambient layers and lead layers is going to depend on other elements in the mix,” Savell says. “I’ll pan them to where I’ll hear them best; you don’t want two different tracks to compete for the same sonic spaces. You especially want to put ambient guitars in the holes of the mix to fill in the sonic spectrum.”

What to do when a guitar doesn’t cut through the mix

You nailed the take, but you can’t hear it in the mix. How do you troubleshoot? “Panning can be a great way to make things stick out,” says Savell. “If you've got one guitar in the middle, as soon as you start to move it off to the side, it instantly gets more attention because it becomes asymmetrical.

“The other thing I’d ask if it’s not standing out is, ‘Is it the right part? Is there something that would carry that moment better?”

Lever predicts the drum track will usually be the main issue. “If you still can’t hear the rhythm guitars in the side signal [the isolated side of the mix where the guitar sits] then you’ve likely got something that’s masking or clouding them. A lot of the time it’ll be cymbals covering up the guitar attack and aggression.

“People often misunderstand the usefulness of the midrange. You can have a scooped guitar tone but still have midrange in place. That carries across all sound systems and anchors the position of the guitars in the mix.”

Is it better to mix with headphones or speakers?

“Headphones are essentially just microscopes,” Lever argues. “Speakers offer a larger picture view. It’s about understanding how each one complements the other.”

For Savell, “the most important thing is to do whatever you’re comfortable with. If you’re making and listening to other music in the same space, you’re probably going to have a pretty good idea of how things are meant to sound. It’s only when you're not confident that you need to throw on the headphones for more detail.”

As Lever points out, guitarists need not get bogged down in thinking they need the priciest monitors available to mix on. It’s unlikely your listener will be afforded such luxuries at the other end.

“The most commonly used headphones are the wireless AirPods now, so they’re the reference stage for music at this moment in time,” he says. “It would be silly to not check your mix with them. But don’t mix specifically for them; the likelihood is the people that are listening on these headphones don’t care.”

Which section should I mix first?

When it comes to mixing order, it’s all about context. “I start on the bit that I’m vibing on, because that’s the section that excites me, and I’ll get creative with it,” Lever states. “If I get it sounding good, it gives me perspective on how the other sections should sound.”

“I play it through to understand the whole song,” Savell says. “Then I’ll start with the section that needs to have a very specific energy, like a breakdown. It's very easy to make a chorus feel big or to make an intro sound small – but it's very difficult to make something feel like it has an impact if things aren't set up in the right way. So, cherry-pick what the most important moment is.”

Should I get my releases professionally mixed?

On the subject of working with a mixing engineer, Lever says it’s all about your own intent and mindset. “If you don't value what a person is going to bring to the table, then there's no point working with them,” he states – but underlines that collaborating with the right people can help your music cut through a saturated market.

“When it comes showcasing your music, remove your ego and understand that most people are only ever going to listen to your song once before moving on. So how can you stand out and stay there?

“There are a lot of people that believe that they have to be the songwriter, producer, mixer and mastering engineer. But if you took on all the roles in another creative industry, you’d be seen as a madman.

“You do not know what happens as a result of collaboration,” he concludes. “You definitely know what happens if you stay stuck in your bedroom.”

Blackstar has just released the Polar 2 – a potentially first-of-its-kind audio interface that has been designed specifically for guitarists. 

The guitar amp specialist feels its latest device delivers “many of the much-requested improvements” it wanted to see in other audio interfaces, with its research highlighting three major market-wide pitfalls: poor feel and response, issues with how input levels are set, and difficult operation.

The Polar 2, then, “answers all of these challenges and excels beyond those hurdles” to create what it feels is the perfect all-in-one recording solution for guitarists. And it all hinges on one nifty feature. 

The interface offers two line inputs – which can accommodate XLRs and instrument jacks – that have their own gain dials, as well as Enhance and Line/Instrument switches. 

There’s also a headphone jack with a dedicated volume control, with the interface offering 48V of Phantom Power and USB Type-C connectivity. However, it's that unassuming Enhance feature that holds all the aces. 

Field Effect Transistor (FET) instrument inputs are used to fix pitfall number one, and are in place to offer ultra-low noise and high-headroom tracking. These are enhanced by the, erm, Enhance switch, which engages a circuit simulating the input stage of real valve amps – a feature that offers a trio of benefits.

Chief among them is its ability to emulate tube amps, with Blackstar saying the Enhance function includes all of the “non-linear behaviors” those amps possess. On paper, it should give recording guitarists the touch, feel, and response of playing through a real amp straight into their DAW. 

Then comes the fix to pitfall number two: Blackstar’s answer to digital clipping issues that guitar players often suffer from.

With the Enhance mode activated, the Polar 2’s input stage “will never digitally clip”, cutting out the “hassle  and confusion around setting the correct levels”. The Polar 2 therefore allows musicians to treat the interface like the preamp section of a tangible tube amp. 

Furthermore, Blackstar says the Enhance feature also “gently lifts the top end of your signal to add just the right amount of air and clarity” to make recording much easier.  

All of this results in a product designed to “empower musicians to achieve studio-quality recordings in any environment” with no need for external hardware.

“The Polar 2,” Blackstar concludes, “was created through the processes of Human-Centred Design, to help create a user-friendly solution to get musicians back to focusing on the most important part: the music.

“Polar will never digitally clip, it reacts like a guitar amp, has high headroom FET inputs, and comes with a complete software bundle.”

The Blackstar Polar 2 costs $199.99 and is available today. 

Head to Blackstar to learn more.

The Rode NT1 microphone – introduced way back in 1991 – played as important a role in the home studio revolution as affordable digital recording technology did.

The NT1 was the first pro-quality large diaphragm condenser mic to sell for less than $200, and it provided very impressive specs and sound quality that significantly leveled the playing field for musicians making demos and low-budget commercial projects at home.

Rode recently introduced a 5th generation NT1 with updated specs and modern performance features like USB connectivity. At the same time, Rode also rolled out the less expensive NT1 Signature Series, which offers the same sonic character and specs as the 5th generation but without USB, shaving $90 from the 5th gen’s price, and, most remarkably, selling for even less than the original NT1 (and that’s even without adjustment for inflation).

The Rode NT1 Signature Series mic features a 1-inch condenser capsule with a focused, single-sided cardioid polar pattern. It delivers incredibly low noise performance (4dB) and can handle exceptionally high sound pressure levels up to 142dB. 

Its frequency range is 20Hz to 20kHz, and it has the exact same frequency response as the NT1 5th gen, which is exceptionally flat with the exception of a boosted peak around 10kHz. The mic requires 48V phantom power and connects to an interface, preamp or console via a three-pin XLR jack.

The 10kHz boost makes the NT1 Signature Series a great choice for recording crisp vocals with detailed articulation, “air” and clarity that cuts through a mix. Like the previous NT1 mics it’s also a general purpose workhorse that sounds particularly good on electric and acoustic guitars and drums.

With its 142dB maximum SPL, the mic can be placed close to a speaker driven by a fully cranked amp without distorting the mic. The tight cardioid pattern enables users to capture vocals or instruments in near-total isolation even when other instruments are also playing.

Same as it was way back in 1991, this latest version of the NT1 is an ideal first mic for anyone configuring a home studio. But it’s also a worthy addition to your studio if you already own a previous version of the NT1 thanks to its different frequency curve, which makes it a nice complement to its predecessor’s flatter sonic character.

The Signature Series package includes a studio-quality shock mount, pop filter and XLR cable, which makes it even more of a bargain, and it’s available in six different colors (black, blue, green, pink, purple or red) to add some style and flair to your studio.

Specs

• PRICE: $159
• TYPE: Large-diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone
• FEATURES: HF6 1-inch true condenser capsule, low noise (4dBA), High SPL handling capabilities (142dB), studio-grade shock mount, pop filter and premium XLR cable included
• CONTACT: Rode

Orange Amplification has just announced the Pyramid Audio System. Promised to deliver “powerful sound and exceptional connectivity”, the compact hi-fi system is the first of its kind for the British guitar amp brand.  

The Bluetooth 5.0-enabled Pyramid amplifier comes with a special wave-balanced “analog sound spectrum” and a warm, clean sound designed to limit listener fatigue,  a problem encountered with many modern sound systems.   

At the heart of the hi-fi system is a pyramid-shaped amplifier that delivers 40W RMS per channel at 4 ohms. Moreover, Orange asserts that the amp design is “eco-friendly, cool-running, and highly efficient.” 

Construction-wise, it has a wooden cabinet with a white piano finish and a prism at the top which subtly glows when it's on. The distinctive volume knob is placed at the front of the Pyramid amp, while the treble and bass controls are discretely placed at the rear of the unit. 

In a nice nod to its heritage, the brand's trademark 'hieroglyphics' – the amp symbols it uses to represent treble, mids, bass, etc – make an appearance along the lower front of the amp.

In addition to Bluetooth pairing capabilities, it has RCA and Aux 3.5mm inputs, for use with turntables and CD players. Plus, there’s also a left-right channel balancing dial, which allows “users to personalize their sound.”

The accompanying paired speakers come fully equipped with 1” soft silk dome tweeters to balance the top end, while the reflex ports and speaker cone excursion deliver “smooth pleasing transitional bass response” without compromising the mid spread. 

Priced at £795 ($1,010.44), the Orange The Pyramid Audio System is available now. For more information about, visit Orange. 

Previously only available to professional touring guitarists, adding one of the best MIDI foot controllers to your setup has become a much more realistic rig option in recent years. This is largely due to the increase in amp modelers used by the average guitarist and more pedals offering MIDI control as an option.

If you want to activate multiple pedals, change parameters, tweak amp settings, or even control other instruments with just the click of footswitch, then a MIDI foot controller will allow you to do that. As we're looking at guitars here, the majority of options in this guide are pedal switchers with MIDI compatability, although we have included some that can change other parameters like amp channels and settings, as well as interfacing with other MIDI-enabled instruments.

Our team is chock full of gigging guitarists, many of whom have used MIDI controllers in our rigs when playing live. If you're deliberating about whether or not to add MIDI to your setup, you can rely on our first-hand experience to guide you through. If you still find yourself questioning something, go have a look at our FAQs section which has loads of common questions answered.

The quick list

Best overall

In mid-2023, the Gig Rig controllers entered a new era with the introduction of the G3. This professional-grade MIDI solution side-steps computer-based programming. Providing a more hands-on relationship than the PBC/10, set-up time feels minimal as you plug in and play with full routing features available from its interface. The LCD display simplifies navigation, ensuring efficient programming with a kinesthetic touch. 

This fully-featured pedalboard brain accommodates up to 12 effect loop slots, recallable in 99 memory banks, each containing up to 28 presets. The G3 multiplies pedalboard arrangement by recalling endless presets and MIDI-enabled pedal parameter changes.

The G3 provides app-based and web-based programming via Bluetooth, facilitating convenient on-the-fly editing of the switcher's routing for tweaks on the road and between live sets.

Best for beginners

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's the Fender Switchboard Effects Operator – a user-friendly switching solution packed with essential features to automate your board. Ideal for guitarists easing into MIDI switching without diving into complex programming.

Externally, Fender's faux-wooden design sets it apart in MIDI controller aesthetics. Internally, its LCD interface can color-coordinate effect loops with pedals, aiding in both programming and performance orientation. By tapping footswitches in any order, users can swiftly rearrange their pedalboard layout.

Offering four mono effect loop points and one stereo effect loop, it may have fewer pedal compatibilities compared with others, yet it brings a simplified approach to maximizing pedalboard potential.

Best budget

More a true MIDI foot controller versus the majority pedal switchers with MIDI on this list, the Behringer FCB1010 is a great choice if you're on a budget, or you're using a rack mounted amp and effects modeler like a Kemper. 

Famously utilized by Trivium, the FCB1010 packs plenty of flexibility when it comes to tweaking, allowing you to set 10 individual footswitches across 10 banks, which should be plenty for even the most complex rigs. 

The dual expression pedals are a nice addition for guitarists too, allowing you to use  multiple wah, volume, or expression settings without requiring further button presses. It's not the most durable MIDI foot controller we've ever come across, but at this price it's still an absolute steal.

Best compact

The MIDI controllers that we have discussed so far take up a fair bit of pedalboard estate right? Fear not, The ES-5, Boss’s compact counterpart to the ES-8, retains similar functionality but caters to guitarists with smaller set-ups and simpler switching needs.

With five effect loops and flexible pedal routing per patch, it's ideal for small but versatile rigs. The ES-5 serves as an accessible entry point into MIDI programming, allowing guitarists to adjust digital MIDI-enabled spatial and modulation parameters throughout a set without diving too deep into intricate setlist and song section programming. Boss provides powerful software for the ES-5, facilitating detailed MIDI parameter control and programming just like its larger sibling.

Best pro option

Finding its way onto boards built by the likes of Mason Marangella of Vertex Effects and his guitar tone podcast co-host Brian Omillion, the RJM PBC/10 is the professional board-builder’s choice and the ultimate solution for effortlessly navigating repertoires.

The PBC/10 stores up to 1000 songs and can organize them into setlists. Each footswitch can transmit up to 20 MIDI messages across 16 MIDI devices, maximizing the tonal recall from MIDI-enabled pedals – power, unlimited power.

Offering a more technical approach than other MIDI controllers on this list, Mac and PC editing software provides in-depth control over every tiny detail. Though elusive in the marketplace, direct availability from RJM warrants consideration for achieving top-tier pedalboard results.

Best flexibility

Our old faithful pedal maker, Boss, has arrived on the MIDI control scene with the ES-8. This MIDI controller aims to provide user-friendly switching and all the functionality at an accessible price point. 

Boss has designed a MIDI controller that can control up to eight effect loops with flexible arrangement options, parallel effect chains and MIDI parameter changes that will recall far-reaching tones on the fly. 

Analog circuitry provides a warm and slightly colored signal path, with programmable buffers for volume consistency across patches. The digital display simplifies hands-on programming, while Boss's free ES-8 system software enables detailed MIDI parameter control and programming.

More options...

As a pedal industry constant for decades, it is no surprise Electro-Harmonix’s Super Switcher delivers. Offering a fully-featured effects brain with simplified programming, it's ideal for streamlined pedalboard control.

Featuring six effect loops and a permanently engaged seventh insert loop for always-on pedals like light drives or volume pedals, EHX focuses on the simpler needs of guitarists while providing MIDI outputs for advanced digital parameter control. Using the eight buttons on the front, programming is easy and intuitive.

The Super Switcher offers two modes: Instant access for engagement of effect loops, and Preset mode for intricate MIDI parameter recall. The Super Switcher functions as both a simple tone switcher and an advanced MIDI-programmable preset creator. The choice is yours.

The Gig Rig’s G3 Atom’s size alone is a game-changer in high-end switching, condensing the formidable routing capabilities of our previously recommended G3 – holding all that programming power in a lightweight, robust, and compact frame. Much like its larger counterpart, navigation through the menu is intuitive, featuring a user-friendly layout free from unnecessary complexity.

Despite its size, the G3 Atom serves as a potent central brain for any pedalboard, packing effortless parallel routing programming with blend controls, ensuring a tasteful balance between two affected signal paths.

Gig Rig's Generator power supply ensures pedal isolation and noise reduction, while gold relays in the effects loop preserve tone integrity and eliminate unwanted noise without compromising on sound quality.

Tailored to a specialized audience, the 12 Step footswitch reimagines traditional MIDI foot control, serving as a keyboard-mapped controller for triggering single notes and chords. Its pressure-sensitive pads allow users to add drones, choral textures, and shift harmonic centers, offering tonal beds for endless shredding.

The highly programmable 12 Step sends MIDI signals to compatible pedals, providing parameter expression via its pressure-sensitive pads. Compatible with digital set-ups and DAWs, it can integrate live expression with virtual instruments and plugins, as seen and used by guitarist Avi Bornick in John Scofield’s Uberjam Deux band and Munaf Rayani of Explosions In The Sky.

With its PC and Mac software editor, the 12 Step facilitates in-depth MIDI routing, encouraging users to explore the full potential of digital experimental live set-ups.

FAQs

How we test

A MIDI controller is a significant investment so you'll want to be sure you're getting the right one. When we recommend MIDI controllers we're doing it off the back of years and years of using them for live shows, whether that's fully MIDI-enabled rigs or using a switcher to change effects patches.

Like any guitar pedal we test, we'll jump straight into using it alongside our regular pedalboard. For a MIDI controller, this means setting up any MIDI-enabled pedals we have to determine how user-friendly the whole process is. We'll aim to test this alongside the general usability of setting up patches, hooking it up to a DAW, as well as how any software works versus the actual interface on the pedal.

We'll also be looking at the durability of the unit, as a MIDI controller by definition is something used on a gigging pedalboard. It has to be able to put up with the rigors of life on the road, so we'll closely examine the construction of the unit to ensure it feels rugged enough for purpose.

Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.

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Electro-Voice’s ZLX line has been the standard for providing high-quality professional performance at an affordable price point for some time now, and the company’s new ZLX G2 iteration has just upped the stakes a bit more. The new two-way powered loudspeakers boast increased output, frequency range, durability and, with the eight-inch model (new for the series), even more portability. 

The second generation of the ZLX line, the ZLX G2, which is also offered in 12-inch and 15-inch versions, boasts 1,000 watts of power, and sports several brand-new features, including remote-control mixing and monitoring via the Electro-Voice QuickSmart Mobile app, and stereo streaming. 

The integrated four-channel, three-input digital mixer also includes onboard premium “Powered by Dynacord” electronics, high-quality effects, two XLR/TRS combo jacks, AFS (automatic feedback suppression), ducking, compression, loudspeaker delay settings and more.

The ZLX G2 offers five system mode settings – Music, Live, Speech, Club and FRFR (full range, flat response), and a particularly cool feature, as guitarist Jimmy Franklin points out in the above demo video, is the loudspeaker’s usability in FRFR. “When you connect the Electro-Voice QuickSmart app to the ZLX G2 you can choose FRFR guitar mode,” he says. “Right next to that option,” Jimmy continues, “you can choose the position of the speaker. This setting will optimize the overall EQ depending on what position the speaker is in.” 

The result is a pro-audio loudspeaker that you can use to dial in your tone during the week and as a main PA or monitor for practice or gigs at the weekend. 

“The ZLX G2 speakers are a staple of whether I'm using them for monitoring my gigs live or if I'm using them as PA speakers,” Jimmy says. “They're already coming to gigs, so that really cuts down the amount of gear that I have to bring with me.”

He continues, “Whether you want the eight-inch version for just playing at home, or the 15-inch because you really want to go and blow some doors off of some clubs, the ZLX G2 has something for everyone. Not only is this a great option for a PA speaker, it's also a great option for any guitar player.”

To check out the ZLX G2 for yourself, head to Electro-Voice.

It’s interesting how we guitarists spend so much money to get our hands on gear that emulates fifty-year-old technology. We dedicate our playing time to achieving the tones and techniques of players long gone or past their prime, while manufacturers use every modern tech trick in the book to recreate the sounds and vibe of whichever vintage yesteryear. I can’t think of many other categories of technology where this is the case, and I’ve yet to see anyone harking for the day floppy disks return so they can store their data the way they used to.

The Universal Audio Apollo Twin X is one such piece of gear. On the one hand, it’s a thoroughbred modern audio interface with duo/quad SHARC DSP processors, advanced AD/DA conversion, and some incredible dynamic range and total harmonic distortion figures. On the other, the actual workflow is decidedly nostalgic, aiming to recreate the process of recording via an analog studio desk, using plugins modeled on vintage rackmount units from the '60s onwards.

It’s a premium bit of kit from the build quality to the price tag but for those who just want to record guitars at home, is it a little bit too much? With so many guitar audio interfaces available these days, how can it justify costing more than double some of its rivals from Focusrite, Native Instruments, and Audient? I got hands-on to find out…

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Features

My review model is the Quad SHARC DSP processor-equipped model, but there is a Duo version that halves the processors and is slightly cheaper if you don’t feel you’ll need that much firepower. Both units are exactly the same otherwise, featuring two combi inputs on the rear with a dedicated guitar input on the front alongside a headphone out. You also get two outputs for studio monitors, two line outs, and an optical in for expanding your connectivity to up to ten inputs.

There’s a really reassuring and hefty weight to the Apollo Twin X unit itself, and it comes nicely boxed in a luxurious foam. The all-metal chassis gives it a very robust feel with the encoder knob and buttons feeling rock solid. It’s got premium written all over it, which is reassuring with the amount of money it costs. Inside the box, you’ll find a laptop-style power cable that locks with a twist to prevent any accidents but bizarrely, there is no Thunderbolt cable to connect it to your computer. This means you’ll have to purchase your own separately or use one you already have – more on which later.

On the front panel, you get a large rotary encoder that controls the input and output levels depending on which button you press. A preamp button to the left allows you to change which channel you’re using, whilst the monitor button opposite switches between your studio monitors and headphones.

Slightly below that you have six buttons which in preamp mode control the input type, low cut, phantom power, engage a pad, switch the polarity, or link the two mic preamps. Switch to monitor mode and they let you control the talkback mode, a ‘dim’ function that drops the output by 20dB, mono operation for your monitors and headphones as well as a mute function.

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Installation

Getting everything out of the box and plugged in on my desk, I run into the first of a few snags. My third-party Thunderbolt 4 cable doesn’t quite fit due to the way the socket is recessed into the unit. The round shape of the recess blocks the square shape of the cable connector surround, which meant I had to order a different cable with a lower profile connector that would fit. It’s one of the worst feelings when you get a new piece of gear only to discover you can’t use it right away!

The next day, with a fresh cable at the ready - cheers, Amazon Prime next-day delivery - I proceeded to get everything set up by hooking the interface up to my MacBook Air M1. As a former computer repair shop technician, I’ve run into a fair few issues with computers before, but the installation process here is one of the most labyrinthine I’ve undertaken in a long time.

Be prepared to spend some time rebooting your Mac, enabling startup options, and going through multiple accessory connection requests before you can even think about plugging in your guitar. I stumbled quite a few times here, having to restart the whole process again as I accidentally canceled or missed a step. Once I got past all the stages required to complete installation, I had to wait even longer while a firmware update was installed to bring my unit up to scratch.

This extended installation process is a fault of the Silicon chip-equipped MacBooks rather than Universal Audio themselves, but I can’t help but compare it to the Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen units I recently reviewed. Both of which quite literally had me up and running within minutes. Still, installation is just one aspect of the product and with it done and the UA Console app up and running, I proceeded to move on and get stuck into some actual recording.

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Usability

Loading up my preferred DAW Pro Tools and plugging in my current weapon of choice the Chapman ML-1 baritone guitar alongside my trusty Line 6 HX Stomp amp modeler, I began my review process by recording a demo for a new song that I’m working on for my band. Handily Pro Tools recognizes the interface immediately, so I’m off to a flying start following that convoluted installation.

The core of the recording experience with the Apollo Twin X lies in its console software. Here you’ll find an easier way to control the interface, plus access to all of the DSP-powered plugins from Universal Audio. The idea is much like what you’d do in a real recording studio, which is to get the best possible tone going in, rather than fixing it in the mix. You can load up your typical studio tools like channel strips, preamps, compressors, limiters, and EQs, shaping the sound before you hit the record button.

At the top of your channel is your input volume and type, which reacts to any inputs you make on the interface itself in real-time. Below that you have your Unison slot, which allows the Apollo to emulate any number of vintage and modern preamps. More importantly for this particular use case, it can also emulate a number of different guitar amps, including models from Fender, Marshall, Diezel, ENGL, Friedman, Ampeg, and Suhr models provided by Brainworx.

I really enjoyed the Fender Tweed model but was a little underwhelmed by the rest of them, much preferring the sound of my HX Stomp models and York Audio IRs. It may just be that these models need some tweaking to get them to sound their best, as is usually the case when it comes to dialing in realistic tones via amp modeling. What was much more useful was being able to add preamps or channel strips in real time and see how they beefed up the sound of my existing amp models.

There’s a lot to dive into here and loads of presets to get you going, including many knocked up by award-winning pro engineers like Richard Chycki and Andrew Scheps. All of the UA plugins are initially available on a 14-day trial so you can use everything but rather annoyingly, once you finish the trial they don’t disappear, which can make it difficult to remember which ones you own and which you don’t. There’s also no way to categorize your plugins, so you’ll have to rely on memory if you plan on frequently using them in this way.

Doing things this way is certainly refreshing to the usual approach I'd take, ironing out inconsistencies later on in the recording process. It's much closer to the process of actual studio recording, where your guitar will be sent through multiple pieces of outboard gear and then into a desk before finally landing in the DAW. It requires experimentation, but ultimately I found it an extremely rewarding way to lay down my guitar tracks.

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Sound

To the more subjective matter of sound, I’ll often test a new audio interface by running some of my favorite songs at a good volume through my studio monitors. Cueing up my favorite mix reference playlist, I immediately noticed that the Apollo drives my speakers a lot harder than any other interface I’ve tested. Even at a quarter of the way up on the monitor output I get more volume than when I’m halfway turned up on the Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 4th Gen.

Is it objectively better though or just louder? I’d wager there’s not much difference between the Apollo or any other decent audio interface when it comes to the actual sound quality you get out of it. With any audio interface, you get what you put in, and the quality of the sound is at the behest of the person twiddling the knobs and the player laying down the tracks, rather than the gear you use.

Utilizing the mic preamps with an SM57 and a condenser mic on a guitar cab can lead to some fantastic sounds, giving you the best possible chance of nailing a quality recording if you like to do things old school. The ability to change the character of the preamp gives it a huge advantage over many of its competitors too, as you can chop and change depending on your guitar pickups or just stick with your tried and trusted sonic characteristics.

I got some searing guitar tones out of my HX Stomp with the Apollo, which combined nicely with a DI bass guitar and a drum VST to create my final demo. Would I have gotten a similar sound with a different interface? Probably, but where the Apollo Twin X excels is in encouraging that analog approach to recording guitars. The fact that the interface takes the CPU load away from your computer is incredibly useful, as it gives more flexibility to those with less powerful machines. Simply put it gives you more options, which is always a good thing when crafting your own recordings.

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Verdict

There’s a reason many pro engineers use the Apollo Twin X as their home or travel audio interface. The workflow is sleek and smooth (once you get it installed) and the power of DSP processing takes the strain off your computer, freeing you up to get into more complex projects. An excellent feature set makes it a powerful tool for recording guitars, and there’s plenty to grow into should you decide to upgrade your setup in the future.

Is it worth the investment for the guitarist recording direct at home? It all depends on your use case. If you just want to demo simple riffs and licks, we’d look elsewhere for something cheaper. If you want to do more complex, full song arrangements with other instrumentation or get into recording with real-world amps and microphones, then the Universal Audio Apollo Twin X is totally worth the asking price.

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review: Specs

• Simultaneous I/O: 10 x 6
• A/D Resolution: 24-bit/192kHz
• Built In DSP/FX: UAD-2 Quad Core Processing, Realtime UAD Powered Plug-ins
• Number of Preamps: 2 x mic, 1 x instrument
• Phantom Power: Yes
• Analog Inputs: 2 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/line), 1 x 1/4" (Hi-Z)
• Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (monitor), 2 x 1/4" (line out)
• Digital Inputs: 1 x Optical Toslink (ADAT,S/PDIF)
• Headphones: 1 x 1/4" TRS
• Software: UAD Realtime Analog Classics plug-ins (VST, AU, AAX 64), 5 Heritage Edition plug-ins
• OS Requirements - Mac: macOS 10.12 or later, Quad Core i7 Processor or higher
• OS Requirements - PC: Windows 10 Anniversary update or later, Quad Core i7 Processor or higher
• Power Supply: 12V DC power supply (included)
• Weight: 2.35 lbs.
• Contact: Universal Audio

The second iteration of Audient’s iD range of budget interfaces has a lot to live up to. The first versions were extremely well respected, offering a combination of thoughtful design and some nice quality-of-life touches that elevated them above many others in the crowded entry-level interface bracket. Thankfully, the qualities of the Audient iD4 MKII are apparent straight out of the box. 

What we have is a simple enough two-in/two-out USB audio interface, with an XLR/jack combi input on the rear of the device and single ¼” jack input on the front. Additionally, on the front, you get a neat dual-output headphone section, which has both a ¼” output and a 3.5mm output – these can be used simultaneously, or you could use one as an auxiliary output to send audio out to a guitar pedal. The back of the unit then houses the standard stereo jack outputs and connection for the interface’s USB-C cable. All of the main controls – gain for both channels, a monitor mix knob and a large, chunky volume encoder – sit atop the surface of the unit, keeping them within easy reach for those crucial tweaks. 

As an interface for recording, performing and producing music, the Audient manages to be both simple yet with enough going on to keep small-scale guitar setups happy. But how does it fare when compared to other, similarly priced interfaces? Let’s check it out. 

Audient iD4 MkII review: Hands-on

As you’d expect, setting the iD4 MkII up is about as simple as it gets. With my Windows test machine, I made sure to have the right drivers installed and then it was just a case of plugging it in. With the MacOS machine, it did all the background work itself so was even simpler. As a bonus, I also tested it with my iPhone – it advertises iOS compatibility on the box – and can report this too was a pain-free experience. 

The iD4 MkII is a very sturdy unit, with a solid feel to it thanks to the all-metal construction. The three smaller encoders (two gain and one monitor mix) felt smooth and precise, while the main volume encoder had a pleasing weight to it. I did find the gain level LEDS sometimes took a second to ‘catch up’ with the inputs I was making on the main encoder but this isn’t likely to make or break your recording session. 

Using Ableton Live as my test DAW, I found the iD4 did exactly what I wanted it to with zero fuss or faff. When you’re testing a budget audio interface, simplicity is probably the key metric. At this price range, you’re likely aiming towards people who perhaps aren’t vastly experienced with music technology, so keeping things as foolproof as possible is a wise strategy. The iD4 passes this test with flying colors. 

For the test setup, I wanted to record my parlor acoustic guitar so ran a condenser microphone – the Neumann TLM102 – into the back of the unit and engaged the built-in phantom power to ensure we got a signal. On the front, I made use of the JFET input to get a clean signal from my test electric guitar into a copy of Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig. From a workflow perspective, having both the acoustic and electric ready to record instantaneously was ideal for playing around with different tracks and takes.

The iD4’s iD button unlocks some useful features too. The ‘Scroll Control’ feature turns the master volume knob into a scroller for whatever you’ve highlighted using your mouse. I found this was especially helpful when I was recording automation lines into Live, raising and lowering the FX mix of a heavy-sounding reverb to accentuate certain parts of the recording. This kind of tactile control is not something you’d necessarily expect from an audio interface, nor something you’ll use all the time, but a nice touch all the same.

The dual monitor mix feature was also helpful. By holding both the mute and iD buttons, the main encoder then created a stereo sub-mix of the mic and line inputs, allowing me to hear the mic in one ear and the guitar in the other. Again, a small feature but one that shows the people who have made this interface understand musicians and the situations they could find themselves in.

All told, the Audient iD4 MkII offers a huge amount of sensible features, with some nice additional touches you might not expect at this end of the entry-level spectrum. For guitarists, the sound quality and ease of use make it an ideal guitar audio interface for anybody relying on amp sims for their recording needs. I also found the overall levels of build quality to be very high, giving me confidence this would make the ideal audio interface for small home studio recording setups.

Audient iD4 MkII review: Specifications

• Connectivity: USB-C
• Converter resolution: 24 bit
• Supported sample rates: 96kHz
• Inputs: 1 x XLR/Jack combi, 1 x ¼” jack
• Outputs: 2 x ¼” Jack outputs, 1 x ¼” headphone out, 1 x 3.5mm headphone out
• Size: 133mmx120mmx41mm
• Weight: 740g
• Contact: Audient

As with many things these days, head to YouTube and you’ll find a reactionary video about almost any topic – and this is especially true when it comes to guitar speakers. 

You’ll hear stories about how a certain speaker from 1997 sounds best if it was made before lunch on a Tuesday, or that another speaker is the worst thing ever but only if it has the blue sticker, otherwise it’s amazing. 

A lot of this is generally just to get clicks, and even if there is a bit of truth somewhere, it tends to get lost beneath a million and one assumptions. To me, rarely has this been more true than for Celestion’s G12T-75.

The T75 was released in the early ’80s and soon became the go-to speaker for Marshall amps. Not too long before and up until the late ’70s, the Greenbacks (or more accurately Blackbacks at the time) were Marshall’s favoured speakers, but the lower power ratings of the Greenbacks of between 25 and 30 watts was seen as too low. Therefore, and after a few alternatives, the 75-watt G12T-75 was settled upon. 

The T75 was quite well received at the start and it’s easy to see why: it has a certain aggression and plenty of cut that can be useful for a lot of ’80s guitar tones. However, somewhere between then and now, it seems to have become one of the more divisive speakers out there.

I spend a lot of time recording speakers, playing dozens of them each week, as well as listening to multiple speaker recordings and combinations in a studio setting. But over the years I really didn’t come across the T75 that much.

Maybe guitarists looking for a custom cab moved away from the most common guitar speaker out there, which makes sense, but I just didn’t hear it too often.

That said, when I heard murmurs of disappointment over the T75’s sound, it did prick my ears. At first, these video appraisals seemed to focus around heavier playing styles, but I have to say, for the few T75s that we use at Zilla, the majority were for heavier players, often mixed with a V30.

Horses for courses

At this point, I decided to have a closer look at how the T75 varied through the ages. I’m sure you can imagine, the most-used speaker is also probably one of the most-replaced speakers, too, and therefore, due to the T75 being so common, it’s quite cheap and easy to get hold of some good examples of it throughout the years. 

In general, well-looked-after speakers will sound softer and warmer with age (although at the same time, speakers from 4x12s tend to sound worse than from combos), so after finding multiple examples of T75s from the mid-’80s up to the present day, I found the differences weren’t actually night and day.

The older models did sound that bit softer, but for heavier recordings there were certain qualities from the straight-out-of-the-box models that sounded better.

In fact, the aggression in the sound could actually be useful in some styles. After recording each of our T75s with multiple different amps and tracks, we found it sounded pretty cool for some bluesy ‘edge of break-up’ stuff, especially in smaller combos.

This demonstrates not only do we have different ears, each colouring what we hear, but we have different opinions on what sounds good. I managed to find the T75 useful for many different styles, and really quite good for a few.

Sure, it can be a bit aggressive and there are plenty of speakers I’d recommend before it for many scenarios, but unless we have played every speaker, in every style and in a sufficient number of cabinets, then we might not have the authority to place a label on it. Instead, maybe just stick to saying, “I prefer something else.”  

Features & design

If you’re shopping for a guitar-orientated audio interface in the $100-$200 bracket, you are not going to find yourself short of choice. The low-mid end of the audio interface market is crowded, that’s for sure, but if a product earns the right to a second iteration then you know it’s coming from a good place. Before we get too ahead of ourselves though, let’s look at the Komplete Audio 6 mkII in more detail. This second coming of the 6 comes in a shiny piano black (or, fingerprint magnet, if you prefer) housing, with a few touches of matte metal for contrast. It also has a decent weight to it which, working with the rubberized feet, means it won’t be sliding around your desk easily.

The top of the unit houses the various LED status indicators for levels and signals, along with the large, tactile knob for controlling the main volume coming out of outputs one and two. On the front, you’ll find a couple of jack/XLR combi inputs, with switchable line or instrument settings and individual volume controls for each.

The two instrument inputs are ready-made for guitars, basses and anything else that pumps out a low-level signal, with the two analog preamps doing a sterling job of converting things into a usable audio sample. There are a couple of headphone outputs, with individual volume controls, and a small switch to choose whether these mirror outputs one and two, or three and four. Useful if you’re cueing up sounds from three and four before they hit the main mix.

The front is finished off with a direct monitoring knob, taking you from computer audio to whatever’s being input into the device, and a 48v phantom power switch for using condenser microphones. To the rear you’ll find four analog jack outputs, a couple of S/PDIF connections and then some full-size MIDI connections for communicating with external gear – very nice to see and welcome at this price point, particularly if your pedalboard includes MIDI controllable parameters.

Hands-on

At standard audio interface duties, I found the Komplete Audio 6 perfectly capable of delivering clean audio from a variety of sources, including guitars being fed into Amplitube or the included Guitar Rig 7 LE software. I also loved the way the rear-mounted outputs allowed me to route audio out of a DAW, into a guitar pedalboard - controlling a couple of parameters on my Chase Bliss pedals via MIDI - and back into the KA6’s two rear-mounted inputs without my desk being a mess of cables and clutter. It’s the small things.

So who is the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 aimed at? Its stealthy appearance, DJ-friendly features and a phalanx of bundled NI software will make it an obvious choice for producers and performers of certain electronic genres of music, but in reality, I found it had enough capabilities to make it a worthy purchase for guitarists, bands, and all kinds of disparate home studio pursuits.

The two headphone outputs would make it ideal for small-scale podcast setups, for example, while the four analogue inputs would also lend themselves well to home studios with synths, drum machines and other external hardware toys. Best of all, however, is the price. Given what’s on offer here, and the inherent simplicity of the KA6, the fact you can pick one up for around $180 (less if you shop around) is mind-boggling.

Native is more commonly known for its machines that make sound. With the Komplete Audio 6, they’ve also given us one of the best value methods of discreetly and efficiently capturing that sound too. Hats off, chaps.

Specification

• Connectivity: USB-A
• Converter resolution: 24-bit
• Supported sample rates: Up to 192kHz
• Inputs: 4 analogue, 2 digital
• Outputs: 4 x ¼” Jack outputs, 2 x ¼” headphone out, 2 x digital outputs
• Size: 200x120x40mm
• Contact: Native Instruments

Fender has announced a hefty firmware update to the Tone Master Pro modeler and its desktop app, Pro Control.

The update delivers a host of new features and a sizable list of bug fixes to its modeler, which seeks to rival the likes of Line 6, Neural DSP, and Kemper in an increasingly competitive market.

New features include an added switch link function, a switchless bypass, and the addition of a 4x12 British Blackback cab. It has also added the Preset MIDI function to the Preset Settings menu.

The issued fixes include phase alignment of internal cab IRs, improving the experience of reordering presets, and renaming several effects and cabs. You can find them all listed below.

It’s the first major firmware update since the Tone Master Pro’s launch in late ’23, as Fender looks to respond to user feedback. To make things easier, the company has also created a firmware update guide for users.

The newly added switch link function allows players to assign up to eight switches to one of four switch link groups (A, B, C, or D). When grouped in a switch link, only one can be active at a time. Players can select any linked footswitch to turn its parameters on, and again to power off any active switches in the group.

Its switchable bypass function applies to EXP assignments and is now able to turn on block(s) without the toe switch by moving the expression pedal. Adding the preset MIDI to the preset settings menu, meanwhile, allows players to send up to five custom MIDI Program Change (PC) and Continuous Controller (CC) messages when selecting any TMPro preset.

Having lived with the Tone Master Pro for two weeks, Guitar World scribe Alex Lynham said that it was the way the modeler felt, as opposed to the tones it offered, that was a real game-changer. Its interface, he wrote, has set a “new benchmark” for the modeler market.

In our full Fender Tone Master Pro review, we hailed it as “a unit that is quite possibly the best in its class and price point”.

Meanwhile, it may just be a coincidence, but Neural DSP recently lowered the price of its Quad Cortex to stand at the same price as the Tone Master Pro.

See below for a full list of features and fixes, and head to Fender.com to download the update.

New features

• Added “Switch Link” function to footswitch assignments. Assign up to eight foot switches to a switch link group(A, B, C or D). When footswitches are grouped together in a switch link, only one can be active at a time. Select any linked footswitch to turn its parameters ON and subsequently turn OFF any active switches in the group.
• Added “Switchless Bypass” function to EXP assignments. Now able to turn on block(s) without Toe Switchby moving the expression pedal.
• Added Preset MIDI to Preset Settings menu. Allows the ability to send up to 5 custom MIDI Program Change (PC) and continuous Controller (CC) messages when selecting any TMPro preset
• New Cab Model-4x12 British Blackback 

Product enhancements

• Amp model update–EVH® 5150® IIIS 6L6 Red
• Amp model update–EVH 5150 IIIS 6L6 Blue
• Amp model update–EVH 5150 IIIS 6L6 Green
• Amp model update–British 800
• British 800 half-stack now uses 4x12 British Blackback as default cab
• Added User IR Level control to IR edit screen
• Added DIM LED option for all footswitch assignments
• Added support for default footswitch LED active/inactive color options in GlobalSettings>Footswitch
• Looper position can now be toggled between Pre / Post in Instrument signal path using the top right footswitch labeled “HOLD: POSITION” when in Looper ModeoAfter assigning a preset to a footswitch in a song, the preset will load and its corresponding footswitch LED will light up
• Added +/–buttons for fine adjustments on gradient sliders in Pro Control App
• Added MIDI Thru and Merge options in I/O Settings>MIDI
• Added MIDI CC support for Amp Control jacks, Master Volume and Looper commands

Fixes

• Fixed phase alignment of some internal Cab IRs
• Fixed footswitch LED out of sync with single effect issue
• Fixed “popping”issue when selecting preset with Maximus Drive and boost enabled
• Fixed bug in EVH 5150 IIIS Red amp model where some modeled effects loop circuitry was affecting the tone
• Fixed bug in British 800 model where Master Volume would cause “rubber-banding” at higher settings
• Improved experience when reordering presets via long drag & drop on TMP and in ProControl
• Changed Cloud Reverb High Dampparametert
• 100Hz increments instead of 1Hz
• Footswitch LED now continues to illuminate after saving a preset in Songs Mode
• Mythic Drive font now matches between hardware and Pro Control
• 4x12 Mega V30 Cab model now uses same % of DSP resources as other cab models
• Signal path selection is now highlighted in the list menu after selecting a new signal path type
• Chromatic Pitch Shifter “Pitch” parameter is now adjusted in steps of 1 cent within the gradient adjustment control when using the +/–buttons
• Assigning an FX Loop to a Toe Switch and then deleting the FX Loop from the signal path no longer leaves behind a blank, un-editable Toe Switch assignment
• Fixed issue when navigation through the list is interrupted due to continuous dragging process
• Fixed issue where double tap selection in "add preset to song" popup switches the mode
• Fixed issue where selecting mic for cab returns screen to cab selection window instead of cab edit
• Fixed "Undefined" preset name in Song Footswitch Assignment
• Outgoing USB signals now appear as USB 1-4 instead of Analogue 1-4in DAW settings
• Ribbon mic placement corrected in speaker cabinet microphone selection list
• Improved preset list scrolling performance on TM Pro
• 4x12 British Jubilee cab renamed 4x12 British Jubilee V30
• Diatonic Harmonizer Effect Renamed Diatonic Pitch Shifter

With the launch of the Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen range, the British-based pro-audio company continues its path of innovation in home recording by adding better specs, enhanced functionality, and a sleek new look to their ever-present audio interfaces. The market for home recording has grown exponentially in the last decade, so does the Scarlett range continue to hold its torch the highest in a crowded market against competitors like Universal Audio, SSL, PreSonus, Audient, Native Instruments, and Arturia? 

The ubiquitous red of the Focusrite Scarlett has become the signature of home recording since its launch way back in 2011. Back then the home audio interface hadn’t properly taken off, and many were plagued by driver/compatibility issues, poor latency, or the lack of processing power from computers most people could afford at the time.

So when the original 2i2 launched, it was a total revelation for the home recording musician, providing an easy-to-use, great value-for-money audio interface that sounded phenomenal and, something oft overlooked in gear design, looked cool. In a sea of bland grey and black, the Scarlett stood out with its brushed metal vermillion shell, appealing to a whole new generation of musicians. I bought one straight away, and all credit to Focusrite, it still works to this day.

With more and more guitarists choosing to play through plugins or amp modelers and record at home, having a USB interface has moved from something a few ultra-geeks needed to becoming a regular part of the modern player’s rig. So is the Focusrite Scarlett still the king of guitar audio interfaces? Or has it been outstripped by one of its many competitors? We got our hands on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and 4i4 4th Gen models and tested them to their limits to find out.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Features

First, I popped both units side by side on my desktop to evaluate the features of each. The naming convention refers to how many ins and outs each unit has, but there is a little more to it than that. The 2i2 has two 1/4-inch line inputs on the front, while the two Neutrik XLR inputs with mic preamps are on the reverse of the unit. It makes for a cleaner look at the front, but could be limiting depending on your setup should you want to take advantage of the XLRs for micing up your guitar amp.

The 4i4 is reversed with two combi-inputs on the front and two line-ins on the back. Personally, we prefer this setup, although it does mean the 4i4 is slightly taller than the 2i2. One important thing to note is that although the 4i4 has 4 inputs, you’re only actually getting two mic pres, which means if you’re multi-micing a guitar cab or even doing some rudimentary drum recording, you won’t get the same performance from each input.

Both units have six buttons on the front. ‘Select’ chooses between channels 1 and 2, ‘48V’ turns on phantom power for your selected channel when using a condenser microphone, the ‘Inst’ button changes the channel to a Hi-Z input, ‘Air’ adds some high-end to your input signal, and if you press this again adds a further gain boost. ‘Auto’ applies the auto gain function and ‘Safe’ enables clip safe mode. The 2i2 also has a ‘Direct’ button so you can listen to the direct signal going into, which is strangely omitted on the 4i4, and only accessible via the included software.

On the back of the 2i2 you have two XLR inputs, two 1/4-inch line outputs for connecting your studio monitors, a USB-C connector for going into your computer, and an optional USB-C power supply output if your laptop isn’t suitably equipped to provide enough power. There’s also a Kensington lock connection that will be useful for educational institutions, allowing you to securely lock the interface much like you would a bike.

The 4i4 meanwhile, has two 1/4-inch line inputs, four 1/4-inch line outputs, MIDI In and Out, a USB-C for connecting your computer, and a USB-C 5V DC connection for powering the device. The 4i4 draws 1.5A versus the 2i2s 900mA, so if you’re connecting to a USB 3.1-equipped laptop, you will need to use the external supply. If your laptop or desktop has USB-C you shouldn’t need to use the external PSU.

Both units feature the same large rotary knob for controlling the overall output, two endless encoders for adding or reducing gain on each channel, and a single headphone monitoring output with a 1/4-inch connector and a dedicated volume knob.

Both interfaces come in entirely recyclable packaging, with ‘compostable’ emblazoned on the smooth-feeling sheath that covers the units themselves. With the 2i2 you get a USB-C to USB-A cable and that’s it. The 4i4 has a USB-C to USB-C cable but handily comes with an adapter to convert it to USB-A. Due to its hungrier power consumption, it also comes with an additional USB-C power supply. 

Although it’s probably not at the top of anyone’s list when choosing an audio interface, I couldn’t help but remark that they both look super slick. The red has a metallic sparkle to it and everything feels nice and solid, with the knobs feeling firm when you turn them. All the button labels light up when you plug it in too, making them great for working in low-light conditions.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Installation

Getting them set up I ran into a few issues initially. First of all, the included cables are pretty short, particularly the power cable for the 4i4 which is always likely to have to travel further than the USB connecting it to the computer. With a little jimmying around of the cables at the back of my PC and my power strip, I managed to get it in the position I wanted on my desk, but definitely something to note for those looking to integrate into a permanent setup.

Another small thing, but when connecting to my studio monitors the outputs on the 4i4 are listed as ‘1’ and ‘2’ rather than left and right, so I had to check a mix I knew began with a left-panned guitar to make sure I had it set up correctly. For posterity, output 1 is left and output 2 is right. On the 2i2 they’re marked, making setup ever so slightly easier.

As both are ‘class compliant’ they're designed to work instantaneously without the need for a driver on Windows. However, when I opened Pro Tools on my home studio PC, it did not recognize it as a playback device without me having to navigate to the Focusrite website and install the driver. Once that was done Pro Tools automatically selected the appropriate ins and outs without me having to do anything and all-in-all I was up and running in less than 5 minutes from opening the box with both interfaces.

On macOS, the Focusrite uses Apple’s built-in audio driver, which delivers instant performance just by plugging in. If you really want to get the latency down for monitoring your guitar tones live, you can install a ‘codeless kernel extension’ which will reduce the latency down below the 5ms mark. It's a more complicated process if you’re on a Mac with a silicon chip, but it’s totally worth the effort, delivering exceptional performance for a USB interface at this price point.

It’s also recommended you get the Focusrite Control app, which lets you control the interface entirely from the computer. This is really useful for more permanent setups, although some may prefer getting hands-on with the knobs and buttons. For me, I definitely found the extended metering for the inputs on the app a lot more usable than the LED ring light around the knobs on the unit itself, and for the way my setup is positioned, it’s much easier to alt-tab to the app than reach for the buttons or knobs.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Usability

Before beginning any actual recording, I wanted to check out the auto gain and clip safe functions to see how they perform. When you click auto gain in the app a little box pops up asking you to play as if you were recording, to which I duly obliged by chugging my baritone guitar as aggressively as I could. After a few seconds, it reported the process was complete, and the virtual knob was appropriately set for optimum performance. 

In Pro Tools, it registered around -12dB when strumming hard, which is pretty much where I’d set it if doing it manually. It’s a cool feature, and certainly helpful if you tend to use the same instrument as it retains the setting if you close it and open it back up again. Of course, if you're frequently swapping guitars then you might prefer to set it manually.

The clip safe function is probably less useful for guitar than it is for something like vocals or drums which have a lot more dynamic range, so I opted to hook up the output of my electronic drum kit to see how it responded to something with more transient energy. With clip safe engaged, the input will not go past the -1dB mark, which is a great safety net for drums, but also might be a nice feature to have if you’ve got a particularly dynamic singer who gets too close to the mic sometimes.

In general, it’s bad practice to let anything clip on the way into your audio interface, and you will hear the jarring cutoff of the sound being limited if it does go over the mark. So although it’s nice to have, you shouldn't need it if you’re doing your gain staging properly in the first place!

Returning to my guitar, I picked out my trusty Telecaster to see how the Air function performed. There are two modes, the first adds extra presence, aka more treble information to the signal. The second mode does the same but adds a little gain boost too. They’re both pretty subtle when used with a guitar, but it did add a noticeable brightness to the darker-sounding neck pickup of my Tele.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Sound

So what about the actual sound? I’m going to be honest here, in the modern world of audio interfaces there isn’t all that much difference between mic preamps at this level. Modern mic pres will pretty much all provide clean, articulate performance, whether you’re using a cheap Behringer UMC or an expensive Universal Audio Apollo. If you’re just plugging a guitar straight in and using plugins, you’re not all that likely to notice a difference between this and any other interface.

Where the mic pres do come into effect a lot is if you're recording sources with a microphone, and in particular quiet sounds where you need a low noise floor. Both the 2i2 and 4i4 4th Gen mic pres do this incredibly well, performing admirably when I recorded some softly plucked acoustic guitar through a condenser microphone. 

Thanks to an improved gain range, they’re a significant improvement on the previous iteration too. This means you can do away with any inline boosters like the Cloudlifter if you're using dynamic microphones on your recordings. I also tried multiple guitars, recording traditionally with an SM57 and a condenser microphone on a tube combo. Both interfaces did a fantastic job of capturing the vibe of an amp in the room, giving clear, usable tones reliably.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Verdict

Where the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and 4i4 4th Gen excel is a combination of usability and value for money. With the field so balanced in terms of actual sound quality, it’s these features that help the famous red box continue to stand out in the crowded market. They've got everything the modern musician needs to record great-sounding guitars and will cover a range of bases – whether that’s your instrumental post-rock album or full productions for your metal band.

My only criticism of the 2i2 is that I’d prefer to have combi inputs on the front as we did with the 3rd Gen. This is my personal preference however, many recording guitarists may be completely happy having 1/4-inch inputs on the front. 

With the 4i4 I found the lack of four mic preamps a little disappointing as both Audient and Behringer offer this for slightly less money. If you’re just using it to record guitar at home then you probably won’t find it all that limiting and I expect that Focusrite will soon announce the 8i6 and 18i8 4th Gen for those who want more inputs. 

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review: Specs

NAMM 2024: This has been the year in which we’ve seen amps and pedals equipped with AI-controlled EQ, but not every guitarist wants a robot in their signal chain. As such, German firm Palmer’s new Supreme Soaker is a load-box and cabinet simulator that’s aimed at those who prize all-things analog.

While digital cab sims on analog amps/pedals are becoming increasingly common (for instance, the Friedman IR-X or Two Notes collabs), the Supreme Soaker takes a simpler route, yet offers a lot of flexibility in the process.

Described as an “analog dynamic tube amp hub for the modern-day guitar player” the Super Soaker blends an attenuator and load box (able to tame any tube amp of up to 150-watts), alongside a wealth of connectivity, including an analog speaker simulator.

The speaker simulator offers a choice of five different presets, enabling you to dial in your amp at sweat-inducing levels, without a speaker connected and without shattering your ear drums.

Meanwhile, even if you do connect a speaker, the Speaker tone knob allows you to adjust its sound from the Supreme Soaker.

Then there’s a host of other handy options, including microphone input for blending mic and direct amp tones, a headphone output and an aux-in, giving you the ability to incorporate backing tracks or clicks.

Finally there’s a stereo effects loop, a pair of balanced XLR outputs and even a reamp out – should you have the luxury of sending your tone through multiple heads in a studio setting.

“Despite all these features,” notes Palmer, “the Supreme Soaker remains resolutely and proudly analog – with no App, screens or menu diving required to access all of its features. Simply and easy to dial in, it is destined to become a favourite among guitar players who prize their tone above all else.”

“Over the decades, we’ve consistently led the way when it comes to analog speaker and cabinet simulators, DI boxes, attenuators, load boxes, and more,” adds Robin Henlich, Palmer’s Director of Product Management.

“Now, we’ve updated and redesigned all of our best products and put them into this one box – and I am convinced it’ll raise the tonal game of guitarists the world over. We can’t wait for you all to play it!”

We can see this becoming one of those super-useful problem-solving boxes for those in the know. The attenuation/loadbox side is super useful obviously, but so is the ability to add an effects loop to an old tube amp, or use it for headphone practice.

Meanwhile, the reamping output could make it a shoo-in for session and studio players. 

There’s no word on price yet, but we do know the Supreme Soaker will be available from Spring, so keep an eye on Palmer’s site for more information.

To keep up to speed with all the new gear releases, visit our NAMM 2024 news guide.

It’s not often we see the standard price of something drop in this post-pandemic world and with everything going on at the moment, it sometimes feels like the cost of living is never going to go down. So it was with delight we read the news that both the Line 6 Helix LT and Helix Floor are getting a massive $200 price drop at all retailers, with price reductions already reflected at both Sweetwater and Guitar Center.

According to chief product design architect Eric Klein, Helix Floor, and LT were always supposed to be at these prices, and dropping them is something Line 6 and Yamaha have been working on for some time. If you just bought either of these units and you’re holding your head in your hands at the moment, try contacting your retailer, as we’ve heard users report both Sweetwater and Guitar Center are refunding the difference if yours was bought within a certain timeframe.

So what’s the difference between the two units? On the face of it, they both look very similar and truth be told, they are identical when it comes to amp tones and effects models. The LT was designed as a slimmed-down version of the original Helix Floor, doing away with some features to provide a more focused experience. It still has the same DSP power as the bigger version and all the amp models and effects, but the connectivity is slightly reduced versus the bigger version.

If you prefer full-fat over zero, then the Line 6 Helix Floor is the flagship offering with all the bells and whistles. Packed with loads of connectivity to integrate into the most complex setups, it’s an all-encompassing amp modeler that delivers everything you’ll need whether you’re recording in the home studio or playing live.

Wireless tone tech is now so reliable that many players won’t be able to tell the difference, tonally. These days, it’s the ease of operation, size and functionality that are the most crucial considerations for players.

This is where NUX’s flagship wireless system, the B-8, thrives. The firm has thought carefully about how to both take the headache out of wireless tech and how to make the B-8 way more than a simple cable replacement. 

As such, pairing the transmitter and receiver takes a matter of seconds: simply power up the pedal unit, press the power button on the transmitter and it will automatically find and connect to the receiver. 

This is done using a pairing algorithm, unique to each set, but the main thing to note is that it is fast. You can see how swift the process is in the clip above. 

Likewise, the screen – often an afterthought on wireless units – has a bright and powerful display. 

You can adjust the brightness level and, using  NUX’s GIF Customizer, even select your own custom boot-up picture to display as the unit switches on. As you can see in the clip, our intrepid host Paul, picked an image of… himself.

The B-8 uses the standard 2.4GHz frequency but offers a massive range – up to 50 meters (160ft) – at the outer limit, ensuring you’re able to cover the biggest stages. Latency is also minimal: clocking in as low as 2.5ms. 

What’s more, you can also easily specify the ideal balance for each show, with the display allowing you to select your preferred point on a sliding scale between low latency and signal stability.

There is a chunky 6.5 hours of battery life available from the transmitter pack. Another feature we love is that , while you can charge the transmitter separately via USB, you can also use the magnetic strip on the rear of the transmitter to quickly dock it and charge on the receiver pedal.

Elsewhere, having a proper full-color display means that you can also make the most of the pedalboard receiver’s other built-in functions. 

A clear, easy-to-read meter shows your signal level at all times,  while your connection strength is indicated in a bar on the left and, on the right, is a battery display – ensuring you can easily see the exact status of the system at a glance, even on a dark stage. 

Then there’s a bright four-mode tuner, offering Chromatic, Guitar Standard, Guitar Compensated and Bass mode. You can even alter the way the tuner displays, for instance, opting for a strobe-like interface, or a wheel.

The footswitch controls the boost and the tuner. A short press kicks in the boost function (and, again, you can set that to your preference – with up to 12dB of gain on tap), while pressing and holding it engages the tuner. Prefer the tuner as your short-press option? Simply swap the footswitch functions around using the B-8’s menu screen.

Finally, the B-8 offers an array of handy routing options from the pedal/receiver itself, with an XLR out, an effects loop send/return, plus a regular quarter-inch jack in/out, should you want to plug-in. It’s the sort of problem solving box that for many players, will justify the price of entry, alone. 

Ultimately, the B-8 will earn its place on your pedalboard in a multitude of ways. 

As Paul notes in the video demo: “NUX has hit it out of the park… considering its beautiful design, the simple and seamless pairing of the transmitter and receiver, its tuner and boost and the astonishing low latency and range… it’s a must-have. Definitely check it out.”

To learn more about the B-8 Professional Wireless System, head to NUX.

If you’re looking to record your guitar at home, there are plenty of great Cyber Monday guitar deals you can take advantage of to pick up a big saving on recording gear. It’s easier than ever to get high-quality recorded guitar tones at home nowadays, whether you want to record the traditional way with a microphone and an amplifier, or just go direct using software.

We’ve been scouring the Cyber Monday sales looking for the best deals on gear for you, and we’ve found 7 bargains that will dramatically increase the quality of your home recording. Whether you’re just getting started, or you want to add something to an existing setup these products will massively boost your creative endeavors, and they’re all discounted too.

Save on guitar gear with these Cyber Monday sales

• Amazon: Cyber Monday deals
• Fender Play: 50% off a one-year sub
• Fender store: Up to 50% off guitars
• Guitar Center: Epic up to 40% savings
• Guitar Tricks: One-year sub for just $99
• IK Multimedia: Total Studio 4 Max sale
• Musician's Friend: 50% off Cyber Monday sale
• Plugin Boutique: Huge software deals
• Positive Grid: 70% off Spark, 60% off BIAS
• Reverb: Up to a huge 82% off 
• Sweetwater: Score up to 80% off
• Waves: Get 3 plugins for just $49.99

In addition to offering all manner of impressive virtual accessories – including its incredibly popular Studio One DAW – audio and software company PreSonus is highly regarded for its range of live and studio physical tools. Now, the company has added another stellar product to its hardware line – the Eris Pro Series studio monitors.

Compact and powerful, the new monitors boast a coaxial design for incredibly accurate, three-dimensional sound that allows users to explore every corner of a mix. Sonically, you also get punchy low end and snappy, articulate highs, as well as a consistent acoustic center for superior phase alignment.

PreSonus is known for its commitment to top-notch construction and features, and the Eris Pro continues that tradition. A companion 10-inch subwoofer allows you to take charge of the low-frequency foundation for your mix, and the Eris Pro is also Atmos-ready and both wall- and ceiling-mountable.

What’s more, the Eris Pro is offered in various iterations, with Class AB biamplification, a woven composite low-frequency driver and ultra-low mass, silk-dome high frequency driver, Low Cut, Mid and High controls, three-way Acoustic Space tuning, balanced XLR and ¼-inch inputs and unbalanced RCA inputs and a Power Saver mode that engages after 40 minutes. 

The result is a superior listening experience for both home studios and professional mix rooms for your particular power and size needs.

For more information, head to PreSonus.

Guitar World has called the Bose S1 Pro portable speaker system a “brilliant design,” and now Bose has made it a little more, well, brilliant, with the new S1 Pro+, the next generation S1 Pro created for musicians, DJs and music enthusiasts. 

So what is the S1 Pro+?

As Guitar World Tech Editor and S1 enthusiast Paul Riario explains, “In a nutshell, it’s a small-format, battery-powered PA and practice amp.” But, he adds, “if you ask me, it’s so much more. In essence, the S1 Pro+ is positioned to streamline your live setup in a far more efficient manner than its predecessor, using a wireless design and wireless connectivity and Bluetooth technology.” 

The S1 Pro+ delivers powerful sound and improved audio performance in a lighter package than its predecessor, weighing just 14.4 pounds – “super-lightweight,” Paul remarks. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 11 hours of usage on a single charge, eliminating the need for cables and simplifying setup. “But if you want to use cables and plug it all in you can do that as well,” Paul says.

That said, wireless is where it’s at, and the S1 Pro+ offers a fully wireless experience, from instruments and microphones to Bluetooth streaming, with full app control. An optional mic/line and instrument wireless RF transmitters (available for purchase separately for $149 each) pair effortlessly with the system’s integrated wireless RF receivers, and store neatly in the S1 Pro+ unit and charge when not in use. 

The loudspeaker also boasts an integrated three-channel mixer with two channels for microphones and instruments, and one dedicated to music playback. The third channel, Paul points out, “has an aux input that’s a quarter-inch, which the S1 didn’t have before.” You can also use the S1 Pro+ in insert mode – enabling you to connect effect pedals to the channel input, essentially creating an effects loop – and live stream mode, which allows you to perform live for an audience or record audio directly to a DAW.

Additionally, you have complete – and wireless – control over settings via the Bose Music App, which offers volume, EQ, reverb and Bose’s ToneMatch library of EQ presets at your fingertips. “What’s great is having this capability allows you to change settings on the fly, without having to bend down to the unit,” Paul says. 

His verdict? 

“For musicians, singer-songwriters and acoustic and electric guitar players, the Bose S1 Pro+ is the ultimate compact and portable PA system available,” Paul says. “Not only is it powerful and loud, but having the integrated RF design offers you a clean and cable-free setup with untangled freedom to make your performances carefree. Once paired with the Bose app, it puts all your S1 Pro+ settings at your fingertips, making it incredibly efficient for fine-tuning. 

“Combine all of this, and the Bose is a must-have for on-the-go musicians who just want to plug and play.”

For more information on the S1 Pro+, head to Bose.

IK Multimedia has announced the arrival of the iRig USB – a new USB-C guitar unit that takes its best-selling analog guitar interface into the digital realm.

One of the reasons the original iRigs have sold by the bucketload is that they’ve been accessibly priced, with the current iRig 2 coming in at a (just about) sub-$50 price point.

As you might expect for a digital device, the iRig USB doesn’t quite match that economy, but still makes it in at $69.99, which we sense will prove pretty attractive for anyone looking for a simple AD/DA conversion solution for their guitar signal. 

The enclosure format will look familiar to anyone who saw the recent iRig HD X and this essentially boils down the format to a more entry-level package.

As such, for your $70, you get 24-bit resolution, a choice of 44.1 and 48kHz sampling rates, a dynamic range of 90dB, plus a selection of I/O (including USB-C connection, headphones output and a quarter-inch line-out for connection to a guitar amp or pedalboard).

As with the HD X, you get that handy dial, which here only has one function: to control the gain. There’s also an LED signal indicator and FX/Thru slider switch.

In terms of the competition, there’s quite a bit out there, but IK has pretty much dominated the market since it first spotted the potential of the smartphone-friendly do-it-all budget interface back in 2010. 

The main competitors then, come from its own stable of existing iRig products. 

Indeed, the iRig USB is not by any means the first or only USB-enabled unit in the range – just among the current, guitar-centric part of its line-up, it joins the ranks of the iRig HD 2, iRig HD X and iRig Stomp I/O.

Those are all more expensive products (the nearest in price being the $99.99 iRig HD 2), with higher quality sample rates (96kHz) and dynamic range. 

The iRig USB is therefore sandwiched between the traditional analog connection and the likes of the higher-end HD X. 

On paper, we’d be tempted to spend the extra 60 bucks, and grab the HD X – the extra functionality and recording quality seems worth it to us. 

Nonetheless, there will be a huge segment of players who won’t care that much about the difference between 48 and 96 kHZ and just want to get their guitar into their smartphone, tablet or computer quickly and easily. 

In that sense, the iRig USB will no doubt shift just as quickly as its predecessors.

For more information, head to IK Multimedia.

The Fender Tone Master Pro arrived last week to considerable fanfare – marking a huge new stride into the high-end amp modeler and multi-effects market from the biggest guitar brand in the world. But, although it sounds great, the tones aren’t the headline.

Modeling units have, for several years, been indistinguishable from the real thing. I've tested every one that's hit the market, and until the late 2010s, sound quality increased in leaps and bounds. Now we're at a point where the only improvements are marginal.

This has been the case even longer outside of the home or studio. Click back through our archive of interviews – from the mid-2010s, touring bands of all sizes have used modeling units in their rigs.

Sure, their primary goal is consistency and convenience, night after night, and that's true. Still, if their large audiences don't notice, then it's doubtful smaller ones will.

And to be clear: when I say modeling units, I mean modelers, amp sims, floor boards, DAW emulations, IRs. Manufacturers often seem pedantic about these distinctions, but players don't care about the names or terminology. The only thing that matters is "can it replace my amp?"

So if it's no longer about sound and processing power, what sets apart the high-end modelers of today? Simple: the User Interface.

A new benchmark

You've heard of ergonomics, the "how and why" of a human interacting with a system. On a modeler, the User Interface (UI) is the sum total of "how" you do a thing you want to, like switch mode, turn off a pedal, build a patch, and so on.

Previously, our benchmark UI was the Line 6 Helix. A great, full-color screen with knobs directly below to interact intuitively with the screen above. No manual required. Even the HX Effects, without a screen, was easy to navigate because of the knob layout.

Now the Fender Tone Master Pro has taken that crown. Like all good UI, there’s an elegant simplicity to it – using a hardware control layout of two large knobs, as well as an actually-responsive touch screen. Before this, usually you got one or the other, not both working seamlessly together. 

Early touchscreen units went all-in on the touchscreen itself, selling it as the holy grail of interactions. Yet some paired the screen with a dull, confusing visual layout meaning it went to waste. Worse, some had a mediocre touchscreen that was slow and unresponsive.

Other elements on the Tone Master are just as well thought-out. If you want to avoid the screen, the rotating footswitch dials make tweaking parameters a breeze. 

Then there's the fact that the colors around the footswitches reflect the models they engage. For example, a switch assigned to a Tube Screamer-style overdrive might have a green ring around it.

Meanwhile, the large button to switch into footswitch mode for the idiot – I mean, reviewer – in a hurry is great. It boggles the mind that some pedals ship without a mode like this as the default, or at least easily accessible.

See a thing, press a thing

All of human-computer interaction hinges around "see a thing, press a thing, get a response". Without this feedback loop, the user will throw up their hands and put their shiny new toy on eBay.

Having a tight feedback loop is important. When you try to turn a knob using a touchscreen, it should move at the speed your finger does, and register the touch smoothly. When you set out to add an additional block to a patch – a reverb, let's say – you want to be auditioning those as soon as possible.

When I turn a knob on a real Fender amp, I get instant feedback. If I rip a pedal off my pedalboard and plug a new one in, I hear the difference straight away. 10 years ago, asking for this tactility and feedback in a software model would have been fanciful, entitled even. Today, that's the definition of great.

The bottom line is that players raised on physical amps expect good feedback as a bare minimum. What the Tone Master brings to the table is feel. It’s a powerful, compact gigging system that feels easy to operate. 

Thanks to the accompanying FRFR cab and UI, it looks good, and even has some of the physical tactility of a real amp. And this is just the start: if Fender starts issuing some alternative cab coverings, it’s going to set itself further apart from the pack. 

The Tone Master Pro might be the modeler that finally converts a wave of digital holdouts to the tech. The fact this is coming under the Fender banner is no small thing in the eyes of those players, but if either the look and UI were done badly, this wouldn't be possible. 

The price of success

Of course, there's one area other than UI that differentiates high-end modeling units: cost.

The most expensive modelers are the same price as a boutique or vintage amp.  And, even coming from Fender, the mass market kingpin, the Tone Master is, sadly, no exception to the rule.

These projects take years of R&D, testing and development – and that comes at a price.

Even so, the number of times a manufacturer has missed the price mark by one or two hundred dollars is startling. There's still so much room for sub-$500 and sub-$1,000 slam-dunks, and so little room for anything above that.

On the Tone Master, I’ve seen prices of around $2,400 for the floorboard and 12" cab, or $2,200 with the 10" cab. $1,999 would have been a game changer, but maybe margins simply won't allow it.

Hopefully that will change down the line and, given the investment behind it, Fender appears to be in it for the long haul, suggesting that it’s not this iteration that cracks the hold-outs, it could well be one from the same stable.

Finally, while I've got your attention, Fender, do the FRFR cabs in pastel tolex. Please?

Walrus Audio is well-known for its pedals, but the company also has a small line of related accessories that includes the Canvas series. Besides the two Line Isolator/Direct Injection boxes already available, there’s now a third unit that’s dedicated to reamping. 

Using a custom‑wound transformer to do the necessary impedance conversion, the Canvas Passive Re-Amp is designed to take line-level signals and optimise them so that they can be fed directly into pedals or guitar amps.

You can feed your line level signal via either a balanced XLR input or a balanced jack. It’s sent out at the correct impedance for your pedal and/or amp rig with a Volume knob to control the signal level. 

Besides these, there’s an array of switches for taking care of some basic tasks if needed, such as lifting the ground to reduce hum or inverting the phase. There’s also a high-pass filter to roll-off any unwanted rumbly bottom-end, and a switch to mute the output.

The most common use of the unit would be in changing the sound of any recorded guitar tracks. While recording the exact amplified guitar sound you think you might need for a song, it’s good practice to simultaneously record a second track of dry guitar to keep your sonic options open at the mix.

Alternatively, you could simply record a single dry track, that’s possibly monitored through an amp-sim plug-in, with the intention of creating the final definitive sound later. 

While guitar VST plug-ins such as IK’s AmpliTube and others could be applied to that dry track, this box gives you a natural alternative by letting you send it through your pedals, amp or both to be recorded onto another track in your DAW. 

Bear in mind that the process also works for any recorded tracks, so if you’d like to put drums, bass, keyboards or voice through your pedalboard, you’ll be able to do it. Using the unit is a breeze and we got great sonic results when sending a guitar track from our DAW out through pedals and amp for re-recording, with the Volume knob offering plenty of scope for setting up the optimum level.

Specs

• PRICE: $/£149
• ORIGIN: USA
• TYPE: Reamping box
• FEATURES: Flat frequency response (20Hz-20kHz), ground lift, phase inversion
• CONTROLS: Volume, ground lift switch, mute switch, phase inversion switch, HPF switch
• CONNECTIONS: Standard input, standard output, XLR input
• POWER: Passive
• DIMENSIONS:  72 (w) x 122 (d) x 40 mm (h)
• CONTACT: Walrus Audio

Amp modeling is rapidly taking over the world of guitar and whether we're recording at home or playing live, more and more guitarists are turning to amp and cab sims for their guitar tones. Many stock cab sims remain unconvincing, which is where the best impulse responses come in. They allow you to capture the magic of a professionally recorded guitar cabinet, load it into your modeler or DAW of choice, and take that perfect tone from your home studio to rehearsal, to the stage, and back again.

As we lie firmly in the midst of the guitar technological revolution, the impulse response (IR) has become the go-to for guitarists looking for the ultimate in simulated guitar tone. An impulse response is the reaction of any dynamic system in response to some external change, in this case, a microphone reacting to the sound of a guitar amp or cabinet speaker in a particular room.

Rather than modeling the sound of the cabinet itself, instead, an impulse response captures the character of a particular speaker, the room it’s in, and the microphone used to capture the sound. This means you can take a perfectly honed guitar tone anywhere with you, giving your sound consistency across rehearsals, the studio, and the stage.

The popularity of impulse responses is growing rapidly, but there are so many out there it really is difficult to know what’s good and what isn’t before parting with your money. Thankfully for you, we’ve done the hard work for you in picking out the best cabinet IRs available today.

Impulse responses can be a bit confusing if you’re new to them, so it’s definitely worth checking out our buying advice section if you’re buying for the first time. For those of you that already know the deal, keep scrolling for our top picks.

Best impulse responses: The quick list

Want to see the best impulse responses without reading walls of text? Here you'll find our top recommendations, with links to read more if you wish.

Best impulse responses available today

Here you'll find in-depth writeups and reviews of the best impulse responses available today. We've tested many of these cab IRs rigorously, so you can rely on our recommendations.

Best overall

The world of impulse responses is very much a burgeoning one, but York Audio is at the top of the game at the moment. The York Audio MES 212 V30 Cab Pack features 10 different mics with everything from the classic SM57 to the more esoteric Neumann FET 47. It’s also available as a $1 limited trial pack but take it from us, this is the gateway to the IR rabbit hole!

The cab itself is a Mesa 2x12 Horizontal Rectifier with two UK-manufactured 70-watt Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. It’s super versatile tonally, handling high gain and clean amps with aplomb and allowing their character to shine through with an open and lively voice.

The MES 212 V30 it’s a great choice for first-timers thanks to the inherent versatility and unlike many other cab simulations, there’s a lot more choice in terms of microphone placement rather than just a typical ‘bright’ or ‘dark’ tone. There are also multi-mic tones in here two, with blended sounds for even more variety. You’ll need a software or hardware IR loader to use this one, but there are plenty of free impulse response loaders if you don’t have a compatible amp modeler.

Best for beginners

Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood is primarily known for his excellent drum sounds, but GGD Studio Cabs: Zilla Edition shows that doesn’t stop at percussion. Providing 9 different cab varieties and 7 microphones to play with, this excellent collection of IRs is the perfect entryway for those new to the world of IR, or those looking to expand their collection.

Where most IRs need a dedicated loader, GGD Zilla comes with its own dedicated plugin which makes loading and editing them an absolute breeze in your DAW of choice. Conversely, this means you'll need to export your sounds yourself to use with your hardware unit of choice. With 7 slots to customize and audition cab sounds and options to change the cab, speakers, microphone and the distance of the mic, you can dial in pretty much any sound you like.

There are loads of cab choices whether you want a 1x12, 4x12, or even something more unusual like a vertical 2x12. Each cab also has its own dedicated room sound, so you can blend in more space without diving into your reverb plugins folder. For pure ease of use and flexibility, GGD Studios: Zilla is a brilliant choice.

Best for versatility

If you’re a fan of drop-tuned guitars but find many modeled sounds to be too boomy then Ownhammer Modern Progressive Essentials will give you that heft you want without the mud. Based on the sound of British prog metal bands of the 2010s like Sikth and Tesseract, these sounds aim to give you that precision high gain tone with the flexibility for complex tapped clean passages.

We were super impressed with the sound of these and even with relatively little mixing, were able to get some properly girthy djent tones that had our heads banging immediately. Unlike some IR collections, these are very clearly labeled, which is good as there is a lot of choice on offer. With everything from the SM57 to the MD421 and a whole host of placements on the cab itself, you won’t run out of sounds for a while with this pack.

The file formats are broad enough for use on most of the major amp modelers like QC, HX, Kemper, and Axe-FX but you’ll need your own software IR loader to run these in your DAW. For lovers of all things heavy, these are definitely the IRs you’ve been looking for.

Best for rock

The mandarin-colored cab of the Orange PPC412 is a stalwart amongst stages the world over, and now you can get the sound of one anywhere with the excellent ML Sound Labs ORNG Cab Pack. Coming with seven mic sounds, five variations, plus 8 multi-mic mixes with appropriately fruity names to get you started.

Blending the best of both vintage and modern guitar tones, this highly versatile pack can chug just as well as it accommodates the wider demands of a modern rock player. The captured cab was fitted with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers and the resultant sound is amazingly full in the midrange with lovely, smooth highs that react well to a variety of picking inputs.

It comes in a variety of formats to match the demands of the majority of popular amp modelers and cab IR loaders, so you’re unlikely to come across any issues here. Handily there are also some minimum phase transform versions that play nicely with other impulse responses should you want to mix and match.

Best for metal

Jens Bogren has some serious credits to his name when it comes to modern metal. Having mixed tunes for Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Arch Enemy, and many more you can bet he knows a thing or two about mixing heavy guitars.

If you’ve found other IRs aren’t tight when you start down-tuning past G, then the Bogren Digital Rhythm IR - Downtuned is the one for you. Whether you play a 7, 8, or even a 9-string guitar, these IRs keep your lows sounding tight, low mids mud-free, and a high end that is bright enough to cut through without being harsh.

One of the best things about these IRs is that they’ve already been EQ’d by the man himself, making it super-easy to drop them straight into your mix with minimal tweaking. You’ll need a dedicated IR loader if you’re using it in your DAW, but the formats are all there for dropping into a Quad Cortex, Helix, Kemper, Axe-FX, and many more hardware units.

Best for vintage tones

As the maker of some of the most eminent guitar cabinet speakers ever, Celestion’s foray into impulse responses makes complete sense for vintage tone seekers. The Celestion G12M Greenback IR Collection gives you that classic British tone in a bottle, allowing you to up the ante on your recordings without spending loads of money.

You get a range of microphone options including the classic SM57 and a Royer ribbon microphone, two stereo room mics for adding ambience, and even a reverse cab speaker for the open back cabinets. When you start blending these together, it really gives you that wall of sound tone from professional recordings.

Instead of messing around with mic placement and amp positioning in the room, you can simply mix the various IRs together with ease to create your desired sound. Whilst they’re not advised for modern high-gain sounds, if you’re looking for that classic rock tone these are the perfect IRs to give you that Angus Young sound.

More options...

Designed in conjunction with metal producer Kristian Kohle, the Eminence Kristian Kohle Metal IR Pack contains three captures of speakers from American speaker legends Eminence as well as some of Kritian’s hand-picked blends for some mix-ready tones.

There’s a great selection of sounds that range from hefty low end to the grittier grind, and the DV-77 speaker is particularly gnarly sounding. We loved the DV-77 Fat WAV, which just sounds great with any kind of playing whether you’re chugging low chords or tremolo picking higher up the neck.

They’re compatible with many different hardware units and there’s plenty of scope in terms of EQ to create the perfect blend by yourself. They’re more versatile than some of the others on the list, but definitely not suited to other styles outside of rock and heavy metal.

If you’re the sort of player who likes lots of choice then Zombie Cabs FN2100 Series is a good option for you. With seven microphones in four different positions and two room mics, the Zombie Cabs FN2100 Series captures that much-loved Fender 2x12 open-back cab with a Jensen C12K speaker.

Zombie Cabs goes a slightly different route from others on this list, their main appeal lies in being able to select your specific power amp. There are 16 different tube amps for you to choose from, with a selection including options from Fender, Marshall, EVH, Orange, and Vox letting you get specific with your tone of choice.

You get 30 different IRs once you’ve made your selection, as well as a bonus 30 recorded with a solid-state amp. When you add multiple formats into the equation, there are plenty of options to keep your recordings sounding fresh.

If you’re all about beatdowns and tough guy hardcore, the Ugritone Hardcore IR Pack will get you the guitar tone you need. Designed to give you tones from Minor Threat to Knocked Loose, this is a selection of sounds that mixes modern and vintage to great effect.

These aren’t your typical pure cab tones, these are sounds that are purposefully nasty to embody the typical sound of hardcore bands. Perfect for punk and thrash-inspired riffing they pairly lovely with American high-gain amplifiers, allowing for much chugging and fast power chord work.

You get five mics in total, with 7 different positions to allow you to sculpt a purposefully darker tone or pair it with something brighter for more fullness. The room sound comes courtesy of the legendary Neumann U47 and there are plenty of other options for creating a full and lively guitar tone.

Best impulse responses: Buying advice

How we choose the best impulse responses

At Guitar World, we understand the pivotal role that impulse responses (IRs) play in crafting impeccable guitar tones. With our team of experienced musicians, we've delved into the world of IRs, extensively testing various libraries and packs in real-world scenarios to offer you practical and reliable reviews and recommendations.

Our carefully curated selection of the best impulse responses embodies exceptional sonic fidelity, versatility, and creative potential. We meticulously evaluate factors such as sound quality, variety of tones, ease of use, and compatibility to ensure that these IRs stand out as prime examples of tonal excellence.

With Guitar World as your trusted source, explore our recommended impulse responses, all thoughtfully evaluated by fellow musicians. Whether you're a studio aficionado, live performer, or bedroom player, our expertise ensures that you'll discover the IRs that elevate your guitar sound, capture your desired ambiance, and inspire your musical creativity.

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Stereotypes are largely something to be avoided. Even identifying general trends requires context, but in the speaker world we often refer to two groups: American- and British-voiced speakers. Here, we’ll look at whether this is a lazy identifier and if we can add some meat to the bone instead.

I’m from the North of England, and although I do like pigeons, I don’t have a whippet or a flat cap. We’ve all seen marketing campaigns where ‘Britishness’ invokes imagery of a three-piece suit, bowler hat and a cup of tea, while the American side has a cowboy hat and someone trying not to fall off an angry cow. 

If we translate this stereotype to speakers, and therefore music, it means British speakers must be great for classical music and US-made speakers great for country. But there has to be more to it than this. Granted, I may be pushing things a little bit to make a point here, but I bet I’m not too far off what many of you were thinking, and I don’t think our description of American and British voicing of speakers walks a wholly different path, either.

I think the two perceptions of different voicings come, like a lot of things in electric guitar, from the early days of the late ’50s and ’60s, and to break things down even further, from Marshall and Fender amps. When I’m made to think of the two voicings, my understanding is that the American side essentially means a Fender combo-type sound. 

Now, that is a big enough envelope in itself, but in general terms I think of a more open, ambient sound, not too focused on the low-end and a bit more ‘twangy’ (unless you’re Stranger Things’ Eddie Munson, you don’t tend to play thrash metal on a silver-panel combo). The British-voiced speakers, meanwhile, are ones we’d most likely find in a 4x12. 

What can muddy the waters further is when brands that are mostly known for manufacturing British-voiced speakers make their own American-voiced speakers, marketed as great for a Fender combo. Likewise, there can be confusion when companies known for more American-voiced speakers make British-voiced speakers that are essentially their take on the Celestion Greenback, the most British speaker of them all.

The next part is something I am a little guilty of, too. When I think of Fender combos, and therefore more American-toned/voiced speakers, I mostly think of Jensen speakers because these are what Fender predominantly used. This isn’t to say I don’t love EVs and JBLs in a Fender combo – they are up there with my favourites – but Jensen is a well-known supplier of speakers to Fender and has been for years. 

The company is also well known for a range of speakers that are perfect for more vintage tones. The fact is, there are models that are so good in their own right, they don’t deserve to be pigeonholed – they are just really good.

The bit that can be problematic is if we start to associate these loose trends of American-voiced speakers with American-made speakers. The main issue here is that I find a large proportion of modern American-made speakers sound darker than their UK equivalents, which in itself is not a problem – they can sound really good.

But if we start to blur our ideas of American-voiced speakers being open-sounding and more well suited to slightly brighter guitar sounds with what we think American-made speakers should sound like, then we could start to find ourselves getting in some trouble, tonally speaking. 

Not to throw too big a spanner in the works, but my favourite replacement speakers for a Fender Twin are the Celestion G12-65 and the Fane A90, both UK-made speakers, which demonstrates that mixing two very British-voiced speakers in an iconic American amp can result in something very pleasing and something that even I may have been put off from doing as on paper I should have started with something quite different. 

This all leads me to think we should use the idea of British- and American-voiced speakers a little less than we probably do. After all, Jensens are made in Italy, and some of Celestion’s biggest-selling speakers are made in China, as are the majority of speaker chassis and magnets – despite the number of speaker-component manufacturers worldwide.

Apogee’s Jam interfaces have been around since 2010, and are great mobile recording guitar audio interfaces for Mac, PC and iOS devices. The current Jam+ features an Overdrive mode to partner with amp modelers. 

The all-new Jam X replaces this with an analogue compressor but has a similar spec otherwise. Plug hi-Z instruments like electric guitar, bass guitar and keys into the 1⁄4” input and hear the results through your computer or the 1/8-inch output driving headphones or powered speakers. 

Connecting up Jam X is a breeze, although non-USB-C iOS devices will require an additional Lightning cable. PC computer owners must download a driver but otherwise, it’s easy to get up and running. 

The main dial controls the input from your guitar/instrument, although with no numbers to indicate the level and only three (very bright) LED meters, it’s a bit hit-and-miss. While the manual helpfully suggests your ideal level is when the third LED starts going orange, you might use your DAW’s input meter to set levels instead. 

The recording resolution is up to 24-bit/96kHz, so you are guaranteed a clean recording if that’s what you want. We say that because the built-in compressor – Jam X’s USP – adds three modes of compression that can transform your sound. The compression is brought in using the main dial, this time pressing it to step through three settings.

The first, Smooth Leveler, is gentle and ideal for evening out erratic input levels. Purple Squeeze is described as medium compression and we found it adds decent grit and punch.

Finally, Vintage Blue Stomp adds the most drama, driving the signal hard and delivering a fair bit of distortion. If you prefer no compression, hitting the button again removes it completely.  

A useful Blend option (via the button above the main dial) switches in direct monitoring so you hear your input signal before it’s processed through your computer, thus cutting down latency – perfect for recording in time (although our Mac/Logic setup had very little latency to start with). 

Jam X is a fantastic, compact and well-built interface that enhances the range’s portable and sonic credentials. Like the Plus, we love the added extra, this time with the attitude the compressor brings, while the included 60-day trial of Neural DSP’s Archetype: Tim Henson is a welcome bonus. If you’re an iOS user you’ll find it an especially useful and portable guitar recording solution, and overall it’s a golden nugget of an interface.

Specs

• PRICE: $/£199
• TYPE: USB C audio interface
• FEATURES: Built-in compressor with three settings (Smooth Leveler, Purple Squeeze, Vintage Blue Stomp) PureDIGITAL: Signal flow with up to 24-bit/96kHz recording; 1/8-inch output for headphones and powered speaker; 1/4-inch input for hi-Z instruments (so works with guitar, bass, keyboards, synths, or acoustic instruments with pickups) Blend: Control to reduce recording latency; solid metal construction
• CONTACT: Apogee Digital

Last month, Kemper announced a host of new features in its industry-leading profiling amp, including its (genuinely exciting) Liquid Profiling tech, alongside the arrival of USB audio interface functionality.

Now Kemper is ready to roll out the USB update as a public beta, via Profiler OS 9.0, meaning your Profiler hardware will now become a handy recording aid, compatible with your DAW of choice. 

The firm promises “pristine AD conversion” with an impressive 127dB guitar input signal-to-noise ratio (the difference between the signal and the noise floor of the unit). 

As such, the Profiler and floor-based Profiler Stage can now function as a high quality input for your usual DAW, plugins and amp modeling software. 

What’s more, hooking it up as an audio interface also offers the prospect of re-amping signals from your DAW through the Kemper and making use of the unit’s built-in effects modules. You can also record a dry signal alongside the tone from your favorite amp profiles and rig presets. 

In addition, the update also sees the roll out of Kemper’s Rig Marketplace – essentially a storefront enabling users to purchase different pre-made rig profiles from specialist vendors. 

Finally, there’s another small tweak to the Rig Manager software in the form of remote profiling, which allows you to control the profiling functions remotely. 

This, the firm notes, should prove particularly useful when you’re creating multiple profiles in quick succession.

For instance, let’s say befriend a guitar store or studio owner (it can happen) and want to capture a bunch of nice amps in one sitting.  Now you can start profiling, quickly label and organise your new captures all within the software, as opposed to diving into hardware menus. 

All of the above will certainly prove welcome updates among the Kemper faithful and bring some extra flexibility and functionality to Profiler range. 

However, the USB update feels more than a little overdue. The Profiler launched over a decade ago, meaning Kemper users have faced a long wait for a function that, in 2023, is considered a standard feature on your basic amp modeler or multi-FX pedal. 

As such, we suspect player reactions will be split into two camps: the firm’s existing userbase / digital tone junkies, who will likely be thinking “at last”, and the average guitarist on the street, who will be thinking, “Wait, it didn’t do that already?”

Head to Kemper to download the Profiler OS 9.0 public beta.

The 21st-century has been good to the player who wants to record their electric guitar. For a while now, we have had the option of going direct, sending the signal through a guitar audio interface. But now there are all these ways of making that tone sing, running it through cab sims, mic sims, different amp models to sculpt the sound just to our liking.

That’s great. As convenient and inspiring as this is, there will also be those occasions when you want to capture the sound of your guitar amp the old-school way: through a microphone.

Studio veterans will tell you that nothing beats a small tube amp cranked in the studio with a good mic in front of it. It has been the tone secret of many a classic album. And that sort of sound will never go out of style. 

With that in mind, we are going to go through some kinds of microphones for recording guitar you could use, and how it might translate your guitar and amp’s tone on record.

Ribbon

Strong blasts of air can break the ribbon, but that didn’t deter Eddie Kramer from using Beyerdynamic M160s when recording Hendrix. Most cardioid and figure-eight microphones exhibit proximity effect when placed too close to a sound source. This can result in a boomy tone – and ribbon microphones are quite prone to it. 

The fix is to place the microphone 100mm (around four inches) or more away from the speaker. This helps protect the microphone and a vocal pop filter can provide an additional safeguard. 

In this application, passive ribbons generate ample signal level and the treble roll-off helps to minimise harshness. In short, ribbons are ideal for recording electric guitar and you can buy very decent examples for less than £100.

Moving coil/dynamic

Microphones such as the Shure SM57 and Sennheiser 421 have been the go-to choice for decades. Moving coils – aka dynamic mics – are extremely robust, so they can go right up against speaker cloth without distorting or risk of damage. This minimises room ambience and spillage, and gives you that in-yer-face guitar tone. 

Although ‘inferior’ to ribbons and condensers – from a technical standpoint – a moving coil’s inherent bass and treble roll-off can keep the lows tight and the highs sweet, and any upper-midrange lift will cut and define.

Condenser

Small capsule condensers are rarely used, but large capsules are extremely common. For clean and semi-dirty tones, a condenser microphone can capture a realistic and natural tone with all the detailed nuances. 

Higher volume levels can overload the mic’s onboard electronics, but this can usually be overcome if it has a built-in attenuation pad. Some engineers prefer to angle the microphone so the speaker fires across the capsule. 

For heavier tones and high gain, condenser and moving coil microphones are often combined for the best of both worlds. When close mic’ing, it’s best to align the capsule and diaphragm to minimise phase shift. Alternatively, use the moving coil up close with the condenser set back to capture room ambience.

As designs go, the acoustic guitar is hard to beat. You can take it anywhere. You can play it anytime. You don’t need power from a mains outlet and an amplifier to make an appreciable level of noise. And yet, it has limits; there are occasions when we need to amplify it.

It could be in a live situation, in front of a crowd, in a band mix, and you need that acoustic to be heard. On such occasions, some players prefer not to use an acoustic guitar pickup and amp; they want as little as possible between their instrument and its tone. Or it could be at home or the studio, when it comes time to record your instrument. This is where choosing the right acoustic guitar microphone is crucial. 

Here, we are going to look at three types of microphone, and explain some of the pros and cons. Each type has its own sonic profile, its own advantages and disadvantages. One or all three might well be just what you’re looking for.

Ribbon

Fingerpicked acoustics are fairly quiet instruments so you’ll require a microphone preamp with a lot of gain and exceedingly low noise to make passive ribbon microphones a viable choice. 

Active ribbon microphones, on the other hand, will be just fine and you’ll achieve a very natural and unhyped sound. Bear in mind that most ribbon microphones roll off in the upper frequencies, so you may need to add some treble and upper midrange using an equalizer to bring out the chime and sparkle.

Moving coil/dynamic

Recording engineers rarely use moving coils – more commonly known as dynamic microphones – on acoustics because they lack detail and the high frequencies roll off. Although they generate more output than passive ribbons, you’ll still need a high-gain/low-noise preamp.

Even so, an acoustic can sound pretty decent with a moving coil, especially when you need a strong midrange and don’t mind finessing things with an equalizer. Even if a moving coil can’t capture the true tone of an acoustic guitar, it will still outperform the vast majority of onboard pickup systems.

Condenser

Large or small capsule condensers are the industry standards for recording acoustics. They are highly sensitive, capture subtle details and generate high-output levels. 

A small capsule may be preferred when a natural tone with lots of high-frequency content is needed. Large capsule condensers often produce a fuller sound with a greater sense of scale, fatter low-mids and softer treble. If the microphone has bass roll-off switching, use it to eliminate rumble and boom.

It's fair to say that Positive Grid Spark revolutionized the competitive practice amp market. From the original Spark model to the new Spark Mini, players have been singing the praises of these versatile, smart amps ever since their release. Now, not content on just shaking up the world of small amps, Positive Grid set its sights on the equally competitive audio interface market, releasing the much-loved Riff interface to rave reviews. And if you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, you can do it for a whole lot less, with Positive Grid slashing a mega $120 off the Riff, as well as offering heavily discounted software bundles. 

This highly affordable, compact audio interface makes recording guitars even more accessible than ever before, offering players a no-nonsense approach to tracking guitars at home. In our glowing Positive Grid Riff review, we said, "The world of recording hardware can be thoroughly confusing and intimidating, so the simplistic approach PG has taken will only gain fans and users. We were impressed by the Riff's sheer usability – and the compatibility with other Positive Grid software turns it into something much more powerful". 

So, whether you are looking to just treat yourself, avoid the carnage that is the Black Friday guitar deals, or you're shopping early for one of the best gifts for a guitar player, this is an unbelievable deal that you don't want to pass up. 

As well as offering the Riff at a knockout price, PG is also heavily discounting their famed Bias FX software, too. While the interface comes loaded with a 'Lite Edition' of Bias, users can purchase the Standard version for only $39.60 - that's a saving of $59.40 - and the Elite iteration is down to $119.60, saving users a mega $179.40!

If you want to find more epic deals on Positive Grid amps, software or interfaces, then be sure to check out our Black Friday Positive Grid deals page, where we will be bringing you the very best offers from their epic Cyber Weekend sale.  

More great Black Friday sales online right now

• Amazon: Shop early Black Friday deals on guitars, mics & more
• Boss Amazon sale: Save on Katana, FX and more
• Fender Amazon sale: Amazing savings on 66 electrics, acoustics and basses
• Fender Play: Save 50% on an annual guitar lessons subscription
• Guitar Center: Save 15% on select items over $199
• IK Multimedia: Save up to 85% on Max bundles
• Musician's Friend: Up to 40% off a huge range of music gear
• Native Instruments: Up to 75% off in their best Cyber Sale ever
• Plugin Boutique: Save big on plugins from SoundToys, iZotope, SSL and more
• Sweetwater: Save big money with their official Black Friday sale
• Thomann: The Cyber Week sale is here, with up to 60% off gear
• Walmart: Shop the latest deals on beginner guitars and beyond
• Waves: Shop the early bird Black Friday sale - 90 plugins discounted

Wait, wasn’t Amazon Prime Day in June? Well, it looks like Amazon isn’t content with slashing prices in the summer as well as unleashing their Black Friday guitar deals at the end of November, so they’ve added a brand new sales event to plug the gap – the Prime Day Early Access Sale, which runs until the end of play on Wednesday. Now, we aren’t complaining, the more options to save, the better. While there are many products on offer, podcasters and recording fanatics may want to check out the deals on Zoom portable recorders, microphones and interfaces. 

Now, you may think of Zoom as simply a producer of budget multi-effects, but they are, in fact, a leading force in the world of portable recorders, audio interfaces and podcasting microphones – and luckily for you, some of their most popular models are currently on sale. 

The insanely popular Zoom H5 4-track portable recorder has been cut from $337.99 to $239.99. This has been a go-to recorder for sound designers for years and right now, you can save $98! If you don’t need your recording device to be as portable as the classic H5, then the Zoom R20 multi-track tabletop recorder may be a better option for you, and right now, it is down to only $349.99.

Looking for a simple plug-and-play option for your killer new podcast idea? Well, you may want to take advantage of this stellar deal on the Zoom ZUM-2 podcast mic pack, which is down to only $99.99. 

While there are a few electric guitar deals on offer over at Amazon, and there's some tasty discounts on the Positive Grid Spark, we’d say you’re best heading over to Guitar Center and checking out their absolutely stellar Guitar-A-Thon sale, which is in full swing right now. There you’ll find incredible deals on everything from Fender Player Strats to Martin acoustics, MXR pedals, and wallet-friendly practice amps.  

Need more tips on recording gear? Check out our expert buying guides

• Immortalize your playing: best microphones for recording guitar
• Take your recordings to the next level with the best guitar audio interfaces
• These are our picks for the best guitar VSTs 

Radial Engineering has bolstered its catalog of recording accessories with two new re-ampers – a two-in-one Reamp Station and a more compact Reamp HP.

The company’s first re-ampers since it dropped the EXTC-Stereo device in January last year, both promise to provide flexible “state-of-the-art” reamping tools to improve musicians’ recording experiences.

Of the two new devices, Radial product manager Jay Porter commented, “Re-amping has dramatically increased in popularity over the past few years. Home studio users have discovered a secret weapon of the pros and are making re-amping a regular part of their mixes.”

Read on to find out more about each new Radial re-amper.

Radial Engineering Reamp Station

Leading the lineup is the more versatile Reamp Station – an all-in-one box that is said to embody the original re-amp designs of engineer John Cuniberti, who built the first re-amp box in 1993.

The Reamp station combines an updated version of the brand’s Radial JCR Reamper – which was inspired by Cuniberti’s box, after Radial purchased the rights in 2011 – with an active DI circuit for the company’s first two-in-one offering.

In practice, the nifty contraption can do the best of both worlds: help with the pristine recording of any instrument through the DI, and feed said recordings through guitar amps and pedals during the mixing process.

Dubbed the complete package, the Reamp Station features XLR, 1/4” unbalanced TRS and 3.5mm reamp inputs for various uses, as well as a signal level control for optimal gain staging.

Other features include Buffer, Pad and Mute buttons – to engage unity gain, reduced input sensitivity and mute functions – as well as a three-position filter toggle that applies high-cut, low-cut or flat frequency response.

It also features 1/4” Link In and Out, and Reamp In and Out, jacks, as well as an XLR input and Mic-level XLR output.

The Reamp Station is shipping now, and costs $479.

Radial Engineering Reamp HP

Joining the above is the more simple Reamp HP, which conveniently takes the signal from a headphone output jack on an audio interface or mobile device and converts it to feed mono guitar amps and effects for reamping purposes.

In practice, users can play pre-recorded tracks through amps and pedals via the Reamp HP, which features 1/4” and 3.5mm inputs for easy connection to the outputs of tablets, laptops and audio interfaces.

Thanks to its connections, the Reamp HP seeks to streamline the re-amp process by eliminating the need to disconnect studio monitors or establish a new set up for re-amping.

Other controls include an output signal level control, a Lift button that seeks to remove buzz and hum from ground loops and a Mono trigger that sums the left and right input channels together.

The Reamp HP is available now for $99.

For more information, head over to Radial Engineering.

Remember when we all had a full stack? A 100-watt head on top of two 4x12s, crammed on the stage of the Dog & Duck? When guitar amplification first started, achieving high-enough power and having speakers that could actually handle that power were the limiting factors. 

All those extra speakers, larger chassis and bigger transformers came with a price – physical as well as monetary.

Regrettably, once higher powered guitar amps became available, lower powered amps were often associated with lower quality, probably due to their more affordable cost. 

Although some of these attitudes still persist, in the early 2000s we started to see the growth in good-quality, low-powered amps, to the point where these days most amp manufacturers will have at least one high-quality amp producing up to around 15 to 20 watts. 

Let’s face it, whether we play country, pop, rock or metal, there are now multiple small amps out there that sound great, don’t weigh much and are still loud enough for the sound guy to tell you to turn it down.

Rightly or wrongly, many focus more on their amp than their cab, and we’ve just halved the size and weight of our amps... so can we do the same with cabs? Yes, we can, but due to the laws of physics and personal tastes, there are limits.

Make a cab too small and you can lack the lower frequencies. A cab that’s too light can result in a reduced low-end and things can sound too ‘boxy’. A lot of us like to feel air hitting us when we play – it somehow feels more energetic and can give a certain kick on stage – so reducing the number or size of speakers isn’t always the answer, either.

Porting a cab can get around some of these factors, helping to produce a large, full tone in a smaller box, but this option can often lack ambience – and if the science is followed too closely and the art of real speaker design is ignored, they can lack some musicality.

So if we’ve established that size is something that shouldn’t be messed with too much, and the weight of the materials used can result in too large a compromise considering the minimal weight saving, then we’re left with the speakers. Luckily, we have a perfect solution in neo speakers. Neo is an abbreviation of neodymium, a rare-earth element that can form an alloy with iron and boron to produce neodymium magnets. 

As most people will find ‘the why’ a not very interesting read, I’ll skip to ‘the what’... and that is a very high magnetic field strength, or a stronger magnet or – more simply put – that big heavy thing on the back of a speaker/driver. The magnet, doesn’t need to be as big. In fact, it can be around a 10th of the size to produce the same effect.

Before you throw your device across the room shouting “Why didn’t anyone do this sooner?!” The answer is simple: they were only invented about 40 years ago, they were expensive and they were originally only available on licence. 

As the price has come down, the viability of using them in guitar speakers has increased to the point where nearly all speaker manufacturers now produce at least one neo speaker, and they nearly all sound good to the point where we often use them for their tonal characteristics alone.

As of yet, the tonal palette probably isn’t as broad as what you’ll find with standard ceramic magnet speakers, but these are early days and comparing Celestions’ 4.7kg Vintage 30 to its 1.7kg Neo Creamback immediately shows a 3kg weight saving per speaker.

It’s true that not everyone wants their 2x12 to sound like a 4x12, and a lot of people love the sound of 1x12 cabs. When this is the case, the size of the speaker cabinet tends not to be a problem because there are plenty of compact options on the market that will add to the sound, rather than detract from it.

But when the ideal sounds are big, full tones, reminiscent of the full stack, we can’t just jump down to a tiny cab as we’ll often hear too much of a difference. In these cases, by using a lighter speaker instead of a smaller, lighter cab we’ll end up hearing less of a compromise.

With Celestion approaching its 100th birthday, it’s clear, given its age, that Celestion didn’t start as a company focused on electric guitar products. 

But the brand’s ability to innovate and the experience it gained up until the early 60s helped it develop a range of drivers (speakers) designed for the guitarist, and one in particular that would allow Marshall amplification to become ‘the sound of rock’.

As with most companies, when Jim Marshall and Ken Bran started making guitar amplifiers in 1962, they found restrictions in the materials that were available to them, especially for speakers. 

Importing relatively large, heavy items such as 12-inch speakers would have been difficult in post-war Britain, not to mention costly, so turning to a local brand such as Celestion is likely to have been an obvious choice. 

By 1962, Celestion had already been producing guitar speakers for several companies including Vox, designing the now legendary Alnico Blue specifically for the brand. The Blue would not have been available to Marshall, but Celestion’s off-the-shelf equivalent, the T652 was. 

Now, being silver and having no magnet cover at the time, its appearance may have been quite plain, but it sounded great and would be heard – and seen (from the back of combos) – until at least 1965.

For several years before this point, speaker manufacturers were starting to develop ranges of ceramic-magnet speakers, partly in response to volatile magnet prices. Rather than the costly Alnico magnets (an alloy made of aluminium, nickel and cobalt), ceramic magnets (often called ferrite magnets) are made of the much more cost-efficient strontium carbonate and iron oxide. 

Enter the Greenback

Luckily, ceramic magnet speakers tend to be slightly more aggressive sounding than their Alnico cousins, lending themselves to the more overdriven guitar tones of the '60s and allowing them to slide into common use around this time.

Celestion released its first ceramic-magnet speaker, the T1134, in late 1964, though Marshall didn’t adopt them until around late 1965 when the company started using the T1221, more commonly known as ‘the Greenback’ due to its green plastic magnet cover.

The '50s and '60s saw a drive for ever more powerful amps – and in turn this required more powerful speakers. After blowing multiple 2x12 cabs, Marshall partly addressed the issue with its 4x12, but with the first Greenbacks only being 20 watts, the result was an 80-watt cab. 

Luckily once more, however, larger magnets can absorb more heat meaning they can also take more power, and in late 1966 we saw the introduction of the G12H (12-inch Guitar speaker with a Heavy magnet). 

One version, the T1281, found itself in Marshall’s high-power 4x12s (the ones with the 100 logo in the top-left corner), which were often used for guitar and bass, partly down to the H’s lower bass resonance and also, I imagine, because of its higher sensitivity rating making the H sound louder still. 

Although the 75Hz cone version (T1217) seems to have been used more regularly in the 70s, it is the T1281 that holds a place in many guitarists’ hearts for its warm lower mids, as well as being the speaker Jimi Hendrix was often seen to be using.

Cone but not forgotten

In 1967, due to developments in voice coil design, the Greenback speakers all increased their power by five watts. This took the G12M (Medium magnet) from 20 watts to its now-familiar 25 watts, and the G12H from 25 to 30 watts, making the standard Marshall 4x12 100 watts and the high-power version 120 watts. It wouldn’t be until the introduction of the G12-65 in 1979 that a 2x12 would surpass the 100-watt mark. 

The '70s saw several colour changes of the Greenback’s plastic magnet cover, but they were just that, a change in colour – unlike the modern Creambacks, which are high-powered versions of the Greenback models. Up until the introduction of the G12-65 and its leap in power rating, the main change in this period would have been the switch from Pulsonic cones in around ’74 to ’75, following a fire at the Pulsonic factory in 1973. 

Legend has it the secret sauce went up with that fire and some say cones would never be as soft and fluid-sounding again. Once these Pulsonic cones were depleted, we started to see slightly more aggressive-sounding Kurt Mueller cones appearing on a lot of speakers to feature in Marshall cabs, including the ‘Blackback’ speakers of the late 70s through to the G12-80.

The 1980s saw many changes, but the most significant of all would be the introduction of two of the biggest-selling speakers of all time: Celestion’s Vintage 30 and G12T-75. 

Although speakers have changed through the years, whether due to technical advances or the availability of parts, the story of guitar speakers and their development certainly plays a major part in the musical icon that is the Marshall cab.

Nothing speaks to a guitar aficionado like the sound of a well-chosen guitar speaker. Funny though, isn’t it? Everyone, from geeky audiophiles to spotty boy racers in their earth trembling, modded wagons, knows that speaker choice has a vital part to play in the pursuit of paradisical tone. So, why is it that we guitarists hold back when it comes to swapping out one speaker for another? That's what this guide to the best guitar speakers is here to answer.

The often-overlooked guitar speaker is significant because it’s the last link in your audio chain before your ears or, if you’re recording, your mic. Every piece of carefully curated kit that comes before it, from precision-formed string, through hand-wound pickup to point-to-point wired amp will sound compromised if they’re being fed through a duff speaker. Or the wrong speaker, for that matter.

You see, speaker upgrades aren’t just for those of us with inexpensive combos or cheap cabinets. Even if you’re fortunate enough to own a boutique amp, changing the speaker or speakers for alternatively voiced models can get you closer to that dream sound that’s been bugging your brain for years.

The good news keeps coming too. Guitar speakers can be surprisingly inexpensive and are usually remarkably easy to fit. Trust us, if you know one end of a screwdriver from the other, then you’re already more than halfway there.

Best guitar speakers: Guitar World Recommends

The Celestion G12M Greenback will give you that authentic British ’60s rock tone, and works beautifully for rhythm or lead, crunchy or clean. Rated at 25-watts it’s a relatively low-powered speaker, but that’s more than enough for most small tube amps and, of course, you can always invest in a pair or even built yourself a small stack. It’s relatively cheap too.

If you’re into southern rock, blues or jazz then you’ll love the character of Eminence’s Texas Heat speaker. It has a rich, buttery smoothness that blues guitarists swoon over, yet the treble has bite a plenty, enabling you to cut through any mix.

And for you modern, high-gain players? Well, you really can’t go wrong with the Celestion G12H-150 Redback or the Electro-Voice EVM12L.

Best guitar speakers: Product guide

Think ‘60s British rock – Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page – and a key ingredient of that classic tone will be a dash of Greenback. OK, we’re aware than Jimi was from the US, but he was famously into British amplification, so I think we can be forgiven for including him here. A little later on Angus Young also championed the Greenback, and it was allegedly a favourite of Van Halen’s too.

Which just goes to prove that there’s no shame in choosing a speaker with a ceramic magnet. The Greenback has changed a bit since the swinging sixties, but it still retains its characteristic mid-range punch and restrained top end. Perfect if you’re after a speaker that will deliver no-nonsense, aggressive, vintage lead tones.

In case you’re wondering, the M in its name refers to its Medium/35-ounce magnet. Originally, there was a G12H in Celestion’s catalogue too, fitted with a ‘Heavy’ 50-ounce magnet. Apparently, the heavier magnet produces a tighter low-end – here’s hoping Celestion reintroduce it.

No prizes for guessing the kind of player this speaker is aimed at. As its name suggests, the Texas Heat is perfect for southern rock tones, but it’s more than capable of producing classic rock, blues and even jazz sounds too.

Armed with a 38oz magnet and a 2” voice coil it sings with a warm, fat tone that just loves a touch of rich saturation. However, its pronounced top-end bite brings clarity to the Texas Heat’s character, enabling it to cut through any mix while maintaining a buttery, bluesy tone.

It responds instantly to player dynamics, making it a superb choice for nuanced blues lead work. The 150-watt rating provides oodles of headroom in lower powered amps too.

The ‘Blue’ can trace its lineage back to the 1920s, which was when Celestion started out life making speakers for radiograms and gramophones. In the late ‘50s it was asked to repurpose the G12, one of its most celebrated radiogram speakers, by the team at start-up amp brand Vox. They were looking for a beefed-up speaker to stick in a brand-new guitar amplifier.

Celestion obliged and two stars were born – the AC15 amp and the Blue speaker. Strictly speaking, it was painted a variety of colours until Vox later squeezed a pair into the AC30, at which point blue became the default.

Everyone from the Stones to Matt Bellamy have played Vox AC30s, and all have managed to sound notably different. Perhaps the best tonal example is Brian May, in whose playing you can easily hear the characteristic rich lows, smooth upper-mids and brilliant bell-like top-end. Pushed hard, the Celestion Blue will compress in the most musical way. A true classic.

Perhaps the most iconic vintage Jensen speaker, the P12N is easily recognised by its huge bell-shaped magnet cover. Famously, back in the ‘50s it was installed in Fender’s Tweed Twin, where it’s crystal-clear highs positively influenced what guitarists came to recognise as the Fender sound. Look up ‘clean tones’ in the dictionary and the definition will read P12N.

Not that it’s icy and brittle, far from it. The P12N is still a full-bodied, warm sounding speaker with a powerful mid-bite but its transparent top end is its calling-card. Generate some overdrive and it will respond with a bright and colorful crunch.

The P12Q is the P12N’s little brother – they’re closely related but, like most siblings, have entirely different characters. Here, the cone size remains the same but the P12Q features a smaller voice coil, a substantially lighter weight magnet and lower power rating.

These key differences endow it with a smooth, warm voice that’s very balanced but has a recognizable bite in the upper midrange. It’s a good all-rounder for a variety of musical genres but is especially well-suited to jazz and blues.

The P12Q, which was nicknamed the ‘hot dog’ because of the sausage-shaped cut-outs in its basket frame, was originally found in amps such as the vintage Tweed Deluxe, the Ampeg Jet and the Gibson GA-20. A notable vintage American-style speaker.

If your djent is more thunderous than the hooves of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse then the Redback is a devilish choice. Fitted with a humongous magnet more powerful than the gravitational pull of the sun (OK, we made that stat up) it’s rated at a whopping 150 watts. Will it wake the dead? Maybe. Your neighbors? No question.

Paradoxically, if you shy away from the dirt to live a life that’s clean and pure this could be the speaker for you too.

Match it to a similarly rated high-gain amp and it’ll take all the pummelling you can throw at it. Use it with a lower-gain amp though, and you’ll never run out of clean headroom.

To handle the power, and resulting heat, the Redback features the aforementioned 50oz magnet, together with a supersized 2” voice coil. This stocky combination gives the speaker a dark, meaty sound that’s well suited to down-tuning or for taming a bright amp.

The Redback is also a great choice if you want to replace a 4x or 8x cab with a single speaker. So much easier on the back…

The GA-SC64 is a wonderful example of a modern speaker that’s voiced to sound vintage. A little less than a decade ago Eminence teamed up with respected boutique amp builder George Alessandro and tasked him to help them build a speaker with similar sonic characteristics to a vintage Jensen.

The result was a speaker that some argue sounds even more Jensen than Jensen. Like a Jensen C12N (one of Fender’s go-to speakers in the mid-sixties) but better. Certainly, it’s a delightful bit of kit, exceptionally well balanced with tight, punchy lows, warm mids and open highs. It sounds fantastic and responds beautifully whether played clean or dirty.

Many Fender Deluxe Reverb owners have gone mad for this speaker, ripping out whatever lies within their black- or silver-faced beauties and replacing it with a GA-SC64. In fact, it suits almost any Fenderish tube amp, so if you fancy an upgrade this is a worthy choice.

No one can accuse the marketing bods at Electro-Voice of being modest but at least they’re direct. Is the EVM12L really the World’s Greatest Guitar Loudspeaker, as they would have us believe?

Well, Joe Bonamassa is a fan, and Zakk Wylde uses a hot-rodded version, the EVM12L Black Label. What they, and countless other guitarists, love about this speaker is its neutral voicing, high power rating and bomb-proof build quality. This bad boy is so tough it could probably survive a direct hit from a nuclear device, which is allegedly the only thing more destructive than a Black Label tour.

Treble sparkles, bass oozes richness and everything in-between sounds just as it should, even at crazy-high volume levels. That’s why artists adore the EVM12L, it delivers night after night, tour after tour. It’s not cheap, and it weighs more than a small child, but it’ll probably outlive you. And your grandkids.

The color kinda gives it away doesn’t it? The Boss site doesn’t explicitly say as much (it does, however, drop a ton of hints) but this is a Japanese stab at improving on the iconic Celestion Greenback.

You see, when Boss was developing its flagship Waza Amp Head it wanted a matching speaker that recalled the quintessential British half-stack sound of the ‘60s. A sound that, back in the day, would have flowed from a cabinet rich with 25-watt Greenbacks. Unfortunately, the Waza Head would have overpowered a standard Celestion Greenback so the engineers at Boss had to have a rethink.

Their solution was to build a 100-watt speaker that replicated the same wide dynamic range, characteristic mid-range punch, restrained top end and expressive response. Initially, production was limited to fulfil Waza cabinet orders, but Boss has since made them available as individual units and marketed them as suitable replacements for any 12” speaker.

If you dream of filling your high-gain combo or cab with a modern set of high-powered Greenbacks the Waza G12W-8 could be just the ticket.

Best guitar speakers: Buying advice

Different speaker models, even from the same manufacturer, tend to have distinctive sonic characteristics that can usefully be categorized as either modern or vintage, and within the latter camp you’ll find a couple of other terms bandied about, namely American or British. So, hold on to your poodle skirts and plaster on some Brylcreem, it’s time for a very quick ‘50s-inspired history lesson.

Vintage-inspired 

Back in the crucible of rock ‘n roll, amplifiers were small, low powered affairs fitted with similarly low-rated, inefficient speakers. The average wattage back in those days was around the 15-watt mark, which didn’t provide a lot of clean headroom, especially as their inefficient speakers needed a lot of power to output a decent level of volume.

When pushed, not only could these amps be readily overdriven, but their speakers would break up in a pleasing manner too, providing added grit or bite. This tone, forever associated with the sound of teenage rebellion, became a hallmark of rock ‘n roll and pretty much every ‘popular’ genre that followed. Even as amps grew in power throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, they still tended to be fitted with inefficient speakers equipped with thin paper cones that would break up at higher volumes. What started out as a flaw, matured as a well-loved feature.

In the US, the go-to speaker brands back then were Jensen and Eminence. Jensen’s speakers were characterized by their bell-like highs, open mids and saturated lows, so it’s no surprise to learn that Fender was a loyal customer. In fact, many US amp builders of note used Jensen speakers, including Ampeg and Gibson.

Over in the UK, Celestion was making similar products but with a more pronounced mid-range and aggressive highs. Guess what? These speakers with their characteristically focused tone found their way into Vox and Marshall amps.

It would be an exaggeration to claim that these speakers from either side of the pond defined the British Invasion and American sounds of the ‘60s – amp design was more influential – but they certainly added a spicy kick to the sonic soup. Today, you’ll find British- or American-inspired products in almost every speaker manufacturer’s catalogue, regardless of country of origin.

Modern

When Soldano introduced the first ‘modern’ ultra-high gain amp in the late eighties, it quickly became apparent that inefficient, low-powered vintage speakers weren’t going to cut it in the contemporary metal genres. Instead, modern electric guitar players needed efficient, powerful drivers with plenty of headroom that could authentically convey the character of a fully cranked preamp.

A few brands, notably JBL and Electro-Voice (EV), had been producing just this kind of product for decades, but soon every manufacturer joined them. JBL dropped out of the market some time ago, but EV is still a force to be reckoned with.

Ceramic, Alnico or Neodymium? 

Speakers work by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy. Yeah, great, but how does that actually play out? Well, in a nutshell, the electric signal from your amplifier travels along a coil of wire, known as the voice coil, that sits at the very heart of your speaker. It produces an electric field that interacts with a cylindrical magnet that’s placed just to the rear of it.

The stronger the current in the coil, the more forceful the attraction to the magnetic, which causes your speaker’s diaphragm (aka the cone) to move. If the current is varied over time, the cone will pump in and out, generating sound waves.

Clearly, the magnet plays a significant part in this transformation, which is why engineers have experimented with different types in order to discover which performs best. You’re likely to find three types in guitar speakers.

Alnico magnets, made from an alloy of aluminium, iron, and cobalt, were traditionally used in vintage speakers. They exhibit a sweet, warm tone at lower volumes and respond well to playing dynamics. Because of their cobalt content, Alnico magnets are expensive.

Neodymium magnets have a well-balanced frequency response and also respond well to a player’s touch. They weigh significantly less than other magnets, making them a good choice in heavy, multi-speaker combo amps. They are slightly less expensive than Alnico magnets.

Ceramic magnets, made from a combination of strontium carbonate and iron oxide, are cheaper than Alnico and Neodymium but they handle high power well and sound great at high volumes. They can be heavy though, something you’ll be reminded off every time you lift your cab from van to pub door.

Logically, high-powered speakers require larger magnets, which adds to both cost and weight.

Power Rating and Impedance 

Follow a couple of simple rules and you’ll find that this is an area that’s less daunting than it initially appears. Firstly, make sure the wattage of your speaker matches or exceeds the wattage of your amplifier. Choosing a higher wattage speaker may increase low-end frequency response, for a richer sound, but you’ll be sacrificing volume.

Yes, some guitarists like to specify lower-wattage speakers in a high-powered amp to increase distortion but crank the volume too much and you may damage them. If you’re planning on using more than one speaker then it’s safe to divide the wattage between them. In other words, a four 25-watt speaker cab will work fine with a 100-watt amp.

Impedance is not something you’ll want to experiment with unless you love forking out for new amps or speakers on a regular basis. Just make sure the output impedance of your amp matches the speaker rating or damage is almost certainly guaranteed. Many amps have switchable impedance – usually 4, 8 and 16 ohms, which makes life easier.

If you’re hooking up multiple speakers or even multiple cabs then you’ll have to calculate the correct impedance, which can be nerve-wracking but you’re in luck because Guitar World’s sister publication Bass Player has published a handy impedance guide.

Bit of a squeeze?

Guitar speaker size is specified using the outer diameter of the cone as a reference, with 12” being the most popular but you’ll find plenty of great sounding 10” speakers too. However, go much smaller and you risk compromising the low end.

In theory, one 12” speaker can be swapped out for any other 12” speaker, and most of the time this is reliably the case. If you have a screwdriver handy, the whole job could take less than 5 minutes, as this video from Fender demonstrates.

Sometimes however, speakers can be too deep to fit into a combo or cabinet, especially if they feature a closed-back design. So, if you’re upgrading an existing speaker to another model, spend a bit of time researching its exact dimensions or you’ll risk turning a pleasurable five minutes into hours of tantrum-inducing frustration.

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Based in Denmark, analog specialist East Sound Research has been turning out clever products for guitar and bass under the Carl Martin brand for nearly 30 years, and has an enviable artist roster that includes Joe Bonamassa, Pete Thorn and Kid Andersen. 

Adding to an already diverse range that includes pedals, amps and switching solutions, the Ampster is a valve-based DI box that’s poised to be popular for anyone who uses pedals.

The Ampster is intended to sit at the end of a pedal chain and adds direct-out flexibility, with a quality balanced output on XLR for connection to guitar audio interfaces, as well as studio or live consoles. 

There’s a familiar set of amp-like controls including Gain and Master volume, together with Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence. Two footswitches sit either side of a small silver-vent grille, behind which lurks a single TAD ECC83 twin triode tube. 

One of these buttons functions as a mute, while the other switches between a choice of 4x12 closed‑back or 2x12 open-back cabinet emulations. A single LED glows red or green depending on which emulation is active, and flashes when the Ampster is in mute mode.

On the rear panel there’s a single 6mm jack input and a jack marked ‘Link’ for direct connection to an amp. The balanced DI output features a useful ground lift switch and there’s also a three-position voicing switch that progressively trims low-end frequencies to taste.

The Ampster also boasts a series effects loop and a useful remote switch if you want to house it in a rack. Power comes from an external adaptor that isn’t included: the Ampster needs a good one amp of current, so if you’re using an existing power supply, make sure it can handle this, or alternatively use Carl Martin’s own Power Jack PSU.

We tried the Ampster out with drive and delay pedals into a small mixing console and were impressed by the convincing cab emulations and its warm, amp-like tones. The simple controls are quick to dial in and fun to use, and it’s also impressively free of noise, making it a great choice for studios. 

For players who rely on their pedalboard to get their sound, the Ampster could turn out to be the vital missing link, adding a quality console connection that lets you run your guitar into an amp, a desk or both, and mix the signal for the best overall result.  

Specs

• PRICE: $299 / £239
• ORIGIN: Denmark
• TYPE: Valve-based analog amp/cabinet simulator and DI
• VALVES: 1x ECC83
• DIMENSIONS: 145 (w) x 125 (d) x 70mm (h)
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 0.5/1
• CASE: Alloy
• CHANNELS: 1
• CONTROLS: Gain, bass, middle, treble, presence, master volume
• FOOTSWITCH: Cab sim select, mute
• CONNECTIONS: Input, Link, DI out, Effects send/return, remote, all on 6.5mm jack
• POWER: 9V DC (adaptor not supplied), 1,000mA minimum
• OPTIONS: None
• RANGE OPTIONS: None
• CONTACT: Carl Martin