tips

EMI, or Electro-Magnetic Interference, is a problem that can plague your guitar as well as your other audio equipment, causing a particular buzz or hum that can sometimes be impossible to get rid of depending on the source. If you’ve ever experience a particular hum or buzz coming from your guitar, amp or other audio equipment, you’re not alone. In this article, we take a quick look at what is EMI and how to keep it from ruining your guitar tone.   Continue reading →

One of the best ways for a band to make cash is by employing a merchandise table. Unfortunately, many treat it as an afterthought, doing nothing more than throwing a few shirts on a table and calling it a day. If you're serious about making money off of your merch table, you need to treat it like you do your music -- giving it the attention it deserves. Below are a few tips for an effective and successful merch table.     Continue reading →

Think of music as a spectrum; there’s the art side of it, and then there’s business side. To make it big, you need to be successful in both. While most musicians understand the art aspect, the business side remains a mystery to many. While there’s a lot you can do to turn your world around and make things start working for you, be sure to check the following pattern of mistakes musician make all the time in their desperate bid to make it BIG in the music business.     Continue reading →

We’ve all met that person. It might even be you – that budding rookie musician who picks up the guitar for the first time with high hopes of one day shredding like the masters only to put it down a few months later because of all the frustration that comes with learning how to play a new instrument. Many of those early frustrations are usually caused by few all too common mistakes. By correcting these common mistakes and playing with patience and plenty of dedication, you'll make your guitar journey a lot more fruitful and enjoyable.   Continue reading →

This Furman PL-Pro power conditioner not only pro- tects your rig from power surges and line noise but also comes with built-in voltmeter and USB charger!  Dirty power -- you might have heard the term before but chances are you’re like most people out there and have little to no idea what it actually means, let alone what it has to do with music. Essentially, the term known as dirty power referrers to the uneven electric currents that result from older wiring or improperly wired AC circuits, such as you might find in older homes or venues. Take a look at the two waveforms below for context. Anyways, this can cause annoying issues that result in unwanted line noise due to the erratic behavior of the waveforms and their effect on electric components; these components want the top of the wave form but end up getting the bottom, so to speak. What makes dirty power and the line noise it creates even worse is that those unaware can cause themselves a ton of unnecessary stress trying to find the cause of the problem – typically looking towards their gear – when the actual cause is not their gear at all.   Continue reading →