From syncing, to EQ basics, to the different uses of compressors, the Presonus web site is a great place to learn not only how to use your Presonus gear, but how to get some great sounds fast.
They also have a few short video’s on the basics including how to mic drums, recording guitars, and getting great vocals.
Check out all of the great info at the Presonus site
With 18 tracks from around the world the Bliss Army stepped it up a notch on this one. Download the full album with cover art at Sixstringbliss.com
Happy 4th of July Weekend everyone. Here is this week’s roundup of my favorite posts from the guitar interwebz.
Guitarren has some cool sketches of potential guitar designs. He’s done a few of these posts and each one has some really cool ideals.
Boutique Guitar Resource has a great post about a new guitar from builder Nado Bailo. The Whale guitar is one awesome looking axe.
Guitar Noise has some great tips on playing live. If your goal is to perform guitar in front of people then this is a good place to read up on some of the necessary things to do to be successful
Guitar International has a review of the new documentary about famous rock photographer Robert Knight. He’s photographed all the big names for the past 40 years.
Guitar World has some behind the scenes video from their 2011 buyers guide shoot.
Play a little guitar has some guitar nightmares for you to ponder. I think I may have lived through a few of these.
Welcome to the weekend. It’s been a buys week in the guitar world and here are some of my favorite posts from the many great guitar blogs out there.
What’s that dude play has a great video of anew Vibe pedal by WIlson Pedals. I love the swirly pedals and this one sound great .
300 guitars has a cool post about a Valco amplifier site they found. If you dig old funky amps check it out.
I Heart Guitar has some video of the big 4 playing am I evil together. If you don't know who the big 4 are, you better check this out.
Mark Wein has a great lesson on hammer on and pull off technique.
My Fender Champ has a cool post documenting the baffle board on a vintage champ.
Guitar Blogstar has an article about micing an amp. This is always a topic worth looking at again.
Welcome to the weekend everyone. It’s been a long week and there was a ton of great stuff in the guitar blog world. Here are my favorites.
The Fifth Fret has a post about the etiquette of browsing in a guitar shop. It’s about time someone laid down the law with the do’s and don’ts of guitar shopping.
Trufire.com has some cool classic rockabilly licks. These are always fun to have in your arsenal of fretwork.
Not playing guitar has some info on portable guitar recorders. These little digital recorders are a valuable tool for recording your practices or lessons.
Fretterverse has a list of classic must have metal guitar CD’s. I own several of these so I am totally behind this list.
Effectsbay has some cool video of Zakk Wylde’s rig. I love it when you can get a run down of the big boys toys.
Playgtr.net has a cool post about a shirt that plays like a guitar. I’m not sure what this is all about or what the application is but hey, it’s guitar geek stuff.
Its the weekend and it’s time for a roundup of my favorite stories and posts from the guitar blog world.
Have a great weekend.
Mark Wein has a great post on fake pedal steel licks. This is a great technique to have in your bag of tricks.
Guitarless has some info on how truss rods work. This is helpful for understanding what needs to be done to make an adjustment.
I heart guitar has a cool video about hacking a fuzz pedal. Nothing is more hackable than a good old fashioned fuzz pedal.
Guitar Collecting has some info on insuring your guitar collection. We spend a lot of money on our gear so lets make sure we protect it.
Boutique guitar resource has a some great photos of a custom Frank Hartung guitar. This is a great looking axe.
Welcome to the weekend. Here are my favorite posts from the guitar blog world this week. Have a great weekend.
Guitarnoise has a great article breaking down scales and modes. This kind of thing is really helpful in visualizing the fretboard.
Not playing guitar has tips to help reduce distractions while practicing.
I Heat Guitar has an article on home recording for the frugal guitarist. Who isn’t a frugal guitarist these days right?
300 guitars has a post about Mercury Magnetics and their service for Nashville flood victims.
Effectsbay is rethinking guitar philosophy and pedal boards. I know this is something we all go through. Check out the insights in this post.
Fretterverse has some tips to avoid guitar neglect. Some of these are common sense but it’s always good to take a look at this stuff again.
With many of the rhythm tracks already laid down the structure of the song is already set. When it comes to the lead lines and fills though, sometimes it’s nice to just do track after track of takes and see what happens. You may find yourself cringing at some takes while others may inspire you even more. The pure energy and emotion in a take can forgive any technical 
With the almost limitless tracks available in recording software any musician given the time can afford to do multiple takes. The ability to edit is also a great asset. You can put together the best parts keeping all of the feeling of the takes without having to redo the whole track because of one bad note.
Sure perfectionists out there will say that this is just an excuse not to get things right but that is not the case. Musicians should be aware of the technical and the emotional and hopefully have the ability to combine the two. Some great albums through the years became great albums because the artists had the time to let the emotion flow and let the music happen.
I have quite a long commute everyday. I’ve been doing it for a while and it can become tedious. I started listening to Podcasts to fill the time. I have a few favorites but I am always trying new ones. Here are the guitar and musician related podcasts that are always part of my commuting play list.
Pipes and PT are a couple of regular guys who happen to love guitar. They took their passion to the web and started producing Six String Bliss. They have produces a whopping 180 episodes over the years. The episodes vary from just the guys talking to product reviews to interviews with big name artists like Steve Vai or John 5. If you have a passion for guitar go check out the bliss. With a new episodes almost every week and a big archive of past episodes there is plenty of guitar talk for you to take in.
Boss Tone Radio is a podcast hosted by Paul Hansen, Boss product specialist. The podcast is semi regular with a new episode every month or so. Paul talks to artists from all genres from Paul Gilbert, to Keith Wyatt, to Oz Noy. Now there is the “Hey, what Boss gear do you use” question in every podcast. Lets face it, It is a bit of a commercial for the product. Still, the interview contain lots of insight from some great guitarists.
Premier Guitar is not only a great magazine, they post some pretty good podcasts too. Being Premier Guitar the podcasts usually center around gear. From gear demos to interviews with boutique gear manufacturers as well as coverage of events like NAMM these podcasts are a good listen for any guitar freak.
The CD baby DIY podcast is a regular podcast geared toward independent artists. The offer some good marketing tips, promotional tools, and sales strategies to help move your music and make some fans. The roundtable discussions are often lively and have varying opinions on the topic being discussed. I guarantee you will find something in one of these podcasts that will help you on your musical endeavor.
You don’t have to follow the tech world to have guessed that this was on the horizon. The newly released iPad now has a recording app available in the app store.
StudioTrack is a multi track recording app that works with the built in microphone on the iPad. It features a reverb send on each track as well as a rack of effects including parametric EQ and compression..
You can record up to 8 tracks on your iPad. The multi touch screen allows you to control the various faders and knobs simultaneously just like a real console.
StudioTrack also features built in drum patterns. You can select time signatures 3/4, 4/4, 6/8. There is also an option to select x/4 which lets you use unaccented beats to get you odd meters like 5 and 7.
This is a pretty cool tool for anyone who has an iPad and is looking to capture some song ideas. I wouldn’t count on this replacing your DAW since you do not have any input options. Still, for $39.99 it’s a pretty powerful tool to help you create music on the go.
The “Masters” are the master tapes of great recordings. These tapes are loaded up on a machine and run through track by track by the authors. This is one of the coolest reads I’ve seen in a while. Not only does it give some insight to recording technique and production but gives you a look at what was left out of the final mix. How cool would it be to get your hands on some old tracks and actually have a chance to mix your own version of a classic song.
The authors are experienced studio professionals who know what they’re talking about. The perspective they give to these classic tracks is great. You find yourself learning something without even trying.
Check out the past articles and keep up to date with Premier Guitar for the next issue and the next Secret of the Masters
This site is full of tips, blogs,and message boards. You can get some ideas of what others are doing to get their songs to sound their best.
Lots of great ideas and articles here. They also have a tip of the month highlighting a particular area of the recording process. Very easy to read and comprehend. 
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