Universal Audio Twin-Finity 710
Sometimes you need clean solid-state tones, at other times only valves will do. Huw Price finds an all-in-one solution.

Recording Electric Guitar
Recording electric guitar is a challenge faced by many engineers and producers, but it’s easier than you think. Hollin Jones shows you how.

Peavey ReValver MkIII
Peavey is raising its profile in the guitar amp-emulation market, with this offering going further than ever. Mike Hillier warms up.

Rob Papen RG
Rob Papen’s latest offering, RG, aims to blur the line between synths and rhythm guitar. Mark Cousins takes a closer look.

Notion Music Progression
Play guitar but don’t read or write music? Progression might be the key to getting started. Keith Gemmell takes notes.

Guitar Rig 3 Workshop
You might think that Guitar Rig is the sole preserve of guitars and basses, but it can be used to great effect on beats as well. Hollin Jones explains.

Nine Volt Audio Big Bad Guitars

Yamaha Stagepas 250M
The newest member of Yamaha’s Stagepas family has finally fled the fold. Mike Hillier monitors its progress.

IK Multimedia AmpliTube Metal
IK Multimedia has turned up the gain and unleashed a monster on the metal guitar-playing fraternity. Mike Hillier encounters the beast...

TC Electronic Nova Dynamics
TC Electronic has taken the guts from its Nova System and re-released it in stompbox form. Mike Hillier steps on it.

Applied Acoustics Systems Strum Acoustic GS-1
AAS’ latest foray into physical modelling may be the most challenging one yet... JoE Silva picks up a virtual six-string.

10MM127 DI Boxes
A DI box can be your saviour during a problematic gig or recording session. Grant Bridgeman sizes them up...

Digidesign Eleven
Digidesign has joined the amp modelling brigade – but has it raised the stakes in the process? Mike Hillier gets down and dirty with Eleven LE...

SPL Transducer Model 2601
Recording a guitar amp full-blast is not always feasible, but with the SPL Transducer you can. Huw Price turns it up...

Guitar Thief!
The guitar has dominated many musical genres for years, from jazz and acoustic to full-on heavy metal and rock. Merrick Angle considers how to duplicate the core guitar sounds in the studio with a combination of hardware and plug-ins.

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3
Does the third incarnation of Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig have anything more to offer other than a few new emulations? Mike Hillier takes Kontrol...

Softube Vintage Amp Room
Softube’s latest release delivers three classic guitar amplifiers in a single plug-in. Mike Hillier keeps it simple...

10MM112 Chorus, Flange & Phase
When it comes to thickening up sounds or finding ear-pleasing effects, few can resist the temptations of chorus, flanging and phasing. Mark Cousins takes the treatment...

Line 6 Pocket POD
Line 6’s POD family has been augmented by a new, slimmed down member. Mike Hillier pockets the difference...

Line 6 TonePort KB37
Line 6 has united the TonePort audio interface with a 37-note keyboard and a MIDI controller. Mike Hillier assesses the KB37.

TC Electronic G-Sharp
Want studio-quality reverb and delay but can’t find a decent pedal? Enter the G-Sharp. Huw Price finds space in his rack.

Sonoma WireWorks RiffWorks Standard 2
Loop-based recording is starting to make headway among notoriously technology-shy guitarists. Mike Hillier riffs on...

Audio-Technica ATM250DE
The dream combination of condenser and moving-coil mics arrives in the shape of the ATM250DE. Huw Price doubles up...

VirtuosoWorks Notion 1.5
With the sound of the LSO under its hood, the latest version of Notion looks like a hard act to follow. JoE Silva has the score...

Leslie Cabinets
Software emulations of Leslie cabinets are becoming increasingly common, but the real thing is something very special indeed. Grant Bridgeman gets in a spin...

Recording Guitar. Part 2: DI recording and digital modelling
Amp and effects modelling has hugely expanded the sonic opportunities available to the project studio owner. Mike Hillier explains how guitarists can put this new technology to creative use.

IK Multimedia Ampeg SVX
IK has teamed up with Ampeg to bring bassists a wealth of sonic possibilities. Mike Hillier gets to the bottom of it...

Edirol UA-4FX
The UA-4FX is equipped with the basic tools required for most recording tasks. Mike Hillier finds out if small is beautiful...

Recording Guitar. Part 1: System setup and mic'ing techniques
Tracking a great guitar sound is a common challenge for recording musicians. In this first part of his comprehensive guide, Mike Hillier explains how to make better recordings.

Mixing A Five-Piece Band. Part 1: Drums, bass and guitar
There’s no ‘right’ approach, but here Mark Cousins offers a few options to help you deal with common elements within a mix.

TerraTec Axon AX 100 mkII
The synthesis and sampler market is dominated by keyboard players, but TerraTec is hoping the Axon will help guitarists to gatecrash the party. Mike Hillier picks up his Ax.

TL Audio Fat Funker
TL Audio’s Fatman series has had a makeover, and this latest offering is a guitar front-end processor with valve compression and EQ. Huw Price meets the Fat Funker...

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 2
With no fewer than eight amp models and 25 cabinets crammed into one elegant package, Mike Hillier finds out if NI’s latest release could extend the average guitarist’s rig...

Pro Tools Workshop Mixing A Guitar Band
When it comes to mixing, a few simple tricks can go a long way to achieving professional-sounding results. Dan Livesey shows you how.

Logic Pro 7 Workshop Lo-Fi With Guitar Amp Pro
As well as being of clear benefit to guitarists, Guitar Amp Pro is also an excellent choice for lo-fi processing. Mark Cousins gets dirty…

Waves GTR Guitar Tool Rack
If your project studio isn’t kitted out with a collection of exotic boutique amps and effects, GTR might be just what you need. Mike Hillier treads the boards.

TC Electronic G-System
It might lack one fundamental guitar effect, but TC Electronic’s new G-System delivers the very best of the rest. Huw Price plugs in.

M-Audio Black Box
Marrying a guitar and computer is a frighteningly technical prospect for many guitarists, but M-Audio aims to make it easy. Mick Taylor delves inside the Black Box.

Music Lab Real Guitar
Add acoustic guitar parts to your compositions without having to attend a single lesson. Mick Taylor wields the virtual axe.

IK Multimedia Amplitube Live
Equipping your studio with an enviable range of classic guitar amps and speakers is a costly proposition. Alistair Lindsay finds a practical alternative.

Line 6 PODxt Live
Having 36 amplifiers and 24 speaker cabs in your studio would probably leave you short of space – not to mention money. Alistair Lindsay finds an alternative...

Advanced recording techniques Part Two
Recording acoustic guitars is tricky enough at the best of times, but it's even more difficult when you have to take care of both the playing and recording duties. Huw Price makes your life easier.

DigiTech The Weapon
DigiTech has crammed seven of Disturbed axeman Dan Donegan’s signature sounds into one unassuming stompbox. Huw Price puts the pedal to the metal.

Exciters & enhancers
Exciters and enhancers add sparkle and depth to sound in ways that are impossible to achieve with standard EQ. Mark Cousins sees a brighter future…

Advanced recording techniques Part One
Recording electric guitars is simple: just grab your trusty SM57 and away you go. But are you happy with mediocrity or are you shooting for something higher? Huw Price talks tone.

DigiTech GNX4
The GNX4 combines digital amp, cabinet and stompbox models with an 8-track mp3 recorder, mic input and drum machine. Is there anything this box of tricks can’t do? Huw Price cranks it up...

Digital Modelling for guitarists
Are guitarists finally ditching valve amps and getting those ‘bits’ between their teeth? Huw Price investigates the art of digital modelling.

Logic's Distortion effects
Distortion is a versatile and creative effect. Dan Livesey looks at some of the sound-mangling tools found in Logic.

Native Instruments Guitar Rig
Native Instruments’ first guitar effects software is here. Hollin Jones feels the full effects of Guitar Rig….

Yamaha Magicstomp
For many guitarists, the valve is King and digital modelling is still a no-go area. Jon Griffin gets to grips with 1s and 0s...

Recording nu-metal guitar tracks
The wall-of-sound guitar effect is very popular in current nu-metal releases. Here Pete Crisp explains how to go about recording it.

Guitar Tech: Recording guitar
Does the prospect of recording scare the living daylights out of you? Well fear not – Mick Taylor and Hollin Jones explain how you can start recording your guitar on three different systems in next to no time, and offer some advice on deciding which

Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro 3
Guitar Tracks Pro takes a step up with some help from its big brother, Sonar. ‘Axe hero’ Pete Crisp discovers an easier way of making music…

Guitar Tech: Structure, mixing and arrangement
Getting great guitar sounds is one thing. What to do with them in your recordings is quite another. Mick Taylor talks us through constructing a simple rock/pop song.

Boss BR-1600CD
Computers offer musicians a myriad of recording possibilities, but standalone recorders still have considerable appeal – as Bob Dormon discovers with the Boss BR-1600CD.

Guitar Tech: Anti-guitar tones
Once you have your guitar tracks down, what your recording really needs is… your guitar. Mick Taylor explains why.

Aphex Xciter & Punch Factory
Stomp-boxes that bring the legendary Aphex enhancement to the guitar fraternity and a compressor that packs a punch? Pete Crisp is deeply effected…

Guitar Tech: Real guitar tones
Forget a million presets and endless editing – what you need is a handful of great guitar tones that’ll enrich almost every recording you’ll ever make. Mick Taylor deals out five of the best.

Guitar Tech: Recording Bass
Why use a bass guitar when there are so many top-notch bass samples around? Robbie Gladwell provides the answers and looks at various ways to record the real thing.

Guitar Tech: The live environment. Part 2: The gig
You climb on stage, plug in your guitar, flick the standby on your amp and… nothing. Not a peep, not even a buzz, just deafening silence. Steve Howgill maps a course to navigate around the many pitfalls waiting to engulf the unwary gigging guitarist.

Vox Valvetronix ToneLab
What better way to model classic guitar amps than to use a real valve? In his quest for authentic sounds, Pete Crisp checks out the new ToneLab from Vox…

Guitar Tech: The live environment. Part 1: Kit
Playing guitar at a live gig is a whole new ball game from noodling in your studio. Time-served gigging guitarist Steve Howgill offers us the benefit of his experience, starting with a look at what kit to take with you.

Guitar Tech: Pickup your licks and tricks
Know the difference between single coil and humbuckers? Ciarán Robinson looks at how different pickups work and how to get the best out of your setup.

Line 6 Bass POD XT Pro
Line 6 has given its bass guitar and amp modeller a makeover. Pete Crisp looks beyond the aesthetics...

Guitar Tech: Foot to the pedal
Want to know your phase from your flange? Your tremolo from your vibrato? Ciarán Robinson explains.

Guitar Tech: Recording Acoustic Guitar
Capturing the rich timbral range and subtle dynamics that characterise a great recorded acoustic guitar sound needn’t be difficult, says Janet Cook, if you have the right approach and are willing to practise and experiment.

Guitar Tech: Distortion
What started by accident has now become one of the most important and recognisable accents of the contemporary electric guitar sound. Ciarán Robinson explains what distortion is and how to use it.

Guitar Tech: Recording guitar
The digital revolution has added a heap of new options for the recording guitarist. And you can still do it the old-fashioned way. Sam Trevellyan guides us through the kit and techniques of mic’ing up, Direct Injection and amp emulation.