The ukulele has grown enormously popular over the last couple of years. This little string instrument is easy to play, doesn’t cost as much as a guitar and is a lot easier to carry. All of that doesn’t mean the ukulele isn’t a fully-fledged instrument, though. Say you’re looking to buy your first ukulele or want to upgrade to a more professional model – what size ukulele best suits your needs: the sopranino, soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, bass or the guitalele? In this blog, we’ll go over all the different options so you can more easily see the forest for the trees.

So, you’ve already decided that you want to start playing the acoustic guitar, but how are you supposed to know what kind of acoustic guitar you want and which is actually the best to start learning with? In this here blog, we aim to offer all beginner guitarists a basic explanation of the differences between steel-string guitars and classical or Spanish guitars, to hopefully leave you fully equipped with the information you need to make the right decision. The first thing we’ll say is, maybe check out your favourite band or artist and see what they’re playing first. There’s a pretty big chance that they’re making the sound you want to hear and playing the kind of guitar that you want.

Your local drive-in DJ, the next-door neighbour or even your best friend bragging about their new sound system might sound familiar to you. There are plenty of times when I’ve heard them say: “My new speakers are off the charts man, they’ve got 1,500 Watts of power!” This goes to show that a lot of people assume that more power means more volume, but really, it’s not that simple.

People often ask our humble helpdesk how they can connect a microphone to their computer or laptop. It’s not a weird question since, you simply don’t know what you don’t know and, if you’re a little afraid of damaging your pristine MacBook, or you don’t want to just randomly order some gear, it’s more than understandable. Luckily, there are a number of ways to do it and it doesn’t even have to cost that much.

Taking a little time out from working his show, The Polarizer, globetrotter and experienced podcaster, Dick Hoebee shares some tips and recommends some gear to help you make what’s fast becoming the new radio-show format and prove that anyone can start podcasting, no matter the budget.

It seems like a fairly simple question: how can I connect my electric or acoustic guitar to a computer, like a PC, Mac or laptop, smartphone or tablet? It may or may not be a surprise to hear that our helpdesk get asked this question a lot, and quite right, since this kind of stuff is not always as straightforward as it seems. In this blog, we cover all the ways and means you can hook up your guitar and start playing and recording.

Sometimes, something happens that means you can’t play any shows for a little while. This not only makes the life of a musician or band a little bit boring, it also messes with that delicate relationship you’ve built with your devoted fans. To keep the love alive, you could easily live-stream a gig from the comfort of your living room or rehearsal space and you can even do it with great sound quality!

An appealing website, social media presence, a solid portfolio and press kits are, needless to say, no unnecessary luxury for up-and-coming bands and musicians. This includes great photographs and I don’t mean a band photoshoot but spectacular live action photos taken at your own gigs. Since most bands don’t have the budget to hire a professional, photographer Gerard Burgers is here to offer you a crash course on how to shoot impressive concert photos.

Singing while playing guitar or piano, or any other combination of vocals and an instrument for that matter, all comes down to high-level multitasking. While for some the thought alone can cause nightmares, anyone can learn to do it. Start by asking yourself two questions: 1) Can I sing? and 2) Can I play an instrument? If your answer to both questions is “yes”, then you can also do both at the same time. It’s a really just a matter of practice, practice and mostly, practicing both individually.

Guest-blogger and songwriter Jemy wrote his first song back in 2011 and is itching to pass on some tips to help anyone who wants to start writing while keeping things fun and worthwhile. Besides sharing some personal experiences, Jemy offers some nuggets of wisdom from renowned songwriters. Since every man and his dog seems to be writing, it’s not really worth chasing your dream on a horse-drawn chariot while everyone else is racing in a Tesla. In short: good prep is everything.

Since the welcome disappearance of CDs, along with the need to lug cases of them from gig to gig, a new question has arisen to match the new age of DJing: which is the best data storage format out there? There’s the pocket-sized SD card and the equally portable USB stick and the two are already battling it out for memory-based supremacy. Everyone has their own thoughts about who will win and the internet is filled with discussions and comment sections bristling with debate. But, is there actually such a thing as ‘the best USB stick’ or the ‘greatest SD card’ for DJs? In this blog, I’ll try to separate the fluff from the facts.

You can find one on a lot of different studio-related equipment: the S/PDIF connection. But what does this mysterious connector even do and why would you want to use it? In this blog, we’ll tell you what you need to know about S/PDIF, as well as its professional sibling AES/EBU and the cables required to get it all working properly.