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Permalink to 5 Funky Things We Saw on Gear Exchange – April 2024

Apr 26 2024, 11:00 AM

5 Funky Things We Saw on Gear Exchange – April 2024

Got gear lying around the studio that you don't find yourself using? Sell it on Sweetwater's Gear Exchange! Catered specifically toward musicians, Gear Exchange makes it simple to flip your used studio gear —... Read more »

Permalink to Celebrating Earth Day: Sweetwater’s Commitment to Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Apr 22 2024, 12:00 PM

Celebrating Earth Day: Sweetwater’s Commitment to Sustainability & Social Responsibility

As April brings us out of the darkness of winter, the sunlight dawns on Earth Day! Mother Nature's enduring beauty has inspired countless songs in her honor. But how do we keep the earth thriving and humans happy at... Read more »

Permalink to “There’s No Right or Wrong, Only Preference” | Zakk Wylde on Pantera, Gear & Sonic Identity

Apr 19 2024, 4:00 PM

“There’s No Right or Wrong, Only Preference” | Zakk Wylde on Pantera, Gear & Sonic Identity

Once Philip Anselmo joined Pantera, history was forever changed by the band's spirit of punishing riffs, searing solos, and unrelenting sonic haymakers, with 1990's Cowboys from Hell cementing their legacy as one of... Read more »

Permalink to Greta Van Fleet: Heart, Sound, and Bearing the Torch Under the Falling Sky

Apr 10 2024, 1:00 PM

Greta Van Fleet: Heart, Sound, and Bearing the Torch Under the Falling Sky

Throughout their meteoric rise, the Grammy Award-winning Greta Van Fleet have attributed their kaleidoscopic blend of classic-rock-fueled audiovisual aesthetics to their Frankenmuth, Michigan, upbringing. Whether... Read more »

Permalink to Greta Van Fleet: Roots, Heart, and Bearing the Torches of Tradition | Rig Tour

Apr 10 2024, 1:00 PM

Greta Van Fleet: Roots, Heart, and Bearing the Torches of Tradition | Rig Tour

At Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Sweetwater sat down with members of the Grammy Award–winning rock quartet Greta Van Fleet, as well as their crew, during the 2023 leg of their Starcatcher World Tour. Sam... Read more »

Permalink to Behringer X32 Mixer Ecosystem: Still the King?

Apr 3 2024, 1:00 PM

Behringer X32 Mixer Ecosystem: Still the King?

For more than a decade, Behringer's X32 mixers have cemented themselves as a staple of sound setups around the world, growing to include numerous permutations that transpose the X32's distinctive structure into... Read more »

Permalink to Buying a Wireless Mic? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Mar 29 2024, 5:00 PM

Buying a Wireless Mic? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Wireless microphones come in countless configurations, and discerning between them can be tricky. After all, every performance situation is different, whether you're dancing and singing on stage or you're looking to... Read more »

Permalink to Secrets of the Pros: How to Bring Your Sound from the Studio to the Stage

Mar 23 2024, 11:00 AM

Secrets of the Pros: How to Bring Your Sound from the Studio to the Stage

Live performances can be both stressful and rewarding, and one of the hurdles frequently encountered by musicians is understanding how to bring their studio sounds to a stage environment. Will Doggett from... Read more »

Permalink to What’s a Synchronized Stage? How to Build Your Own & Prioritize Playing Over Tech

Mar 21 2024, 10:00 AM

What’s a Synchronized Stage? How to Build Your Own & Prioritize Playing Over Tech

What if playing live didn't require paying just as much — if not more — attention to your gear and setup than to playing your parts and having fun? Who wants to worry about troubleshooting tech hiccups when you're... Read more »

Permalink to How to Build an In-ear Playback System for Seamless Live Shows

Mar 16 2024, 11:00 AM

How to Build an In-ear Playback System for Seamless Live Shows

Advances in music technologies can be a double-edged sword. For as many opportunities as there are to expand the scope of your live performances, there are just as many instances for something to go wrong. Murphy's... Read more »

Permalink to The Power of Redundancy: Building a Bulletproof Playback Rig for Any Live Show

Mar 9 2024, 11:00 AM

The Power of Redundancy: Building a Bulletproof Playback Rig for Any Live Show

No matter the size or scope of your live performances, the proper playback rig is integral to ensuring everything sounds and behaves as necessary to guarantee your show goes off without a hitch. Because every show... Read more »

Permalink to Best Battery-powered PA Systems

Feb 26 2024, 8:00 AM

Best Battery-powered PA Systems

A portable PA can open many doors for you and your audience. In this article, we take a look at a handful of mobile and battery-powered PA systems available at Sweetwater today. Whether you're a DJ, a solo acoustic... Read more »

Permalink to How to Choose the Best Digital Mixer on Any Budget

Feb 23 2024, 1:00 PM

How to Choose the Best Digital Mixer on Any Budget

Shopping for gear has never been as simultaneously exciting and complex as it is today, and digital mixers are no exception. We should know: we have to keep track of so many! On the flip side, this allows us to get... Read more »

Permalink to 13 Best Lighting Consoles

Feb 19 2024, 8:00 AM

13 Best Lighting Consoles

When you think Sweetwater, you probably think about guitars, microphones, amps, and maybe drums and keyboards. What you may not know is that Sweetwater carries a wide range of lighting equipment, as well — moving... Read more »

Permalink to Best Powered PA Speakers of 2024

Jan 24 2024, 8:00 AM

Best Powered PA Speakers of 2024

Technology's something, isn't it? Every year, our phones get a little smarter, TVs get a little thinner, and PA speakers crank out more sound per cubic inch than most of us had ever dreamed was possible. Just look... Read more »

Permalink to NAMM 2024 Rumors Confirmed

Jan 23 2024, 9:00 AM

NAMM 2024 Rumors Confirmed

Shop All Products from NAMM 2024 Though it took a few years to recover, the NAMM Show returns to full strength. The largest, loudest trade show of its kind, NAMM is a celebration of music, technology, and the people... Read more »

Permalink to 5 Types of Reverb Explained: Hall, Chamber, Room, Plate & Spring

Jan 18 2024, 8:00 AM

5 Types of Reverb Explained: Hall, Chamber, Room, Plate & Spring

From subtle air to washes of lush ambience, reverb is one of the audio engineer's most often used tools — it's common to almost every musical recording that exists. With today's plug-ins and multi-effects... Read more »

Permalink to Best Power Amplifiers for Live Sound

Jan 17 2024, 8:00 AM

Best Power Amplifiers for Live Sound

It's about drive and power — power amplifiers, to be precise. These are essential to driving your speakers effectively, but with so many available power amp options, what one do you choose? For those new to power... Read more »

Permalink to Kick Drum Mic Shootout – with Sound Samples

Jan 11 2024, 4:00 PM

Kick Drum Mic Shootout – with Sound Samples

How much difference can a microphone make in the sound of your kick drum? You might be surprised. I decided to try out a variety of kick mics in the studio — some old standards that I've used throughout my career... Read more »

Permalink to The DI Box – What Is It? Why Do I Need One?

Jan 10 2024, 10:00 AM

The DI Box – What Is It? Why Do I Need One?

What Is a DI Box? Born out of necessity in studios such as Motown and United Sound Systems to accommodate the electric instruments emerging in the 1960s, direct boxes (also known as DIs, which stands for "Direct... Read more »

Permalink to How to Mic a Snare Drum

Jan 9 2024, 8:00 AM

How to Mic a Snare Drum

Choosing a snare drum mic is important, as I discussed in "Best Mics for Recording Snare Drums," but positioning the mic is equally important. Moving the mic as little as an inch can change the sound you're getting... Read more »

Permalink to Best Soundbars in 2024

Jan 5 2024, 8:00 AM

Best Soundbars in 2024

These days, the ever-growing number of streaming services and external HDMI devices makes finding your favorite TV shows or movies on demand an easy feat. So, why do cinema fans continue to make their way to the... Read more »

Permalink to What’s New at Sweetwater? Making a Track with New Gear Only

Dec 23 2023, 10:30 AM

What’s New at Sweetwater? Making a Track with New Gear Only

As the holiday season progresses into the new year, many find themselves with a reinvigorated creative spirit itching to summit new musical heights, and Sweetwater has no shortage of exciting, inspiring gear fresh... Read more »

Permalink to It’s Never Too Late for Gift Cards

Dec 20 2023, 8:00 AM

It’s Never Too Late for Gift Cards

As the holidays grow nearer, there's no guarantee that our shipping times will be as punctual as Santa himself. But thankfully, with a Sweetwater Gift Card, you can eliminate the pressure by giving the gift of an... Read more »

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Being music makers ourselves, we love geeking out on all things gear. From the tweakiest techniques to the biggest ideas, our experts work hard to constantly supply inSync with a steady stream of helpful, in-depth demos, reviews, how-tos, news, and interviews. With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more.