I still remember the first time I tried recording a podcast episode without a boom arm. My mic sat in a tabletop stand, my keyboard clattered through every word, and the whole setup looked like spaghetti. After switching to a proper mic arm, everything changed. If you’re hunting for the best boom arms for podcasting … Read more
If you’ve ever hummed a melody at 2 a.m. and lost it by morning, you already know why the best portable recorders for musicians matter. I keep one in my gig bag, one on my desk, and one by the bed, because inspiration doesn’t wait for a studio booking. Over the past three months my … Read more
I tested eight of the best voice recorders on Amazon for six weeks, recording everything from college lectures to podcast interviews to my wife’s book club. The differences between them were dramatic. A $36 recorder handled a quiet meeting fine, but a noisy coffee shop was another story. If you’re searching for the best voice … Read more
I recorded my first song on a 4-track cassette recorder in a college dorm room, and the moment I heard my four separate parts stacked together, I understood why multitrack recording still matters in . Even with a powerful computer DAW on every desk, the best multitrack recorders offer something a screen never can: distraction-free … Read more
Last birthday, my friend pulled a karaoke machine out of a closet, and within ten minutes her living room turned into the loudest, happiest disaster I’ve seen all year. That night sold me on the category for good. I spent the next three months testing eight of the most popular karaoke machines on the market. … Read more
I have lost count of how many karaoke nights I have hosted in my living room. What I do remember is every time someone tripped over a microphone cable, every time the signal cut out mid-chorus, and every time someone asked, “Can you make the mic louder?” That is exactly why I started testing wireless … Read more
Picking up the ukulele for the first time feels almost effortless compared to other stringed instruments. With just four nylon strings and GCEA tuning, beginners are often strumming real chords within their first hour. After watching dozens of students walk through their first month on the instrument, our team put together this guide to the … Read more
Looking for the best portable DJ controllers that actually fit in a backpack without sacrificing real mixing power? I’ve spent the last three months hauling 10 compact DJ controllers to house parties, hotel rooms, and beach sets to find out which ones deserve a spot in your gear bag. The best portable DJ controllers in … Read more
If you’ve ever watched a packed dance floor lose its mind the moment the lights drop, you already know why DJ lighting systems matter more than most beginners realize. I’ve spent the past two years running mobile gigs from 80-person weddings to 600-cap clubs, and the right lighting rig turns a generic playlist into an … Read more
I’ve spent the last decade playing clubs, weddings, and warehouse events, and the one piece of gear that consistently decides whether a set feels good or falls apart is the pair of DJ booth monitors sitting right behind the decks. After testing more than 30 pairs over the years, I can tell you with absolute … Read more