Greetings from wintery L.A., where the Spring is starting to poke through the clouds and the fruit trees are starting to bloom. February was a great month for music here in Southern California and I got to see some awesome

Unique Gear at Musikmesse, Part 1I have a confession. Despite years of reviewing gear and going to NAMM shows, I’d never made it across the pond to Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany. It easily claims the title of largest instrument trade

Contrary to what you may have heard, SXSW is in fact an instrument show.

 The next big thing in mobile internet technology is location. With GPS-enabled smart phones like the iPhone, Blackberrys and Android phones, software like Google Buzz, Foursquare and Gowalla, and location-enhanced options coming to Twitter and Facebook, its becoming easier to check in to the cyber world while on the go, and follow your friends in real time.

The RM64 / Propellerhead SXSW Austin Day Party went down at the Dirty Dog Bar on 6th Street, right in the heart of the Downtown SXSW madness, on Friday.

 The SXSW Festival and Conference is a mecca for live musicians of all stripes, from rock to metal to country to rap to electronic and pop and everything in between. It all has a home here, and as far as music cities go, few can touch Austin's open accommodation of music culture. Of course for most bands, writing songs, playing shows and recording albums is most of the focus, but at some point, nearly all bands to turn to the question of how to get their music out to more people and built their fanbase, which is why many of them play at SXSW. But a festival like this is only the start of one path to stardom, and success never comes without hard work and calculated business.

iZOTOPE ALLOY by Francis Preve Website izotope.comProduct page izotope.com products audio alloy Price $249 list iZotope’s Ozone is one of the most popular mastering tools on the scene right now—we gave it a resounding KeyBuy in the June ’09 issue.