Music Is Right Up Our Alley!

Welcome to MusicAlley, your source for information on all things musical. We cover everything to do with music, from the instruments used to create it, all the way through the recording process and finally to the gear that lets you listen and enjoy it. Whether you need a guitar, drum kit, microphone or amp – we have you covered. MusicAlley offers general information on a variety of different families of instruments, to help you understand the advantages and limitations of each. We also provide detailed reviews and comparisons of different recording and audio equipment, so that you have the right information to make an informed purchase.

Musical Instuments

Creating music is a form of expression. Because of that, having the right instrument is of the utmost importance. Most musicians come to identify with their instruments, and often treat them like they have their own personality. Some – like Willie Nelson’s Trigger and B.B. King’s Lucille – even get their own name.

Given that potential close relationship, musicians want to get to know their guitar (even beginner acoustic guitars, beginner banjos, or beginner ukuleles), bass guitar, or cello before committing to a purchase. The same goes for drum kits, violins, saxophones, digital pianos, and other instruments. Finding out as much as you can about them before you choose one is crucial.

Don’t forget the percussion section – the men and women driving the beat love their instruments, too. And that goes for more than just traditional drum kits. Players are passionate about everything from kettle drums to the best cajons.

That holds even more true for people just starting out as a musician. Experienced players will know the types of features and sounds they want, but a first-time buyer won’t know the difference between a poor instrument and a great one. Thankfully, we have a number of instrument reviews aimed at entry-level instruments to give you the information you need to make a good choice.

Recording Gear

Turning a live performance into a polished recording is as much an art as playing an instrument. There are so many factors that go into accurately capturing sound that it can make your head spin. Everything from the best microphones for live vocals and pickups to speakers and guitar amps have an effect on how your music sounds.

But just capturing the sound is not the end of the story. There are a variety of tools and gear that can help you mix and master a killer track. A good mixing board is crucial to balancing the instruments in your recording, as is a quality mixing software package. Another piece of equipment worth investing in is a turntable. If you are on a budget, you can find turntables for under $500.

Video is another aspect to today’s recording industry that has to be considered. Most artists these days start out creating video performance recordings and uploading them to YouTube. Many others also live stream their songs on social media platforms. Having the right camera and microphone setup can be the difference between looking and sounding great or awful.