Get hip to the latest equipment for players and listeners alike in our Gearhead and Audio Files columns.
Music technology changed a lot after World War II. Postwar introductions included the solidbody electric guitar, electric bass, seven-inch single, multitrack tape, transistors, and much … Read More “Gearhead: A Brief History of the Grafton Saxophone”
For the last decade, soundbars—simple, elongated speakers designed to fit elegantly under a TV screen—were considered a poor man’s home theater. But thanks to technological … Read More “Audio Files: Getting Serious About Soundbars”
Drummer Jo Jones famously reacted to 16-year-old Charlie Parker’s playing by throwing a cymbal at his feet. Audio critics were almost as harsh in their … Read More “Audio Files: True Wireless Earphones”
In 1940, the jazz establishment was just coming to recognize the potential of the electric guitar as a lead instrument. After joining Benny Goodman’s orchestra … Read More “Gearhead: Ralph Towner’s Acoustic Arsenal”
Traditional stereo systems sound better than wireless all-in-one speakers like Sonos, but they’ve largely fallen out of favor—no surprise when you can get a good … Read More “Audio Files: Class D Amps”
“Manzello & Stritch” sounds like the title of a ’70s cop show, but in the hands of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, these unusual variations on the … Read More “How Rahsaan Roland Kirk Modified Jazz”
Jazz and headphones are both around 100 years old. But while jazz is codified to the point that four players who’ve never met can play … Read More “Audio Files: Headphones and the Harman Curve”
Stereo and conventional surround sound capture the width and depth of a recording venue, but as anyone who’s ever heard live music knows, reflections from … Read More “Immersive Technologies Help Music Hit the High Notes”
If there’s one kind of technological development that every gigging musician likes, it’s the kind that makes one’s gear easier to deal with: smaller, lighter, less … Read More “Downsizing Is Good at Winter NAMM 2020”
Like piano trios, old stereos may not use all the latest technologies, but when it comes to their basic function of playing music, they do … Read More “Audio Files: Adapting Your Old Stereo to the Streaming Universe”
