Xvive continues to focus on practical audio solutions that suit real‑world musicians, presenters and content creators. Two recent additions to the range—the M5 Wireless Microphone System and the P2 Tube Microphone Booster—approach common audio challenges from different angles, offering portability, flexibility and sound quality without unnecessary complexity. Xvive M5 Wireless Microphone System https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQF94dcyid0 The Xvive M5 is a compact wireless microphone system designed for live performance, public speaking, teaching, livestreaming and portable PA use. The system includes a dynamic handheld microphone with an integrated transmitter, along with a compact plug‑in receiver that connects directly to an XLR microphone input. Operating…
Author: Mark Wayte
The Epiphone Futura Series is built for modern guitarists who expect more from their instruments than traditional reissues can offer. Rather than recreating vintage guitars piece‑for‑piece, the Futura range reimagines some of Gibson’s most iconic designs with features aimed squarely at today’s playing environments — live stages, recording studios and digital content platforms alike. Inspired by classic Gibson models, each Futura guitar combines familiar body shapes with contemporary materials, upgraded hardware and versatile electronics. Striking Chromashift finishes ensure they stand out visually, while newly developed ProBucker™ Ignite humbuckers and flexible switching options provide a wide tonal palette without unnecessary complexity.…
Few guitars are as closely tied to a single artist as Mick Ronson’s late‑60s Les Paul Custom. From his years alongside David Bowie in the Spiders From Mars to his later work as a producer and session guitarist, Ronson’s tone—cutting, articulate, and full of attitude—became inseparable from his well‑worn Custom. Now, Gibson Custom Shop has revisited that watershed moment in rock history with the meticulously crafted ’68 Les Paul Custom, a tribute model built to reflect the instrument as Ronson used it at its peak. This isn’t a reimagining or a modernized signature. It is a historically grounded recreation shaped…
Gibson’s acoustic division in Bozeman has spent the last few decades refining a balance between heritage‑driven design and the practical demands faced by today’s musicians. The Songwriter Recording Artist and Songwriter Recording Artist EC sit right at that intersection, taking a well‑established late‑’90s platform and updating it with thoughtful tonewood choices, modern electronics, and small build refinements aimed at players who regularly move between a live room, a studio, and a stage. Building on the Songwriter Foundation The original Songwriter models already set themselves apart with their square‑shouldered modern dreadnought shape, a slightly more contemporary take compared to Gibson’s vintage…
When an artist like Gary Clark Jr. gravitates toward a particular guitar, it’s worth paying attention. Clark has long balanced blues tradition with modern grit—his tone moves comfortably between soulful cleans, saturated leads, and everything textural in between. After earlier signature models like his SG and Casino, his collaboration with Gibson Custom has taken a step deeper into vintage‑styled craftsmanship with the new Gary Clark Jr. Custom ES‑355. Inspired by the moment he first saw B.B. King wield an ES‑355 onstage, this model represents Clark’s own connection to that lineage. It’s also the guitar he now refers to as his…
Fans of unusual sound design have a lot to celebrate with Behringer’s latest releases. The BM17 Frequency Box and Ring Stinger revisit two cult devices from the mid and late nineties. The originals from Moog and Lovetone became legendary for their eccentric behaviour and for going far beyond what most musicians expect from guitar pedals. They also became extremely expensive on the second‑hand market. Behringer’s new versions once again make those tones accessible, although these are still very much tools for adventurous players rather than those chasing familiar drive or modulation sounds. These pedals do not behave like devices made…
NAMM 2026 wrapped nearly a month ago, but some releases have stuck in players’ minds long after the show floor went quiet, like these two unashamedly old school offerings from Orange Amplification. Guitar modelers are incredible. Neural DSP, Kemper, Fractal and the rest offer huge versatility, easy portability and tones that are frighteningly close to the real thing. In studios and fly‑rigs, they solve a lot of practical problems. But even with all that tech, there’s still something irreplaceable about plugging into a real valve amp or standing in front of a proper bass cab. Analogue rigs react to your…
The Golden Era returns with the Original Collection. Paying tribute to Gibson’s iconic past and a century of flat‑top acoustic craftsmanship, the Original Collection brings back the classic models that have defined sound across generations and genres. It’s a carefully curated line that recaptures the look, feel, and character of Gibson’s most beloved acoustics—updated with refinements for today’s players while staying true to the heritage that made them legendary. Across the lineup, three models stand out as pillars of Gibson’s legacy: the SJ‑200 60s Original, the LG‑2 50s Original, and the J‑160E Original. Each carries its own history, its own…
Mark Morton has long been one of modern metal’s most distinctive guitar voices. As a founding member of Lamb of God, his playing has helped drive the band from its Richmond, Virginia beginnings to international acclaim, earning multiple Grammy nominations, critical praise across the metal world, and a place at the forefront of the new wave of American heavy metal. But beyond the accolades, it’s Morton’s hybrid playing style—equal parts precision, groove and melodic character—that truly sets him apart. Morton’s rhythm work is famously tight and percussive, locking in with Lamb of God’s complex, syncopated drum patterns while still retaining a sense of…
Behringer is back with a pair of vintage‑inspired instruments designed for creators who love the sound of classic ‘80s hardware but want it in a modern, studio‑friendly package. The new JN‑80 synthesizer and BMX drum machine nod firmly to two of the decade’s most influential instruments — the Roland Juno‑60 and the Oberheim DMX — both of which helped shape new wave, synth‑pop, electro, early hip‑hop, and plenty of contemporary genres still drawing from that palette. Rather than simple tribute units, these new machines expand on their inspirations with deeper programming, improved performance control, and far more storage than their vintage ancestors. Here’s a closer look at what…
