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How records get made in 2026 from the industry's own reports

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About

XLR is a magazine, a radar and a diary about music gear and the making of music — for the people who make records and put on shows, wherever they do it.

The name is the three-pin connector that every signal in the business passes through: the microphone on stage and in the booth, the line to the desk, the DMX cable that runs the lights. Studio, stage and lighting rig share it, and so does this magazine. Every few hours XLR collects what the makers shipped, what the reviewers heard, what the studios and the touring crews are doing, which producers and collectives are surfacing and what they are saying — synths and modular, plugins and DAWs, guitars and drums, microphones, monitors, PA and lights, the rooms and the people — from a few hundred sources in English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and more, then plots what is moving. The editor writes a letter every few days. Nothing is sold here; when a link leads to a shop, that is the maker's shop, not ours.

← XLR Archive

Guitar PlayerGuitars

He's played with Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann, and Ron Thal. Now Phi Yaan-Zek shows you how he uses the melodic minor scale

September 9

Phi Yaan-Zek is a stunning guitarist and composer with influences ranging from Zappa to Stravinsky, Cardiacs to Mahavishnu Orchestra. His impressive CV includes working with musicians such as Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa),

Read at Guitar Player ↗

GuitarsEddie Van Halen was asked to do a satellite linkup with Jason Becker – he insisted on doing it in person Guitar Player

"They said, 'The secret to singles is 120 beats per minute…' But we're not a single band." The Megadeth album that makes Dave Mustaine feel queazy – and how he’d change it

Guitars"They said, 'The secret to singles is 120 beats per minute…' But we're not a single band." The Megadeth album that makes Dave Mustaine feel queazy – and how he’d change it Guitar Player

Guitars"The Telecaster is a different animal!” Bruce Springsteen’s onstage sweating kept shorting his guitar out. Here's what he did about it… Guitar Player

We review the Positive Grid Spark Pedal Amp and Effects Modeler: “There’s a lot to love here — the fact that it costs under $200 makes it all the more impressive”

GuitarsWe review the Positive Grid Spark Pedal Amp and Effects Modeler: “There’s a lot to love here — the fact that it costs under $200 makes it all the more impressive” Guitar Player

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