Three pins, and nearly every signal in this business passes through them.

The magazine is named after the cable: the microphone in the booth, the line to the desk, the DMX run that fires the lights. Studio, stage and rig share the same cable. Most magazines pick one of the three. This one covers all of it, because the people we read do too — the engineer mixing a record on Tuesday is on front of house by Saturday.

Around a hundred and sixty sources, in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Chinese and Italian: makers and their release notes, reviewers who put a hand on the thing, studios and touring crews, the producers and collectives surfacing this month and the scenes they came out of. Synths and modular, plugins and DAWs, guitars and drums, microphones, monitors, PA and lighting. What the trade is talking about is counted and plotted. The editor's letter has just started; it will find its rhythm.

For each story: a headline, a short excerpt, one picture and the link out. We never reprint the article, and the picture belongs to the maker or the photographer. A German review appears in German and a Japanese one in Japanese, as the writer published it; the link goes to the original.

Nothing is sold on this site. When a link leads to a shop, it is the maker's shop, not ours.

← XLR MAG Archive

Guitar WorldGuitars

Steve Lukather on making the 2003 Christmas album that united the world’s greatest guitarists

11.03

Steve Lukather’s 2003 Christmas record Santamental doesn’t crop up as often as, say, Toto’s Hold the Line or Africa , but it does have a cult following.

Read at Guitar World ↗

More from Guitar World on XLR MAG

Guitars“I’m impressed by how clearly it reproduces my layered parts, even as the arrangement becomes busier”: Boss RC-600 Loop Station review Guitar World

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

Steve Lukather on making the 2003 Christmas album that united the world’s greatest guitarists

More from Guitar World on XLR MAG

GuitarsHow physical guitar stores survive in 2026 – and what you can do to help them thrive Guitar World

GuitarsPeterson gives Eddie Van Halen’s go-to tuner a modern upgrade and signature branding Guitar World

GuitarsJoe Bonamassa says Josh Smith’s Two Rock amp has been found – and thankfully it hadn’t been stolen Guitar World

Guitars“I’m impressed by how clearly it reproduces my layered parts, even as the arrangement becomes busier”: Boss RC-600 Loop Station review Guitar World

Guitars“Page and Plant said they really liked our performance. That was a big deal”: Ann Wilson’s tales of guitar royalty Guitar World

GuitarsThe biggest bass gear launches of the month – from a Fender Mark Hoppus signature to Iron Maiden pickups and a one-of-one Spector Guitar World