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

Rolling Stone MusicScenes

Willie Nelson Endorses James Talarico in Texas Senate Race

October 9

"He's a good man who will be a good senator," says the country legend

Read at Rolling Stone Music ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

Willie Nelson Endorses James Talarico in Texas Senate Race

More from Rolling Stone Music on XLR MAG

ScenesAlanis Morissette Is Dropping a Holiday Album Rolling Stone Music

ScenesSlayyyter Confronts a Cheater in Self-Directed ‘I Think He’s Got a Girl’ Video Rolling Stone Music

ScenesPiero, Known as a Leader of Latin American Songwriting, Dead at 81 Rolling Stone Music

ScenesWhy Sheryl Crow Relates to Olivia Rodrigo: She ‘Inspires Me to Keep Going’ Rolling Stone Music

ScenesTroye Sivan, Dawn Richard, Remi Wolf, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week Rolling Stone Music

ScenesYou’re Not Crazy: Instagram Was Indeed Persuading You to Listen to Creed Rolling Stone Music