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Put Together a Home Studio for Under $500
If you're a professional musician, you need a lot of pricey equipment to perform, record and produce your music. Your studio is full of expensive equipment that gives you everything you need to create the best work possible. If you're a hobbyist interested in putting together a home studio, you may be hesitant because of the potential cost. Sure, you could spend thousands of dollars on equipment, but you can also create one on a budget. Here's how you can put together a home studio for less than $500. Don't Sacrifice Quality When you're planning on putting together a home studio, it may be tempting to buy the cheapest equipment that you can find. On the surface, this seems like a good strategy — when you're paying less for each piece of equipment, you'll be able to buy more equipment. Sounds good, right? Not always. There are ways to save when making a home studio, but when you go as cheap as possible, you're usually not getting good quality. Buying cheap equipment may actually cost more in the long run. If you buy something that craps out in a year or less, you'll have to replace it — and you'll probably want to buy something better so you won't have to replace it again so soon. When you spend a little more, you can see a huge jump in quality. You'll be able to create better music when you're using better equipment and can use the equipment for much longer. Get the Basics at First There are all kinds of equipment that you can get for a home studio. However, much of that equipment and many of those accessories aren't necessary. When you're just starting out, you should stick to the basics. If you get too much, you can get easily overwhelmed. The first piece of equipment you'll need is a computer. Either a laptop or desktop computer will work great. We're working from the assumption that you probably already have your own computer, and won't be calculating its cost into our $500 budget. Here's our suggested baseline equipment to get you started in your home studio setup: DAW Software: Your DAW, or Digital Audio Workstation, will give you one place to record, mix, master and complete other tasks for your music. You can save when you choose a slightly older version or simpler software. We suggest the PreSonus Studio One 3 DAW download. It has a simple interface and all the tools you'll need. ~$100 Microphone: Whatever genre of music you play, you'll need a high-quality microphone to get the most out of your recordings. Check out the PROformance P755 USB Condenser Microphone. It comes with its own cable and stand so you don't have to buy a separate mic stand. ~$100 Audio Interface: This piece of equipment is often forgotten, but it's crucial to helping you create the best sounding tunes. The audio interface includes a preamplifier in it. This helps amplify the microphone's signal and will also connect your mic to your computer if you have other microphones that don't have a USB. Check out the Steinberg UR12 Audio Interface. ~$100 StudioMonitors: You could also pick a good set of headphones, but a pair of studio monitors will give you the crisp audio quality you need for your studio. And these aren't just your regular computer speakers — they don't have the extra components that computer speakers have that enhance the sound. This gives you a clearer idea of what your music really sounds like, giving you the objectivity to make it exactly how you want it to sound. These Studio Monitors are a great pick. With the Bluetooth capability, you won't have any extra cables around your workstation either. ~$150 With these four pieces of equipment, you're ready to start producing music in your own home studio. Save for the Future Once you improve your skills, you may want to start adding pieces of equipment to your setup. If you're still on a budget, prioritize things that you want to get and begin saving up for them. You can slowly but surely begin expanding your home studio without breaking the bank. All of the equipment we suggested is in our online inventory. Check out that equipment and more online or in-store for great deals and service at Bananas at Large®.
Differences Between Guitar Strings: Which Are the Best for You?
Finding the perfect guitar is a process where you have to think about a number of factors. After you've picked the perfect guitar, you have another decision to make: what strings to get. You may not think too deeply about your strings, but they're a crucial part of your guitar. There are tons of different strings, and finding the right ones are important. Here's a look at how guitar strings differ and what that means to you for finding the right set. Gauges A string's gauge simply refers to how thick it is. The thickness of the strings will vary from light to heavy. Finding the right gauge will depend on a few factors, including the following: Playing style: How you play can help you determine the gauge you need. If you like to play hard using a pick, a heavier gauge would be a good choice. A thicker gauge will help your strings last longer and survive harder playing techniques better than a lighter gauge version of a string. If you're a strummer with your fingers, a light gauge would be a great pick. A lighter gauge will be much easier on your fingers. However, if you apply a lot of pressure when picking and playing, picking a heavier gauges string which can sometimes be associated with a fuller low end in your tone may be best. Tone: Heavy-gauge strings will have a deeper tone, while light-gauge strings will have a higher tone. If you have a tone preference for your guitar, choosing the right gauge for the strings will help you achieve the tone you're looking for. Instrument characteristics: The age of your guitar and its body size can help you pick the right gauge. If you have a vintage guitar, a heavier gauge will put extra stress on the neck, which could lead to damage. A lighter gauge would keep your older guitar in better condition. When considering the body size, a good rule of thumb is that a light gauge is better for small-bodied guitars and a heavier gauge is better for large-bodied guitars. Cores The interior of guitar strings can be made with a variety of different materials, including: Stainless steel Copper Titanium Nickel Chrome The core material is related to the string's gauge. However, this factor only applies to metal strings. Nylon strings will not have a core material. The tougher the core material, the heavier the gauge the strings will have. And similarly to gauge, the core will also affect the tone you'll get. The core will also come in one of two shapes: round and hex. The shape of the core will affect the tone and feel of the sound the guitar will make. The type of core you choose will depend on what type of tone you'd like your guitar to have. This factor will really come down to your own preference. Coatings You can buy your guitar strings uncoated or coated. There are advantages and disadvantages to choosing either option. Uncoated strings will be less expensive and can also give you a purer sound from the guitar. However, when you play with uncoated strings, oil and dirt from your hands will build up on the strings over time, affecting tone. Coated strings will be more expensive and some guitarists say the coating affects the tone. The positives of this type of guitar strings are that they will last much longer than uncoated strings and can actually make the tone better than uncoated. The uncoated strings may sound brighter and cleaner at the beginning, but the gunk left behind from your hands will muddle the tone. The coated strings can actually give you a cleaner tone over time by repelling that gunk. You may want to see whether you have coated or uncoated strings on your guitar right now and then decide if you want to keep the same type or go the other way to try something different. Nylon vs. Metal Strings The factors we've talked about up to this point apply to metal strings. A different type of material for guitar strings is nylon, which may be a better choice for you than metal strings. Nylon strings are great for beginners and kids. They're a lot kinder to your fingers, letting you avoid those painful calluses that players of steel strings get. The lighter tone of nylon strings is also better suited to different genres, like jazz. Just note that nylon strings need to be tuned more often. Again, choosing between nylon and metal strings will come down to your personal tastes and style. If you need help finding the right strings for your guitar, we've got a large selection of D'Addario Strings and expertise that will help you make the right decision. Visit us in-store or online for great deals on your next set of guitar strings.
What Are the Different Types of Tonal Woods Used in Guitars?
Most guitars are made from wood, and there's a wide variety of woods that are used to make both electric and acoustic guitars. You may think these different woods are used mainly for aesthetic reasons — different woods have different looks. But there's another reason besides looks for using one type of wood over another. The wood used to make a guitar affects its tone. Different woods used for different parts of the guitar, like the body, neck and fingerboard, can give your guitar a distinct sound. With its effect on tone, taking the type of tonal wood used into consideration when buying a new guitar or bass is important. Different Woods Give Different Tones Every guitar or bass will sound a little different even if they look the same. This can come down to how someone plays, but the tonal wood used to make the guitar is also a factor. Depending on the type of wood and which part of the guitar it was used to make, the material has a big effect on the instrument's tone. Not all woods are suitable for all guitars, so finding one with a sound that you like is key. The types of wood used to make guitars are called "tonewoods." Many of these tonewoods give their instrument a distinct sound. We've outlined some of the more common and less common types of tonewoods below to help you pick an instrument with a sound that you'll love. Common Woods There are some standard woods that are more common in guitars. Here are the more common tonewoods used to make guitars: Alder: Alder is a little less common compared to these woods, but it's a favorite tonewood of Fender. It's a light wood that gives your playing a warm tone. It also gives a bit more of an emphasis on higher tones. Ash: You can get a lot of variance in tone even with this one type of wood. A harder ash wood will give you a lot of a bite, like mahogany. Or, a more lightweight swamp ash will have a warmer tone with great upper and mid ranges. Basswood: A softer wood, basswood makes a great jack-of-all-tones type of guitar. It doesn't have one main tonal quality — it has many. It has a bit of bite, a bit of a growly sound, and a little sweetness. With this range in tone, basswood is the tonewood for you if you like to really customize your sound. Mahogany: Mahogany is a common tonewood to use for the body of the guitar. It gives a pleasant, warm tone with a greater emphasis on the lower end. Maple: Maple is a hard, dense wood that is usually used for the neck of the guitar, but can also be used for the top of the body and fingerboards. Some tonewoods will give your sound a smooth tone, but not maple — if you like a bit of a bite in your sound, maple is a great pick. Rosewood: A Rosewood construction can either fall under the category of Brazilian Rosewood or Indian Rosewood. This wood provides a bit of clarity to the low end and mid range due to this wood's dense nature and tonality. Typically used for backs and sides of acoustic and electric guitars, the wood is able to provide a warm and resonant sound that some consider the best kind of wood or "holy grail" for guitar construction. When you're looking for a new guitar, you can't go wrong with any of these common tonewoods. But if you're a little pickier about the type of tone you want, paying attention to the tonewood will help you find the perfect guitar to match your playing style and tastes. Less Common Woods These woods are more exotic, making them typically more expensive and less common. But like the more common tonewoods, they each have a unique sound: Bubinga: Bubinga is a tropical wood that is a bit similar to maple and rosewood. However, it has a brighter tone than rosewood and less of an emphasis on the high- and mid-range tones. Koa: Koa is a tonewood that comes from Hawaii and is usually used for the tops of guitar bodies. It's often paired with mahogany. Koa gives the most emphasis on the higher range and some in the midrange. Padouk: This tonewood is not very common and is not as popular. It can create a lot of unique tones depending on where it's used on the guitar, but a major downside is its weight. It's pretty heavy compared to other tonewoods. For a more unique sound, one of these exotic tonewoods could be what you're looking for. For a wide variety of guitars and basses with different tonewoods, along with great deals and excellent service, Bananas at Large® is here to help you find the perfect guitar. Visit us online or at one of our two convenient locations in the Bay Area today.
How to Set Up a Pedalboard
If you play the electric guitar or bass, you will probably get to the point where you want to experiment with effects pedals. Effects pedals are great pieces of equipment that allow you to play around with lots of different sounds. Different pedals can affect the volume, distortion and clarity of your music. Using effects pedals lets you develop your own unique sound. If you're using more than one effects pedal, you'll need to set up a pedalboard. Your pedalboard will keep your pedals organized and help you set up a signal chain that makes the most sense for you. The Basic Setup Before you get started, make sure you understand the basics of how a pedalboard works. When you're not using effects pedals, your guitar will be connected directly into the amplifier. When you are using pedals, they will go in between the guitar and the amp. This creates a signal chain that allows you to change how your guitar sounds coming out of your amp. The order that you place your pedals between the guitar and the amp will affect its sound in different ways. With this basic explanation of how a pedalboard works, you can start setting one up. Get the Gear Before you can begin setting up your pedalboard, you need to gather all of the necessary equipment. The equipment that will help you make the most of your pedalboard is your effects pedals. The types of effects pedals you have, and how many, will help you create the best setup for your own personal tastes and playing style. Once you've got all of your pedals, you'll need to find the pedalboard itself. This piece of equipment is a frame where you can attach all of your pedals. Pedalboards come in three main sizes: small, medium and large. The size of your pedalboard depends on how many pedals you have. If you only have a few pedals, a smaller one would make the most sense. After you begin using more pedals, you can move to a larger board. Some pedalboards are made with their own power supply built in while others are just the frame. If you don't have a pedalboard with the built-in power supply, you'll need to decide how to power it. When choosing the right power supply, make sure that it will meet the voltage requirements of all of your equipment. The last pieces of equipment you need are your cables to connect everything. A great rule of thumb to use when choosing the right cables for your pedalboard is to choose right-angle plugs with short lengths. When you use long cables, it only adds more clutter to your board, and the right-angle plugs are more compact. Now that you have all of your equipment, you're ready to start putting together your pedalboard. Picking the Right Layout Your pedalboard layout will come down to your own style and tastes, but it should be efficient and easy to navigate. If you're just starting out on learning how to put together a pedalboard, there's a basic layout to get you started. Follow this basic setup to get started and then change it around later to get the exact sound you want. Here's the order to set up your effects pedals on your pedalboard: Dynamics pedals, filters, pitch shifters and harmonizers will go first in your signal chain Distortion effects pedals, like overdrive, fuzz and boost pedals, will go second Modulation pedals go third, like chorus and phaser pedals Time effects pedals go last, like delay, tremolo and reverb pedals Volume pedals can also be added at the end for a different effect This order will give you the best sound. Ordering your effects pedals differently will add unwanted noise and distortion to your setup. Instead, you'll get the most out of each of your effects pedals. But this is just a guideline to get you started. You have the freedom to play around with your pedals and try them in different orders. If you find a setup that you like better, go for it! Bananas at Large® has all the equipment you need, and more, to set up your perfect pedalboard. For great deals and excellent service, visit us in-store or online today. Shop all pedals at bananas.com/pedals.
Want to Get Sound Like the Rolling Stones?
The Rolling Stones is one of the most iconic bands of all time. Their swagger, level of fame, talent and influence may have been a reason that made you want to become a musician. With so many hits like "Satisfaction" and "Paint It Black," it's no surprise they're so well-known for their unique sound. A Unique, Distinct Sound The mystique of the Rolling Stones is that all of their music is unique. No two tracks sound the same. Some musicians and bands can get to a place where all of their music sounds familiar, but not the Rolling Stones. We'll take a look at some equipment you can use to replicate the sound from some of the Stones' most famous tracks and albums. Fuzz Pedal Probably their most famous song, "Satisfaction," has an incredibly unique guitar tone that is so distinctive, you can tell what song it is only a moment or two after it starts playing. "Satisfaction" was the Rolling Stones' first #1 hit in the U.S. and helped propel them into international fame. The easily recognizable guitar riff's sound is courtesy of a fuzz pedal. Keith Richards gets the sound from a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone pedal. Originally, the effect was supposed to resemble what a brass horn section would sound like, but the band liked the version that we all know so much that they didn't alter it any further. When you want to mimic the guitar effect from "Satisfaction," let your fuzz pedal do the talking through a clean channel on your amp. If you're looking for a good fuzz pedal, we've got a wide selection in a variety of price points. Boost Pedal Keith Richards' guitar solo on "Sympathy for the Devil" is in-your-face but still maintains excellent musicality. To mimic the guitar's sound on this track, use a boost pedal. Richards probably played the solo with a treble booster — the boost pedal can help you recreate the sound without going too far. An overdrive pedal wouldn't give you the same effect because it would increase mid- and low-range sounds instead of just making the sound cleaner and increase the signal. Check out some of these boost pedals to help you nail the "Sympathy for the Devil" guitar solo. Tremolo Pedal The funky edge of the intro to "Gimme Shelter" is the perfect setup for the track before the guitar fades more into the background. This is a great moment in the Stones' music and may have inspired you to want to learn it. Richards uses the tremolo that was built into his amplifier to get this effect, but there's no need to go out and buy a brand-new amp. Use a tremolo pedal to mimic the vibrato of the guitar at the beginning of this track. The tremolo pedal mimics what a tremolo bar that's built into a guitar would do. It affects the volume of the signal instead of the pitch of your guitar. To really nail the effect in "Gimme Shelter," use a bit of an overdrive effect, too. Pretty soon, you'll be inspired to add the whining sound of the tremolo to the other music you're playing. Whatever you'd like to spend on this piece of equipment, we've got different types of tremolo pedals that will let you mimic this vibe and experiment with it in other music, too. Overdrive Pedal Unlike our previous styles that have only popped up in one song or even a piece of one song, "Exile on Main Street" has a unique style throughout the entire album. This record is considered one of the Stones' most popular records — it's representative of what they are as a band as a whole. To truly get the sound of the Rolling Stones, you have to be able to replicate the sound of "Exile on Main Street." The piece of equipment you need to get the style of this album is a drive pedal. This type of effects pedal can be used in a couple different ways — to give your guitar a more saturated sound on your dirty channel or a more clean yet distorted effect on your clean channel. To help mimic the sound of the record, you can also add a delay pedal. Browse through our selections of overdrive pedals and delay pedals to find the right ones to help you recreate the sounds of "Exile on Main Street." Take a look for yourself online or visit us at one of our two convenient locations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
5 Tips for a Successful Band Rehearsal
It doesn't matter if you've been playing together for 10 years or you all just got together. Making the most of your band's rehearsal time is important. Chances are good your band isn't your full-time job — whether you've got another job or a family, you have to juggle it with everything else going on in your lives. We've put together some tips that we think could help you and your band have a successful rehearsal, every time. 1. Pick a Leader Everyone in the group should agree on a point person. The person you choose should be organized, a good communicator and want to do this job. Your band leader will handle the logistical issues of the group, from scheduling rehearsals to coordinating with all the members. This person doesn't have to be the "boss," but having one person tackle this job will make communication among everyone a lot smoother. Even with a leader, every member of the band should have a voice in the decision-making. Your leader shouldn't have ultimate power in making decisions that affect everyone in the group. 2. Plan Out Your Rehearsal Before you schedule a date, time and place for your next rehearsal, decide what you need to work on during that rehearsal. How much time do you have to practice together? Do you have a gig coming up? Are there any specific things that everyone needs to work on? These questions will help you plan out what you want to accomplish during each rehearsal. If you have a show coming up, make sure you schedule time to put together your set list. If you wrote a new song recently that you need to work out the transitions for as a group, plan a block of time for that. Factor in time for setup, warmups, the bulk of what you need to work on, and then tear-down. Pick a time that you'll get everyone out by, and stick to that. When you stay late, it shows that you're not using your time well. Showing up and just winging it might be fun, but it may not be helpful in the long run. If you're just goofing off for your whole rehearsal, you won't actually get anything done. Be strategic with your time to get the most good out of it. 3. Be Respectful of Your Bandmates Don't be a jerk to your bandmates. If a few members of the group need to work something out together, excuse yourself to give them space to do it. Or, if someone is trying to speak, don't start playing. When you're considerate of each other, you'll all get along better. We're not saying you'll always get along perfectly, but when you respect each other and show it, you're much more likely to get through arguments and disagreements. 4. Take Breaks If You Need To If you've been playing for a long time, take a break. Think about when you were in school and how helpful it was when you were studying for a big test or writing a research paper to walk away from it for a little while. The same concept applies to your rehearsals: give your brain a break. Going too long without stopping will fry everyone's brains and negatively affect your practice time. If you're going to be playing for hours, schedule breaks to refresh everyone's heads. You'll all feel better and play a lot better, too. 5. Evaluate Yourselves This is a really underrated part of rehearsing. While you're planning out your rehearsal schedule, you should set goals for each practice. At the end of each rehearsal, everyone should discuss whether you met your goals or not. If you feel like you did, try and see what you did that helped you meet those goals. If you feel like you didn't accomplish what you'd hoped, see what went wrong. A great way to evaluate your rehearsal is to record yourselves. If you're just trying to evaluate your sound, an audio recording is fine. But if you're trying to nail your look and stage presence, too, make a video recording. You can see all the things that you all did well as a group and what needs extra work. If you or your bandmates are looking for new equipment, accessories or instruments to make your group as strong as possible, we've got you covered. For excellent service and great deals, visit us in-store at one of our Bay Area locations or online.
Which Guitar Is Right for You?
So you're buying a new guitar? Whether it's your first one or you're adding to your collection, you have a big decision to make. Finding the guitar that best fits your style, tastes and needs is important. There are several factors that you should consider when looking for the right guitar for you. Quite simply, your decision will be whether you want to get an acoustic, electric or classical guitar. Those three main types have variations as well. Here are some questions to ask yourself while you're out shopping for your new guitar. What Genre of Music Will I Play? What style of music do you intend to play the most? Do you like rock, folk or classical guitar music? Figuring out an artist that you want to replicate can help you make this decision. Do you like the singer-songwriter style of John Mayer or Jack Johnson? If the answer is "yes," then an acoustic guitar would be best for you. If you like U2 or the Red Hot Chili Peppers' sound, an electric guitar would be a great pick. If John Williams' or Julian Bream's music interest you, then a classical guitar would the best fit. What Is My Skill Level? Your skill level will have a bigger effect on your decision than you think. If you've been playing for a long time, you'll probably be happy with most guitars. However, if you're just starting out or are buying a guitar for a child, certain ones would suit you better. A smaller guitar would be much easier for a beginner to handle, and nylon strings would be much easier on the hands. Unlike steel strings, nylon strings will be gentler on your hands while you build up the finesse (and calluses) that frequent players have. A good beginner guitar to check out is the Fender Standard Player Stratocaster. What Size Will I Need? How big your body and hands are should help you find the right guitar for you. If you're buying a guitar for a child or are on the petite side yourself, a small-bodied guitar with a thinner neck would be the best fit. If you buy a guitar that is too big, it will be difficult to handle, more difficult to play and may discourage you. On the flip side, a guitar that is too small would be uncomfortable to play and could be hard on your hands. The different types of guitars all have a variety of body sizes, giving you the option of finding one that's the best fit. What Is My Budget? Decide how much you intend to spend before starting to look at guitars at all. You wouldn't want to get into a store and find a guitar you love, only to see that it's out of your budget. Like other types of products, guitars come in a variety of price ranges. You could spend thousands of dollars on an instrument, but you can also find an excellent guitar at a fair price. There is an instrument to fit every budget, making the guitar a very accessible instrument to interested musicians. What Type of Look Do I Like? Aesthetically, guitars come in a huge range of shapes and colors. They're made from several types of materials, giving you the selection of finding the one with a look that you love. However, you shouldn't buy on looks alone. If you find a guitar with a look that you love, but it's much more expensive than guitars similar to it, you should ask yourself why it's that much more expensive. Is it made from a much more difficult-to-find material? Is it part of a signature collection? Is it really worth the higher price? And on the other hand, you shouldn't buy a guitar that you think is ugly. This will be yours until you decide to get rid of it, so you should like the way it looks. You can also get a handcrafted and beautiful custom built guitar at the Fender Custom Shop. Bananas at Large is proud to be the exclusive Northern California dealer for these made to order guitars. Test Them Out Before buying your guitar, you should test it out in person. An instrument may look great online, but it might not handle or sound as good as you'd like. When you visit a store, you can also get help from the people working there. They can give you helpful tips that could help you make the right decision. At Bananas at Large®, we have the experience and inventory to help you find the perfect guitar. Visit us in-store or online today for great deals and great service, too. We offer a wide variety of options such as Fender, Squier and Gretsch.
What Is the Best Music Production Digital Download Software?
In the past, musicians and hobbyists had to do all of their composing by hand. Today, we are spoiled with digital software that makes the entire process much easier. If you wanted to edit something in the past, you would have had to erase it and then rewrite in the changes. Now, you can do the same thing with the push of a few buttons. Whether you're a professional musician or hobbyist, music production software is a great way to get creative and make something entirely new. When you're thinking of investing in music production software, you have lots of choices. Bananas at Large® is here to help you find the right one that best fits your own needs. Choose What Works Best for You Every person is different, so the software that works great for one person may not be ideal for someone else. Here are some critical questions to ask yourself before selecting your software: How much do I want to spend? If you're only planning on using the software for your more casual hobby, you probably don't want to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars. On the flip side, if production is part of your job and you'll be using the software almost every day, you may want to spend more to get a better quality product. Deciding how much you want to spend on the software will help you narrow down your options, making the final choice a little bit easier. What is my skill level? There is software available that is better suited for professionals. If you're a beginner, you want to stay away from those until you build up your skill level. If you're a professional, you wouldn't want to get software meant for someone just starting out. If you're able to use the features, why not get the one that has them available? What will I be using it for? This is probably the most important question to ask yourself. If there are specific features you need, make sure you get software that has them. On the other hand, don't get the software that has all kinds of bells and whistles you'll never use. Certain types of software are also more suitable for performance and other uses. After you've figured out your budget and how exactly you want to use your software, you can start looking at the options available to pick the one that best fits your criteria. Great Software Options There are tons of music production software out there. With so many choices, you can get easily overwhelmed while trying to pick the right one. Here are a few of our picks for some of the best music production digital download software for Mac and PC: PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus is an excellent software for the beginner or amateur. It is simple to learn, has lots of options for effects and tracks to use, but still creates high-quality music. You can use PreSonus Studio One on Macs and PCs FL Studio: This one is one of the best all-around music production software out there. Professionals and beginners alike use it for recording, mixing, mastering and much more. There are a few versions available of it, each meant for different purposes. In particular, FL Studio 12 Producer Edition and FL Studio 20 Signature have the most features and effects of all the different versions. FL Studio is compatible with both Mac and PC. Propellerhead Reason: This software will help you record and edit great music. It's easy to use and works well for several different situations. If you want more than its base features, you can adapt it with other plugins and extensions. Propellerhead Reason Version 10 is the most recently updated version of the software. It works on both PC and Mac. Avid Pro Tools: If you like to collaborate with other artists, this software would be the best pick. It allows you to work with multiple other people through the cloud. It also has all the features of other software so you can record, edit and mix your music to perfection. Like FL Studio, there are a few different versions of Avid Pro Tools, so pick the one that best fits your needs. Avid Pro requires Windows to operate. When you're trying to find the best music production software, Bananas at Large® has a wide selection that can fit every musician's needs. Contact us to learn more about our inventory or to speak with a member of our talented and knowledgeable team today!
Van Weelden Royal Overdrive Pedal
This is THE Pedal that stunned us and a certain "Alien" Guitar Hero friend of ours... we have never heard anything this good before. If you want musically rich harmonic distortion where you can hear every string when playing chords with lots of sustain, this is the pedal for you. Well balanced, very dynamic, and powerful, this pedal has “elastic” tube sound where the notes seem to explode of your pick. With close to 400 parts, the Royal Overdrive has a completely internally isolated and flexible wide range DC input power circuit for absolute quiet performance. This is the most “amp friendly” pedal in the world and can be used on any amp including solid state amps. Try the Royal Overdrive in front of one and you will be amazed how tube like your whole setup will sound. Together with the wide frequency range, the excellent pick attack and articulation, the Royal Overdrive is an absolute must have for the professional and amateur guitarist who is serious about his or her tone! We are excited to be the Exclusive USA Distributor and Dealer for the Van Weelden Royal Overdrive Pedal. Order yours now!
Why You Need A Vintage Guitar
Bananas at Large is excited to be carrying Vintage® Guitars! Play anything from rock and roll to country with these Vintage solid body and semi-hollow body electric guitars. They are the quality of guitars three times the price. Made from Mahogany and with double coil pickups, the Distressed LP Style Single Cut Electric Guitar will give you one of the most recognizable guitar sounds of the genre – real ‘Black Magic’. Get those deep and rich tones with all of these LP Style guitars. With its classic looks, the V52MRBS 52 T-Style Electric Guitar gives you exactly what you expect – killer tones and superb playability. Play all the bright, twangy sounds with any of these T-Style guitars. We’ve curated this collection of guitars just for you that are designed and engineered by industry legend Trev Wilkinson. Also offering acoustic-electric parlor guitars that are perfect for the road, and a relic’d bass guitar for less than $450, these instruments are dialed in to what musicians want and expect from an instrument. With the perfect distressed look or a flawless polished finish, these guitars are designed to exacting standards at a great value. Whether you’re playing at home or on one of the world’s biggest stages, you’ll get rock solid tone. All under $550, these guitars are great for beginners and professionals at an affordable price. Try these out in stores now! You’ll want one of these in your lineup.
Guitar Health Monthly Maintenance
Have you ever wondered what is the best way to store your guitar? How often you should change your strings? We offer re-string and tune-up services that include some of these best care practices for your instrument. 1. Change your strings every month- When played on a daily basis, Guitar strings start to lose their tone and become dead. With exposure to air and the oils in our finger tips, strings start to patina over time, making it very hard to play and glide your fingers across the frets. By changing the strings often, you also help keep your guitars hardware in tip top shape, i.e: tuners, bridge & frets. New Guitar Strings Dead Guitar Strings 2. One at a time- When you are about to change your strings remember, only change one string at a time. If you have an electric guitar there can be parts of the bridges that will fall completely loose without the strings holding it in place and many other components that can move depending on the guitar, affecting the intonation. There can be up to 200lbs of pull on the average guitar neck when tuned to pitch. If we remove all of the strings from the guitar, that pressure is released and can cause damage to the guitar if not set back up properly by a tech. 3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate your fretboard- The wood on your guitar was once a living breathing tree needing hydration to survive. Well that rule of thumb still applies even though that wood was cut and is now on your guitar. Close your eyes and imagine what the dirt in the Mojave Desert looks like. Picture the cracks in the ground. The same thing can happen to your fretboard. If this does happen, the wood begins to separate from the frets (made from nickel) causing the frets to raise up unevenly. It becomes impossible for the guitar to stay in tune. There are several fretboard conditioners on the market and the only other thing you'll need is a micro fiber cloth to rub the conditioner into the fret board and clean off the excess. 4. Clean your strings- It is a good habit to clean your strings after each use. I use a product that I have come to love called Fast Fret which helps coats the strings, which is very helpful. The cleaner comes with a small micro fiber cloth to wipe the strings after playing, and helps wipe off the oils from your fingers, increasing the longevity of your strings and frets. 5. Don't forget about me- Where is the best place to keep your guitar? There are a few options of how to store your guitar. There are several different types of guitar stands and wall hangers to keep your guitar safe. Your guitar case is a vital tool to keep your guitar safe during transport but don't store it away in the closet or under the bed and forget about it. Guitars are meant to be played and believe it or not, playing your guitar on a normal basis is part of keeping your guitar healthy. I keep my guitars out and on wall hangers for easy access to practice and record with. If your guitar is on a stand in the room you mostly reside in, you'll be more inclined to play it. Hope these tips were helpful. Make an appointment to bring in your instrument today! Please e-mail or call us at (415) 457-7600. Happy playing!
MIDI Controllers: Why do you need one?
Why would you use a controller and how does it help you as a musician? A controller is necessary to control all the instruments effects that your recording software offers. All recording software today comes with a mixer section, instruments and effects. With a controller, multiple parameters (filters, wet dry, transport controls etc.) can be controller and manipulated. Since our controllers have multiple knobs, faders buttons etc. You can control virtual instruments and effects as though they were hardware instruments. If you have a synthesizer or an effect like a delay they have multiple knobs on them which change the sound and control the device. Without a controller, you are restricted to using your mouse. A mouse can only control one knob (or parameter) at a time. Why would you buy a Nektar controller? 1. Integration, integration integration. Nektar offers deepest level of control over the DAWs we support. Every parameter of the DAW that can be controlled and has been hand mapped by Nektar. No software needs to be downloaded. 2. Controller set up and ease of use. If you have ever owned a controller you know that you must do all the midi assignments and mapping. Nektar does that work for you so you can focus creating music. The way we look at is, you should not have to install the engine in your car to drive it. 3. Nektar Controllers offer pre-mapped deep integration with the most popular DAWs on the Market: Bitwig Studio, Cubase, Nuendo, Digital Performer, FL Studio, GarageBand, Logic Pro X, Reaper, Reason, Sonar, Studio One, Main Stage. Shop all Nektar controllers here. Looking for more information on specific Nektar products? Read our previous blog post on the Nektar GX, LX+ and Panorama Midi-Controllers here.
