In part two (the final part) of this mini-series, Shane Berry looks at Hi-Fi vs. nearfield monitors and the pros and cons of adding a subwoofer to your project studio speaker setup.

It's a myth that you need BIG speakers (or monitors) for your studio. In this two-part mini-series, Shane Berry explores the reasons you should go small, and the benefits this could bring you.

All modern music makers need to understand audio concepts like bit depth, sample rate and headroom so they can push your production setup to the max. Matt Vanacoro explores the basics and some.

It's time for another music theory helper. In this short tutorial-article, Jay Asher takes a beginner's look at how the popular Suspended 4 and Add 2 chords can be used in your productions.

Darren Burgos reveals how to easily program electronic-style chord progressions in Logic Pro X which you can then trigger with single keys. Great for producers and performers.

Many musicians and DJs suffer from tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. For some it can be a mild condition and for others, sadly, more debilitating. Lynda Arnold proposes sound therapy as a way to help.

If you're feeling stuck in the major, minor and pentatonic scales box when composing or playing, consider investigating modes. Matt Vanacoro explains how modes can transform your music.

If you're suffering from writer's block there's good and bad advice around on the net. So, we asked 5 successful producers and artists what they do when facing a creative drought. Essential reading.

If you're interested in exploring ways to become a better, fresher, more original song or lyric writer then listen up. G. W. Childs recommends taking a genuine, no BS path. Read on if you dare.

Not yet an accomplished keyboard player? Cubase's Chord Pads can come to your rescue'¦ Hollin Jones is on hand to show you this powerful feature in Steinberg's flagship DAW.

Don't think of pads as fillers in your tracks. With some creative techniques in any DAW you can transform pads from drones into highly interesting and evolving musical parts.

The state of the audio nation is at a crossroads. With internet bandwidth increasing, we don't need to data compress audio files as much as before. Joe Albano explores quality vs. size.

Following on from the tutorial on techniques for strengthening melody and motif during composition, Jay Asher shows how to identify specific intervals using popular songs.

If you've been building chords diatonically i.e. building chords relating to scale or key, then this article by Jay Asher will help you explore chromatic alternatives. A must read music theory piece.

So you're writing melodies and motifs that sound good... how can you improve these? How to make them sound better and work better in your songs? Jay Asher has some advice to share.

Taking a bath in water (hot is my preference!) is second nature to us all. Every day though we may be bathed in different things like light and also sound. Lynda Arnold explains what a sound bath is.

Having explored emerging areas of "healing" and "wellness" in her 'How Sound Affects Us' series, Lynda Arnold now explores how sound and vibration can be used to create pain with violent ends in mind.

Ornaments and embellishment techniques are part of the language of every skilled musician or composer. Lynda Arnold explores both in Baroque and Classical in this fascinating music theory article.

If you're even a little interested in how to create moods in your music, for film, games or for any reason, this tutorial is for you. Gary Guttman explores 4 simple ways to add emotion to your notes.

It's amazing how much we know about sound and waves and yet how we're only on the cusp of understanding how sound vibrations affect us. In this article, Lynda Arnold explores the science of Cymatics.

Using secondary dominant chords in your chord progressions can be a quick and easy way to add some spice to your tracks. And, it's easy to do as Lynda Arnold demonstrates.