Guides - Parlor City Sound https://www.parlorcitysound.com Fri, 14 Nov 2025 16:51:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-parlor-city-sound-logo-32x32.jpg Guides - Parlor City Sound https://www.parlorcitysound.com 32 32 The Ten Best Microphones for Recording Vocals Under $500 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/the-ten-best-microphones-for-recording-vocals-under-500/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/the-ten-best-microphones-for-recording-vocals-under-500/#comments Mon, 12 May 2025 19:59:14 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1760 The Neumann U87, the Telefunken U47, the AKG C12, the Sony C800G … these are widely regarded to be the holy grails of the vocal recording world. They’re the very best microphones for recording vocals. And not a single one of those mics will be featured on this list of ours. That Neumann will run […]

The post The Ten Best Microphones for Recording Vocals Under $500 first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/the-ten-best-microphones-for-recording-vocals-under-500/feed/ 1 What is the Best Microphone for Live Vocals? Here are Ten Practical Picks https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-the-best-microphone-for-live-vocals-here-are-ten-practical-picks/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-the-best-microphone-for-live-vocals-here-are-ten-practical-picks/#comments Fri, 09 May 2025 17:50:24 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1752 It’s a question that’s been asked zillions of times by musicians all over the globe. What is the best microphone for live vocals? It seems pretty straightforward, too. If you’ve ever asked me in the past for my take on the best microphone for live vocals, you’ve always consistently heard the same exact answer as […]

The post What is the Best Microphone for Live Vocals? Here are Ten Practical Picks first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-the-best-microphone-for-live-vocals-here-are-ten-practical-picks/feed/ 1 What Are the Best Drum Dampeners On the Market? https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-are-the-best-drum-dampeners-on-the-market/ Thu, 08 May 2025 14:36:36 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1735 Ahh, drum dampeners. Without you, our drums would ring on for ages and never sound quite right. And there are a lot of drum dampener and muffler products out there to choose from, too. From Moongels and their limitless imitators to special kick drum pillows, to drum heads with muffler rings built into them. How […]

The post What Are the Best Drum Dampeners On the Market? first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> Should You Pay to Play Gigs? What You Need to Know https://www.parlorcitysound.com/should-you-pay-to-play-gigs-what-you-need-to-know/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:17:02 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1726 Should you pay to play gigs? Is there ever a situation where a music act should be handing over money to a promoter or a venue for a chance to perform for “exposure”? Or is this just a big, silly scam designed to yank much-needed moolah from hardworking musicians? The short answer is no, and […]

The post Should You Pay to Play Gigs? What You Need to Know first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> Social Media for Bands 101: How to Promote Music Online https://www.parlorcitysound.com/social-media-for-bands-101-how-to-promote-music-online/ Wed, 21 Feb 2024 21:41:28 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1188 Figuring out how to manage social media for bands is a pretty big component of learning how to promote your music in the modern world. We’d go so far as to say that properly managing your band’s social media presence is as important to music marketing as tuning your guitar is to, well, playing your […]

The post Social Media for Bands 101: How to Promote Music Online first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> How to Start a Band: Fundamentals, Myths, and More https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-start-a-band-fundamentals-myths-and-more/ Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:16:58 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1107 Being in a band is a lot of fun. And being in the right band can be an incredibly rewarding experience for any number of reasons. But when you find yourself wondering how to start a band, a lot of other related questions start popping up. How do you find bandmates? How do you keep […]

The post How to Start a Band: Fundamentals, Myths, and More first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> How to record a demo in great, inexpensive ways https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-record-a-demo-in-great-inexpensive-ways/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-record-a-demo-in-great-inexpensive-ways/#comments Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:14:11 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1166 At some point in any music act’s career, they’re going to be faced with the very common question of how to record a demo. And this can be a tricky thing to get right. There’s a lot riding on the quality of your demo. You want to make sure you select the right songs for […]

The post How to record a demo in great, inexpensive ways first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-record-a-demo-in-great-inexpensive-ways/feed/ 1 How to Find Band Members and Get the Best Results https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-find-band-members-and-get-the-best-results/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-find-band-members-and-get-the-best-results/#comments Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:40:15 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1121 Trying to form a new band can be challenging at times. Especially given the fact that none of us really knows how to find band members without a bit of guidance. It’s not really something everyone can just guess their way through. You want your future band members to appreciate your musical vision. To possess […]

The post How to Find Band Members and Get the Best Results first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-find-band-members-and-get-the-best-results/feed/ 1 How to Name a Band Something Unique and Fantastic https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-name-a-band-something-unique-and-fantastic/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-name-a-band-something-unique-and-fantastic/#comments Thu, 08 Feb 2024 15:04:41 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1110 We all know that the name of a band can play a big role in that band’s success. But figuring out how to name a band can be an arduous, stressful chore. So how do you come up with band name ideas? Preferably ones that don’t suck? What should you do when you sit down […]

The post How to Name a Band Something Unique and Fantastic first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/how-to-name-a-band-something-unique-and-fantastic/feed/ 1 What is a Stage Snake? Here is Why They’re Useful https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-a-stage-snake-here-is-why-theyre-useful/ https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-a-stage-snake-here-is-why-theyre-useful/#comments Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:02:26 +0000 https://www.parlorcitysound.com/?p=1101 While learning about DIY home recording, you’re going to encounter the phrase stage snake (or stage box, or audio snake … they all mean the same thing). And hearing about them will likely stir up a fairly obvious question. What is a stage snake, and why are they useful? A stage snake is just a […]

The post What is a Stage Snake? Here is Why They’re Useful first appeared on Parlor City Sound.

]]> https://www.parlorcitysound.com/what-is-a-stage-snake-here-is-why-theyre-useful/feed/ 1