Thomann's Cool Online Guides
Here's a list of our current Online Guides. Each one extends over several pages and explains a specific product area in simple terms with the aid of pictures and diagrams, covering their history, use, and different types. Some documents cover complete setups, and others specific techniques of use. If you’re unsure of how to go about choosing the right product for you, or you just want to know more about any of these topics, read on!
Please select a category:
- All categories (170)
- Wind Instruments (14)
- Cases, Racks, Bags (1)
- DJ Equipment (7)
- Drums + Percussion (15)
- Guitars and Basses (33)
- Cables + Plugs (3)
- Lighting + Stage (4)
- Microphones (17)
- Sheet, Books, DVDs (24)
- PA Equipment (9)
- Effects + Signal Proc. (3)
- Studio Equipment (11)
- Software (8)
- Keys (11)
- Traditional (6)
- Accessories (4)
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The first hurdle though, is to decide on which instrument to learn?
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In the digital age, the loudspeaker is the last and unchangeable outpost of analogue technology.
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Computers can be very complicated. We’re here to offer some advice!
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The range of available guitars and amps has never been greater than it is today, and a huge variety of sounds are easily accessible.
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Whether you’re a fan, a promoter or a performer, the refined craft of live sound is vitally important.
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Choosing a digital piano actually involves many of the same considerations as choosing a real piano.
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Our aim is to explain the basic process of recording the electric guitar!
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At the simplest level, a controller keyboard, also commonly known as a "master" keyboard.
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Electric guitars are ten a penny and nowadays there are at least as many models and makers to choose from.
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The central place of the piano in modern music cannot be overstated.
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LED PARs, LED Bars and Moving Heads - what should I bear in mind?
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Cable... flex... lead... wire... what do all these terms mean?
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In this guide we’ll outline the basic principles of studio monitors, and take a closer look at their most common features.
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In this guide we’ll concentrate on the functionality of hardware mixers. They are an essential part of any live sound systems and studio setups.
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Recording choir music is always a challenge, even though it might not seem to be at first.
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There is a wide range of audio interfaces available, and in the end, choosing the right one comes down to your personal preference.
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Electronic drum sets are an instrument to reckon with.
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This guide will help you find a suitable drum kit and accessories for beginners.
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The following pages give an overview of the various types of guitar amp available.
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There are a wealth of synthesisers available today, ranging from hardware keyboards to virtual software instruments.
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This article will look at how to integrate a computer into different studio environments, and will highlight the issues of functionality and connectivity.
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We investigate some of the many accessories available for both guitar and bass.
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The PAR can is usually the basis of an entertainment lighting system!
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The steel-strung acoustic guitar has a range of sounds that are unmistakeable and not easily replicated with any other type of guitar.
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Radio Mics are designed to give the musician the freedom to move about the stage unhindered.
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Professional standard lighting systems are no longer found solely in large venues.
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Here is a overview of the bass and all its component parts, from vintage to modern instruments.
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Amp modellers are guitar DSP effects units that emulate the sound of a range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets.
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They pick up any sound! In this guide, we have tracked down the most popular condenser microphones for you.
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There are many vocal microphones that are suitable for stage use, from the cheapest dynamic to the most expensive condenser.
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Headphones are basics for any studio or DJ. But not all headphones are created equal.
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Miking up and recording a drum kit is a fairly complicated procedure, and this can apply equally to choosing the right mics for the job.
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If you take good care of your equipment, your pack it up carefully - and this means getting a proper case!
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The term ‘modulation’ in its broadest sense covers a range of sonic effects, from the subtlest chorus to ear-bending ring modulation.
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Portable keyboards now offer a wealth of features to suit both the first time musician and professional songwriter alike.
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Without strings, guitars and basses produce no sound, yet most players know very little about them.
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The multi-FX concept has been around in various forms since the mid 80s - It is therefore no surprise that there is a huge range of hardware available.
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Dynamic microphones are the basic tools of live sound and play an important role in every recording studio.
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In-Ear monitoring - reasonable prices since a few years only - a real bliss for any live musician. Why? Find out here..
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The multitracker is a great tool for musicians of all levels. It really can be a ‘studio in a box’ replacing many of the components of a traditional studio.
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Hardware is the stuff you play on and it does not make a noise – ideal scenario that is.
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Unfortunately, choosing a simple dynamic mic is just the beginning.
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DJing has rather murky origins, and there are many people who claim to have been the first to mix two records together.
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Read on and learn all you should know about small diaphragm mics
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Until recently, the classical guitar represented the most popular route into guitar playing.
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Microphone preamps, are analogue devices that will remain important even as most other equipment is superseded by digital alternatives.
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The choice of cymbals is just as important as the choice of drums within a kit. Let’s take a closer look.
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Though there are other options, the stack remains a rock icon, and is still the most flexible form of guitar amplification.
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You could sum up the whole idea of a PA power amplifier in a single word - sound. The power amp is a crucial part of a musician’s live sound.
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More people than ever are now convinced of the advantages of plug-ins. Why?
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These days, software instruments seem to most like the natural thing to use as a sound source in a computer-based studio.
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Learning to play an Viola is a long, but rewarding journey, and this guide has been designed to help at the start.
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Effects processors designed for use with bass guitars are now more popular than ever.
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The single most important element in any style of dance music is the ‘groove’, a chemistry of rhythm for your song that can make or break its overall feel.
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Percussion instruments are the backbone of many traditional styles of music and are a wonderful way to add colour, texture and motion to contemporary music.
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Before buying an acoustic amp, it’s important to consider exactly what you want it to do.
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A classic Ibanez Tubescreamer or Colorsound Tonebender can fetch many times its original price from guitarists in search of the ultimate killer tone and sustain.
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Our guide assist you in discovering which is the right kind of flute for you.
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Often underestimated and thought of only as a holiday instrument, the ukulele is experiencing a revival - and by no means only on Hawaii
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The acoustic guitar is one of the most frequently recorded instruments in the studio, but it is often recorded poorly.
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The trumpet is one of the most versatile instruments, standing its ground in every music genre imaginable.
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Sampling technology is no longer restricted to large studios!
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Drumheads have been manufactured from plastic since 1956, mostly polyester.
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This guide aims to help complete beginners and existing double bass students (and their parents).
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Software Sequencing as a term is deeply inadequate to describe the power of the programs now available to the computer-based musician.
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Turntables have evolved over the years from traditional record players into the professional record decks seen in every club today.
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This tutorial covers audio compressors and how they are used.
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There is nothing mysterious about the basic principles of the electric guitar pickup.
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Learning to play an instrument is a long, but immensely rewarding journey, and this guide has been designed to help at the start of that journey.
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In our online guide, we want to look at the modern drum set from every angle.
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While we could go into more and more detail about DI boxes and their inner workings, at some stage it’s best to get some hands-on experience!
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EQ is perhaps the least noticed of all types of audio processing, but also the most important.
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Many Drummer’s have not yet found their optimal stick - the selection is large.
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A wide variety of percussion instruments forms the modern orchestra’s rhythm section.
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Delays offer a simple and convenient method of creating a sense of space around your sound.
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Reverb is an essential ingredient in almost all pop and rock music.
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Let’s take a close look at this beautiful-sounding instrument.
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When choosing a mixer, the most important thing to consider is what style of mixing you will be doing.
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Welcome to our Online Advisor for Harmonicas.
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Modern electronic tuners are generally accurate, reliable and fairly inexpensive.
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This article will look at how a DSP accelerator can be a useful part of your computer-based studio, and also at their limitations.
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Despite its infamous classroom or beginner’s image, the recorder is in fact just as difficult to play well as most other instruments.
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The trombone is a popular instrument in the brass family, and features in much classical, jazz and popular music.
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There is a wide selection of units to choose from in both single and double player format and a large range of prices.
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The workstation keyboards has come of age and found niches in many different areas.
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There are many types of reporting, interviewing and other broadcasts. Each bring their own audio challenges, and each have their own solutions.
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With a tuba, the sky's the limit - sounding good, looking good, and always tuned to fun!
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The variety and choice of mouthpieces is huge and can be confusing, too. We will do our best to help you find your way!
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Not all mouthpieces are created equal. Some things you should definitely know!
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The sound of the snare drum defines and unites almost all forms of popular music.
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Percussion for drum sets is like the toy shop for drummers.
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In this Online Advisor, created in conjunction with planetguitar.net, we explore the key features of the instruments that have redefined power chords.
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One instrument with many names - the tenor horn and its counterpart, the baritone.
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All you ever wanted to know about the small helpers called headphone preamps ... can be found here
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The monitor controller is an elegant solution to a relatively new problem, and is invaluable in the project and commercial studio alike.
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There are many kinds of mute available, all of which alter both the volume and timbre of the instrument played.
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This article will look at what MIDI is, how it’s used to connect different devices, and some of the more popular MIDI interfaces.
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In this guide, we’re going to look at one of the most important decisions a parent can make for their child
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Enjoy your bassoon, the wonderful sound it makes, and the beautiful music written for it.
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It would be fair to say that the development of the wah-wah pedal has been somewhat experimental over the years.
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DJ systems are the interface between the vinyls and the sound you can hear. Here, you will also find whatever else a DJ needs.
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We delve into the digital technology bridging the gap between guitars and synths in several exciting areas.
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Ribbon microphones sound full, rich, and smooth. Seasoned engineers love their unique sound.
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Your guitar needs care and attention, and by that we mean more than simply cleaning and polishing it. Read this tutorial to find out more.
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Guitar players in particular should know something about potentiometers
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E-bass pickups influence the sound of your bass decisively.
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Explore the oboe, the wonderful sound it makes, and the beautiful music written for it.
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Yo cannot nowadays conceive of an unplugged rock, pop, and especially folk-rock session without this box as a replacement for the bass and snare drums. Consulting this guide will help you make the right choice.
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Congas, common to most cultures worldwide. A somewhat challenging instrument sometimes but always so versatile
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It’s time for more guitarists to take advantage of the freedom of movement provided and strut their stuff!
Dante AVIO Analog Input Adapter 2x0
Dante AVIO Analog Input Adapter 2x0; converts analog audio line signals to feed any Dante-connected system; 96 kHz / 24 Bit; fully-functional Dante interface; adjustable signal levels: +24dBu / +4dBu / 0dBu/ 0dBV /-10dBV (through Dante Controller); frequency Response: 20Hz...
to the product
Electro Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb
Electro Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb, effects pedal, 11 different reverb types: HALL, SPRING, PLATE, REVRS, ECHO, TREM, MOD, DYNA, AUTO-INF, SHIM and POLY, Tails switch: Select whether the reverb fades out naturally or stops immediately when the pedal is switched...
to the product 
Gibson Les Paul M2 Citron Green
Electric Guitar Poplar body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard (Dalbergia latifolia), Slim Taper neck profile - .800"-. 875", 22 Frets, Pickups: 2 Gibson Pro-Bucker humbuckers, Volume and tone controls, 1 Toggle switch, Chrome hardware, Wraparound bridge, Mini Button machine heads,...
to the product 
C.Giant LP-6210C Black
Keyboard 61 Keys with touch dynamics, 162 Sounds, 200 Rhythms, 61 Percussion effects, 50 Demo songs, Fill-in, sync and rhythms variations, Split function, Chord, Recording, Pitch bend wheel, Microphone input, Line out sockets, Headphone output, Sustain pedal connection, USB...
to the product 
Vic Firth SIH2
Vic Firth SIH2 isolation headphones, (reduces overall noise levels by 25 dB). successor of the legendary Vic Firth SIH-1 headphones, features redesigned larger driver in the ear cups that deliver a more powerful low end, cleaner mids and clear highs...
to the product 
Steinberg UR-RT2
4x 2 USB 2.0 Audio Interface Up to 24-bit/192 kHz, 2 Class-A D-PRE microphone preamps with + 48 V phantom power, Rupert Neve Designs transformer switchable on each front input channel, 2 Analog XLR/jack combo inputs plus 2 line...
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Roland TM-6 Pro Drum Trigger Module
Trigger Module For acoustic drummers who want to extend the sound possibilities of their drums with electronic sounds, 500 one-shot sounds, 268 V-Drum sounds, 80 Drum kits, SDHC card slot for importing your own samples, 6x 6.3 mm stereo...
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Stairville Wild Wash Pro 648 LED RGB DMX
Multi-Functional LED Spotlight with 4 Effects in One DeviceWith its SMD LED equipment, the Wild Wash series is a magic box for events and shows of all kinds. Whether on small to large stages, in clubs of all sizes, exhibitions,...
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Harley Benton PB-50 LH FR Vintage Series
Electric Bass Left hand model, Basswood body, Screwed Canadian maple neck, Fretboard: Maple, Dot fretboard inlays, Neck profile: C, 20 Frets, Scale: 864 mm, Nut width: 42 mm, Dual action truss rod, Pickup: Roswell VTN4 Vista Alnico-5 Vintage PB...
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Dante AVIO AES3 IO Adapter 2x2
Y Adapter Transmits two channels each from AES3 to a Dante network and vice versa, RJ45 Metal plug with built-in LEDs, 1 XLR male output, 1 XLR female input, 96 kHz / 24 bit, Robust housing for day-to-day tasks...
to the product 
Fender SQ J.Mascis Jazzmaster 2018
Electric Guitar J.Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) Artist Model, Body: Basswood, Neck: Maple, Fretboard: Indian Laurel, Neck profile: C, 21 Jumbo frets, Nut width: 42.5 mm, Scale: 648 mm, Pickups: 2 Jazzmaster single coils, Adjusto-Matic bridge with vintage style floating tremolo,...
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Ampeg Opto Comp Compressor
Effects pedal Analog bass compressor, Controllers for compression, release and output levels, True bypass, Power supply with 9 V battery or 9 V power supply (both not included, suitable battery available under Art. 132579 , suitable power supply under...
to the product 
We're looking forward to hearing from you and aim to solve any problems as soon as we can.