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 (169)
- Wind Instruments (14)
- Cases, Racks, Bags (1)
- DJ Equipment (7)
- Drums + Percussion (14)
- 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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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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In the digital age, the loudspeaker is the last and unchangeable outpost of analogue technology.
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Choosing a digital piano actually involves many of the same considerations as choosing a real piano.
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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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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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Our aim is to explain the basic process of recording the electric guitar!
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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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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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Cable... flex... lead... wire... what do all these terms mean?
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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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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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Recording choir music is always a challenge, even though it might not seem to be at first.
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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 guide will help you find a suitable drum kit and accessories for beginners.
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Electronic drum sets are an instrument to reckon with.
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We investigate some of the many accessories available for both guitar and bass.
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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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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 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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They pick up any sound! In this guide, we have tracked down the most popular condenser microphones for you.
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Headphones are basics for any studio or DJ. But not all headphones are created equal.
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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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The PAR can is usually the basis of an entertainment lighting system!
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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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There are many vocal microphones that are suitable for stage use, from the cheapest dynamic to the most expensive condenser.
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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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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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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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Dynamic microphones are the basic tools of live sound and play an important role in every recording studio.
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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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Hardware is the stuff you play on and it does not make a noise – ideal scenario that is.
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Without strings, guitars and basses produce no sound, yet most players know very little about them.
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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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Until recently, the classical guitar represented the most popular route into guitar playing.
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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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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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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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More people than ever are now convinced of the advantages of plug-ins. Why?
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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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Unfortunately, choosing a simple dynamic mic is just the beginning.
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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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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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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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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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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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Effects processors designed for use with bass guitars are now more popular than ever.
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Sampling technology is no longer restricted to large studios!
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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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This tutorial covers audio compressors and how they are used.
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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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Before buying an acoustic amp, it’s important to consider exactly what you want it to do.
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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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EQ is perhaps the least noticed of all types of audio processing, but also the most important.
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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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Turntables have evolved over the years from traditional record players into the professional record decks seen in every club today.
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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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Many Drummer’s have not yet found their optimal stick - the selection is large.
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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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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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Delays offer a simple and convenient method of creating a sense of space around your sound.
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A wide variety of percussion instruments forms the modern orchestra’s rhythm section.
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Reverb is an essential ingredient in almost all pop and rock music.
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Welcome to our Online Advisor for Harmonicas.
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Let’s take a close look at this beautiful-sounding instrument.
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Modern electronic tuners are generally accurate, reliable and fairly inexpensive.
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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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When choosing a mixer, the most important thing to consider is what style of mixing you will be doing.
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Percussion for drum sets is like the toy shop for drummers.
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The workstation keyboards has come of age and found niches in many different areas.
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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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With a tuba, the sky's the limit - sounding good, looking good, and always tuned to fun!
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Not all mouthpieces are created equal. Some things you should definitely know!
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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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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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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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The sound of the snare drum defines and unites almost all forms of popular music.
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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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One instrument with many names - the tenor horn and its counterpart, the baritone.
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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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Enjoy your bassoon, the wonderful sound it makes, and the beautiful music written for it.
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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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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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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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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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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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Congas, common to most cultures worldwide. A somewhat challenging instrument sometimes but always so versatile
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Explore the oboe, the wonderful sound it makes, and the beautiful music written for it.
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It’s time for more guitarists to take advantage of the freedom of movement provided and strut their stuff!
Alesis Surge Mesh Kit
E-Drum Set 385 Sounds, 40 kits, 60 songs, Additional input for a fourth tom and a second crash pad, 2 Master outputs 6.3 mm mono jack, Headphone output 3.5 mm stereo jack, Aux input 3.5mm stereo jack, MIDI input...
to the product
Adam T5V
Active Nearfield Monitor Equipped with: 5" woofer and 1.9" U-ART ribbon tweeter, 2x Class-D amplifiers: 50W RMS woofer, 20W RMS tweeter, Frequency range: 45 - 25000 Hz, Crossover frequency: 3 kHz, Maximum input level: 106 dB (1m/pair), Rear bass...
to the product 
Subpac M2X
Subpac M2X, Mobile tactile bass system, SubPac adds real depth, connection and enjoyment to whatever you play through it - your music and media comes to life with the added dimension of physical bass. Frequency Response: 1hz-200hz, Wired Input: 3.5mm...
to the product 
Roland R-07 black
Portable MP3 / WAV Recorder with Bluetooth Functionality Stereo recordings up to 24 Bit / 96 kHz in WAV format or up to 396 kbps in MP3 format on microSD / SDHC card, Built-in stereo microphone, Integrated hybrid limiter,...
to the product 
Yamaha Stagepas 600BT
Mini-PA System with Bluetooth Function Consisting of 2x passive 2-way boxes and 10-channel power mixers, Power mixers and speaker cables can be stored in the boxes for transportation, Successor of the Stagepas 600i, Including 2 speaker cables, each 6...
to the product 
Arturia Minibrute 2
Arturia Minibrute 2; analog semi-modular Synthesizer; Combination of classic and modular Synthesizer; 25 note Keyboard with Aftertouch; Brute-Oscillator; Steiner-Parker-Filter; additional Loop-Envelope; linear FM; Hardsync; two free assignable LFOs; integrated Step Sequencer; Arpeggiator; 48 point Patchbay; Pitch- and Modulation Wheel; Connections:...
to the product 
Focal Listen Professional
Headphones Closed, Circumaural, Conversion technology for acoustic transparency and dynamics, Impedance: 32 ohms, Sensitivity (@ 1 kHz - / 1 Vrms): 122 dB SPL, THD (THD, @ 1 kHz / 100 dB SPL): 0.3%, Frequency range: 5 Hz to...
to the product 
Heritage Audio HA-73 EQ Elite
Heritage Audio HA-73 EQ Elite; 1-Channel Mic-Preamp wit EQ; based on the 1073; hand wound Carnhill Transformers; 3 stage fully discrete class A mic preamp; max. Gain: 80 dB Mic and 50 dB Line; -20 dB Pad; LO-Z switches the...
to the product 
Epiphone Richie Faulkner Flying V
Electric Guitar Body and neck: Mahogany, Fretboard: Ebony, Neck profile: Thin C, 22 Jumbo frets, Scale: 628 mm, Pickups: Active EMG 57 (bridge) and EMG 66 (neck) humbucker, Floyd Rose 1000, Grover Rotomatic machine heads, Colour: Black, Incl. Deluxe...
to the product 
Fender SQ Affinity P-Bass PJ OWT IL
Electric Bass Affinity series, Body: Alder, Neck: Maple, Fretboard: Indian Laurel, Neck profile: "C", Scale: Long scale, Nut width: 41 mm, 20 Medium jumbo frets, Synthetic bone nut, Pickups: 1 Jazz and 1 Standard Split Precision single coil, 2...
to the product 
Focal Shape Twin
Active Near Field Monitor Tweeter with low directivity for flexible listening position, Closed design with two passive membranes for easy installation near the wall, 2.5-Way concept for optimal control of the bass and lower mids, Optimal integration through extensive...
to the product 
Yamaha Stagepas 400BT
Mini-PA System Bluetooth Function Consisting of 2x passive 2-way boxes and 8-channel power mixers, Power mixers and speaker cables can be stored in the boxes for transportation, Successor of the Stagepas 400i, Including 2 speaker cables, each 6 m...
to the product 
We're looking forward to hearing from you and aim to solve any problems as soon as we can.