Comment / Opinion

• Ke$ha 'We R Who We R' • Tinie Tempah 'Wonderman' • Alexis Jordan 'Good Girl' • Chris Brown 'Beautiful People'

Jiggo * New Town Triptych * Peyton Place * Herd of Instinct * AdamSK * The Apple Gies * Sticky Wickit * Royal Gala * Nick Stephenson

Jules Harding, SOS Video Media Editor, considers the effects of gear-lust.

Paul White's leader.

• Chase & Status 'Blind Faith' • Jessie J 'Price Tag' • David Guetta 'Who's That Chick'

Ukab Maerd * Rebellious Jukebox * Carbon111 * Zhonray * Nuala Delton * Colein * The Fake Lazy Supernovas * The Fire And I * Ashley Reaks

A studio widow speaks out...

This month, Editor In Chief Paul White wonders why some recordings sound great and others sound so poor...

Gerry Griffin * Sun Travellers * Genie Cosmas * Jon Gomm * Turndown Elliot * Kyshera

This month, Mike Senior vents his frustrations about the use (and censorship, thereof) of profanity in pop music.

Adele 'Someone Like You', Black Eyed Peas 'The Time (Dirty Bit)', The Ting Tings 'Hands', Rihanna 'What's My Name'

It's April, so what has Paul been dreaming up this year?

• Matt Cardle 'When We Collide' • Bruno Mars 'Grenade' • Ellie Goulding 'Your Song'

This month we listen to Big Big Train, We Happy Few, Gorman, Trace and John Gomm

Why would you use one? There are plenty of perfectly good recordings made in garden sheds, bedrooms and basements!

Winter NAMM's abundance of semi/pro-level music Apps, add-on controllers and interfaces for Apple iPad/iPhone took our Editor In Chief slightly by surprise...

Ol' Hoopty * Andy Le Fevre * Outer Space Alliance * Lounge Fly * The No-ones * Trace

Does copying classic gear devalue its designers?

Paul White welcomes the development of tape emulation plug-ins.

Zooropa * Fractal * James Parker * The Ridings * Mundane Sands * Give Chase * Anton Evans * Coral Caves * Lads O' The Fair * Floodplains

Former SOS member and ex-editor of Guitar Buyer magazine David Greeves shares his thoughts on striving for record perfection.