Customer Reviews

Electronic Musician

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I'll keep this short. hehe. The mag corners a market where no other mag goes. This is a nuts and bolts making a living at electronic music (all forms), kind of mag. You won't find artist reviews or anything like that here (just references to who uses what sometimes). If you are a beginner looking for info, or a pro who is keeping up with latest gear, software, etc., then get this mag. I've had it now for a couple of years and it's jampacked with articles, gear reviews, buying guides, etc. etc. etc. There are ads but they are kept to about 10%-15% usually. Some of the ads are very insightful into new products. Topics range from drum machines, synths, PCs, software (both commercial and freeware!), anything that relates to the Electronic Musician. And if that weren't enough EM goes the extra mile teaching us how to properly record mics, make a mix, anything related to the studio process. I also recommend Keyboard Magazine if you are a synth or electric piano player. I highly recommend Electronic Musician to anyone with an interest in Electronica (EBM, Industrial, Techno, Soundscapes) and/or High-Tech Professional or Home Studio recording.

I've had a subscription to EM for about three years now and I'm finished. It's not necessarily a bad magazine, it's just a little misleading, in that it should drop "Electronic" from its name entirely. If I have to read one more freaking article on basic mic technique, I'm going to cry. If I have to sit through another boring puff piece where the interviewee talks about analog gear and the interviewer strokes his ego, I'm going to wail like a baby.

Fortunately, I don't have to. I'm letting my subscription run out, in favor of Remix, which feels much fresher and more in line with what I care about. Electronic Musician is best summed up by their cover article from a few months back, about how to mic an acoustic guitar.

WHAT IS "ELECTRONIC" ABOUT MIKING AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR? Simply using Protools while you drool over analog gear and old-school technique DOES NOT make you cutting-edge.

I feel like I should qualify this review, because it may sound overly harsh. This IS NOT a bad magazine. This is just not what I am interested in- I hoped for the latest technology, plugins, soft synths, and most importantly, new techniques to use with them. This magazine is much more conservative than it first lets on, and a great majority of their pages is devoted to analog mindset. Is there anything else quite like a good old-fashioned analog compressor? If there is, you won't find out about it here.

As a music professional I have subscriptions to numerous magazines, Everything from Guitar One to Recording Magazine. Therfore I was reluctant to spend more money on another magazine until I received one those cards for a "free issue" in the mail. Man was I glad to get that. EM is one of the best magazines in the industry and it covers just about every aspect. Interviews with the industries top producers, 10 or more reviews per issue. May's article on "Affordable Solutions for Studio Acoustics" was worth the yearly subscription by itself. So don't wait like I did, its no telling what you might miss.

ok... so i just got my first copy of EM... and i was rather disappointed. I currently get Computer Music and have had Sound on Sound. both cover all the topics they had allot better. in terms of electronic stuff, they just didnt do what computer music does. i mean they seemed to like hardware allot and Logic allot. which is fine, but if i wanted to read about hardware I would read more Sound on Sound or Future Music. reading about logic is great if you have a Mac. but I dont... so really i guess im just spoiled by the tutorials and videos and samples in Computer Music. granted EM was 20 bucks for the year. but I definitely feel that I wont look at it more then one time sitting on the john.

It's ashame I forgot that I ordered this magazine. I got the renewal notice recently only to realize I had never seen a single issue over the last 12 months. My address is correct, and it looks like other people have had the same issue. Don't waste your money here.

I ORDERED THIS MAGAZINE BACK IN SEPT 06. IT IS NOW MAY 07 AND STILL NOTHING. IVE SAT ON THE PHONE NUMEROUS TIMES TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED. IVE BEEN TOLD THEY'VE RESUBMITTED IT AND I WAS TOLD I SHOULD RECIEVE IT IN JANUARY. NOTHING, GOT BACK ON THE PHONE IN FEB. AND THEY 'RESUBMITTED THE ORDER' AGAIN TO TELL ME I SHOULD HAVE IT IN APRIL. IT IS NOW MAY AND STILL NOTHING. NOT SURE HOW GREAT THE MAGAZINE IS, BUT AMAZONS MAGAZINE SERVICE IS THE WORST ONLINE EXPIERENCE I HAVE EVER DELT WITH!

Don't waste time ordering a mag subscription from Amazon. You'll never get it!!! I received a subscription as a gift in Dec. and it is now the end of Feb. and still no magazine. Not worth the extra $3 you'll save by not ordering direct but what does saving money mean when you don't even get the product.

I ordered this magazine, as a gift, on Feb 12, 2011. I received confirmation from Amazon, the same day I placed the order, telling me "The first issue of the subscription should take up to 6_to_10_weeks to arrive from the date you placed your order." On April 5, 2011, I sent an email to Amazon's magazine customer service dept asking them when I should expect to start receiving the magazine. On April 6th I receive another email telling me... "We have received your inquiry, and it will be processed within five business days. We will get back to you as soon as possible." As soon as possible?!? Right. Today, April 14th, I receive a response with this answer... "It is at the request of the publisher that we allow 8-10 weeks for the first issue to arrive. Your order was sent to the publisher on March 21, 2011." Of course the email comes from one of those DO NOT REPLY accounts, but if not my reply would have been Why did you tell me in my confirmation email on 2/12/2011 that my order should only take 6-10 weeks to arrive?? And why are you now telling me that my order was never sent to the publisher until 3/21/2011?? A full 37 days after I placed the order?!? I did read the other customer reviews regarding the length of time it took to receive the magazine, prior to placing my order, but I was hoping Amazon had worked all the kinks out since there were no negative reviews within the past year.
I don't think I will bother with any more magazine subscriptions from Amazon. No matter who's fault the delay in shipment is, Amazon's response to my order and my inquiry were both misleading and contradictory.

Whether you are an aspiring producer or just an enthusiast, this magazine rocks in every way!

This is the tool I used to keep track of all the latest electronic music gear. Not perfect, not what it used to be, and not as quick as something online, but I don't have time to look through a bunch of blogs or videos. EM acts as a filter for me and I know (for the most part) that the reviewers know what they're talking about when it comes to the subject of keyboards and other electronic music gear.