The Drum Issue—Hit Record!
Happy New Year, and welcome to the January 2026 issue of RECORDING Magazine. As has become our tradition, January is dedicated to all things drum recording — and this year we are packed with reviews, features, interviews, and inspiration to help you capture your best drum sounds yet.
Reviews
We have ten reviews to kick off the year, and fittingly, we kick things off with the Lauten Audio Kick Mic.
Staying on the hardware side, we look at the SSL Alpha 8 interface/expander from Solid State Logic, and the uniquely designed headphone amp-equipped PCH Active DI from Strymon.
We move inside the box for the remaining six reviews this month. From Toontrack, we explore the new Reel to Real SDX expansion pack for Superior Drummer 3. From KIT Plugins, we take KIT Drums – Connor Denis for a spin, and from Baby Audio, we dive into TEKNO.
Next, we immerse ourselves in 3D Instruments SPAT CURVE, a collection of immersive instruments—including drums—for use with Native Instruments Kontakt.
Rounding out the lineup, we review the new InTrigger drum replacement plugin from Waves and Mix Drums from Arturia.
Interview
This month’s interview is a roundtable discussion with three notable and stylistically varied session drummers—Nick D’Virgilio, Daru Jones and our own regular reviewer and Nashville session drummer David Blascoe, spanning the worlds of Hip-Hop, singer-songwriters, CCM, country, progressive rock and metal, indie rock, and more. [GET IT HERE]
Features
All four of our popular monthly columns are returning in 2026.
In Studio 101, producer and instructor Joe Albano begins a new year-long focus on common audio terms and definitions, starting with phase and polarity. [GET IT HERE]
In RECORDING Techniques, Dave Martin dives into getting a solid kick drum sound. [GET IT HERE]
In Field Notes, Giles Reaves tackles minimalist yet effective drum-recording setups. [GET IT HERE]
Mark Hornsby is also back with his always insightful Inside the Studio column, and this month he highlights drum sessions for two different albums with the same drummer and how you can use different microphone brands (Shure and DPA) to tell two completely different sonic stories. [GET IT HERE]
We are also excited to introduce two new monthly columns this year.
As we head toward our 40th anniversary in October, we debut RECORDING Remastered, where we revisit and retune notable articles from our archives. This month, we feature Pat Bautz’s 2006 Better Drum Recordings Through Tuning article. [GET IT HERE]
Our second new column, Studio Spotlight, will showcase reader-submitted studios—from small beginner setups to full professional project rooms. We begin with the newly renovated Thrak Shack, the percussion-focused studio of renowned drummer Pat Mastelotto (Mr. Mister, King Crimson, Stick Men, and more). [GET IT HERE]
In our final feature, editor Paul Vnuk Jr. celebrates 80 years of Sennheiser with a report from his recent visit to the company’s headquarters and factory in Wedemark, Germany, along with a stop in Berlin to visit Neumann. [GET IT HERE]
All this and more awaits in the January 2026 issue of RECORDING Magazine. Here’s to a stellar New Year!