Kid Rock is asked by a court to produce a strange item, Jay Z unveils Tidal, his Spotify competitor, and then we explore a huge variety of experimental and alternative instruments before revealing our latest Picks of the Week.

Is it cool to stick to factory presets when creating music? Special guest Ze'ev Benjamin (aka Benni), bassist in the band Salt the Skies, joins the show to discuss bass player tropes, misleading social media behaviors of some overzealous bands, and a new custom guitar pickup that cleverly adds low end to the first two strings.

Will software eliminate most of the need for music hardware anytime soon? Also: a few new music services promise you honest feedback from real listeners and try to reward those that discover the next big thing. YouTube fires a shot to end the loudness wars, while Dynamic Range Day is to be celebrated soon in a contest.

In this episode we learn that making a buck or two on the side is easier than ever when it comes to music. Also, the industry gets shaken up by Blurred Lines and mastering doesn't have to be the ultra-high-fidelity expensive process in all cases.

Special guest Benji Robinson joins the show as we discuss collaborating on the Detective Detective Detective soundtrack, mixing music in stereo and quadraphony, laughing at Shreds videos on YouTube and, as always, sharing our latest picks of the week.

Do you have to learn music theory to create music? When is it good (or bad) to drastically shift genres? Also, the record industry picks a global release day and a followup on video game music.

The hi-def Pono Player loses to the iPhone in double blind testing, while Sony wants to sell you some snake oil. Also, which social networks for musicians are actually worthwhile?

Learn why, as far as listening goes, the audiophile obsession with lossless files and astronomical sample rates and bit depth is misguided. Also, if you're just starting out: what kind of audio gear should you buy?

How has video game music changed as gaming hardware has become more powerful? Also, a discussion of the pressure to mix your music as loud as possible with compressors and limiters.

Learn how not to ask a band to play a show and why Steve Albini thinks it's a great time to be a musician.