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It wasn’t all that long ago that like-minded gamers would have to physically travel to each other’s homes to enjoy rudimentary multiplayer titles like Street Fighter II or NBA Live. Modern video games, of course, have increased greatly in both complexity and visual appeal; what’s more, with the rise of technology and widespread broadband access, gamers can compete with one another from pretty much any location in the world, as long as there’s a Wi-Fi signal or LAN connection. In addition, with the availability of community chat apps like the messaging platform Discord and the video live-streaming service Twitch, gamers can interact with friends and competitors, sharing texts or videos as they play.

Here are 10 of the most iconic multiplayer games of all time.

The clarinet is one of the more versatile woodwind instruments. It’s found in symphony orchestras and small ensembles, and used in a wide range of musical genres, from symphonies to jazz, not to mention klezmer music, where it serves as the featured instrument.

But what is it that makes a clarinet sound like a clarinet? Well, while the instrument’s inner shape has a great impact on its tone, so too does its mouthpiece. That’s because the mouthpiece, which houses the clarinet’s reed, is integral to producing sound. To make music, the mouthpiece is placed into the player’s mouth and blown into, which vibrates the reed and creates notes via the instrument’s keys. The mouthpiece’s size and shape can dramatically affect that process.

You may think that you should just stick with the mouthpiece that came with your clarinet, but that’s not always the best option. Certain mouthpieces can be more difficult to play than others, and, depending on the materials they’re made from, can create a darker or brighter sound. And of course, quality counts: It’s important to choose a mouthpiece made by a reputable manufacturer. Saving a few dollars may cost more in headaches down the line.

In this article, we’ll tell you what you need to know so you can buy the right clarinet mouthpiece for you.

This month, the most famous fighter pilot movie of all time — Top Gun — gets its long-awaited sequel. On May 27, the world will be introduced to Top Gun: Maverick, starring Tom Cruise in a reprise of his role as fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

While you may not ever have the chance to actually sit in the cockpit of a high-performance airplane, you can approximate the exhilaration by playing flight simulator games — an experience that gets even more realistic and compelling when you connect your gaming console to a surround sound system with a high-quality AV receiver and speakers or sound bar.

Here are some of the best flight simulator games to enjoy in surround sound.

For many video gamers, “open world” options are some of the most fulfilling. These titles allow players to freely explore a virtual world by using their instincts as compasses, rather than following a more stringent and traditional side-scrolling, level-oriented map. Open world games give players the ability to work towards their goals in less structured ways, deciding when and where they’d like to act.

Such an approach delivers a great sense of autonomy and self-determination, and can also provide a more satisfying sonic experience, especially when enjoyed on quality headphones, speakers and sound bars. Soundtracks and sound effects can pop up seemingly out of nowhere, making them that much more memorable and tantalizing. Here’s our list of 10 of the open world games that offer the best soundscapes.

For young people starting out on brass instruments, the baritone horn and the euphonium are two of the most popular choices. Both are sizable (read: hard to lose) and offer distinctive low-register sounds without being unwieldy like a tuba or sousaphone. Both the baritone horn and the euphonium are also relatively easy to learn to play, especially when compared to the more difficult French horn or trumpet, and are commonly found in brass ensembles, marching bands and orchestras. In this article, we’ll examine what they have in common, as well as what makes each unique.

The internet is a major part of our day-to-day lives, yet existence with the vast digital realm continues to be much like living in the Wild West. New options, new spaces, new ideas and new services seem to pop up on an almost daily basis. From the early days of email to the modern era of high-speed streaming, the internet is always evolving.

One of the most recent trends is the availability of video game subscription and streaming services. These give gamers the opportunity to access dozens (or even hundreds) of titles at any given time … usually for a fee. The games are streamed in real time, but some platforms also offer players the ability to download titles to their devices and continue to access them as long as they continue to subscribe. With a streaming service, one can theoretically play any game on any compatible device at any time — much like watching a TV show on Netflix® whenever you like via your phone, tablet or television.

We covered the pros and cons of discs versus game downloads in a previous posting, but there is much more to consider when discussing subscription and streaming services. In this article, we’ll describe the main features offered by several prime options. First, however, let’s start with some background.

When it comes to brass instruments, there seems to be something of a hierarchy. Trumpets are bright and authoritative, always right out front. With their long slides, trombones are both visually arresting and fun to play. But tubas? Too often they are thought of as the kid Little League coaches stick out in right field. But, in actuality, the lowest-pitched instrument in the brass family plays a vital role.

There are concert tubas, marching band and jazz ensemble tubas; tubas with bells pointed upward, backward and frontward; tubas of different finishes and tuned to different pitches. In this article, we’ll describe the difference between them all … but first, a look at their origins and similarities.