Music for Miles is a resource for guitar players, musicians, and music creators who want to get more out of their gear. We cover everything from guitars, amps, pedals, and modelers to recording equipment, plugins, and the technology shaping how we make music.

The goal is simple: help musicians find great gear, understand what it actually does, and make smarter decisions about what is worth adding to their setup.

What We Do

Music for Miles combines real-world gear reviews, sound demos, comparisons, and practical guides designed to help you get better sounds and make better gear decisions. Everything comes from actually using the equipment, whether that’s testing a guitar in the studio, comparing acoustic instruments, building a digital rig, or putting a new plugin through its paces.

You’ll find honest reviews of guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, plugins, recording equipment, and other music gear, along with head-to-head comparisons when you’re trying to decide between two products. We also create practical guides covering recording, amp modeling, guitar setup, tone, and music production.

And because hearing gear is often more useful than reading about it, The Tone Zone focuses on sound demos, tone tests, and real-world comparisons so you can hear the gear for yourself.

About the Host

I’m Michael Couts, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, audio engineer, and media creator. I’ve been playing, recording, writing, and producing music since 2005, and over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work across just about every part of the music and media world – from performing on stage and producing records to filmmaking, album art, digital media, and music technology.

A Life in Music

I started my professional music career as a founding member and co-producer of the progressive metal band Souljourners. In 2008, we released our debut album Mind Control, which featured a guest collaboration with Phil Collen of Def Leppard.

Souljourners went on to perform internationally, sharing stages with artists including A Perfect Circle, Uriah Heep, King’s X, CIRCA, and Earth, Wind & Fire. We also received a special invitation to perform at the Sunset Strip Music Festival supporting Black Veil Brides and Mötley Crüe at the Key Club Hollywood. Souljourners also won Best Live Band at both the Southern California Music Awards and the Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival.

I continue to write and release original music as a solo artist, with music featured in television and broadcast, including song placements on MTV’s 16 and Pregnant and SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal.

Beyond the Stage

My work eventually expanded beyond performing into recording, production, design, filmmaking, and digital media. I’ve collaborated on digital media with musicians and producers including Chris Baseford (nickelback), Scott Humphrey (Motley Crue), Frank Gryner (Rob Zombie), Joe Bonamassa and Tommy Lee. I’ve also managed web content for studios, labels, and legendary recording spaces including Ocean Studios in Burbank.

Today, I also manage digital technology and web development for Medline Industries, a global medical manufacturer and distributor where I’ve built a career around digital platforms, technology, and content. That experience has become another part of how I approach Music for Miles – combining the creative side of music with the technical side of how we discover, use, and share it.

Why Music for Miles?

I’ve spent more than 20 years playing different guitars, recording with different equipment, experimenting with amps and effects, and trying to figure out what actually makes a difference when you’re making music.

That experience is what drives Music for Miles. There is an enormous amount of gear out there, and it can be difficult to figure out what is genuinely useful, what sounds great, and what is simply marketing.

I don’t believe you need the most expensive gear to make great music. I want Music for Miles to help you understand what’s worth your money, get more out of the gear you already own, and ultimately make better music.

Thanks for Being Here

Whether you found Music for Miles through a gear review, a YouTube video, a tutorial, or you’re simply looking for your next piece of gear, thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something here that helps you make better music.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Music for Miles YouTube channel for sound demos, reviews, tutorials, and more.