Sometimes it's easy to tell reality from fantasy - for instance, in this YouTube video from PowerFX where virtual vocalist Sweet Ann takes on Australian rock vocalist Kitto:

On some occasions, though, differentiating between the real thing and a computer simulation can be much tricker. If you think you know your kit, take the CM Listening Challenge and see if you can spot the difference between more than £7000 worth of classic guitar hardware, a Line 6 Pod XT, and IK Multimedia Amplitube 2. It's harder than it sounds - has hardware had its day?

Fed up of making music? Then point your browser to Kepler's Orrery, a Java applet that uses a gravity simulator to create generative music ...

Good news for users of Apple's mighty Logic Pro and Express DAWs: there's a new website on the block, aimed squarely at you.
Logic Café is an online resource from which Logicians can access free online tutorials, EXS24 instruments, Groove Templates, Environments, interviews and more. The site is still in its infancy but nonetheless has a rapidly growing worldwide user base.
Site owner Paul Yarrow comments: "Logic Café offers its users a clear and concise journey through its articles, with no sign-up, no monthly subscription and no membership fees. It's been created with the user journey in mind. From clear, graphical step-by-step tutorials to classic synthesizer EXS24 instruments, complete with encyclopaedic information on the original machines, Logic Cafe aims to provide users with with plenty of informative and relevant information."

Check it all out at www.logic-cafe.com.