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Who wouldn't want a Korg nanoSeries controller in their stocking?

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Gift-buying for the high-tech musician can be tricky – chances are that most of the stuff they want is either outrageously expensive or so ridiculously geeky that you don't even know what it is.

However, MusicRadar has come up with ten eminently affordable things that will put a smile on any studio-tanned face.

These products aren't listed in any particular order of preference - just take a look and pick a present that suits your taste and budget.

Blue Microphones Icicle $60

OK, a cartridge-shaped gizmo that converts a standard XLR mic into a USB one might not sound like the kind of product that's going to get anyone's Christmas bells jingling, but just consider its usefulness. A phantom powering option means that it can handle condenser as well as dynamic mics, and it's called the Icicle for God's sake – what could be more festive than that?

Stylophone £15

Buying your beloved a new hardware synth might be out of the question this credit-crunched Christmas, but this is a fine budget-friendly alternative. The re-issued Stylophone sounds just like the original, but comes with a volume knob, three different sounds, a vibrato function and the option to plug in your iPod and jam along to your favourite songs. Bundle with a false beard for Rolf Harris-related tomfoolery on Christmas Day.

AQ Interactive Korg DS-10 £30

Stylus-related fun of a more hi-tech nature can be had with this Nintendo DS-based version of Korg's MS-20 analogue synth. In fact, it gives you two synths to play with, plus a drum machine, a sequencer and an effects section. This being the case, you can use the DS-10 to create complete tracks, and if you add a plastic straw into the mix, you've got your very own talkbox.

Benge Twenty Systems £14

It's not going to get the crowd going at your office party, but this delightfully packaged concept album is a fascinating historical document. Each of the 20 tracks was created exclusively by a different synth from a different year, and the accompanying full-colour booklet features notes on each by Ben 'Benge' Edwards himself. Chin-strokingly wonderful.

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