Latest articles by Andy Jones
The Beatles vs. Kraftwerk: Who has really been the most influential on the future of music
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who will be the fabbest of these four?
Best laptop for DJs 2026: my choice of PCs, Macs, and Mac-alternatives for playing out
My hand-picked laptop choices for DJs, all perfect for Serato, rekordbox, Traktor, Ableton, Virtual DJ, and more
Best synthesizers 2026: Top analogue, digital, mono and polysynths
From mini monosynths, through to mighty polyphonic workstations, our experts have hand-picked hardware synth recommendations for every budget
Best laptop for music production 2026: For home studios and mobile music-making - tested by experts
My pick of the best laptops for making music, plus hands-on reviews, stress testing, and what to look for when buying
Best budget audio interfaces 2026: Cheap USB interfaces for home recording, streaming, podcasting, and more
I’ve tested more than 20 options to bring you my expert pick of the best affordable audio interfaces for great quality recording on a budget
“Proper old school producers might also baulk at the ease of song creation and the slick results” – Teenage Engineering EP-40 Riddim and EP-2350 Ting review
It’s a mobile reggae, dub and dancehall sound system with its own mic for less than 300 quid
Is it finally time to stand up to the tech taking the very soul out of music-making?
With AI and voice recognition taking the ‘strain’ out of music production, are we about to see the closure of the DAW?
“Pro-quality results at semi-pro cash”: IK Multimedia Precision 6 MkII review
IK’s iLoud Precision speaker range has just received a MKII upgrade and a price downgrade. Is it too good to be true?
Cyber Monday plugin deals 2025: The biggest plugin sale of the year is over
Cyber Weekend has officially ended, but there are still some last-minute savings to take advantage of on music software
Black Friday plugin deals 2025: These are the last remaining deals on software
Black Friday is over, but you can still bag a last-minute deal on plugins
I went to the Kraftwerk auction to buy their chairs, but came back with a studio's worth of gear instead
To say I got a little overexcited is an understatement - here are the hard lessons I learned so you don't have to
Best budget laptops for music production 2025: Affordable laptops for making music
I've got the latest laptops on test that will not only enable you to make music anywhere, but do it without spending a fortune – our top picks start at just $/£300
“A tantalising and cost-effective entry point to one of the great synthesizers of our time”: Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave 8M review
Groove Synthesis’ latest module has much of the power and sound of its expensive siblings for half the price
“Allows you to do away with stacks of insert or return effects and potential high processor loads”: iZotope FXEQ review
It’s a multi-effects plugin that’s as easy to use as a standard EQ, and costs less than 50 bucks…
“One of the best analogue polysynths for the price, in any way, shape or form”: Sequential Fourm review
Ever wanted the sound and simplicity of a classic Sequential analogue polysynth but were put off by the price? It might be time to fill in a new Fourm
“It’s acoustic, it’s electronic, it’s in flux and it’s great”: Sonicware Liven Evoke review
Sonicware’s latest synth uses a Flux Oscillator that will take you and your tunes back to the future
“Still the synth and keyboard collection to beat”: Arturia V Collection 11 Pro review
If you thought this classic synth collection had peaked, think again – it’s time to welcome the 1990s!
“$199 for a synth that retreads the well-worn VA path is a big ask”: Universal Audio Anthem review
This new softsynth makes UA's Spark subscription even more tempting, but is it worth its high asking price as a standalone purchase?
"This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
Everything from plants that grow sonic tentacles to synths that create sounds in both time and space
“Learning how to mix is almost as important as hitting on your original musical idea”: New to the mixing process? Start here
Don't let a brilliant song be swallowed up in a bad mix by following our guide to the central principles of the process
Don't know where to start with virtual instruments? We're here to help
Because there's never been a better, easier, more affordable time to make great music on your computer
“It will drag out your inner Brian Eno with frightening ease”: Soundtoys SpaceBlender review
And it will do it for free… if you're quick
New to making tracks? Start here
Want to make a track from scratch but don't know where to begin? We'll show you
