Articles by: Andy Jones

MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians

Andy has been writing about music production and technology for 30 years having started out on Music Technology magazine back in 1992. He has edited Future Music, Keyboard Review, MusicTech magazines and currently runs Computer Music which he helped launch back in 1998. He owns way too many synthesizers.

Articles by: Andy Jones

The best iPads for musicians and producers 2022: top Apple tablets for music-making

Best iPads for musicians and producers 2023: top Apple tablets for music-making

By Ben Rogerson last updated 20 October 22

Apple's latest iPads are the company's most powerful and compact yet, but which is the best iPad for music production?

Nektar SE25 review

By Andy Jones last updated 21 October 22

£43+
€49+
$49+

Take the Nektar SE25 anywhere and do a lot more with it than you might think. A great mobile controller

Mackie EM-USB review

By Andy Jones last updated 8 December 21

£95+
€109+
$109+

A great value USB mic which excels at vocals and some instrument recording but is also a fine all round solution for podcasting

Korg microKEY2 Air-25 review

By Andy Jones last updated 21 October 22

£85+
€99+
$120+

A great little controller, equally at home in your backpack as it is on your crowded desk. The wireless connectivity is where it shines and could change the way you make music

Alesis Elevate 5 MKII review

By Andy Jones published 7 September 21

£99
€117
$139

Great value monitors that punch above their price sound wise and are ideal for any beginner studio setup

PreSonus Eris E3.5 review

By Andy Jones published 7 September 21

£89
€99
$80

Great media monitors ideally suited for a variety of uses including music production and general listening. Incredible value, too.

KRK Rokit RP5 G4 review

By Andy Jones published 7 September 21

£279
€345
$329

Fabulous budget monitors with a lovely, detailed sound and extra features you might only find on much pricier models.

AKG Lyra review

By Andy Jones last updated 8 December 21

£139+
€150+
$149+

A multi-pattern USB mic with hi-res recording and suited to a range of podcasting and music recording tasks

Apogee HypeMic review

By Andy Jones published 7 September 21

£299+
€335+
$349+

Fabulous and flexible USB microphone package with a unique compression feature built in that will get you better recordings wherever you are

Sequential Prophet-5 Rev 4 review

By Andy Jones published 12 August 21

£3000

With Dave Smith back at Sequential’s helm, a new version of this 80s icon was nigh-on obligatory

IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo I/O review

By Andy Jones published 23 July 21

£169
$199

A great value mobile interface, ideal for capturing quality audio for a wide range of tasks

Steinberg UR22C review

By Andy Jones published 23 July 21

£125
€145
$189

A rugged interface packed with features that you'd normally find on much more expensive models

Novation Launchpad on a desk in a home studio

Best MIDI pad controllers 2023: Our top pad controller picks for every budget and every task

By MusicRadar last updated 19 October 22

Expert advice for buying MIDI pad controllers for studio and stage and for every budget – including kits by Native Instruments, Arturia and Novation

An audio engineer explains why Dolby Atmos Music is “definitely going to supersede stereo”

By Andy Jones last updated 14 October 22

Dean St Studios' Jan 'Stan' Kybert, who’s worked with Paul Weller and Oasis, on why Atmos could succeed where others have failed

5 songs producers need to hear by… Kraftwerk

By Andy Jones published 29 December 20

Best of 2020: If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, listen to this lot

“There was something very special about receiving Mark Knopfler’s raw guitar files”: How Whispering Bob's Allstars recorded Stand By Me for charity in lockdown

By Andy Jones published 21 October 20

New version of Ben E King’s iconic Stand By Me also features Rick Wakeman and Paul Rodgers

Inside Martin Garrix's amazing refurbished STMPD recording studios: “The initial plan was just to give it a fresh paint job. Then it got a little out of hand”

By Andy Jones published 28 August 20

The Dutch DJ and producer has poured his heart into this jaw-dropping Amsterdam facility

5 reasons why 5G will be amazing for music lovers and producers

By Andy Jones published 11 August 20

With 5G becoming available across the globe, let's have a look at what the new tech could mean for both music making and enjoyment…

Best reverb plugins 2023: amazing space-makers for your DAW

By Ronan Macdonald last updated 2 February 23

Add atmosphere and pro polish to your mixes with these powerful reverb plugins

Can technology help save live music, and what’s the future of gigs and festivals?

By Andy Jones published 5 August 20

“I think we are going to see some major positive changes within the industry,” says tour organiser Harry Parslow

So you want to be a... sound designer: from League Of Legends to Final Fantasy, here are Dylan Levitt's career tips

By Andy Jones published 21 July 20

Mixed by Humanz on mixing John Legend’s new album in lockdown: "Mixing at really low levels in the bedroom, you discover a different style”

By Andy Jones published 21 July 20

How do you finish an album by a huge superstar when everyone’s at home? You draft in the Lennon and McCartney of mix engineers, that's how...

Best EQ plugins 2023: mix, create, repair, and master with these 13 amazing equalizers

By Andy Jones last updated 27 January 23

The best EQs you can buy today, for everything from simple frequency tweaks to full-on intelligent AI processing

So you want to be a... game, TV and movie composer: Tales From The Loop, Limitless and Cyberpunk 2077 composer tells it like it is: "Just don't be a d*ck!"

By Andy Jones published 6 July 20

Paul Leonard-Morgan's tips for success

Anatomy of a 21st century recording studio: how Real World is adapting and thriving in a harsh recording climate

By Andy Jones published 17 June 20

If you think recording studios are a dying breed, then you might want to think again

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