Articles by: Daryl Robertson

MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians

I'm a Senior Deals Writer at MusicRadar, and I'm responsible for writing and maintaining buyer's guides on the site - but that's not all I do. As part of my role, I also scour the internet for the best deals I can find on gear and get hands-on with the products for reviews. I have a massive passion for anything that makes a sound, in particular guitars, pianos and recording equipment. In a previous life, I worked in music retail, giving advice on all aspects of music creation, selling everything from digital pianos to electric guitars, entire PA systems to ukuleles. I'm also a fully qualified sound engineer with experience working in various venues in Scotland.

Articles by: Daryl Robertson

Best Epiphone guitars 2023: our budget spanning picks of the greatest Epiphone guitars available right now

By Daryl Robertson published 22 March 23

From legendary archtops to spectacular singlecuts, as well as a few rock-ready tone machines for good measure

Spring into savings with a colossal up to 60% off at PMT right now

By Daryl Robertson published 20 March 23

PMT's Spring Sale is music to our ears, offering massive discounts on all things guitar, drum and music production related

Best Gretsch guitars 2023: nail that Gretsch sound at any price point

By Daryl Robertson published 7 March 23

From the iconic Falcon to the Country Gentleman and a slew of stellar-sounding affordable hollowbody options, here are our pick of the best Gretsch guitars

Best PA systems for bands: Local band playing on stage

Best PA systems for bands 2023: active PA speakers to ensure your band gets heard

By Daryl Robertson published 28 February 23

Whether you're a professional wedding band, a popular covers outfit or an original band on a mission, these PA systems will guarantee you sound your best

Roli Seaboard Rise 2 review

By Daryl Robertson published 17 February 23

£1099

Roli’s long-awaited sequel has finally arrived. We find out if it rises to the occasion

We set out to create a metal-friendly pedalboard for under $500/£450 - this is what happened

By Daryl Robertson published 16 February 23

Is it possible to explore the dark side of tone and unleash hell on a strict budget?

Best phaser pedals: MXR Phase 90 on a flight case

Best phaser pedals 2023: Harness the swirling sound of the phaser and take your riffs to a whole new sonic level

By Daryl Robertson published 13 February 23

Join the legions of famous players who enlisted the help of a phaser to create monstrous tones that have stood the test of time

Best compressor plugins Plugin Week 2023

Best compressor plugins 2023: our pick of the greatest in-the-box compressors for the budding producer

By Daryl Robertson published 27 January 23

The software compressors you need if you want to impress

Positive Grid Spark Control footswitch review

By Daryl Robertson published 26 January 23

£116
$109

Is the Spark footswitch a cutting-edge, must-have accessory or a pointless extra? Let’s find out

KHDK Gojira Drive pedal review

By Daryl Robertson published 24 January 23

$249

This behemoth of a pedal provides an atomic blast of tone that could level a city

Woman playing on a digital piano with headphones on

Is a digital piano good for beginners? 7 reasons you should consider going digital for your first piano

By Daryl Robertson published 24 January 23

Looking to learn the piano? We look into the benefits of going down the digital route

Best distortion pedals 2023: our pick of the top gain stages for guitar

By Michael Astley-Brown published 20 January 23

Bring the filth with 11 of the best distortion pedals for hard-rock, metal and beyond

Closeup of the Orange Micro Dark head on top of a flightcase

Best budget guitar amps under $500/£500 2023: top cheap amps for smaller budgets

By Chris Corfield published 19 January 23

We showcase some of the best cheap tube and digital modelling guitar amp heads and combos, for all playing styles

NUX DM-7X electronic drum kit review

By Daryl Robertson published 16 January 23

£805
€926

NUX partners with Remo to bring you a powerhouse of a kit that won't break the bank

Man watches his son play acoustic guitar while they both sit on a staircase

Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2023: strum your first chords with the top beginner acoustic guitars

By Chris Corfield published 13 January 23

Start playing today with beginner acoustics from Taylor, Fender, Epiphone, Martin and more

JBL EON ONE MK2 review

By Daryl Robertson published 9 January 23

£1,245
€1,388
$1,249

Simple, powerful and lightweight - the JBL EON ONE MK2 is the full package

Gift box adorned with a blue bow on a dark wooden floor

Best gifts for musicians 2023: 50 affordable present ideas for music-makers (which they'll actually use)

By Matt Parker published 6 January 23

Shopping for a drummer, guitarist, DJ, producer or content creator? Here’s some gift inspiration for the muso in your life

Best gifts for guitar players 2023: affordable present ideas for every type of guitarist

By Ed Mitchell published 6 January 23

Great gift ideas - from vegan guitar straps and capos to beginner acoustic guitars - for the guitarist in your life

Best guitar cleaning kits and tools: Man restringing a Gibson guitar

Best guitar cleaning kits and tools 2023: ensure your electric guitar, acoustic or bass is in tip-top condition

By Daryl Robertson published 5 January 23

Keep your instrument in shape with our pick of cleaners, tools and other guitar maintenance products

Casio CDP-S360 digital piano review

By Daryl Robertson published 14 December 22

Casio's feature-laden instrument bridges the gap between beginner digital piano and keyboard

'Tis the season for epic guitar bargains - bag yourself up to £450 off PRS SE guitars at Andertons

By Daryl Robertson published 14 December 22

Andertons are slashing up to £450 off PRS SE guitars just in time for Christmas - and yes, it includes the Silver Sky!

Don't miss out - Fender's 12 days of deals ends today!

By Daryl Robertson published 12 December 22

Fender's 12 Days of Deals sees epic discounts on a number popular guitars and accessories - without a partridge in sight

NUX DM-210 electronic drum kit review

By Daryl Robertson published 8 December 22

£369
€429
$549

With kits this good and this affordable, you have no excuse not to learn to play the drums

Casio PX-S7000HM review

By Daryl Robertson published 2 December 22

Is Casio's latest digital piano venture style over substance?

Struggling to find a great Cyber Monday deal on a new piano? We've found 4 worth shouting about

By Daryl Robertson published 28 November 22

We've found the best Cyber Monday deals on quality pianos from Yamaha, Roland, Korg and more

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