Articles by: Daryl Robertson

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

Thomann's massive software sale sees up to 75% off plugins from Air Music, EastWest, Polyverse and more

By Daryl Robertson last updated 4 October 22

Make huge savings on virtual orchestral instruments, digital synthesizers, hard-hitting MIDI drums and spacious reverbs right now at Thomann

Positive Grid Spark Mini on a stage with guitar cables

Best beginner guitar amps 2023: start plugging in the right way with these tonesome beginner-friendly amps

By Daryl Robertson last updated 12 May 23

Here is our pick of the most inspiring amplifiers for budding guitarists from Boss, Positive Grid, Vox, Blackstar and more

Two Guild acoustic guitars leaning against a fence

Best acoustic guitars 2023: top acoustics for all players and budgets

By Chris Bird last updated 12 May 23

Expert buying advice and recommendations for the best acoustic guitars at every price point

Close up of Alesis Prestige digital piano

Digital pianos FAQ: we answer your burning questions surrounding the confusing world of digital pianos

By Daryl Robertson published 17 June 22

Got a few lingering questions that need to be answered before you take the plunge on a new piano? We’re here to help with straightforward responses to common digital piano queries

Best cheap guitar pedals 2023: Budget-friendly stompboxes that prove cheap doesn't mean compromising on tone

By Daryl Robertson last updated 20 October 22

Our pick of budget pedals from Boss, Electro-Harmonix, TC Electronic, Ibanez, Pro Co and more that can be bought for a song

Upgrade your current DAW for as little as £50 with this fantastic Ableton Live 11 offer from Thomann

By Daryl Robertson published 10 June 22

Bag up to 25% off Ableton Live 11 Intro, Standard and Suite for a limited time at Thomann

IK Multimedia Axe I/O and Audient Sono on a flight case surrounded by guitar cables and headphones

Best guitar audio interfaces 2023: record killer guitar parts at home with our pick of outstanding interfaces

By Chris Bird last updated 25 October 22

Home studio-friendly guitar audio interfaces from IK Multimedia, Focusrite, UAD and more

Positive Grid Spark Mini and Positive Grid Spark Pearl side by side

Positive Grid Spark vs Spark Mini: Which of these clever practice amps is right for you?

By Daryl Robertson published 7 June 22

We delve deeper into Positive Grid’s popular practice solutions to see which one you should spend your hard-earned cash on

Close-up of a Trace Elliot Elf bass amp on a hexagonal print surface

Best bass amps 2023: 13 top choice amplification options for bassists

By Chris Corfield last updated 19 October 22

Dive into our best bass amp guide to discover the options that deliver the power and features to suit your low-end needs, whatever your budget

Open up a world of musical possibilities with up to 50% off EastWest virtual instruments right now at Thomann

By Daryl Robertson published 1 June 22

This sprawling sale includes the likes of EastWest PRODrummer 2, Symphonic Orchestra Platinum, Hollywood Choirs and many more

Bag up to $500 off a massive range of music-making laptops in this mind-blowing Dell summer sale

By Daryl Robertson published 30 May 22

Seriously up your production level by upgrading your PC or laptop this Memorial Day

Grab up to $120 off a Positive Grid Spark amp or Bias software this Memorial Day

By Daryl Robertson published 30 May 22

This early Father's Day deal from Positive Grid is ideal for those wanting to seriously improve their guitar tone

IK Multimedia offer up their popular SE titles for only ⁠$/€39.99 this Memorial Day - with AmpliTube, Modo Drums and SampleTank included

By Daryl Robertson published 27 May 22

Elevate your home recordings with powerful amp modelling, virtual instruments and classic studio processors this Memorial Day

Closeup of an Electro-Harmonix Soul Food overdrive pedal on a rug and a wooden floor

Best overdrive pedals 2023: Find new inspiration with 13 of the best drive pedals for guitar

By Chris Corfield last updated 1 February 23

Some of the best examples of a key component of any guitar player’s rig - the overdrive pedal

Best DIY guitar pedal kits 2023: from fuzz to delay, this is our pick of the ultimate self-assembly pedal kits

Best DIY guitar pedal kits 2023: from fuzz to delay, this is our pick of the ultimate self-assembly pedals

By Daryl Robertson last updated 6 April 23

With these options from StewMac, Zvex and Amazon you have the ability to handcraft your dream guitar tone

Electro-Harmonix Canyon delay pedal on wooden floor

Best delay pedals 2023: add dimension to your tone with pedals from Boss, Strymon, Electro-Harmonix and more

By Amit Sharma last updated 23 February 23

Explore the best analog and digital delay pedals for all budgets

Man holding the Bose S1 PA speaker in a pub

Best portable PA systems 2023: Lightweight and mobile PA solutions for musicians and events

By Daryl Robertson last updated 9 March 23

Easily transportable sound solutions from the likes of Bose, LD Systems, Roland, Mackie for bands, buskers and more

Save a huge £1,955 off the Soundwide intro plugin bundle and get 15 industry-standard plugins for just £44.95

By Daryl Robertson published 11 May 22

Nab yourself essential plugins from iZotope, Native Instruments, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx and Sound Stacks

PRS Silver Sky signature guitar on wooden floor

Best signature guitars 2023: Nail the tone of everyone from Van Halen to St Vincent with these stellar artist models

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 20 October 22

Make your mark with these artist-approved electric guitars – and use them to fuel your own style of guitar playing

Grab the only microphone you’ll ever need with a staggering £211 saving at Thomann

By Daryl Robertson published 5 May 22

The clever Slate Digital ML-1 gives you access to virtual renditions of eight iconic studio microphones - currently only £438

We put together a DIY guitar kit: Here's what we took away from the process

By Daryl Robertson last updated 27 April 22

DIY guitar kits are an insanely popular pastime, let us give you an insight into the process of building one for the first time

Expand your sonic horizons with up to eight free Expansions for Native Instruments’ Maschine

By Daryl Robertson published 26 April 22

Claim free expansions such as Pulse, Rush, Lunar Echoes and Burnt Hues when you purchase a Maschine +, Maschine MK3 or Maschine Mikro

Korg B2 review

By Daryl Robertson published 26 April 22

Korg's no-nonsense digital piano offers fantastic sounds but lacks in features

Add the secret sauce to your mixes with a massive $488/£374 off the SSL Native Essentials Bundle at Plugin Boutique

By Daryl Robertson published 22 April 22

Take your home recordings to a new level with the legendary sound of SSL and bag the Phat virtual drummer completely free

Yamaha DZR12-D review

By Daryl Robertson published 21 April 22

£1,159
€1,439
$1,599

Yamaha's intelligent, versatile and downright brilliant loudspeaker

1
2
3
4
5
6
View Archive

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: