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Matt is a Junior Deals Writer at MusicRadar and has been playing guitar as his main instrument for well over 20 years. He also plays drums, bass, and keys – producing out of his home studio in Manchester, UK. He has previously worked for Dawsons Music, Northwest Guitars, and freelanced for various magazines and blogs, writing reviews, how-to's, and features. When he's not downloading the latest VSTs or justifying yet another guitar pedal purchase, you'll find him making a racket with Northern noise hounds JACKALS.

Articles by: Matt McCracken

Two Yamaha HS5 studio monitors on a purple background

I've used the Yamaha HS5 monitors in my home studio for five years - and now they’re discounted for Cyber Monday

By Matt McCracken published 27 November 23

My favourite studio speakers just got a hefty discount in the Guitar Center Cyber Monday sale

Three FabFilter plugins on a gradient background

These 3 essential FabFilter mixing plugins will supercharge your workflow - and they’re $90 off for Black Friday

By Matt McCracken published 25 November 23

Get FabFilter’s must-have mixing tools for less in the Plugin Boutique Black Friday sale

Andertons' massive Black Friday sale is here with some of the best deals we’ve seen so far - save on PRS, D’Agelico, Focusrite and more

By Matt McCracken published 24 November 23

UK and EU-based musicians can grab serious savings on guitars, studio gear, PA systems, and loads more great gear

A pair of Neumann studio monitors on a grey background

6 unmissable Black Friday sales every musician needs to check out right now

By Matt McCracken published 24 November 23

Get a Black Friday gear bargain with these sales from Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Thomann, and loads more

Cyber Monday MacBook deals 2023: Including savings on the latest M3 MacBook Pros and M2 Airs

By Andy Jones last updated 27 November 23

An Apple MacBook Pro or Air is an ideal music production computer. For Cyber Monday we're hunting down all the best deals, including money off M3 models

Black Friday iPad deals 2023: Up to $100 off iPad Pro, Air and mini models - all with music-friendly specs

By Andy Jones published 21 November 23

Apple's tablet is the perfect tool for mobile music production and this year's Black Friday discounts are heavy, making it the ideal time for you to start you iPad music making journey…

Three Waves plugins on an orange background

Waves has added even more $19.99 plugins in week two of its Black Friday early bird software sale

By Andy Jones published 9 November 23

Waves just updated its double discount deal with loads more of its best plugins for just $19.99 - plus get up to another 40% off that price too!

Two Positive Grid practice amps with smart phones on a blue gradient background

Grab yourself a Positive Grid Black Friday bargain with big savings on the new Spark Go, Spark Mini, BIAS software and more

By Matt McCracken published 3 November 23

These official Black Friday deals are only available while supplies last, so act fast to get your hands on some of the best desktop amps and modeling software around

Three Fender Player Plus series guitars on a yellow background

Don’t wait for Black Friday to save big on a Fender - grab $100 off Player Plus and $50 off Player series guitars right now

By Matt McCracken published 18 October 23

With everything from the Player Strat to the Player Plus Meteora seeing a discount, it’s a brilliant time to pick up a guitar bargain - but only whilst stocks last

Two Fender electric guitars with a Fender Jazz Bass on a light background

With up to $350 off Fender Aerodyne and Vintera guitars at the official Fender store, who needs Amazon Prime Big Deal Days anyway?

By Matt McCracken published 10 October 23

Whether you love modern guitars or period-correct ones, you’ll find yourself an incredible deal over at the official Fender shop

A selection of studio headphones on a blue background

Black Friday studio headphone deals 2023: The biggest studio headphone savings that are still live

By Simon Arblaster last updated 25 November 23

You can still grab yourself big savings on Focal, Beyerdynamic, Shure, AKG and more

10 PA mistakes every band makes

By Matt McCracken published 23 August 23

From setup and sizing, to feedback and failure to prepare, avoid these common PA pitfalls and give your band a better sound in practice and on stage

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X on a desk with various recording equipment

Universal Audio Apollo Twin X review

By Matt McCracken published 21 August 23

£1400
€1549
$1499

UA’s desktop interface gets a serious upgrade to match its rackmount counterparts, but is it worth the entry fee?

PA speaker jargon buster: Everything you need to know about PA systems and live sound

By Matt McCracken published 19 August 23

Know your compressors from your compression drivers with our guide to the puzzling world of PA lingo

Positive Grid BIAS FX 2 with guitar neck

Positive Grid BIAS FX 2 review

By Matt McCracken published 10 August 23

Positive Grid’s premier plugin suite gets a massive update, but can it compete in the fast-growing world of amp and effects modelling?

Three ukuleles against a wooden background

Brighten your summer with 20% off select Fender ukes in this super sale

By Matt McCracken published 4 July 23

Snag yourself some hefty savings over at the Fender website, but only whilst stocks last

Two electric guitars, two amplifiers, a condenser microphone and two guitar pedals in a room with a wooden floor

Andertons summer sale has landed with sizzling savings on electric guitars, pedals, amps, recording gear, and loads more

By Matt McCracken published 3 July 23

Save big this summer with up to £1,800 off ESP, £500 off select PRS guitars, and £330 off Chapman guitars

Record your guitar at home from $80/£70 with these 3 cost-effective rigs

By Matt McCracken published 22 June 23

Strapped for cash? We look into the best ways to get high-quality recordings of your guitar on even the strictest budget

Ferndale P3-E Parlor guitar on a wooden floor

Ferndale P3-E Parlor electro-acoustic guitar review

By Matt McCracken published 8 June 23

From UK retailers PMT comes Ferndale with a fresh take on the parlor guitar, but will it stand out in a crowded market?

Positive Grid Riff audio interface with cables and headphones

Give the gift of great tone this Father's Day with these Positive Grid deals

By Matt McCracken published 29 May 23

Get yourself money off and a free gift with these tempting deals on Positive Grid Spark, Spark Mini, and BIAS software

Best Telecaster pickups 2023: Our top picks from Tele twang to single coil-sized humbuckers

By Matt McCracken published 22 May 23

Upgrade the tone of your Tele with these powerful pickups from Fender, Seymour Duncan, Mojotone, and more

NI Komplete Kontrol M32 MIDI keyboard on a blue and black background

Get Komplete 14 Select completely free when you purchase a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol M32 MIDI keyboard

By Matt McCracken published 17 May 23

Bag yourself a saving of $199/£179 with this amazing offer from Native Instruments

Home recording studio with computer, studio monitors, and various hardware

Best saturation plugins 2023: Bring your mix to life with these studio secret weapons

By Matt McCracken published 10 May 23

Ignite individual tracks or give your mix the finishing flourish with our pick of the best saturation plugins from SoundToys, FabFilter, Brainworx, and more

AKG studio headpones, DSM & Humboldt Amp Sim and JBL speakers surrounding an AKG Lyra USB microphone

Elevate your audio with these incredible deals on select AKG, JBL, and DSM & Humboldt gear at Thomann

By Matt McCracken published 2 May 23

From headphones to wireless Bluetooth monitors, these amazing Spring deals at Thomann are only available while stocks last

Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre on top of a guitar cab with studio headphones and microphone

Best budget mic preamps 2023: Upgrade your studio setup for less

By Matt McCracken published 28 April 23

Add vibe to your vocals and sheen to your instrument sounds with our selection of the best budget mic preamps available today

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