Latest articles by Matt McCracken
I stress-tested the MacBook Neo for music production and failed to topple it - now, with £50 off for Prime Day it’s the only budget laptop I’m recommending to musicians
It might be cheap, but the MacBook Neo is no slouch when it comes to music production tasks
Best mic stands 2026: My top picks for studio, stage, and podcasting
Whether you need to secure a heavy tube mic or get your drum overheads in order, these are the most stable and reliable mic stands for a variety of budgets
“So insanely powerful that I could see it lasting a decade or more in home recording studios”: Apple Mac Mini M4 review
Apple’s miniature desktop packs enough punch to run most music-making tasks without breaking a sweat
Best podcast headphones 2026: A studio engineer's guide to awesome audio
We break down the top closed-back, zero-latency headphones for podcast recording on any budget
“I get to 171 tracks before any errors during a full playthrough at the lowest buffer setting”: Apple MacBook Neo review
We put Apple’s newest machine to the test to find out if it really is the ultimate budget laptop for music production
"The addition of NAM profile compatibility pushes it well beyond your average multi-effects pedal": Nux MG-50Li review
Nux's battery-powered amp modeller promises over a quarter of a million different amp tones in a compact and gig-ready chassis
Best studio headphones 2026: my pick of cans for mixing, mastering, and monitoring - tested by a working musician and producer
My tried and tested pick of open and closed back headphones for music makers, with full reviews and raw frequency response testing
“For engineers mixing on small studio monitors, these will be a huge asset for checking the bass and sub bass”: Sennheiser HD 480 Pro review
Sennheiser's new cans offer reliable low-end translation that goes where your studio monitors can't
Best audio interface 2026: For home recording, podcasting, and streaming - tested by experts
Our tried and tested pick of USB and Thunderbolt interfaces for Mac and PC across every budget, plus full reviews, in-depth testing, and buying advice
Best XLR microphones 2026: Top mics for podcasting, streaming, and studio work
Upgrade from USB with the very best-quality, noise-free mics from AKG, Aston, Neumann, Rode, Sennheiser, Shure and more
Best external hard drives for music production 2026: Back up your music and boost your computer's performance
Store recording sessions, video files, and sample libraries with our expert pick of the best external hard drives for Mac and PC
“I wanted to write it off after seeing the fretboard and feeling the back of the neck, but it won me over,”: Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 SD2 HH HT review
Charvel takes on the lower end of the market with an Indonesian-built T-type that has some very intriguing specifications
Best field recorders 2026: Top portable recorders for capturing sound on-the-go
Field recorders can unlock the sonics that surround us - here are my top picks from Tascam, Zoom, Teenage Engineering and more
Best multi-effects pedals 2026: Our pick of the best all-in-one guitar FX modellers
Our guide to the best multi-effects pedals will help you get your head around amp modelling pedals and multi-FX
Best DAWs 2026: The best digital audio workstations for PC and Mac
My expert pick of music production software packages for every budget and application - tested and rated
Best guitar cables 2026: Leads and patch cables for all budgets
Quality cables make the difference, here's our top picks from Mogami, Ernie Ball, Fender and more
“If this is the future of guitar, then sign me up”: Strandberg Boden Original N2.6T review
Look beyond the polarising aesthetic and you just might find something that completely changes your expectations of electric guitar
“It certainly appears a lot more expensive than it actually is”: Harley Benton Fusion IV HH FR review
The return of Harley Benton's Fusion series brings boutique spec at bedroom prices
With less than 24 hours left to go in Guitar Center's massive Guitar-A-Thon sale, this is your last chance to grab up to 30% discounts across the board - including $700 off a beautiful Gibson Les Paul
Here are 11 of the best deals still available in the Guitar-A-Thon, with the sale set to end on April 29th
I’m telling every producer I know to upgrade to Ableton Live Lite 12 today thanks to a 25% discount on all versions of this 4.5 star rated DAW
Find out why we called it “the best update in over a decade” before the sale ends on April 29th
Best metronomes 2026: The top mechanical and digital metronomes for musicians
Are you rushing, or are you dragging? You’ll know for sure with these essential time-keeping devices from Boss, Korg, Wittner, and more
“The ability to save multiple scenes for content creation, podcasting, and other creative endeavours makes it a very powerful interface indeed”: Yamaha URX44V review
Yamaha’s newest interface offers a high-tech hub for the multi-hyphenate creator
Best PCs for music production 2026: Apple Macs and Windows machines for your home studio
Discover the power that a desktop PC or Mac can bring to your music-making, with my expert pick of the best desktops for music production
