Latest articles by Matt McCracken
“Jam-packed with features and functionality that will serve more experienced users well, and simple enough to use that pretty much anyone could pick it up and start making music with”: Akai MPK Mini IV review
Akai refines its classic MIDI keyboard and finally ditches the joystick
Best studio desks 2026: budget-spanning options for organising your recording studio space
Streamline your production setup and bring order to your creative space with one of the best desks for music production
Best condenser mics 2026: My expert picks for home recording, no matter your budget
Capture every nuance of a vocal and high-fidelity detail of an instrument with my condenser microphone recommendations from Rode, Neumann, Audio-Technica, Aston, AKG and more
Best guitar amp headphones 2026: My top picks for practicing your guitar quietly
Immerse yourself in your guitar playing with headphones, earphones and IEMs from Boss, Vox, Sennheiser, Shure, Focal and more…
After years of covering the NAMM cycle I've never seen flagship gear hit the shelves so quickly - here are 6 of the hottest NAMM 26 releases you can pick up right now
The biggest stars of NAMM 2026 are already in stock and ready to rock - including the much-discussed Quad Cortex Mini and a gigantic new MPC
Best guitar wireless systems 2026: Cut the cord and liberate your playing today
Invest in a transmitter/receiver and ditch trailing cables with our pick of the best wireless guitar systems from beginner to pro
Best electric guitar strings 2026: Sets for all styles and budgets
These are the very best guitar strings from Ernie Ball, D’Addario, Elixir, Rotosound and more
Best budget in-ear monitors 2026: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
My recommended budget IEMs for practice and performance – options starting from $45/£45
Best in-ear monitors 2026: IEMs for stage and studio
Our expert guide to the best in-ear monitors we've testedfor practice, performance and production, no matter your budget
Best home studio mixers 2026: analogue and digital mixing desks for all budgets
A comprehensive look at the best home studio mixers on the market today – from compact consoles to podcasting heavyweights
Best acoustic guitar strings 2026: Find your favourite acoustic strings
Our pick of the best acoustic guitar strings for your style and budget from Elixir, Ernie Ball, Martin, D'Addario, and more
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 2026: Affordable electrics
Get more for your money with my pick of the best value electric guitars below $500/£500
Best vocal mics 2026: Our top vocal microphones for stage and studio
Add some sheen to your vocals with the best dynamic and condenser mics from Shure, AKG, Rode, Aston, Telefunken, Neumann, and more
"I love that you don’t have to be a Mayer mega-fan to enjoy what’s on offer here": Neural DSP Archetype: John Mayer X review
Two opposing worlds collide in Neural DSP's latest plugin offering
Best laptop for DJs 2026: my choice of PCs, Macs, and Mac-alternatives for playing out
My hand-picked laptop choices for DJs, all perfect for Serato, rekordbox, Traktor, Ableton, Virtual DJ, and more
Best DJ headphones 2026: Booth-ready choices from budget to pro-level
Our expert pick of reliable headphones to suit any type of DJ, including options from Sennheiser, Technics, and Pioneer
Best budget studio monitors 2026: Make your mixes sing with these wallet-friendly home studio speakers
The best cheap studio monitors for home recording, with my hand-picked and affordable options from Adam, IK Multimedia, M-Audio, PreSonus and more
Best studio monitors 2026: Studio speakers for musicians and producers on any budget
My comprehensive guide to the best studio monitor speakers for home studio recording, whether you’re a beginner or pro producer
Best acoustic guitar for beginners: Strum your first chords with our choice of beginner acoustic guitars
Start playing today with beginner acoustics from Taylor, Fender, Epiphone, Martin and more – hand-picked by experts
Best synthesizers 2026: Top analogue, digital, mono and polysynths
From mini monosynths, through to mighty polyphonic workstations, our experts have hand-picked hardware synth recommendations for every budget
Best MIDI keyboards 2026: Find the perfect match for your studio workflow
My expert guide to the best MIDI keyboards of all sizes and budgets to integrate with your home studio
Best budget USB microphones 2026: Get creative and sound better for less
Our expert pick of the top cheap USB mics for streaming, podcasting, recording, gaming, work calls, and more
Best multi-effects pedals: 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
