
Matt McCracken
Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at MusicRadar. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on audio interfaces, studio headphones, studio monitors, and pretty much anything else home recording-related. Responsible for over 60 buying guides, a large part of his role is helping musicians find the best deals on gear. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for various music sites including Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog.
A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live and producing bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at. When he's not holed up in his home studio recording new songs you'll find him in at Spirit Studios where he's currently studying Sound Engineering and Music Production.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken

Best podcast mixers 2025: The central hub of your podcasting setup
By Chris Corfield last updated
Find the ideal mixer for podcasting with our top picks from Rode, Yamaha, PreSonus, and others – from budget to pro

“Left me wishing my first guitar had been this much fun to play”: Harley Benton TE-52 NA Vintage Series review
By Matt McCracken published
We get hands-on with one of the cheapest guitars in the Harley Benton range

Best small studio monitors 2025: Compact speakers from budget to professional
By Si Truss last updated
The best speakers for small studios and portable use, from KRK, Focal, IK Multimedia and more

Best cheap microphones for recording 2025: Budget microphones for studio and stage
By Chris Corfield last updated
Record instruments or vocals, make a podcast or boost live performances for less, with our pick of the best budget microphones around

“Huge storage and ability to load your own loops make it an instrument in its own right”: DigiTech JamMan Solo HD review
By Matt McCracken published
We welcome back another DigiTech staple with massive storage and stereo-looping capabilities

“Feels like you’re playing through an amp with excellent low-latency performance”: Blackstar Polar 2 review
By Matt McCracken published
We get hands-on with the new guitarist-friendly audio interface from British amp manufacturer Blackstar

How to use an amp simulator with an audio interface
By Matt McCracken published
Turns out we may have all been using our amp simulator plugins completely wrong. Let's clear up the matter once and for all

Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: Top picks for strummers on a budget
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
Your guide to the best cheap acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars out there, with amazing value options from Martin, Taylor, Fender, and more

Learn to play guitar for just $4.99 a month with this mammoth Fender Play discount - get 60% off for a limited time
By Matt McCracken published
Ending on July 6th, this huge 60% reduction on a Fender Play annual plan won’t be around for long

Best beginner electric guitars 2025: Start strong with our top picks
By Chris Corfield last updated
Our round-up of the best electric guitars for beginners, tested by experts

Waves just slashed pretty much every plugin down to only $29.99 - including the channel strip we swear by
By Matt McCracken published
With 239 plugins reduced to just $29.99, it's the perfect time to refurbish your plugin folder

Will upgrading your audio interface improve sound quality? It's time to bust some myths...
By Matt McCracken published
Wondering whether a new interface will have a noticeable impact on the quality of your recordings? We take a look at the science to find the answer

Best pedalboards 2025: top choice 'boards for guitarists
By Alex Lynham last updated
Organise your guitar effects pedal collection with one of the best pedalboards available from Pedaltrain, D'Addario, Gator and more

Today is your last chance to grab Waves's bonkers distortion plugin Berzerk for free - exclusive to MusicRadar readers
By Matt McCracken last updated
We've teamed up with Waves to offer you Berzerk for free (rather than $29.99) until 1400 BST/0900 EST – find out how to claim your plugin for nothing

Audio interface vs mixer: Which should you choose for your home studio?
By Matt McCracken published
There’s more than one way to get audio in and out of your computer - we look at two of the most common options for musicians

Waves just slashed the price on 20 of their best-selling plugins, including Waves Tune and Vocal Rider at just $35.99 each
By Matt McCracken published
Mix like a pro for less with cut-price channel strips, AI noise removal tools and creative plugins in the Waves best-seller's sale

Best audio interfaces for streaming 2025: Elevate your content with our pick of budget-spanning devices
By Chris Corfield last updated
Take your live-streaming game to the next level with our pick of streaming audio interfaces from Mackie, Elgato, Roland, PreSonus, and more

Bag a huge 50% off top-rated Native Instruments synths, instruments, effects, and select hardware in their unmissable Summer of Sound sale
By Matt McCracken published
Grab yourself unbeatable deals on Massive, Monark, FM8, Komplete 14, Traktor Pro 3, and loads more in this huge sale

Best audio interfaces under $200/£200 2025: Make high-quality recordings that won't break the bank
By Andy Jones last updated
Our pick of sub-$/£200 audio interfaces from Focusrite, Audient, Arturia and more

Amp up Father's Day with Positive Grid's epic sale - score up to 40% off the Spark, Spark Mini, Spark Go, and more
By Matt McCracken published
Get them a well-deserved gift this Father’s Day with big savings on smart amps, software, and loads more

“Plenty of functionality to grow into and perfect for the solo or beginner recording musician”: Universal Audio Volt 1 review
By Matt McCracken published
UA’s budget audio interface looks to bring the sound of vintage mic pres to the masses

How to get more out of your audio interface
By Matt McCracken last updated
We look at what you’re not doing with your audio interface, and how you can expand its usability

"Despite the teeny tiny size it’s packing loads of useful features": Arturia MiniFuse 1 review
By Matt McCracken published
We put Arturia’s bite-sized budget audio interface to the test
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