Matt McCracken

Matt McCracken

Junior Deals Writer

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. He's an alumnus of Spirit Studios, where he studied Studio Engineering, Music Production, and Mastering. When not writing for MusicRadar, you'll find him making a racket with northern noise punks Never Better.

Latest articles by Matt McCracken

A home studio setup with laptop, audio interface, synthesizers, MIDI keyboard, and studio headphones
With up to 94% off at Plugin Boutique, these are the best plugin deals you’ll see for a while - here’s 5 picks from a mixing fanatic with 20 years in the home recording game

By Matt McCracken Published

Now’s the perfect time to upgrade your plugin collection with this ginormous sale at Plugin Boutique

Tech
A Gretsch Electromatic John Gourley Broadkaster lying on a wooden floor
"One of the standout signature guitars I’ve played in my time": Gretsch Electromatic John Gourley Broadkaster review

By Matt McCracken Published

A relatively affordable semi-hollow signature guitar with a stunning look from the man behind Portugal. The Man

Electric Guitars
The metering on a Universal Audio Apollo X6 audio interface
How to set the preamp gain on your audio interface

By Matt McCracken last updated

Ensure you are getting the best recording quality possible every time with our top tips

Audio Interfaces
A Mackie Onyx audio interface with cables plugged in on top of a flight case
How to plug mics and instruments into your audio interface

By Matt McCracken last updated

Not sure how to plug into your shiny new audio interface? Get set up for recording like a pro

Audio Interfaces
A Tascam Mixcast 4 podcast mixer on a desk
Best podcast mixers: 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

Audio Interfaces
A Harley Benton TE-52 NA Vintage Series electric guitar on a grey sofa
“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

Electric Guitars
A DigiTech JamMan Solo HD looper pedal on a wooden floor, next to a pedalboard
“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

Guitar Pedals
A Blackstar Polar 2 on a wooden floor with a MacBook and semi-hollow guitar
“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

Audio Interfaces
A studio setup with audio interface, studio monitors, electric guitar, and some studio microphones
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

Tech
A woman plays acoustic guitar with a capo
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

Guitars
Gretsch
Best beginner electric guitars: Start strong with our top picks

By Chris Corfield last updated

Our round-up of the best electric guitars for beginners, tested by experts

Electric Guitars
A variety of Waves plugins at an angle on a blue background
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

Plugins
An Arturia MiniFuse audio interface on a desk with a mixer and laptop
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

Audio Interfaces
Waves Berzerk plugin with large yellow 'Berzerk' lettering overlaid
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

Plugins
A man pushes a fader on an analogue mixer
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

Audio Interfaces
A selection of Waves audio plugins on a colourful background
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

Plugins
A woman uses a Mackie Mainstream streaming audio interface on a desk with a keyboard
Best audio interfaces for streaming: 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

Audio Interfaces
A selection of Native Instruments software, MIDI keyboard, and MIDI controller on a light coloured background
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

Software & Apps
An Arturia MiniFuse 2 audio interface on a wooden table
Best audio interfaces under $200/£200: 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

Software & Apps
A Positive Grid Spark Mini practice amp on a red and pink background
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

Guitar Accessories & Components
A Universal Audio Volt 1 audio interface on a desk
“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

Audio Interfaces
Various audio interfaces lying a wooden table
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

Audio Interfaces
An Arturia MiniFuse 1 audio interface on a desktop with various musical equipment in the background
"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

Audio Interfaces
A selection of Native Instruments Play Series instruments on a green background
Get 3 Native Instruments Play Series instruments for a bargainous $59 - these are the ones we have in our basket

By Matt McCracken Published

Expand your sound selection with a huge discount on drums, synths, vocals, and loads more - offer ends on 6 May

Software & Apps
Fender CP-60S Parlour review
“It’s an inspiring guitar to play whether strumming or playing fingerstyle”: Fender CP-60S Parlour review

By Matt McCracken Published

This parlour version of Fender’s best-selling beginner acoustic offers big tones in a smaller, more comfortable package

Acoustic Guitars
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