Latest articles by Ronan Macdonald
Best VST plugins: the finest synth, drum machine, sampler and effect plugins you can buy right now
It’s the ultimate plugin shopping list
Acoustic vs electronic drum kits: which is better for beginner drummers?
Is it better to learn on acoustic or electronic drums? We tackle the topics of noise, space, cost, playability and more to help you decide
Best reverb plugins 2025: Amazing space-makers for your DAW
Add atmosphere and pro polish to your mixes with these powerful reverb plugins
Best compressor plugins 2025: Our pick of the greatest in-the-box compressors for the budding producer
The software compressors you need if you want to impress
Best EQ plugins 2025: Mix, create, repair, and master with these 13 amazing equalizers
The best EQs you can buy today, for everything from simple frequency tweaks to full-on intelligent AI processing
Best vocal plugins 2025: Our pick of vocal processing software to make your voice shine
If you want that Auto-Tune effect, or need to make a bad vocal great, then these vocal processing plugins will help turn bad singing into perfect vocals, whatever music you make
Alesis Nitro Mesh kit vs Yamaha DTX402K vs Roland TD-1K: which e-kit is best for beginner drummers?
We beat the living daylights out of three beginner electronic drum sets to reveal the one most deserving of your attention
Produce your own music for less with these budget home studio setups
Everything you need to start recording music with our guide to cheap home studio recording gear – from laptops and headphones, to audio interfaces and monitors
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
A compact monitoring solution for when you need a forensic level of detail
Apple Logic Pro X 10.5
The venerable DAW takes the fight to Ableton Live, but can it compete?
iPad Pro vs MacBook Pro: which should you buy for music-making?
Looking for power or portability when it comes to your music-making machine? We take a closer look at two Apple devices to help you decide
Does Logic Pro X 10.3 make the MacBook Pro Touch Bar useful for musicians?
Time of the Bar?
Roland Cloud
Does the ‘all you can eat’ subscription service from the Japanese giant provide enough production tools to justify a monthly fee?
10 pieces of music software that every hip-hop producer should own
We’ve brought together 10 pieces of software that we think every urban producer should have in their arsenal
NAMM 2016: Tracktion Corporation enters the audio interface market and updates its DAW
Gaining Tracktion
NAMM 2016: PreSonus reveals high-end USB 3.0 mobile audio interface
It's the little things.
MOTU unleashes three new Thunderbolt audio interfaces
MOTU have released three high-end audio interfaces - the 1248, 16A and 8M - the headline features of which are Thunderbolt connectivity (alongside USB) and AVB networking
Apple Logic Pro X
Read the verdict on Drummer, Drum Kit Designer, Flex Pitch, the new MIDI effects, Apple Remote and more
Audio Ease Altiverb 7
Has the five years since the last Altiverb update been time well spent?
13 music software utilities that will make your life easier
We'd put money on there being at least one application or plugin here that could find a place in your studio and workflow
