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Gear Reviews
We buy it, use it, and tell you the truth about it. No sponsored fluff — just honest assessments from a producer who's been around the block.
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The foundation of your home studio — choose wisely.
The Solo packs Focusrite's 4th Gen preamp excellence into the most affordable Scarlett yet, with Auto Gain and Clip Safe. Perfect for solo artists and podcasters who record one source at a time.
The world's most popular audio interface just got better — Auto Gain, Clip Safe, and a 112dB dynamic range make the 4th Gen 2i2 the definitive beginner studio interface.
SSL's legendary 4K Legacy Mode adds genuine console character to every recording. The MIDI I/O and dual headphone outputs make it a step above at a similar price.
UA brings Vintage mode warmth and a 76-style compressor to under £180. The all-metal build and genuine analogue character make it the most interesting interface at this price.
The AudioBox 96 bundles the full Studio One Artist DAW — making it exceptional total value for beginners who need both an interface and a professional DAW.
Six inputs, MIDI I/O, S/PDIF, and 114dB dynamic range — the KA6 Mk2 is the most connected interface in its price class, ideal for complex multi-source studio setups.
Audient's console-grade preamp technology for under £80 is a remarkable achievement. The Smart Gain feature makes setting levels effortless for beginners.
The MOTU M2's 120dB dynamic range and full-colour LCD display make it the most technically impressive interface under £200. The audiophile choice for producers who demand accuracy.
The most affordable usable audio interface available. The preamps are functional rather than impressive, but at £49 it gets beginners started without breaking the bank.
Four balanced outputs and Hi-Z instrument inputs set the Rubix24 apart from Focusrite alternatives. The ideal interface for guitarists who need direct recording and dual-monitor connectivity.
Play it in, don't click it in.
The Analog Lab V software bundle included with the MiniLab 3 contains 500 world-class preset sounds worth more than the controller itself. The most extraordinary value purchase in music production.
The world's best-selling compact controller packs a 4-way joystick, 8 MPC pads, an arpeggiator, and note repeat into a device smaller than a laptop keyboard. The go-to portable controller.
Polyphonic aftertouch on full-size keys at this price is extraordinary. The deepest Ableton Live integration available makes the Launchkey 37 MK4 the best controller under £200.
49 full-size keys, 9 faders, 9 knobs, and Analog Lab V — the most complete production package in its price bracket. Excellent for Logic and Cubase users who want full DAW control.
Light Guide per-key RGB illumination and NKS integration make the M32 the ideal compact controller for Native Instruments users. Scale, Chord, and Arpeggio modes help non-musicians too.
The definitive Ableton Live performance controller — 40 RGB clip buttons, 8 track faders, and a crossfader create a professional live setup that makes mouse-and-keyboard feel prehistoric.
64 pads with polyphonic aftertouch and standalone MIDI operation make the Launchpad Pro Mk3 the most capable pad controller at this price. Expressive, versatile, and built for professionals.
ROLI's revolutionary soft-surface keyboard enables five dimensions of expressive touch that no conventional keyboard can replicate. For producers curious about new forms of musical expression.
Wireless Bluetooth connectivity makes the nanoKEY Studio uniquely suited to cable-free iOS production. The ideal companion for iPad-based mobile studio setups.
49 full-size keys and 9 faders for under £120 is remarkable value. The built-in DAW maps for all major platforms make it the most affordable full-size controller with genuine mixing control.
Hear the truth. Mix for any system.
The compact HS5 brings the legendary Yamaha flat response to small studios. Its honest, accurate monitoring ensures mixes translate reliably across every playback system.
The HS8 is the industry standard for mix translation — 38Hz bass extension and a flat response that forces honest mix decisions. The most reliable studio monitor investment at this price.
Adam Audio's ribbon tweeter brings exceptional high-frequency detail to an affordable 5" monitor. The T5V reveals stereo width, cymbal clarity, and reverb tails that dome-tweeter monitors miss.
The T7V adds significant bass extension to the T5V's ribbon tweeter excellence. The ideal choice for producers who need high-frequency detail and low-end accuracy from a single monitor.
The built-in 25-band DSP room correction EQ makes the Rokit 5 G4 uniquely adaptable to acoustically challenging rooms. Engaging sound with app-controlled calibration.
The Rokit 8 G4 delivers powerful 35Hz bass extension and 111dB SPL with built-in DSP correction. A serious low-end monitoring solution popular in hip-hop and electronic studios.
Professional Genelec accuracy in a palm-sized die-cast aluminium cabinet. The 8010A delivers the most precise stereo imaging available in its compact size class.
Focal's inverted dome tweeter and exceptional midrange clarity produce fatigue-free professional monitoring. The monitor of choice for engineers who need hours of accurate listening.
The most affordable studio monitor pair with acoustic tuning controls. The Eris E3.5 offers a genuine step up from consumer desktop speakers at an entry-level price.
The legendary horror cube used by professional mix engineers to reveal midrange translation problems. If your mix sounds good on the Auratone, it'll sound good on anything.
Mix anywhere, hear everything.
The most recommended studio headphone on the planet — balanced, accurate, excellent isolation, and three detachable cables. The definitive closed-back studio monitor headphone.
Closed-back kings built to last decades — superb isolation, exceptional detail, and German build quality that outperforms rivals at twice the price. The tracking session's best friend.
The open-back counterpart to the DT 770 delivers a wide, natural soundstage ideal for mixing. Requires a headphone amplifier to perform at its best, but the results are outstanding.
A legendary open-back reference headphone with warm, natural tonality and exceptional imaging. Mixing on the HD 650 is a genuinely luxurious experience that reveals every nuance.
Used in professional studios worldwide for over 30 years — the MDR-7506 is a proven, reliable, and portable studio reference that's become an industry standard.
Shure's professional studio headphone delivers a balanced, analytical sound with excellent comfort and both coiled and straight cables included. An underrated alternative to the M50x.
AKG's auto-mute feature silences the headphones when removed from your head — a genuine time-saver during tracking sessions. Accurate, analytical sound with detachable cables.
Focal's speaker engineering expertise applied to headphones — exceptional midrange clarity and a wider soundstage than most closed-back designs. Premium monitoring for discerning engineers.
Rode's debut studio headphone features a revolutionary interchangeable headband for a personalised fit, detailed sound to 38kHz, and professional build quality. A compelling M50x alternative.
Planar magnetic resolution at a price serious producers can afford — the LCD-1's soundstage, detail, and bass accuracy are in a completely different class from dynamic driver headphones.
The tools that actually move the needle.
The wavetable synthesiser that defined modern electronic music. Drag-and-drop modulation, custom wavetables, and a massive community of presets make it the universal language of sound design.
Massive X delivers unique dual-oscillator character, deep modulation routing, and savage bass tones that Serum can't replicate. Essential for producers of hard electronic and bass music.
The warm analogue synth that never goes out of fashion. Sylenth1's musical character and simple workflow make it the go-to for trance leads, house stabs, and lush pads.
The best EQ plugin ever made — Spectral Dynamics, EQ Sketch, and 24 bands of surgical precision make Pro-Q 4 the industry-standard choice for every serious mixing engineer.
Eight distinct compression styles and a full parametric sidechain EQ make Pro-C 2 the most versatile compressor plugin available. One plugin that handles every compression scenario.
The mastering limiter of choice for professionals worldwide. True peak limiting, multiple algorithms, and streaming LUFS targeting make Pro-L 2 essential for competitive masters.
The most recommended plugin at any price — 18 reverb algorithms that sound like hardware costing thousands, at £45. Every producer needs Valhalla Room. No exceptions.
AI-powered mastering in a single plugin. Master Assistant, streaming LUFS targeting, and a complete mastering chain make Ozone 11 the most accessible route to professional masters.
Sixteen legendary creative effects plugins including EchoBoy and Decapitator. The most inspiring effects bundle in music production — defines the character of contemporary recordings.
The industry-standard sampler that unlocks thousands of world-class libraries. Kontakt 7 is the foundation of the most comprehensive sample instrument ecosystem in existence.
The legendary SSL bus comp that glues a mix together like nothing else. Excellent character on mix bus, drum bus, and bass — often available for under £30 on sale.
200+ plugins covering SSL, API, Neve, and Abbey Road emulations alongside vocal tools, mastering suites, and creative effects — the most comprehensive plugin bundle available.
World-class European processing from Brainworx, SPL, and Shadow Hills — M/S processing, transient design, and mix bus compression from some of the most respected names in audio.
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