This gear guide will help you find the right studio recording microphones for your budget and needs.

The focus is on top rated condenser and dynamic mics that are currently being used to record vocals in home recording and professional studios.

MIDI controllers have been fundamental tools for producing music due to their versatility and portability. They provide control over a computer software sequencers and virtual synthesizers, as well as external sound modules. This guide covers highly rated affordable keyboard controllers, with options ranging from 25 to 49 keys.

The great thing about 25 key MIDI controllers is their portability and the small amount of space they take up. They're not designed to replace a full size keyboard, but rather to offer convenience - that said some of the higher-end options are packed with an impressive range of features these days.

Here we look at the best travel guitars on the market today, covering both acoustic and electric models, all of which are smaller and lighter to make your journey more comfortable.

Electronic drums are a heck of a lot of fun to play with, but more importantly they're the best way to learn, practice and improve your chops without making all the noise associated with acoustic drums - just slip your headphones on and you're good to go!

Closed headphones are essential for any recording setup to prevent spill into live microphones while tracking. These recommended headphones are all circumaural and are designed specifically for use in recording rather than for standard consumer applications, although audiophiles will appreciate their high level of performance.

Here we look at what the market considers as the best cheap ukes you can get for under $50. We've included bundled packages that have extras like carry bags and tuners which help make them suitable for beginners.

A guitar rig is only as strong as its weakest link, so it pays to get the right patch cables for the job. Here we present you with what the market considers to be the best guitar patch cables, covering a variety of price ranges and bundles. Our list of recommendations includes detailed descriptions of each one, along with noteworthy feedback from real world users.

The acoustic guitar has long been, and continues to be, the most accessible music instrument available.

Having the right mic to record this prolific instrument is critical to a good recording setup for any musician or studio.

With their ability to handle high sound pressure levels and reject background noise, dynamic microphones continue to be vital in both live performances and recording. We have analyzed the most current reviews and ratings of the many dynamic mics on the market, to bring you a list of the top ones deserving of your consideration.

This guide is for anyone looking for a new compressor for their 500 Series rack.

For this June 2018 update we expanded our short-list and examined reviews and forum comments from around the web to produce a new set of ratings for all eligible 500 series compressors.

As part of our June 2018 update we've expanded this guide to include smaller mic kits in addition to 7 mic kits. We made this change because although 7 mics are the minimum you need to properly mic a standard 5-piece drum set, many of our readers already have some mics and don't need a full 7 mic set.

Guitar amplifiers don't just amplify sound, they also shape and color the sound. This is especially true for tube amps, and is the reason why amps are considered as vital to tone as guitars themselves. Here we feature the best tube amps that fit the average guitarists' budget, based on actual user feedback and market sentiment.

61-Key MIDI keyboard controllers are big enough for complex two hand playing, while still retaining compact and portable profiles. As such, they are ideal instruments for Keyboardists who are looking for a controller that can be used both in the studio and for live performances.

With the right audio interface, you can turn your iPad into a full featured recording studio. Unfortunately, it can can tricky to work out which audio interfaces works best wit the iPad. So to help you find the best audio interface for your iPad, we have scoured the market for ones that actually work with the iPad and get good reviews, ratings and recommendations.

This is different to our other guitar amp guides in that we have first determined which brands have the highest average ratings via analysis of 20,403 review and rating sources, then we have selected the highest rated amp by each brand

Whether you're looking to get your first good MIDI interface, or if you're looking to upgrade so you can plug more MIDI devices simultaneously into your computer, then this guide is for you. Note that many of these interfaces are class compliant so you'll also be able to use them with iOS or Linux as well as Mac and Windows.

This guide is intended for adults, including both musicians and non-musicians, who want to buy a drum set for children around 10 years old or younger. If the intended recipient is much older than that, or if they're tall for their age, then please refer to our guide for full-sized beginner drum sets.

When you need to work on your recorded music you need to hear exactly how it sounds, warts and all.

Generally speaking, multimedia and hi-fi speakers are not suitable for the task because they tend to color the sound. This is where good studio monitors come in...

Whether you play Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic-Electric Guitar or Bass, we've got you covered when it comes to choosing your next tuner. In fact, we short-listed 52 tuners and analyzed over 23,000 sources to bring you what we believe is the most comprehensive guitar tuner guide currently available.

Building your very own personalized guitar has never been this easy, thanks to DIY (Do-It-Yourself) guitar kits. Here we look at what the market considers to be the best of them, covering a good variety of guitar shapes and styles.

The $200 to $300 price range has some nice amps with serious tone and flexibility. Since tone quality inspires better and longer playing, and sonic versatility allows for exploration of other musical styles, these amps are ideal for first time buyers, and for experienced players who want something compact.

The sub $500 price range is the sweet spot where you can find many guitar amps with good value and overall quality. Here we look at the best of these market leading combo amplifiers, to help you in your pursuit of great guitar tone and functionality.

We sought to make this the most comprehensive guide to electronic drums by conducting a detailed survey of the most popular and highly rated electronic kits at major online American music gear stores, which led to us short-listing 34 kits for detailed analysis for which we examined over 3,100 reviews, ratings, videos, and forum posts.

To enjoy your instrument without testing the limits of people's noise tolerance, you'll want a good guitar headphone amplifier.

Stand alone mic preamps are a great way to enhance the quality and character of your microphone recordings as well as allowing you to add extra mic enabled channels to your setup. Ordinary preamps built into audio interfaces and mixing desks are usually solid performers but dedicated preamps can add that extra warmth and clarity.

A great pair of headphones can make all the difference in producing quality studio recordings and overall listening satisfaction. This goes especially for home recording environments where proper acoustically treated rooms are less common, often limiting the accuracy of open air speaker systems.

When budget is limited, we often go for gear that can do more. This applies to condenser mics in the sub $100 price range, where musicians are mostly looking for an all-in-one budget friendly mic. This list serves this particular demand, featuring condenser microphones that have proven themselves to be valuable additions to home studios.

Stage pianos are great instruments built for live use by piano players. They tend to have the necessary components that a travelling musician needs. Given that they have a slimmer and more compact build, transporting and setting them up is easy.

Guitar cables can't make you sound better, but bad ones can make you sound bad, if not totally cut off your sound. This results in uninspiring and often awkward experiences that musicians try to forget. To avoid this we present the best guitar and instrument cables, covering a wide price range so you can choose one that fits your preference and budget.

If you're a DJ, musician or live sound engineer, the first thing you will have noticed when looking for professional PA subwoofers is that the market is extremely crowded with an almost endless number of options - this guide will help you decide which subwoofer to get by showing you the highest rated ones currently available.

Overdrive is an incredibly useful effect. To start with, it gives you familiar rock guitar tones, from subtle grit to crunch. On more complex setups, it can be used to add girth to an already distorted sound, and give your lead the cutting boost to take your solos to the next level. If you’re looking for the best overdrive pedals, check out our recommendations!

Stage monitors allow performers to hear themselves and others on stage. Without stage or floor monitors it can be very difficult to stay in time and sing in tune.

We have decided to focus this gear guide on floor monitors (also called wedge/foldback speakers) since they provide good area coverage and they are what most people use.

This guide is designed to help anyone who wants to get some new full-sized microphone stands either for stage or studio use.

Powered Speakers, also known as active speakers, are loudspeakers with amplifiers built into their enclosures. This combination results in improved versatility, making powered speakers more and more popular among musicians, sound engineers, and DJs.

The basic mechanical filtration of pop filters is so practical and efficient, that we still haven't found better alternatives. Positioned between the singer and the microphone they stop fast moving air from hitting the mic capsule and while filtering unwanted "pops", they also prevent saliva and moisture from getting into the microphone.

Just like any other instrument, ukuleles come in different shapes, sizes, and materials. And in order to find the best ukulele for you, you have to know what it kind of you tone you’re looking for. So if you’re not sure which ukulele is going to work best for you, check out our recommendations!

When you want a microphone to record with that's "plug and play", and you don't want to deal with using an audio interface, that's when you need to get a USB mic.

They are also great for mobile recording because you can just plug them directly into your laptop or tablet without any additional power requirements in most cases.

This guide is primarily meant to help beginner guitarists in getting good affordable instruments. And it is also a good resource for experienced players who want a cheap guitar to modify and experiment with.

Humidifying your guitar is an important part of maintaining your instrument. So to protect your precious instrument from damage, you’re going to want to find the best guitar humidifier for your situation. Check out our recommendations to see which will work best for you!

If you have an acoustic guitar with pickups you need a specialized acoustic amp if you want to bring out the natural tone of your instrument.

These amps aim to be transparent so they are also good at amplifying vocals - this means that many of these amps are also designed to work well as small PA systems.

This guide is designed to help anyone who is currently looking for a good inexpensive guitar amplifier. We have only included combo amps which you can take out of the box and start using immediately without having to buy an additional speaker cabinet.

Gigging with an acoustic guitar can be a headache if you don’t have an acoustic guitar pickup, and if you don’t get the best acoustic guitar pickup for you you’re never going to get the tone you want. So rather than go in blind, check out our recommendations!

Balanced XLR Cables are used to connect microphones and other balanced output music gear into mixing consoles. They continue to be the industry standard for both recording and live performance because they can shield your signal from interference, and transfer your audio over longer distances.

Preamps for acoustic guitars and other acoustic instruments are great for bringing out a more natural and clear sound. Every kind of acoustic pickup has it's trade-offs and good preamps help emphasize the acoustic tone, add warmth and make the sound more realistic as well as reducing any unwanted frequencies.

The main job of a DI Box is to convert your (1/4" TS) instrument lead signal 'directly' into the (balanced 3-pin XLR) microphone inputs that a mixing console typically has. Unlike a simple headphone adaptor (1/4" to 1/8") it has to convert the differences in impedance and voltage between the two sides of the connection.

Harmonicas have gained various nicknames, including blues harp, tin sandwich, pocket piano and mouth harp. Its handheld and rectangular design, along with its ability to produce a range of tones, are the reasons for why the harmonica has earned these names

Keyboard amplifiers tend to be quite versatile with many able to amplify a wide range of input sources from keyboards and synths to vocals, electronic drums, acoustic guitars, bass, drum machines and backing machines. Some of the multi-channel options can even be used as small PA systems ideal for practice sessions or performing in small venues.

Chorus is one of the most pervasive effects in the industry, used in dozens of the most famous records ever released. However, like other modulation effects the factors that decide a chorus effect’s overall quality are shrouded in technical jargon. So rather than go in blind, take a look through the pedals we’ve collected.

We have decided to sift through what's available to present you with the best modeling amps for guitar, divided into three price brackets that fit the average budget. In addtion, we've included important features and noteworthy feedback from both experts and users, to give you a good overview of how well each one is received.

MIDI Pad controllers are great tools, originally used for playing or sequencing drums and other forms of percussion. Today, musicians are finding creative ways to use these types of controllers where hitting a pad triggers sound samples and loops. This guide is for those who are looking for an alternative or supplementary tool for keyboard controllers.

Looper pedals have become indispensable to musicians, thanks to their ability to create clones which you can use as virtual backup musicians and singers. Here we look at what the market considers as the best looper pedals, divided into two categories - Compact & Multiswitch.

Whether you're a pianist looking for something in the MIDI controller arena, or you're looking for a DAW controller and want a full sized bed, this updated guide has you covered.

Nylon has been the material of choice for flamenco, classical, and many fingerstyle guitarists for decades. First introduced as an alternative to the gut strings used prior to the material’s introduction, nylon has proven itself to be a valuable option due to its affordability and resilience.

Here we feature the best guitar straps for electric and acoustic guitars. We also include top rated strap button adapters and classical guitar straps, to better accommodate different guitar types.

Looking for a portable and affordable alternative to your expensive and bulky bass amplifiers? Or are you simply looking for a way to improve your sound? If yes, then this gear guide is for you, featuring the best bass preamps available.

While there's really no replacing a good drummer, the convenience, versatility and reliability that drum machines provide make them very practical and useful.