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 or downloading new plugins, you’ll find him making a racket with Northern noise hounds JACKALS.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken
![Boss Katana-50 MkII guitar amplifier with a microphone](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iE7z98LYkoMLLSPCWxPhVe-320-80.jpg)
Best guitar amps under $300/£300: Get the guitar tone you want for less
By Matt McCracken last updated
From practising at home to playing your first gig, the best guitar amps under $300/£300 will help elevate your guitar playing
![Ferndale P3-E Parlor guitar on a wooden floor](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/J2EdLxkL8F4XFtFf92WkfG-320-80.jpg)
Ferndale P3-E Parlor electro-acoustic guitar review
By Matt McCracken published
From UK retailers PMT comes Ferndale with a fresh take on the parlor guitar, but will it stand out in a crowded market?
![TC Electronic Polytune clip-on tuner on a Martin acoustic guitar headstock](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cUCfmZ785ZLWhcoLuL3LX5-320-80.jpg)
Best clip-on guitar tuners: Top headstock and soundhole tuners to buy right now
By Richard Blenkinsop last updated
Keep your tuning in check in all scenarios with the best clip-on tuners for guitar, bass and ukulele
![Boss DS-1 distortion pedal on a wooden floor](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qBHVSMxycDEmLgxSVADH9J-320-80.jpg)
Best cheap guitar pedals 2024: Budget-friendly stompboxes that prove cheap doesn't mean compromising on tone
By Daryl Robertson last updated
Beat the cost of living crisis with our pick of budget pedals from Boss, Electro-Harmonix, TC Electronic, Ibanez, Pro Co, and more
![Positive Grid Riff audio interface with cables and headphones](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TEhBMzVhhcNnSr9SH8wx2e-320-80.jpg)
Give the gift of great tone this Father's Day with these Positive Grid deals
By Matt McCracken published
Get yourself money off and a free gift with these tempting deals on Positive Grid Spark, Spark Mini, and BIAS software
![Close up of Telecaster bridge pickup](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NKMLaqhDUsi5ikKY5meqQX-320-80.jpg)
Best Telecaster pickups: Our top picks from Tele twang to single coil-sized humbuckers
By Matt McCracken published
Upgrade the tone of your Tele with these powerful pickups from Fender, Seymour Duncan, Mojotone, and more
![NI Komplete Kontrol M32 MIDI keyboard on a blue and black background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BttYYd65PEqpmWuB4G7eCX-320-80.jpg)
Get Komplete 14 Select completely free when you purchase a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol M32 MIDI keyboard
By Matt McCracken published
Bag yourself a saving of $199/£179 with this amazing offer from Native Instruments
![Home recording studio with computer, studio monitors, and various hardware](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9kgDjUrfgkE4tzLHPMowB8-320-80.jpg)
Best saturation plugins: Bring your mix to life with these studio secret weapons
By Matt McCracken published
Ignite individual tracks or give your mix the finishing flourish with our pick of the best saturation plugins from SoundToys, FabFilter, Brainworx, and more
![AKG studio headpones, DSM & Humboldt Amp Sim and JBL speakers surrounding an AKG Lyra USB microphone](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tTw7q9rrXE5fbgGUvxgtfg-320-80.jpg)
Elevate your audio with these incredible deals on select AKG, JBL, and DSM & Humboldt gear at Thomann
By Matt McCracken published
From headphones to wireless Bluetooth monitors, these amazing Spring deals at Thomann are only available while stocks last
![Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre on top of a guitar cab with studio headphones and microphone](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3bKMc3H3S2fkztcc6XMUAW-320-80.png)
Best budget mic preamps: Upgrade your studio setup for less
By Matt McCracken published
Add vibe to your vocals and sheen to your instrument sounds with our selection of the best budget mic preamps available today
![MXR M303 Clone Looper on a wooden floor](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UVK6i4rHn5uRxVSnVy2wKR-320-80.jpg)
Best looper pedals 2024: fatten up your live guitar performances
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Explore our pick of compact and floorboard loop stations and the best looper pedals for guitarists at every budget
![Home studio set up](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tkSRgJ49XGScxve3yPoR5K-320-80.jpg)
How to optimize your PC for music production
By Matt McCracken published
Follow our top tips to refresh your PC and improve your production workflow - all without spending a penny
![Microsoft Surface Pro 9 on a music desk](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dqZ57bGz3opM4smSEnuscG-320-80.jpg)
Microsoft Surface Pro 9 review
By Matt McCracken published
Microsoft’s hybrid tablet-slash-laptop packs some serious power, but can it level up your music production?
![Two Fender Player Series guitars on a grey background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MkbbpdJZDgtazbda2sTLg6-320-80.jpg)
Bag yourself up to $180 off Fender Player and Player Plus bundles in the Fender Spring Sale
By Matt McCracken published
Fender’s much-lauded guitars get a healthy discount with these awesome bundle deals including Hammertone pedals and more
![Man plays orange Stratocaster guitar](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4cNonnMwH5i8fGWQsMbJe7-320-80.jpg)
Upgrade your guitar playing with a month’s worth of Guitar Tricks lessons for just $1
By Matt McCracken published
Get access to over 11,000 online guitar lessons with this exclusive offer for MusicRadar readers
![Close up of Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yj8zGpAmHBvewS3YuTxKNa-320-80.jpg)
Save a huge $300 on perfect guitar tones with the excellent Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box at Guitar Center
By Matt McCracken published
This invaluable studio tool enables you to fully utilize the power of your tube amp from the comfort of your home studio
![Boss Katana, Fender Tone Master, Yamaha THR, and Blackstar Silverline modelling amps on an orange background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CCwHweT7rrV42FqViP32he-320-80.jpg)
Best modelling amps: Variety is the spice of life with these awesome amplifiers
By Matt McCracken last updated
If you’re the type of guitar player who likes to regularly change their sound, then you need the best modelling amps
![Ubisoft Rocksmith+ RS noteway](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y6KbN3a2rmK8CpYFgtsAhD-320-80.jpg)
Ubisoft Rocksmith+ review
By Matt McCracken published
The much-loved guitar game franchise gets a refresh for the modern era, but is it a video game, an online guitar lesson platform, or both?
![Two TC Electronic mini guitar pedals on a wooden floor](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SgfAHQPfKtnU2yLiYWdgFZ-320-80.jpg)
Best mini pedals: Give your ‘board some breathing room with these small-scale stompboxes
By Matt McCracken published
Our choice of mini guitar pedals for phenomenal cosmic tones, with an itty bitty pedalboard footprint
![Home studio setup with a laptop running AmpliTube](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ebgzbQWtdh5ZVEwMk2oZU9-320-80.jpg)
Best guitar VSTs: guitar plugins and software to supercharge your guitar recordings
By Chris Corfield last updated
Elevate your sound in the studio with our pick of the best guitar VSTs for guitarists
![Eventide Physion MkII screen grab](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JQbzXkZJuhf5LZydgY9jBi-320-80.jpg)
Best creative multi-effects plugins: Transform your tracks with these cutting-edge creative tools
By Matt McCracken published
Supercharge your samples and take those tired old synth sounds to a new level with our choice of the top multi-effects plugins
![iZotope Ozone 10](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iHCSyoxB3giXXAsTYtBZoa-320-80.jpg)
Best mastering plugins 2023: 10 plugins to make your mix streaming ready
By Matt McCracken published
Ensure your mix is able to compete in the loudness war with our top mastering plugins from iZotope, Waves, Softube, and more
![Soundtoys EchoBoy screen grab](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WvzTpSeDPsfMEFKCs76T25-320-80.jpg)
Best delay plugins: Add depth and dimension to your mixes with these must-have plugins
By Matt McCracken published
From self-oscillation to digital emulation, these are the best delay plugins for your productions
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