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 you'll find him in at Spirit Studios where he's currently studying Sound Engineering and Music Production.
Latest articles by Matt McCracken

Best mini pedals 2025: 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

Best guitar VSTs 2025: 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

Best creative multi-effects plugins 2025: 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

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

Best delay plugins 2025: 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

Take advantage of Fender Play's new year deals with 50% off annual subscriptions and a two-week free trial
By Matt McCracken published
This latest offer from Fender Play will have you on your way to becoming a guitar virtuoso without breaking the bank

Best budget guitar amps under $500/£500 in 2025: top cheap amps for smaller budgets
By Chris Corfield published
We showcase some of the best cheap tube and digital modelling guitar amp heads and combos, for all playing styles

Bag yourself a free Riff audio interface when you purchase Positive Grid’s Omnyss or BIAS FX 2
By Matt McCracken published
Give yourself the gift of great tone on the go, with this last-minute Christmas deal from Positive Grid

IK Multimedia’s epic Black Friday deal has been extended - save up to 85% off Max versions of Total Studio, AmpliTube, SampleTank, and T-RackS
By Matt McCracken published
Get the MAX Total Studio 3.5, AmpliTube 5, SampleTank 4, and T-RackS 5 for their lowest-ever prices right through to 31 December!
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