Katie Anderson
Katie learned the ropes mixing bands in Southampton's pubs and clubs, a port city used to a steady churn of touring acts. Years behind the desk gave her a practical, no-nonsense understanding of how live sound actually works. She writes about PA, live sound and stage gear.
Hi Hat Cymbals Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The hi-hat is the most expressive cymbal on the kit — and understanding its construction tells you everything about how it sounds. Here's what you need to know.
Common Bass Drum Mistakes to Avoid
From tuning in isolation to a flat, over-muffled sound: the recurring bass drum mistakes that are easy to fix once you know to look for them.
Word Clock: A Complete Buyer's Guide
A dedicated word clock unit is genuinely useful in complex multi-device systems — but many studios do not need one. This guide helps you work out whether to buy, and what to look for if you do.
The Best Boss Drum Albums for the Money
The right BOSS drum machine depends on whether you need quick preset rhythms, full pattern programming, or live performance integration — these are the machines worth considering at each price point.
Bells Explained: Features, Types and Tips
An overview of percussion bells: handbells for melody, orchestral chimes for colour, cowbells for texture. Learn materials, tuning, and how bell properties affect tone and pitch.
Pop Filter: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Fabric mesh, metal mesh or foam? This buyer's guide cuts through the choices, covering what actually matters when picking a screen for vocal and podcast recording.
The Complete Guide to Stage Box Allen Heath
Allen & Heath stage boxes deliver the reliability, flexibility and durability that professional sound reinforcement demands, connecting your stage inputs to the mixing console.
Cymbals for Beginners: A Complete Guide
What a nervous first-timer actually needs to know about cymbals — the first three to learn, how to mount them safely, and how to play them without worry.
The Ultimate Guide to Drums Notation
Drum notation looks baffling at first glance, but it's a genuinely logical system once you know what each symbol and staff position means.
Powered Mixer Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A powered mixer combines a mixing console and power amplifier in one unit. Here is how they work, the different types available, and what the specifications actually mean.
The Best Glockenspiels for the Money
The best glockenspiel for the money depends entirely on the player's level and context. Here are the top picks for each situation.
The Best Akg Headphones for the Money
No fake benchmarks, just AKG's headphone range sorted by what suits your budget and your actual use case, from tight budgets to studio-plus-travel.
Microphone: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying a microphone means matching the type and price to the actual job it needs to do. This guide covers what matters for each use case.
Monitoring Audio: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Good monitoring gear comes down to matching equipment to your room and workflow, not chasing the biggest spec sheet.
Arc Studio: A Complete Guide
ARC Studio corrects your room's acoustic problems so you hear neutral, accurate audio. Essential for mixing at home without proper acoustic treatment.
The Ultimate Guide to Drum Kit Bags
Drum bags serve as essential protection and transportation for percussion instruments, preventing damage and simplifying logistics for gigging and touring musicians.
The Best Behringer Xr18s for the Money
The Behringer XR18's value isn't in the box, it's in how you set it up. Here's the best configuration for a band, a venue and a home studio.
Mic Stand: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The market for mic stands runs from cheap plastic to touring-grade metal — here's what actually separates a reliable stand from a frustrating one.
Everything You Need to Know About Behringer Audio Interface
Behringer's U-PHORIA range delivers more features per pound than most budget competitors. This guide covers every model and what it actually does.
The Best 8 Channel Mixers for the Money
At this channel count the value leaders are clear. Here's what each bracket gets you, with specific models and honest notes on where each one makes compromises.
Podcast Equipment Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Podcast equipment covers more than a microphone alone — here's how capture, conversion, monitoring and room acoustics actually fit together.
What Katie Anderson covers
Bass Preamp
Bass preamps shape tone, gain and output for live use, recording and pedalboard-based rigs.
2 topics
Drums & Percussion
The full family of drums and percussion — acoustic and electronic kits, hand drums, pitched mallet instruments, and ever...
118 topics
Marshall Earbuds
Portable in-ear listening for commuting, travel and everyday music playback.
Marshall Headphones
Stylish everyday headphones for travel, home listening and music enjoyment.
1 topic
Yamaha Dm3
Compact digital mixing for live sound, venues and rehearsal spaces. A yamaha dm3 offers modern control in a small format...
Yamaha Hs5
Compact and accurate, the Yamaha HS5 is ideal for small studios, mixing, editing and critical nearfield monitoring.
Yamaha Hs7
The Yamaha HS7 offers accurate monitoring, stronger low end and dependable performance for project and home studios.
Yamaha Hs8
Designed for larger spaces, the Yamaha HS8 delivers powerful, accurate monitoring with strong low-end detail.
