Reviews, guides and buying advice for microphones, audio interfaces, studio monitors and acoustic treatment for UK home and professional studios.
- 101 topics
- 731 articles
Inside Studio Recording
All 101 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 101 topics. The full index is at the foot of the page.
Acoustic Panels
Acoustic panels absorb reflections and improve clarity, making studios sound more accurate and professional.
Monitor Stands
Place studio speakers at the right height and reduce resonance with sturdy monitor stands.
Soundproofing Panels
Shape your room for cleaner sound with soundproofing panels for recording, monitoring and mixing.
XLR Cable
Professional XLR cables for clean, balanced microphone and studio connections in home and commercial recording setups.
Audio Interface
Audio interfaces connect mics, instruments and monitors to your computer for recording, playback and mixing.
1 topic
Dictaphone
Record voice notes, lyric ideas and quick demos with a portable dictaphone for simple studio and mobile use.
Mic Stand
Shop mic stands for stable microphone placement in recording sessions, rehearsals and live performance.
Focusrite
Discover Focusrite studio gear for recording, monitoring and producing music with dependable sound quality and easy ever...
4 topics
Sound Proof Panels
Improve studio acoustics and listening accuracy with sound proof panels for recording and mixing spaces.
Apogee
Apogee is a premium studio brand known for high-quality audio interfaces, conversion and professional recording workflow...
1 topic
Cable Management
Keep your studio neat, safe and easy to patch with practical cable management solutions for any recording setup.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Shop Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interfaces for compact, reliable recording of vocals, guitar and small studio sessions.
Articles on Studio Recording
All news
Closed Back Headphones for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A practical introduction to sealed studio headphones — what the specifications mean, which beginner-friendly models are worth knowing, and how to get started.
Common Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
Most recording quality problems aren't caused by the microphone itself — they come from setup and usage errors that are easy to fix once identified.
Boom Mic Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A boom mic is defined by how it's mounted, not by one microphone design. Here's how the whole system works, the patterns you'll meet, and where it earns its keep.
A Guide to Radio Mic
Radio mics replace the cable between microphone and mixer with a radio link. Here is how they work, what types exist, and what UK buyers need to know about frequency licensing.
Beats Studio 3 Explained: Features, Types and Tips
What's actually going on inside the Beats Studio 3, from Pure ANC and Apple's W1 chip to battery life and who the sound signature really suits.
Motu M2 Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The MOTU M2 brings ESS Sabre DAC output and full LCD metering to the two-channel interface market. Here is what makes it worth serious consideration.
Gaming Microphone Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A gaming microphone packs a complete recording chain into a single USB unit — no audio interface required. Here's how they work and what actually matters when choosing one.
Wireless Guitar System Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Cut the cable and everything about how you play changes. Here's what's really inside a wireless guitar system, plain and simple.
Xlr for Beginners: A Complete Guide
It looks more intimidating than it is. Here's a genuinely beginner-friendly way into XLR: what it looks like, what to buy first, and how to plug in confidently.
Krk Speakers: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Not every KRK suits every room or every engineer. Here's how to match the right model to your room size, budget and mixing needs.
500 Series Rack: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a chassis well is the foundation of a working 500 series setup — this guide covers every decision you need to make before spending any money on modules.
Common Drum Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
Six common mistakes in drum microphone recording: overdriven preamps, phase cancellation, kick mic positioning, damping, mic type selection and noise checks.
Studio Rack: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying the right rack means matching the enclosure to your equipment now and leaving room to grow — this guide covers every factor worth checking.
Wireless Lavalier Microphone Explained
A guide to lavalier microphones: features, types, buying advice and practical use for public speaking and video work.
Adam Audio T7v for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Studio monitors require a different approach to listening. Here is what new T7V users need to know to get the most from their monitoring environment.
What to Look for When Buying Mics
Start with the job, not the brand. An engineer's practical guide to choosing a microphone — type, polar pattern, connection and the specs that actually matter for your source and room.
Everything You Need to Know About Mackie Studio Monitors
Mackie studio monitors offer affordability and practical performance. Learn which series suits your needs, what size woofer to choose, and how room placement makes or breaks your mix.
Ssl Audio Interface: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The SSL interface range spans from the two-input SSL 2 to the multi-channel SSL 18. This buyer's guide explains exactly what each model adds, when the step-up is worth it, and what to buy for your use...
Marshall Headphones Explained: Features, Types and Tips
Marshall headphones combine the brand's amplifier heritage with consumer-friendly tuning. Here's what the range includes and how it sounds.
Yamaha Studio Monitors: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Which HS model fits your room, your budget and your music? A practical guide to the specifications, placement requirements and connection options.
Radio Mics: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a wireless mic system means more than picking a brand. Here is what matters in practice — frequency, format, digital vs analogue, and what to prioritise at each budget.
The Best Rode Nt1as for the Money
Where should your money actually go once you've got a Rode NT1-A? Here's the smart spending order, tier by tier.
Nt 1 Kit Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The NT1 Kit isn't one single product. Here's what you're actually getting, the generations to tell apart, and what it's good at.
What Studio Recording Covers
Studio recording brings together the equipment and techniques used to capture, edit, mix, and produce music to a professional standard. From a compact home setup in a spare bedroom to a purpose-built commercial facility, this discipline is the foundation of virtually every release heard on UK radio, streaming platforms, and beyond. This category covers the microphones, interfaces, monitors, and acoustic treatment that make great-sounding recordings possible at any budget.
Microphones and Signal Chain Essentials
The microphone is the starting point of any recording chain. Dynamic models from Shure and Sennheiser handle loud sources and live applications, while large-diaphragm condensers — from Sontronics, RØDE, AKG, and Neumann — capture the detail and air that vocal and acoustic instruments demand. Ribbon microphones add vintage warmth for strings, brass, and room ambience. The signal then passes through a preamp: either the built-in circuitry of an audio interface or an outboard unit from Neve, API, or Universal Audio that adds character and clean gain before conversion.
Audio Interfaces and Monitoring
An audio interface is indispensable for this process, converting analogue signals into digital audio while providing inputs, outputs, headphone monitoring, and phantom power for condenser microphones. Focusrite's Scarlett range is the UK's most popular entry point, with Audient, Universal Audio, RME, and Apogee offering more headroom for professional use. Accurate monitors from Yamaha, Adam Audio, Focal, and Genelec are essential for making mixing decisions that translate well on other playback systems — placement and room treatment matter as much as the speakers themselves.
Acoustic Treatment and the Recording Environment
Acoustic treatment is frequently the most overlooked element of home and project studio recording setups. Broadband absorption panels, bass traps in room corners, and diffusion panels control reflections and standing waves that would otherwise mislead your mixing decisions. Treatment is not the same as soundproofing — you can significantly improve a room's sound quality with relatively modest investment in panels and corner traps before spending thousands on additional microphones or monitors.
Building Your Studio: From Home to Professional
A UK home setup can begin with a computer, an audio interface, a condenser microphone, closed-back headphones for tracking, and a DAW such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, or Cubase. This foundation covers songwriting, demo production, and basic mixing for a few hundred pounds. As requirements grow, investment shifts towards more microphone options, a higher-channel interface, outboard preamps, monitor controllers, and patchbays. Professional commercial rooms additionally require isolation, extensive acoustic treatment, robust backup systems, and client-ready acoustics that justify their hire rates.
