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
The Best Monitor Speakers for the Money
A practical guide to finding the best monitor speakers for your budget and studio size.
Common Akg Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
The Ultimate Guide to Preamp Valves
A valve preamp brings organic warmth and musical compression to any recording. Explore how tubes work, which models suit different sources, and why engineers swear by them.
Common Bluetooth Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
Most 'faulty' Bluetooth microphone complaints trace back to one of a handful of avoidable habits — here they are, and the quick fixes.
Everything You Need to Know About Singing Mic
There's no single best singing mic — only the right one for your voice, room and situation. Here's how dynamic, condenser and ribbon mics actually differ.
Audio Interface for Beginners: A Complete Guide
An audio interface connects your microphone to your computer and makes recording actually work. Here's everything a beginner needs to know, from buying to first take.
Pop Filter for Beginners: A Complete Guide
A pop filter solves one specific problem — plosive consonants that thump your recording. Here's what it does, how to set one up correctly, and what to expect from it.
Cable Tester for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Common Rode Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
When recordings sound bad, the problem is almost always something other than the microphone. Sophie identifies the real issues and what to do instead.
Krk Speakers for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Setting up studio monitors for the first time is straightforward once you understand the principles. Here's how to get KRK speakers working properly from day one.
The Best Audio Technica At2020s for the Money
The AT2020 family has more than one variant, and the way you pair and use one makes a bigger difference than the sticker price suggests.
Common Audio Technica Mistakes to Avoid
Audio-Technica makes capable microphones, but poor recording from good gear is still poor recording. Here are the mistakes that show up most often, and exactly how to fix them.
Apogee Electronics: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Before you spend anything, work through the inputs, preamps and connectivity that actually matter when buying an Apogee Electronics interface.
Xlr Cable for Beginners: A Complete Guide
XLR looks intimidating but it is straightforward once you understand the basics. This beginner's guide covers what it is, why it matters and how to use it.
Universal Audio Company: A Complete Guide
From 1958 tube consoles to Apollo interfaces reaching into live sound, here's what Universal Audio actually is and how it got here.
Common Headphone Amplifier Mistakes to Avoid
Yamaha Hs5 for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Your first pair of studio monitors doesn't need to be complicated. Here's a calm, step-by-step guide to buying and setting up the Yamaha HS5.
Reamp Box: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Transformer quality, a ground lift switch and level control are the factors that separate a useful studio tool from one that introduces noise and compromise.
Open Back Headphones Explained: Features, Types and Tips
A grille on the back of the ear cup changes everything about how headphones sound — here's exactly what that trade-off buys you.
Lectrosonics Handheld Wireless Mic: A Complete Guide
Handheld wireless microphones enable performer freedom and mobility in live settings. Quality systems deliver professional sound capture with reliable transmission, essential for modern performances.
Common Bass Traps Mistakes to Avoid
The mistakes people make with acoustic treatment are remarkably consistent. Here is how to avoid the eight most common ones before they cost you time and money.
The Best Monitoring Audios for the Money
No fake benchmarks — just an honest look at which category of gear earns its keep at each stage of a home studio.
Genelec Speakers for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Common Wireless Microphone Mistakes to Avoid
Antenna blocking, poor battery management and frequency conflicts account for the majority of wireless audio failures on stage. Here is how to avoid them.
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.
