Reviews, guides and buying advice for microphones, audio interfaces, studio monitors and acoustic treatment for UK home and professional studios.
- 100 topics
- 585 articles
Inside Studio Recording
All 100 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 100 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
Handheld Microphone for Beginners: A Complete Guide
How to hold it, where to position it, how to soundcheck and how to avoid feedback: a practical beginner's guide to microphone technique for live vocals.
Podcast Microphone: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Choosing a podcast microphone doesn't have to be overwhelming. Learn what questions to ask about your space, your setup and your workflow, then make a choice you won't regret.
The Best Studio Desks for the Money
No invented rankings, just an honest look at what you actually get at each studio desk price tier, and who each one suits.
Presonus: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Interfaces, mixers or monitors — here's exactly what to check before you buy any PreSonus gear, and where the Fender rebrand catches buyers out.
Universal Audio Company: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Buying into Universal Audio means choosing an ecosystem, not just an interface — here's how to work out what you actually need.
Common Akg Acoustics Headphones Mistakes to Avoid
Most disappointment with AKG headphones traces back to a mismatch between the model and the job, not a flaw in the headphones themselves.
Common Adam Audio Mistakes to Avoid
Good ADAM Audio monitors, undone by avoidable habits — here's what to fix first.
A Guide to Audio Technica Headphones
From the closed-back M-Series to the new open-back R-Series, here's what Audio-Technica actually makes — and which pair suits which job.
Pirate Studio: A Complete Buyer's Guide
There's no manager to guide you through the options, so the decisions land on you. Here's exactly what to check before you book a session.
The Ultimate Guide to Pop Filter
A pop filter is one of the simplest tools in vocal recording — here is how it works, the different types available, and how to position one correctly for clean takes.
Adam Audio T7v: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The T7V is a clear recommendation in its price bracket, but getting the most from it depends on where you put it and how you connect it. Here is what to know.
Microphone and Recorder: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The right setup depends on what you're recording. Here's how to work through the decision and what to look for in each component.
Dictaphone for Beginners: A Complete Guide
Dictaphones are genuinely easy to get started with — but a few simple habits make the difference between clear, usable recordings and a folder full of frustration. Here's everything a beginner needs t...
Audio Interface: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The market for audio interfaces is crowded and the specs can bamboozle. This buyer's guide cuts through the noise and tells you exactly what to look for.
Motu M2: A Complete Buyer's Guide
The MOTU M2 competes directly with the Scarlett 2i2 and Audient iD4. Here is the honest comparison and when to choose each one.
Beyerdynamic Headphones: A Complete Buyer's Guide
Beyerdynamic makes a focused range of professional headphones. Here is how to choose between models based on your application, your audio interface, and your budget.
Active Monitor for Beginners: A Complete Guide
No jargon overload, just the stuff that actually matters on day one with your first active monitor setup.
The Best Microphone Stands for the Money
There's no single best microphone stand, just the right type for the job. Here's how to match one to your scenario.
Common Sennheiser Headphones Mistakes to Avoid
Sennheiser headphones reward the right choices — and punish the wrong ones. Here are the most common mistakes to sidestep before you buy or use them.
The Ultimate Guide to Studio Desk
Everything a studio desk needs to get right — from monitor geometry to cable management — explained by someone who has mixed from behind plenty of them.
The Ultimate Guide to Yamaha Hs8
A full breakdown of the Yamaha HS8's drivers, controls and place in Yamaha's HS monitor family — what makes it tick, and who it actually suits.
Universal Audio Plugins for Beginners: A Complete Guide
You don't need Apollo hardware or the whole catalogue memorised. Here's a calm, practical start with Universal Audio plugins.
How to Set Up and Use Adam Jones Tool
A step-by-step guide to building and configuring an Adam Jones–style guitar rig: signal chain order, Mesa/Boogie settings, wah configuration, and how to dial in the tone.
Common 500 Series Rack Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems in 500 series setups trace back to a handful of common errors. Here are the ones to know about and the specific steps that resolve each one immediately.
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.
