Whether you’re buying for the recording fanatic in your life or simply planning how you might spend some festive fiscal gifts, here’s a little run-down of some sub-£100 pressies for the studio.
Abbey Road Studios merchandise
Everything from mugs and hip flasks to a reproduction of Sir George Martin’s original orchestral arrangement for Yesterday.
From £9
Alpine MusicSafe Pro
SOS staffers never leave home without earplugs. These plugs offer various levels of attenuation without killing the top end.
£19.95/$27
Aston Rycote InVision USM shockmount
This universal shockmount is a great choice and also works nicely with the Invision Universal Popkiller which neatly attaches to the front.
£79
Caig DeOxit D5
While it's not the most exciting item on our list, if you have noisy contacts, this is the stuff you need.
Starts at £14.20
Spider Capo
Creative Tunings Spider Capo
Create over 900 custom tunings quickly with this unusual capo.
UK: £35.95
Review: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/creative-tunings-spidercapo
Desk-mounted mic arm
Ever been struck by inspiration and had it leave while you were setting up a mic stand? No more, with this amazingly affordable desk-mounted mic arm. Also a good choice for podcasters.
£7.99
Fluid Audio Strum Buddy
This portable, battery-powered amp for for electric guitarists uses a sucker pad to attach to the guitar body and allows practice freed from the confines of a large amp.
£68
Review: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/fluid-audio-strum-buddy
Modal CRAFTsynth
Monophonic digital synth that connects to your computer or iOS device
£79
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior
SOS Veteran Mike Senior shares his tips for mic placement and much more in this essential recording guide.
£23.11
Sound On Sound Subscription
No list of music technology gift ideas would be complete without mention of a SOS subscription. Get 12 issues the world’s best recording technology magazine in print, digital or both. Also, if you buy a Print + Digital subscription at the moment, you will also get a free Gothic Instruments Dronar pack from Time+Space, worth £59.95.
From £31.50
https://www.soundonsound.com/sho...
Stereo Bars
For XY coincident and ORTF stereo configurations, the smaller K&M 23550 (£9.24) should be sufficient, but for bigger arrays with more than two mics, check out the 23560 (£33.45)
Submarine Guitar Pickup
Want the Royal Blood sound? Submarine gives you a separate output for your lowest (or highest) two strings so you can drop them an octave, or manipulate them in any way you like.
£95.
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator PO32 Tonic
This surprisingly capable drum machine pairs with software patch backup and editing (the software doubles the price, though).
£85
Review: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/pocket-operator-po-32-tonic
UV Marker Pen
Invisibly mark all your most precious studio gear with this pen that only shows up under UV light.
£4
