A monthly hardware selection curated by Matthew S, exploring standout gear across listening, production, and performance—pairing iconic staples with under-the-radar picks from across the music tech world.
Whether you’re refining your setup, discovering new tools, or simply staying inspired by the latest in music hardware, Gear Radar is our monthly curated roundup of standout equipment for listeners, DJs, and producers. Each edition, Matthew S selects ten categories and highlights one timeless essential alongside one hidden gem worth adding to your radar.
Headphones
The Classic: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro MKII
The evolution of a modern standard for mixing and mastering, refined without losing what made the original a studio staple.
- Type: Open-back Studio Headphones
- Price: ~€550–650
- Best for: Mixing, mastering, editing
- Why it stands out: New TESLA.45 driver delivers excellent resolution with smoother, more usable highs
The Gem: Austrian Audio The Composer
Handcrafted in Vienna by the former AKG core team, with a flagship 49mm driver built for connoisseurs and professionals alike.
- Type: Reference Open-back Headphones
- Price: ~€2,500–2,700
- Best for: Critical listening, high-end reference work
- Why it stands out: Diamond-like carbon-coated driver delivers spacious highs and remarkably low distortion
Monitor
The Classic: Neumann KH 150
Increasingly common in professional studios thanks to the MA 1 room calibration system that takes the guesswork out of mixing.
- Type: DSP-controlled Active Studio Monitor
- Price: ~€1,650–1,700 (each)
- Best for: Nearfield and midfield mixing, broadcast
- Why it stands out: Deep 39Hz bass response with razor-sharp ±0.8dB tolerance
The Gem: Mesanovic CDM65
A boutique coaxial monitor with cardioid directivity control that keeps room reflections out of your decisions.
- Type: 3-way Active DSP Monitor
- Price: ~€2,500–3,000 (each)
- Best for: Untreated or partially treated rooms
- Why it stands out: Controlled directivity down to 150Hz for an exceptionally clean in-room response
Audio Interface
The Classic: Universal Audio Apollo x8p
A contemporary classic, and the interface most likely to be sitting under a producer’s MPC right now.
- Type: Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface
- Price: ~€2,200–2,500
- Best for: Large sessions, real-time analog-modeled tracking
- Why it stands out: Eight Unison preamps and HEXA Core DSP for zero-latency plugin tracking
The Gem: Cranborne Audio 500R8
An interface, analog summing mixer, and 500 Series chassis in the same unit—and a properly portable one.
- Type: USB Interface + 500 Series Rack
- Price: ~€1,800–2,000
- Best for: Hybrid analog/digital studios, mobile tracking rigs
- Why it stands out: 8-slot 500 Series chassis combined with a reference-grade summing mixer and monitor controller
Synth
The Classic: Arturia PolyBrute 12
One of the most expressive synths on the market, now with double the voices and a keyboard that tracks your every move.
- Type: Analog Morphing Polysynth
- Price: ~€3,999
- Best for: Expressive performance, deep sound design
- Why it stands out: FullTouch keyboard reads key position in real time for unprecedented modulation control
The Gem: Baloran The River
Built almost by hand in Brittany. An enormous, rarely-seen sound built around the bones of the Moog Source.
- Type: 8-voice Analog Polysynth
- Price: ~€5,000–6,000
- Best for: Rich analog pads, collectors, studio centerpieces
- Why it stands out: Eight independent analog LFOs—one per voice—for an unusually alive, organic sound
Groovebox
The Classic: Elektron Syntakt
The definitive techno machine, blending analog drive with digital flexibility in Elektron’s signature compact form.
- Type: Hybrid Analog/Digital Drum Computer
- Price: ~€950–1,100
- Best for: Techno, hybrid percussion and synth programming
- Why it stands out: 12 voices split across analog and digital engines, with a sequenceable FX track
The Gem: OXI One MKII
Quietly becoming the secret brain behind countless modular setups, this is the sequencer that disappears into any workflow.
- Type: Battery-powered MIDI/CV Sequencer
- Price: ~€900–980
- Best for: Modular integration, hybrid hardware setups
- Why it stands out: Eight independent sequencers with CV/Gate, Bluetooth MIDI, and up to eight hours of battery life
MIDI Controllers
The Classic: Novation Launch Control XL 3
A perfect workflow companion for Ableton, rebuilt from scratch with proper standalone MIDI capability.
- Type: MIDI Control Surface
- Price: ~€210–250
- Best for: DAW mixing, plugin and hardware control
- Why it stands out: 5-pin MIDI DIN ports let it run fully standalone, no computer required
The Gem: Monogram Creative Console
Magnetic, modular control blocks that snap together — build the exact controller your workflow needs, then rearrange it whenever you want.
- Type: Modular Control Surface
- Price: ~€100–800 (a seconda della configurazione)
- Best for: Custom control surfaces, hybrid DAW/creative workflows
- Why it stands out: Moduli in alluminio CNC con connettori magnetici che si riconfigurano all’istante
Microphones
The Classic: Neumann TLM 103
Everywhere, for good reason—a more affordable take on the legendary U87 that lost none of the magic.
- Type: Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
- Price: ~€1,200–1,300
- Best for: Vocals, broadcast, project studios
- Why it stands out: U87-derived K103 capsule with remarkably low 7dB self-noise
The Gem: Lauten Audio LS-208
Fantastic for vocals and podcasting in untreated rooms, with rejection that rivals a dynamic mic in condenser form.
- Type: Cardioid Condenser Microphone
- Price: ~€420–600
- Best for: Untreated rooms, podcasting, voice-over
- Why it stands out: SM7B-style rejection and form factor with full condenser detail
FX Hardware
The Classic: Eventide H90 Harmonizer
Practically an entire effects studio in a single stompbox, built on the bones of Eventide’s flagship rack processor.
- Type: Dual-engine Multi-effects Processor
- Price: ~€850–900
- Best for: Guitar, vocals, studio sound design
- Why it stands out: 70+ algorithms with true spillover and low-latency polyphonic pitch shifting
The Gem: Empress Effects ZOIA
A modular synthesizer disguised as a stompbox—build your own effects from scratch instead of picking from a preset list.
- Type: Modular Multi-effects / Synth Pedal
- Price: ~€450–540
- Best for: Custom effects chains, generative patches, modular-style sound design
- Why it stands out: 80+ buildable modules let you construct delays, synths, and CV tools from the ground up instead of just tweaking presets
Experimental Gear
The Classic: Teenage Engineering OP-XY
The new object of desire for the touring producer—an entire studio that fits in a bag.
- Type: Portable Synthesizer, Sampler & Sequencer
- Price: ~€2,300
- Best for: Mobile production, fast sketching, live performance
- Why it stands out: Eight synth engines, built-in battery and speaker, and an accelerometer for hands-on modulation
The Gem: TouellSkouarn Strakal Orsel
A rough-edged French experimental machine that turns any signal into screaming, self-oscillating tube chaos.
- Type: Hand-wired Tube Distortion Module
- Price: ~€339
- Best for: Eurorack sound design, noise and texture work
- Why it stands out: Hand-wired in Brittany with switchable triode/pentode modes and full self-oscillation feedback
Secret Weapon
The Classic: Solid State Logic (SSL) UF8
Professional, mouse-free workflow, distilled from forty years of SSL console design into a single desktop controller.
- Type: Advanced DAW Control Surface
- Price: ~€1,300
- Best for: Mixing, automation, multi-DAW workflows
- Why it stands out: Eight motorized touch-sensitive faders with mouse-scroll emulation for any plugin parameter
The Gem: Ferrofish Pulse16 MX
Not glamorous, but present in countless professional studios for quietly expanding routing and outboard access.
- Type: 16×16 AD/DA Converter (ADAT/MADI)
- Price: ~€1,300–1,400
- Best for: Expanding I/O, connecting outboard and consoles
- Why it stands out: Combines 16×16 analog I/O with both ADAT and MADI in a single compact 1U unit
That wraps up this month’s edition of Gear Radar—our curated look at the hardware shaping modern listening, performance, and music creation. From timeless essentials to overlooked innovations, the goal remains simple: spotlight the gear that deserves your attention. See you next month for another handpicked selection curated by Matthew S.
