It's that time of year again, and if you have some musicians on your gift-giving list, we're here to help. Gift guides for musicians often tend to include lots of miscellaneous accessories, like stands and cables, capos, and guitar picks. And while those things certainly are useful and valid, we're not doing that this year.
Instead, we wanted to provide a list of gear that your loved musician can actually use to make their music. Below, we've curated a selection of semi-modular synths, portable samplers, battery-powered amps, pedals, and more. Prices for these pieces of gear vary, but nothing on this list will cost you more than $250.
Whether you're buying for a budding guitarist or you're a seasoned pro with a full amp room, the Mustang Micro is a handy device to have in one's pocket. With 12 amp tones and 12 effects built in, it's perfect for late-night jamming or traveling. But it's also an audio interface that allows you to easily record ideas onto a computer or phone.
A handheld, portable instrument that is basically a point-and-shoot camera for sampling. Any kind of music maker could have fun with the Orba 2, recording and playing back their own sounds. And, it's a stem player.
The Flavours preamp boosters from Tierra Audio are colorful in more ways than just their bright enclosures. Not only serving the purpose of boosting a low-output passive mic's signal before it hits the main mic preamp, each Flavour preamp in the series is uniquely designed to color your mic's signal in specific ways.
To make it clear what each preamp does, every enclosure is clearly printed with the kind of character it will add to your signal. For a delicate and musical character, look to the Mint. Another gentle option is the Vanilla for warm, creamy vocals. Or, if you're looking for something more aggressive, check out the Chili or the Pepper.
One of the year's most exciting synth releases is a tiny, affordable desktop unit that sounds great by itself and is built to work alongside other electronic instruments. It's an East Coast-style semi-modular synth that can also be extracted from its enclosure to function as a 40HP Eurorack module.
Korg's second generation Volca FM is a great compact FM synthesizer for an affordable price. It features six voices, 32 algorithms, a 16-step loop sequencer, Yamaha DX7-inspired arpeggiator, and built-in effects.
The Boss RC-1 Loop Station is a great practice and creation companion for every guitarist. It features up to 12 minutes of recording time and three different loop stations in a streamlined, easy-to-use design. It's Boss's simplest and most basic looper but provides lots of functionality at a hard-to-beat price. If you're looking for something a bit smaller, less expensive, and with less total recording time, check out the also popular Ditto Looper, starting at $65.
Released this past summer, the Positive Grid Spark MINI is a delightfully small and ultra-portable battery-powered amp. Coming in at 10 watts, it provides enough power for practice or quieter jams and features 33 amp modes and 43 built-in effects. This little guy can also function as a great recording tool, as it's capable of being used as a USB interface alongside the DAW of your choosing. To hear it in action, watch our video in which we put the Positive Grid Spark MINI to the test by taking it on tour.