10 Cool Christmas Gifts For Musicians And Engineers 2016

We could all use a little bit of shopping help when it comes to buying Christmas gifts for the people around us in the music and recording business. If you’re in a quandary about what to buy, you’re in luck as I have a list of recommendations that covers a wide variety of items and price ranges. All of these following products I use regularly.

1. EarPeace Hearing Protectors  I personally never go into a loud audio situation without these little gems. They are soooo much better than foam or wax earplugs in that they cut the level down without affecting the frequency response, plus you get an extra one with each pair! Since I found these EarPeaces, I feel absolutely naked and scared when I don’t have them on me. At less than $20, you just can’t go wrong.

2. Equator D5 Monitors
Want to know my secret weapon when it comes to mixing? It’s these little Equator coaxial monitors. I’ve used them on every mix for the last 3 years and all I can say is they’re the best small monitor (5 inch woofer) I’ve ever used. You just can’t find a better pair of speakers at this price point ($449) anywhere. Get the matching isolation pads too, an absolute bargain at $20!

3. Blocklite  This goes under the category of “Why didn’t I think of that?”. Blocklite is a simple LED add-on to any 9 volt battery that turns it into a flashlight that’s perfect for checking all those dark spaces during a session or show. Cheap too at only $19.95 for a package of 3 including the batteries!

4. Radial JDI Direct Box
This is the best DI on the market, period. It’s built like a tank and will last forever, and captures the low end that those cheap DI’s could only dream about. You need at least one of these. At $199, it’s still a bargain and you will hear the difference immediately.

5. Monoprice 8323 Headphones  It’s shocking how good these phones are for $28. They’re pretty comfortable, have a really tight fit, and provide a surprisingly balanced sound. In fact, I would trust the low end on the 8323’s more than on a couple alternatives that I have that cost 4 or 5 times more. Don’t let the “DJ-style” in the description scare you, these are terrific for the price.

6. Books by Bobby Owsinski
Okay, so I’m a little biased, but if you’re looking for a book for someone in the music business, you’ll hopefully find one of mine that will hit the sweet spot. There’s something for everyone, including books on mixing, recording, recording drums, mastering, being a studio musician or a touring musician, improving your band, producing, navigating the new music business, social media for musicians, studio building, guitar tone, and making videos. From about $16 to $30.

7. Golden Age Project Pre-73 Mic Preamp 
Everybody wants a Neve preamp but a lot of us can’t spring for a couple of channels of 1073s. The Golden Age Project Pre–73 was built to sound a lot like the 1073 and it does a pretty good job of it (and the latest MK III version is even better). It’s not the real thing, but for only $379 it’s surprising how close it gets. If that’s too expensive, get the Pre73 JR version for only $249. The Pre73 is what I use for my podcast voice.

8. Lynda.com Online Training Tutorials  If you don’t know about Lynda.com then you really should. They’re the #1 portal on the Internet for video learning, with over 3800 high-quality courses on just about any kind of tech you can think of. While you’re there, check out the courses I’ve done for Lynda. Lynda is just $24.99 for a full month, which allows you to access as many courses as you can watch. Here’s a free 7 day trial.

9. Warm Audio WA76 Compressor/Limiter
I happen to think that the 1176 was the best compressor/limiter ever invented, since it works on just about any source and even does things that no other compressor on the market can do. A vintage 1176 (or even a new UA model) will set you back a bundle, but you can get so close you might not tell the difference with the Warm Audio’s WA-76. I liked it so much I bought 3. An absolute steal at $599. Also check out their great API-style WA12 mic preamp as well (I own a couple of those too).

10. Snark SN-1 Guitar Tuner  We’ve all gotten used to using software guitar tuners, but when you want to tune as fast as possible, this is the best tuner I’ve found. It clips right onto the guitar so you don’t even have to plug it in, and it even has a built-in metronome. At $9.95 each, it’s unbeatable.