Make the Musician in Your Life as Happy as Can Be With These Practical Gifts
Published Dec. 14 2022, 10:16 a.m. ET
It's that time of year again! The holiday season is upon us, and aside from the general cheer and merriness that it brings, it also can cause a little bit of chaos when it comes to picking out gifts for everyone.
Well, if you're scratching your head about what kind of gift to get the musician in your life this holiday season, worry no more! We've compiled a list of some of the best offerings for anyone who has a passion for sound.
What are the best gifts to get a musician this year?
The world of music is about as vast and varied as anything could be, but luckily there are a few tools of the trade that anyone can make use of. Thankfully, you don't need a degree in sound engineering to add any of these items to your cart and gift them to someone else.
1. Audio-Technica ATH-M50X Professional Studio Monitor Headphones
Anyone who's recording, producing, or mixing music needs a good set of over-ear headphones, and Audio-Technica is the industry standard for affordable recording options. With 45 millimeter large aperture drivers and exceptional audio clarity, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better at the price.
2. Zoom H4n Pro 4-Track Portable Recorder
One might think that a full-fledged recording studio is needed to lay down a track, but that simply is not the case anymore. Take the Zoom H4n Pro 4-Track Portable Recorder for example. With four-channel recording up to 24-bit/96 kHz, built-in stereo X/Y microphones, and up to 140 dB SPL, it packs quite a punch for such a small package.
3. Avid Pro Tools
As one of the definitive music production softwares on the planet, Avid Pro Tools is the perfect gift for anyone you know who makes music. It may be a bit pricy, but the software license is good indefinitely and it will prove itself to be an invaluable tool for years to come.
4. Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone
Another outstanding offering from industry mainstay Audio-Technica comes in the form of the AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone. At a relatively affordable price when compared to other condenser microphones, the Audio-Technica offering is perfect for home studios and on-the-go recording.
5. Fstop Labs Acoustic Panels
If you happen to live with the musician you're looking for a gift for, odds are that you have probably heard them making some noise on occasion (as any musician does). Thankfully, Fstop Labs have created a set of mountable Acoustic Panels for virtually any wall that will deaden the sound omitting outside of a specific room.
6. Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs
When you make music, protecting your ears is about as important as can be. Thankfully, Eargasm has produced a high-quality pair of earplugs that get up to 21 dB of noise reduction while still preserving sound quality. Take in all of the concerts you can in safety with a pair of Eargasm plugs in!
7. Sondery Digital Metronome
If the musician in question is an instrumentalist, odds are they'll appreciate all that the Sondery Digital Metronome has to offer. With settings for everything from guitar to piano and even drums, it will help your favorite performer stay in-time while jamming out their favorite songs.
8. D’Addario Varigrip Hand Exerciser
When starting off learning how to play a stringed instrument, one of the biggest obstacles is dexterity. Thankfully, D’Addario has created the Varigrip Hand Exerciser which allows budding string players to improve their finger strength in a pocket-sized device.
9. Pioneer DJ VM-50 5.25-inch Active Monitor Speaker
No recording studio is complete without a pair of active monitor speakers, used for recording playback, mixing, and more. Pioneer, one of the biggest names in audio technology, has released the DJ VM-50 5.25-inch Active Monitor Speaker, which is an affordable option that will offer any user high-fidelity sound at a low price compared to the competition.
10. 2022 Apple MacBook Pro Laptop with M2 chip
Although a MacBook is a usable piece of equipment for a multitude of reasons, Apple's flagship laptop is arguably one of the best portable music production tools one could have. With a host of unique programs that have taken the music world by storm, such as their free offering Garageband and their paid production software Logic Pro, music creation comes easy and intuitively on a MacBook.
11. Snark SN5X Clip-On Tuner
Just like the aforementioned metronome, a standalone guitar tuner is a great option as a gift. Snark is the industry standard for clip-on tuners that work for guitar and bass. At a relatively affordable price, it makes a great gift to keep those instruments sounding great for years to come.
12. Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 Drum Controller
For the music production lover in your life, consider one of the industry's best drum machines: the Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 Drum Controller. With a virtually uncountable number of preset sounds, samples, and instruments, it affords a musician everything they need.
13. AKAI Professional MPK Mini MK3
Much like the previously-mentioned Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Mk3 Drum Controller, a desktop keyboard, specifically the AKAI Professional MPK Mini MK3, packs the punch of a full-fledged production studio into a one-piece unit small enough to fit in a backpack.
14. 'Christmas Sheet Music For Piano: 60 Easy To Intermediate Classic Christmas Hits'
If you happen to know a piano player, spread some holiday cheer by giving them a book of Christmas-themed sheet music such as Christmas Sheet Music For Piano: 60 Easy To Intermediate Classic Christmas Hits. It's the gift that keeps on giving, as you might end up with a free holiday concert at the end of it all!
15. Numark Party Mix II - DJ Controller
If you really want to turn things up a notch this holiday season, the Numark Party Mix II DJ Controller could be the perfect gift for the budding disc jockey in your life. Made by one of the most respected names in the business, the Party Mix II is an affordable entry point into the world of djing with the included Serato DJ Lite software.
