As the holiday season approaches, you might be wondering what the best gifts are for a music lover or musician in your life. You might even be one of those yourself, looking for a nice treat! Regardless of your situation, we have assembled a variety of musical gifts to please a variety of folk. Let’s take a look.
Bose® QuietComfort™ 45 Noise-Canceling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
You will be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a pair of noise-canceling headphones on their wish list. There is no right or wrong, because we all have our preferences when it comes to form factor—over-ear, in-ear, wired, or wireless. Variety notwithstanding, you should check out the QuietComfort™ 45 from Bose®, whose fans will attest to the bevy of features the QuietComfort™ series has to offer, and the QC 45 takes the cake as far as personalizing your settings for the optimum listening experience.
With comfortable large ear cups and a supple, cushioned headband, these headphones can be worn for hours of noise-free listening at a time. Bose® smartly exchanged the microUSB with a friendlier USB-C that makes the QC 45 more compatible with your existing tech ecosystem. Your standard controls are located intuitively on the bottom of both ear cups with additional fine tuning available via the Bose® Music App. While the app isn’t a must-download to use the headphones, it is certainly handy for music lovers who want to adjust the default sound profile to their liking.
Most importantly, the QC 45 sports powerful noise-canceling technology that will completely tune out the noise around you. Aware Mode is a handy function for allowing ambient sound back in without removing the headphones, which is nice for quick conversations during your jam sessions. It is worth mentioning that these headphones utilize Bluetooth connectivity and can run up to 24 hours on a single charge, enabling you or a music lover in your life to stream uninterrupted and cable-free.
Shure SE215 Pro Sound-Isolating Earphones
For those of you who aren’t fans of noise-canceling headphones, noise-isolation earphones are a great alternative. Headphones like these are designed to create a sound-isolating seal in the ear canal to greatly reduce ambient noise, and we can personally recommend the SE215 Pro Sound-Isolating Earphones from Shure. In addition to blocking outside noise up to 37 dB, they feature formable, reinforced wiring to fit over the ears and remain firmly in place whether you are out for a run, on stage, or kicking back at home.
If you frequently find yourself being frustrated with headphones that are too big for your narrow ears, or that struggle to stay in when you are too hot or cold, these headphones are definitely for you. They come with a variety of eartips to find the snuggest fit and feature highly durable, easy-to-replace mechanisms. The SE215s can last for years as a solid pair of in-ear headphones. Best of all, they can work for a variety of applications including in-ear monitoring when working with audio or as hearing protection in loud environments, making them a great gift for those in creative fields or who struggle with noise sensitivity.
Audio-Technica Stereo Turntable
What better pairing for a slick new set of Bluetooth headphones than a stereo turntable? As vinyl has made a triumphant resurgence in recent years, the AT-LP60XBT Stereo Turntable from Audio-Technica is a fabulous introductory turntable for those looking to get into the scene, or even those returning to it after a long absence.
This piece can accommodate 33 1/3 and 45 rpm vinyl records via wireless or wired connectivity. Available with kitted speakers, the AT-LP60XBT is a one-stop-shop turntable that delivers robust, room-filling sound with a sleek, minimalist look. These speakers are not a must―the built-in switchable preamplifier enables users to connect directly to any speaker with the included RCA cables, as well as any Bluetooth-capable listening device. Setting up the turntable is a breeze, regardless of skill level and, despite the new bells and whistles, is compatible with plenty of old-school gear.
Casio Portable Keyboard
The holiday season is a great opportunity to get ahead of your lofty New Year's resolutions. If you or a loved one have ambitions to learn how to play the piano during the upcoming year, the LK-S250 from Casio makes for an amazing pre-resolution gift. This 61-key, piano-style keyboard with touch response has a clever key-lighting system designed to make the process of learning to play the piano as painless as possible.
While there is no true substitute for a great teacher, the LCD keys show you music notation and demonstrate correct hand positioning. The built-in, Step-Up Lesson System tracks your progress as you work your way through the 60 included song tutorials, giving you an overall evaluation of your performance once you complete each song. With 400 instruments to choose from, along with 77 auto-accompaniment styles, you can learn to play piano through a variety of instrument sounds, including strings, drum sets, and of course, the illustrious Concert Grand piano. Equipped with built-in speakers, the LK-S250 makes playing with others a pleasure, although it also includes a headphone jack for some solo practice. The input variety on this keyboard additionally enables users to connect a smart device or microphone to play and sing along to your favorite tunes.
Edge Note Microphone
Speaking of singing along, if you are looking for a giftable microphone this season, we recommend the Edge Note from Antelope. This small-diaphragm condenser modeling microphone is an amazingly compact studio solution designed for use in studio and live sound settings. With 13 microphone emulations of classic microphone models to choose from, the Edge Note deploys cutting-edge technology to deliver mic recordings of high quality that very closely resemble the originals. Some of these options include the Berlin K54, the Hamburg 211, and the Freiburg 6, among others.
Because of its variety of emulation choices, the Edge Note is a great gift for those just beginning their journey as a musician but aren’t quite ready to make the jump on a pricier option. The Rolodex of sound profiles allows users to sample many kinds of microphones to find the sound that works best for them. This is also a great mic for those who dabble in different creative media, such as singing and podcasting, where different emulations might be more appropriate. Additionally, the Edge Note’s impressive SPL of 146 dB and frequency response between 20HZ-20kHZ is equipped to take in a variety of musical instruments and can capture loud sounds such as trumpet or drums cleanly. For its price point, this is a fantastic little mic that offers a lot of flexibility in a compact package.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo Audio Interface
While we’re on the topic, if you are thinking about gifting yourself or a loved one a snazzy new mic, you might consider adding an audio interface to the mix, as well. These gadgets convert microphone and instrument recordings into formats that play nice with your computer, and the Scarlett Solo from Focusrite is one of the best options for a variety of applications and skill levels, especially beginners. This 2x2 USB option is the third generation hailing from a line of budget-friendly winners dressed in fiery scarlet red. The new iteration brings improvements to the already powerful ISA preamp with enhanced sound clarity and brightness. Users can record with a variety of sound resolutions while enjoying a streamlined, no-fuss creative setup that is conducive to rigs with limited space. Don’t let the small size of this gadget fool you―the Scarlett Solo is a powerful little interface that will get the job done.
Mackie Big Knob Passive Studio Monitor Controller
Mackie has been in the pro audio game for more than a quarter of a century, and one of its best-known product lines is the Big Knob, which includes three models designed to provide monitor-control solutions in the recording studio: Big Knob Passive, Big Knob Studio, and Big Knob Studio Plus. While the Studio and Studio Plus are impressive units themselves, the beauty of the Big Knob Passive lies in its simplicity. If you’re looking for a rugged, no-nonsense piece of gear for multiple monitor listening, it’s hard to beat this little unit.
Built like a tank, the Big Knob Passive gives users the ability to switch between two monitor sources, which is particularly useful if you’re mixing a song and need to reference your masterpiece on different monitors for accuracy. There is also an integrated stereo 1/8" jack for connecting a portable player—or any source terminating in an 1/8" output—which makes it easy to reference songs from your personal music library.
Additionally, there are convenient buttons for Mono, Mute, and Dim, which give you further control over your sound sources. Lastly, it’s worth noting that since this Big Knob model utilizes passive circuitry, it won’t impart any strange artifacts onto your audio; you can trust that what you’re working on sounds the way it should.
Electro-Harmonix Mod Rex
If you’re looking for a piece of hardware that will instantly throw just enough of a curveball into your workflow to get the creative juices flowing, check out the Electro-Harmonix Mod Rex. This pedal is essentially four independent modulators and sonic manglers in one housing. You get a filter section, a tremolo section, a panning section, and a modulation section capable of flanging, phasing, chorusing, or vibrato, tap tempo, MIDI functionality, and more. This pedal gives you access to an incredible range of effects—from simple, subtle tremolos to distortion-filled, maniacal soundscapes. Use it with your synth, guitar, bass, or any other instrument.
Leatherman Sidekick Multi-Tool
For those of you who are accustomed to working in music studios, there’s nothing worse than needing to pause your creative flow because you can’t find a screwdriver, hex wrench, scissors, etc. Owning a reliable multi-tool is a best life practice, especially when you are a musician, and few are more up to the task than the Leatherman Sidekick Multi-Tool, a toolbox that fits in the palm of your hand. Whether you need a screwdriver (Phillips or flathead), scissors, a blade, or the bottle opener for late night sessions, this robust tool is equipped with 14 different tools, measures only 3.8 inches long, weighs a paltry 7 ounces, and has a limited 25-year warranty.
We hope our suggestions have given you new gifting inspiration for a musical creative in your life. If you have favorite audio gifts, we would love to hear about them. Please let us know in the Comments section, below.
1 Comment
great suggstions. Thanks.