It was a classic London day, pouring with rain, but that didn’t stop the gear lovers, engineers, producers, and audio obsessives from flocking to the Tileyard complex for Gearfest UK 2025. Nestled in the heart of King’s Cross, Tileyard proved once again to be the perfect host for this ever-growing event, combining tech, community, and just enough caffeine to keep us all upright.
A Morning Brew and a Passion for Patchbays
Our day began with coffees in hand, naturally, and a reunion with familiar faces from the Produce Like A Pro family. Conversations ranged from soggy hair to streamlined home studio setups. One standout was the Audient iD48, a rackmount interface that’s become indispensable for many of us running hybrid setups. Paired with a compact patchbay, it enables both mixing and tracking through outboard gear with ease, thanks to its software-controlled insert paths. With expansion up to 24 inputs, it’s just as comfortable in a bedroom studio as it is in a commercial facility.
Audient’s EVO 16 and SP8, with ASP preamps under the hood, continue to impress. Recent shootouts confirmed the sonic continuity across their product line from desktop interfaces to full-blown consoles. Meanwhile, the compact iD14 remains a go-to for live streams and mic demos, offering console-grade preamps and crystal-clear conversion in a tidy package.
Analog Dreams: Audioscape and the Return of the Gold Can
Few people wear their passion as proudly as Chris Yetter from Audioscape. This year, he unveiled the new E-Series Deluxe Bus Compressor, fuelled by revived 202C ‘Gold Can’ VCA’s. These once-obsolete parts are at the heart of the audio and compression section and are lovingly rebuilt into something both classic and future-proof. With mods galore and production underway, this stereo bus comp is expected to land somewhere between £1,000 and £1,500.
Chris also showcased stalwarts like the 76A, 76D, DA3A, and the revered 260 VU, along with their DeComp diode bridge comp, which has become a drum bus favourite. The EQB 2A packs a stereo Pultec-style EQ into a mono-width enclosure, saving rack space without compromising performance. And for those chasing tube saturation dreams, the BA6A, inspired by RCA’s original, is proof that boutique, hand-built gear still has a place in a digital world.
What sets Audioscape apart is not just the gear, but the ethos: every product is built from love, reverence, and first-hand studio experience. “It’s not a cash grab,” Chris told me. “We just love this stuff.”
Magnetic Magic and Bass Boosting Headphones from Audeze
From hardware to headwear, Audeze’s LCD-S20 headphones made a splash, figuratively and literally, given the weather. Designed primarily for tracking, they feature magnetic ear pads (finally!), impressive isolation, and a low-end “slam” channel, a sort of acoustic resonance chamber enhancing sub frequencies. They’re tuned to be pretty, punchy, and low-fatigue, perfect for long tracking sessions or even EDM enthusiasts craving bass impact. At around £500, they offer remarkable quality at a price point well below the flagship LCD-X models.
DSP or Pure Analog? HEDD’s Dual Speaker Strategy
Freddy from HEDD Audio introduced a clever development: their MK2 digital speakers, which feature phase correction, ported/closed flexibility, and FIR filtering, now have an analog twin. These new A Core models use the same cabinet, tweeter, and woofer but ditch the DSP for a purist analog filter board.
Priced about 30 percent lower than the MK2s (starting around £1,100 per pair), the analog versions maintain HEDD’s sonic signature and are ideal for users already running room correction software elsewhere in their chain. Expect software remote control for the MK2 soon, and yes, Freddy admits he’s already said too much about it. Ha!
Present Day: British Monitors Making Big Moves
Present Day Production’s MUM 10 MB is a horizontal version of their flagship 3-way monitor. With Purifi PTT10 woofers and Beryllium mids and tweeters, they deliver full-range clarity (22 Hz to 22 kHz) and a rock-solid centre image. We listened to some familiar mixes and were floored by the detail and punch.
They’ve also developed speaker stands using Sylmer damping material, isolating vibrations all the way down to 6 Hz, making a noticeable difference in low-end accuracy. At £10,000 including VAT, these monitors are direct-to-consumer, which helps keep the cost globally competitive.
Eventide’s H90: A Guitarist’s Dream Box
Matt from Source Distribution gave us a hands-on demo of the Eventide H90, which expands on the beloved H9 by allowing dual algorithms, custom routing (serial or parallel), and integration via desktop app. Whether for vocals, guitar, or front-of-house use, the H90 is fast becoming a Swiss Army knife for modern players.
With algorithms borrowed from the flagship H9000, it is no wonder even major acts like Living Colour are deploying it live. And the ability to edit patches and control signal flow makes it a dream for four-cable method pedalboard setups.
Apogee’s Plug-In Prowess
Over at the Apogee booth, we saw the Symphony Desktop in action, running full plugin chains, including Pultec EQs, directly on the unit. With capacity for up to 30 plugins and full iOS compatibility, it is ideal for both serious mobile producers and live sound engineers needing high-fidelity signal chains.
The Symphony IO Mk I SE and Mk II editions offer upgraded DACs, pushing conversion to new heights. These modular interfaces remain a favourite for their clarity, flexibility, and timeless design.
Vega Trem: The Mod-Free Telecaster Trem
One of the quirkiest innovations came from Vega Trem. Their VT2 Telecaster Tremolo installs without any modification, a non-invasive solution that uses the original string ferrule holes to mount the springs. You get that subtle Bigsby-like wobble without losing the iconic Tele “spank,” thanks to the brass saddles.
The VT1 does something similar for Strat players, offering full-floating action with better tuning stability and no drilling required. Brilliantly clever and completely reversible.
Final Thoughts: A Gear Lover’s Paradise in the Rain
Despite the damp weather, Gearfest UK 2025 delivered a lightning bolt of inspiration. Whether you are like us, obsessed with high-end monitoring, boutique compressors, hybrid interfaces, or clever problem-solving hardware, there was something here to make every gear lover’s heart race.
Special thanks to everyone who shared their time and tech with us. And if you are reading this nursing a coffee yourself, cheers to that.
See you next year. And bring a brolly. ☔
