With the music biz shifting, daily talk amongst musicians mainly revolves around the subject of adaptability. As old doors close, others are opening, offering creative control, DIY tools, and...
In an industry that has become more and more digitized, Nashville's Welcome to 1979 and its owner, Chris Mara, are offering clients an opportunity to step back in time. With a recent purchase of a...
Jensen Transformers was founded in 1974 by Deane Jensen as part of his quest for excellent studio sound. He believed the transformers of the era were of a substandard quality, and our field...
For me, the highlight of the inaugural A3E (Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) event in Boston (September 23-24, 2014) was the closing keynote, which featured Dr. Richard Boulanger, Professor...
Jensen Transformers was founded in 1974 by Deane Jensen as part of his quest for excellent studio sound. He believed the transformers of the era were of a substandard quality, and our field has...
What do Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, LL Cool J, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, U2, Mick Jagger, AC/DC, The Damned, The Posies, and Rage Against the Machine all have in common? They all...
Better known by the last name "Explosion," due to his rock group Doctor Explosion, Jorge Muñoz-Cobo started Estudios Circo Perrotti in 2003 in his hometown of Gijon, located in Spain's...
Better known by the last name "Explosion," due to his rock group Doctor Explosion, Jorge Mu-oz-Cobo started Estudios Circo Perrotti in 2003 in his hometown of Gijon, located in Spain's northern...
Ian Shaw, engineer and producer from London, England, relocated to the heart of tropical Key West, Florida, the southernmost point in the continental US. In the winter of 2011 Ian shipped his...
I've pulled together a collection of recent thoughts I've had about the recording process. You can agree or not agree. The important thing is to use your ears, mind, and creativity to make great...
This past September, I attended the inaugural A3Exchange (www.a3exchange.com) in Boston and had one of the most enjoyable conference experiences in years. A small team of forward thinkers, under the...
Twenty years ago, there really wasn't much of a market for "plug-ins." Sure, there were some limited software tools for audio, but they were mostly proprietary to a specific editor. Very little...
Twenty years ago, there really wasn't much of a market for "plug-ins." Sure, there were some limited software tools for audio, but they were mostly proprietary to a specific editor. Very little...
If you, like me, have recently moved to the Thunderbolt computer interface platform, these two products may be of interest to you. I recently sold my Avid TDM hardware in favor of a Universal Audio...
Triad-Orbit is a new brand of professional microphone stands from Access Products Group, a company that has been designing and producing products for other market leaders for over twenty years. The...
What sets the iD22 apart from countless other compact audio interfaces I've tried is its big-console feel and sound. And really, it's the most "analog" sounding USB audio interface I've heard! The...
In a majority of cases, the absolute worst motive for undertaking a DIY electronics project is "cost savings." Gear builds are gratifying for a number of reasons, but factors like economies of scale...
The first thing one notices about Softube plug-ins is that the graphics are kinda stunning. Now, I'm not foolish enough to think that skeuomorphic precision and meticulous shading are going to make...
In today's boutique audio market, variable-mu designs have become very popular after the rediscovery of such classic units as the Fairchild 670, General Electric BA-5-A, and Gates Sta-Level. What...
At AES, we met with Waves, and they asked us why Tape Op never reviews their plug-ins. "Good question," I said. Then, a bit later at the show, Geoff Stanfield and I started talking about how we had...
Let's paint a picture. If you are new to painting, let's paint by numbers. If you have been at it awhile, let's explore and start mixing our own colors and use more than just a paintbrush to apply...
If you do any audio processing in the analog domain, whether you rely on a large-format console or just a modest rack of gear, you'll realize quickly how powerful and easy-to- use these half-width,...
I am a fan of the 500-series format, but each time I see a new module enter the fray of over 200 different modules, I have to wonder what makes this one special. Phoenix Audio produces high quality,...
I've had a pair of ADAM S3-A [Tape Op #33] powered monitors for about a decade at Jackpot! Recording Studio, and they've treated me well. I had been through a number of speakers before them, and in...
French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal recently introduced the mid-priced Alpha series of professional studio monitors, all of which feature a polyglass cone woofer, double front bass ports, and an...
In issue #55 we chatted with Deerhoof, and learned about Greg Saunier's unique and obsessive ways of working on recordings. Their new album, La Isla Bonita, began as demos that soon became the core of...
