Interviews
Ryan Ulyate: Digging for Gems
by Larry Crane
Years ago, I started seeing an engineer’s name associated with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers on a number of releases. Working on Tom’s Runnin’ Down a Dream documentary, The Live...
Interviews
Mike Elizondo: Creating an Atmosphere
by Larry Crane
From session bassist, to songwriter, to producer, Mike Elizondo has had an interesting musical path. For 11 years he co-wrote with Dr. Dre, making hits for 50 Cent, Eminem, and Mary J. Blige. His...
Interviews
Andy Sneap: The More Things Change…
by Avinash Mittur
If you’ve listened to metal records produced in the last two decades, you’ve surely heard the work of Andy Sneap. Killswitch Engage, Megadeth, Carcass, and Judas Priest are only a few of...
Women in Audio
Julie McLarnon: A Truly Analogue Cat
by Larry Crane
In Northern Ireland, in a certain region of the countryside, you can find Analogue Catalogue Recording Studios. This residential studio is run by Julie McLarnon, an engineer/producer with a...
Interviews
John Cuniberti: OneMic Recording Sessions
by Larry Crane
In Tape Op #55 we had a wonderful chat with John Cuniberti, where we discussed everything from his ReAmp product to recording the Dead Kennedys and Joe Satriani. In this interview we asked him about...
Interviews
Purity Ring: Accidents & Textures
by Geoff Stanfield
Hailing from Edmonton, Canadian electronic pop duo Purity Ring made a splash with their debut album Shrines. The release was a document of Corin Roddick and singer Megan James’ long distance...
Dub!
Mad Professor: The Sound of the Studio
by Geoff Stanfield
My introduction to Mad Professor was via an album called No Protection, his dub remix of Massive Attack’s Protection. It was a journey to a musical universe that I was aware of, but had never...
Interviews
John Leventhal: Let the Process Unfold
by Gus Berry
John Leventhal’s record production skills first caught my ear when I was a young kid obsessed with Shawn Colvin records. Since then, his playing and production has influenced me more than any...
Interviews
Zac Farro: The Fine Line of Inspiration and Knowledge
by Geoff Stanfield
Paramore drummer Zac Farro was playing on the world’s stages at an age when most of us were trying to figure out what middle school was all about. Now, at the ripe old age of 30, he has toured...
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Hunter Lea & Uptone Recorders: Exploring the Past, Recording the Future
by Alan Kroph
In Tacoma, Washington, a town full of rich musical history – including The Sonics, The Ventures, and The Wailers – exists a museum-like recording studio you’ve probably never heard...
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End Rant
Learning How to Really Record
by Larry Crane
Do you want to know how to make better recordings? Start by making a lot of bad (or not-quite-perfect) recordings. Yeah, I know this may sound like some tired old adage, but it’s true. I know,...
Gear Geeking
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
The LED indicators on my Cherry SPOS G86-61410 USB keyboard [Tape Op #56] cherryamericas.com are stuck in forever-blinking mode. Reflashing its firmware didn’t expunge the gremlins, so I decided...
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Gear Reviews See more →
P331 Tube Loading Amplifier
by Whitestone Audio Instruments | reviewed by Garrett Haines
The P331 Tube Loading Amplifier is the debut product from Whitestone Audio Instruments. Dave Rosen investigated making a device for line level audio signals to enhance wife Kim Rosen’s [Tape Op...
iD14 MKII Interface
by Audient | reviewed by Chris Hughes
My biggest fear when using a new interface is always, “How much downtime will there be before I can get this thing up and running?” The drivers are never up to date out of the box, my OS...
Analog Rytm MKII 8-Voice Drum Computer
by Elektron | reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
Held in high regard by many as the “ultimate analog drum machine,” Elektron’s Analog Rytm has been around since 2014, with the Mark II iteration arriving in 2018. The eight-voice...
Tantra Bass Tube Preamp
by Sonic Farm | reviewed by Kirt Shearer
A bass amp is not a typical product often seen on the review pages of Tape Op. Reviews usually center on mainstream recording equipment as opposed to performance amps, but I was really curious about...
THERMAL Distortion Plug-In
by Output | reviewed by Scott McDowell
I’m a big fan of distortion plug-ins – these days, who isn’t? If you are, you’ve got to check out THERMAL, from Output. There’s so much to this plug-in that I’ve...
Colour Duo 2-Channel Colour Channel Strip Kit
by DIY Recording Equipment | reviewed by Don Gunn
Peterson Goodwyn and his crew at DIY Recording Equipment (DIYRE) won’t be strangers to many long-term Tape Op readers. Their Colour 500 Palette [Tape Op #107] has been reviewed, along with...
Maletomp Linked 2-Channel Compressor
by Lisciel Equipos | reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
Many pieces of audio gear have a reputation that precedes them. They’ve been heavily used for decades, reviewed, revered, copied, and cloned. Names and numbers like Neve 1073, Universal Audio...
RootOne Plug-In
by Leapwing | reviewed by Scott McDowell
If you find yourself chasing modern low end, you’ll eventually end up playing with a subharmonic synthesizer. There are plenty of options, ranging from outboard gear like the dbx 120A...
Brusfri Noise Reducer Plug-In
by Klevgrand | reviewed by Gus Berry
About two months ago, I was mindlessly scrolling on Instagram when an ad for a “Noise Reducer” plug-in caught my eye. (Yes, I know, I got reeled in by an Instagram ad). It showed an artist...
73JRII 500 Series Mic Preamp
by Heritage Audio | reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
If you’re an audio professional, it’s likely you know the simple number “73” means only one of two things: It’s either a reference to the revered Neve 1073 mic pre/EQ, or...
249 Multi-Pattern Tube Mic
by Flea Microphones | reviewed by Don Gunn
I usually like to structure my reviews with a full description of the product I’m writing about, then provide my experience with it (along with use cases during the review period), and...
Expression Knob
by El Garatge | reviewed by Jonathan Saxon
For effects pedals with an expression input, consider using the Expression Knob by El Garatge. It’s well made, saves space, and is easy to use – I love it! This L-shaped device has a...
Bento 8 Pure Analog 500 Series Chassis
by Fredenstein Audio | reviewed by Daniel Ryan Morse
As a home recordist on a limited budget, I’ve been hooked on 500 Series modules for the past few years. In addition to the possibility of building my own gear, like my beloved CAPI VP26 [Tape Op...
Pro Tools | Carbon Hybrid Audio Production System
by Avid | reviewed by Eli Crews
It’s very simple – if you record music using Pro Tools with any regularity, and don’t require (or can’t afford) a full-blown HDX system, I cannot advise you strongly enough to...
Stellar X3 Microphone
by TechZone Audio | reviewed by Tony Vincent
I love microphones. When used – or abused – in the right situation, I’m a firm believer that nothing will give you an interesting tone or character like a unique microphone. Whether...
LL2A Compressor Limiter
by Little Labs | reviewed by Eli Crews
I’m always excited to see a new product from Little Labs. I’ve been collecting Jonathan Little’s [Tape Op #75] ultra-handy studio devices for over 15 years, starting with the...
A133 Condenser Microphone
by Audix | reviewed by Dylan Ray
I would be hard-pressed to remember a recording project where I didn’t use an Audix microphone. Your initial reaction to the name Audix may paint a picture of affordable workhorse dynamic...
Classic 5 Studio Monitor
by KRK Systems | reviewed by Fiona Gurney
Learning the ideal applications of your gear is an excellent ear training exercise, and frankly half the job – whether you’re a recording engineer or a musician. For me, simply remembering...
DBX 160 Compressor/Limiter UAD Plug-In
by Universal Audio | reviewed by Mike Kosacek
Universal Audio has been quietly updating some of their previously released plug-ins with new features that you may have overlooked if not watching closely. About four years ago, I purchased the dbx...
Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm (Film)
by Hannah Berryman, Director | reviewed by Larry Crane
In 1963 in the Welsh countryside, brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward set up shop and began recording rock bands on their family’s farm. A few years later, they became the first...
UF8 Advanced DAW Controller
by Solid State Logic | reviewed by Tony Vincent
I vividly remember the first time I was exposed to moving fader automation. I was 12 years old, and the medium-sized recording facility was centered around two seminal Yamaha DMP7 [Tape Op #122]...
Comp IIT Compressor
by Daking | reviewed by Adam Kagan
Geoff Daking began his career as a drummer in a signed band, then became a recording engineer, and almost three decades ago began building his own brand of recording gear in California. This is to say...
5057 Orbit Summing Mixer
by Rupert Neve Designs | reviewed by Don Gunn, Alan Tubbs
From the requisite hand-wired boutique pieces of the ‘50s and early ‘60s, to the large format commercial consoles that followed, and then right into the modern project-style studio,...