Tape Op contributor Allen Farmelo has written a fairly in-depth post regarding his processes for capturing and processing sounds on his wonderful blog. Check it out. I bet even some experienced engineers will take note of some of the ideas Allen puts forth, I know I did. Even though I don't exactly use the same methodology, I do apply some of the same principles in different ways. A typical "Larry Crane" album will have basic tracks through a multitude of mic preamps picked for each instrument, tracked to 2" tape (16- or 24-track, speed and EQ picked for the "sound"), dumped to Pro Tools through Apogee Rosetta 800s, overdubbed in Pro Tools and mixed through the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console with almost all analog EQ, compression and effects to 1/4" tape at usually 30 ips. That's a lot of tonal coloration going on and many subtle steps that affect the sound. And I like the results!
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Phill Brown's "Are We Still Rolling?"
by Larry Crane
I just wanted to make sure everyone knows that we have finally published Phill Brown's book. In issue #12 Larry Crane and Chris Eckman interviewed Phill Brown, a producer/engineer with credits like Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Sly Stone, Led...
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WHY I HATE(D)...
by Larry Crane
I recently have been digging through the Tape Op archives looking for writing, reviews and stuff we can post online. And I just found this snippet of hilariousness from Issue #7 in the Fall of 1997. Oh man, maybe I shouldn't post this... all...
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Excellent Stories about the late Don Smith
by Larry Crane
My pal David Lowery (Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven) has been doing a cool blog called 300 Songs, telling stories of how songs came about and other crazy stories. The most recent one is about the late Don Smith, who produced and engineered a bunch of...
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Amateur Hour Mastering Desecration
by Larry Crane
So during the mixing of a project last month I asked the band who they had picked out to master their album. They told me about someone I'd never heard of who was doing the job for very cheap, and I said, "Good luck." When they forwarded a...
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Calling All Veterans of the British Studio Scene!
by Larry Crane
THE GREAT BRITISH RECORDING STUDIOS Howard Massey, an excellent author and recording engineer, is putting together what should be an important book on the British record studio scene of the sixites and seventies. If you were involved in this...
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Promote Your Music with Cassette Releases?
by Larry Crane
I just received the first promo cassette in a long time from Odessa Records' Shit Horse. Alright! Wait, what year is it? Fucking A. I have a cassette player in the basement, and I could go down there, grab it, plug it all in and give this a...
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The Beatles' CDs get Remastered!
by Larry Crane
I'll be shelling out a lot of bucks for this on Sept 9th. Billboard reported this today... "All 14 Beatles titles, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available in a stereo box set. A second boxed set, "The Beatles in...
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Phonograph Cylinders - Better than the MP3?
by Larry Crane
I was amazed today to be informed that phonograph cylinders are still being manufactured. Madame Pamita dropped us a line a while back and surprised us with some cool music recorded on Cylinders by Peter Dilg, of the Edison Historical Site, and it...