Interviews
Amen Dunes
by Ryan Sommer
In an industry where evolution is key to an artist's longevity, Damon McMahon, known as Amen Dunes, is redefining his musical journey by coming home. The self-described “luddite” –...
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Interviews
David Baron: Folk Rock’s Producing Powerhouse
by Jon Regen
With a diverse discography that includes everyone from The Lumineers to Lenny Kravitz, David Baron has carved out a career as a keyboardist, producer, and arranger who can do it all. While he...
Interviews
Alvvays: Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley, with Shawn Everett
by Geoff Stanfield
We interviewed Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley from the Toronto-based Alvvays, and producer/mixer Shawn Everett [Tape Op #115] for the Tape Op Podcast in May of 2023 to chat about crafting their...
Interviews
Alan Parsons
by Larry Crane
I first met Alan Parsons in 2004, when I interviewed him for Tape Op issue #42. We’ve been lucky enough to work together on Recording Academy presentations and meet up socially a few times...
Interviews
Noah Bruskin: Getting in Right
by Larry Crane
A few years ago, my studio manager, Zach Bloomstein, needed to do a session in the Santa Barbara area, and his client hooked them up with Alan Parsons’ ParSonics Studio in Goleta, California....
Interviews
Jordan Brooke Hamlin: Recording Anthropologically
by Lisa Machac
Jordan Brooke Hamlin is multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and owner of MOXE Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Jordan's portfolio boasts collaborations with Grammy-winning legends such as the...
Most Recent
New Live Album From Nils Frahm: Paris
by Geoff Stanfield
I’m normally not that into live albums, but Nils Frahm is not a normal musician. I saw him play live in 2018 when I interviewed him for Tape Op, and it was hard to believe that he was the only musician on stage. Blending electronic elements...
New Music From Sunroof: Electronic Music Improvisations, Vol.3
by Geoff Stanfield
We interviewed both Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Erasure) and Daniel Miller (Mute Records, The Normal) in Tape Op #110. Collectively they are Sunroof, and have just released Electronic Music Improvisations, Vol.3. This collection follows...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
The buildout of my commercial studio building is still in progress (ugh), but over the next couple months I’m looking forward to completing my Nashville home studio (also ugh). Long story short,...
Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings
by Geoff Stanfield
Craft Recordings has just released a select compilation of Miles Davis' recordings from 1954 for the Prestige label. I just got the Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings vinyl release, and it is a beautiful box set package with four discs, a...
New album and video, The Way Out of Easy, from Jeff Parker ETA IVtet
by Geoff Stanfield
The Way Out of Easy is the second album Jeff Parker (Tortoise) has released that was recorded live by Bryce Gonzales at The Enfield Tennis Academy to a stereo Nagra tape machine on a hand built tube console that he designed and built. Besides Parker...
Alan Parsons
by Larry Crane
I first met Alan Parsons in 2004, when I interviewed him for Tape Op issue #42. We’ve been lucky enough to work together on Recording Academy presentations and meet up socially a few times...
Noah Bruskin: Getting in Right
by Larry Crane
A few years ago, my studio manager, Zach Bloomstein, needed to do a session in the Santa Barbara area, and his client hooked them up with Alan Parsons’ ParSonics Studio in Goleta, California....
David Baron: Folk Rock’s Producing Powerhouse
by Jon Regen
With a diverse discography that includes everyone from The Lumineers to Lenny Kravitz, David Baron has carved out a career as a keyboardist, producer, and arranger who can do it all. While he...
Jordan Brooke Hamlin: Recording Anthropologically
by Lisa Machac
Jordan Brooke Hamlin is multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and owner of MOXE Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Jordan's portfolio boasts collaborations with Grammy-winning legends such as the...
Clay Blair: Boulevard Recording Survives
by Larry Crane
I first met engineer/producer/studio owner Clay Blair some ten years ago, and we did a short interview that ended up running later as a bonus feature with Tape Op #111. His Hollywood-based studio,...
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Let's DIY
Let's DIY
DIY Diffusors
by Brad Williams
While hardly a glamorous concept, room acoustics represent a critical link in the recording or playback chain. While comprehensive room design is a complex cocktail of science, math and chance...
Let's DIY
Build Your Own Spring Reverb
by Scott Hampton
I have been a big fan of spring and plate reverbs for decades, and over the past three years I have spent a significant amount of time diving into the wormhole of designing and building them,...
Let's DIY
Build a tube Mic Pre: Build Your Own Two Channel Vacuum Tube Mic Preamp!
by Scott Hampton
When asked to come up with a "do it yourself" tube mic pre project, I thought long and hard about what topology to go with. I designed a number of different hybrid tube/discrete class A designs...
Let's DIY
DIY Reverb
by Nicolas Collins
In the disembodied world of today's computer-based multitrack mixing, one can spend a lot of time crafting a unifying sense of "space." Despite the dozens of reverb plug-ins and rack devices...
Staff Picks
Tape Op Turns 25!
by Geoff Stanfield
April 15th marks the 25th anniversary of Tape Op Magazine! To mark the occasion, Tape Op founder and editor Larry Crane is making a series of short videos talking about the journey of the mag and some of the memories had along the...
Introducing DISCussion!
by Geoff Stanfield
During one of the many calls I have on a regular basis with my musician and audio professional friends, it dawned on me what a priveldge these conversations are and thought it might be a good idea to share them with a larger audience as a way to take...
Great Reads on Recording and Music
by Geoff Stanfield
Here is a list of some of the books on recording and music that we have added to the reading (or re-reading!) queue recently. Are We Still Rolling?by Phill BrownGreat studio session stories about The Rolling Stones, Talk Talk, Hendrix, Led...
Ikea DIY Plate Reverb Hack
by Geoff Stanfield
Tape Op contributor Thom Monahan dug up this gem. Enjoy!
Larry Crane Discusses the Virtues of the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 Console
by Geoff Stanfield
Read the review of the RND 5088 Console
AES Conventions - Looking Back/Looking Forward
by John Baccigaluppi
Convention Report. Man, that old Disneyland hotel was awesome! I'm in the process of moving and was cleaning my office earlier today. I have a large collection of vintage audio magazines and books that I use for clip art when working on Tape...
Integrating Stompboxes into the Mix
Special Release
There has been a heightened interest lately in using stompboxes and pedals as part of the mixing process. There are a few ways to interface your pedals with your system, but here is a quick video on how I do it using the Meris 440 500 series mic-pre....
My Trade Show T-Shirts
by Geoff Stanfield
by John Baccigaluppi The music industry trade shows, and the NAMM Show in particular, have always been a mixed bag for me. Every year, for the last 20 years or so, Larry and I, along with Geoff, Scott, and Marsha (We miss you Andy, Dave, and Laura!)...
June 1st, 2020
by Geoff Stanfield
Dear Tape Op Readers, We are feeling overwhelmed and deeply saddened by the death of George Floyd. Unfortunately this is far from an isolated incident. Our voices and collective action have never been more needed than right now. Human...
New Gear Giveaways!
by Geoff Stanfield
Check out the latest gear giveaways from our advertisers and enter to win! Retro Intruments 500 Pre Giveaway! Enter to Win a 500PRE Here! Audix Mics and Headphones Giveaway! Enter to Win Audix Mics and Headphones! Baby...