Laurie Nelson Roll up your sleeves, make a mess, get dirty, get fired, get re-hired, tear it down, and build it all back up again. Then make it better than it was before. That could be a...
Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, Stormtroopers of Death, Nuclear Assault, Vio-lence... Alex Perialas is responsible for dozens of classic metal records from the '80s and '90s, mostly made in his studio,...
Kevin Army was a secret force behind the East Bay punk explosion of the late '80s and early '90s. Being a generation older than the bands he worked with brought depth and wisdom on two-fronts that...
Musician, songwriter, producer, and entertainment lawyer "Boogie" Bob Baldori has performed everywhere from Moscow to the Midwest for the past 40 years, and has called Lansing, Michigan home for most...
I met Enrique Tena Padilla when he, along with Eric Bauer, engineered, produced, and mixed the last two Oh Sees records (Orc and Smote Reverser) at Sonic Ranch [Tape Op #94], outside of El Paso,...
Her bio states, "SassyBlack is a space aged singer, songwriter & producer," and that is a great starting point in digging into her career, one that also includes the titles of freelance writer,...
Eric Bachmann started recording in the late '80s and early '90s with the indie heroes, Archers of Loaf. The group had a unique sound that is still heavily cited today. However it was far from a clean...
Is there a fine line between naive encouragement and pessimistic, dour warnings of possible failure? (i.e. "Just do it! DIY!" vs. "Give up. It's impossible.") Over twenty years ago I was making plans...
For almost two decades now, a crucial component of my cross-platform file-sharing and backup strategies in my home and personal studio has been Network Attached Storage (NAS). My first NAS appliance...
A few years back, I found myself on the prowl for a true analog drum machine. I had not owned a capable, dedicated drum machine since my E-MU Systems Drumulator went belly-up some time ago (or...
Can you teach an old dog new tricks? I have a medium aged dog, and he’s awful smart and seems eager to learn. In fact, I think because he’s always hungry, he’s hungry to learn new...
I recently got a new iPad and my CME Xkey mobile USB MIDI keyboard [Tape Op #115] wouldn't work properly with it. It would function perfectly for a few minutes, but would then give me a, "This...
A few months ago, I was lucky enough to travel to Copenhagen to record an LP for the awesome band Town Portal. It was easily the best audio experience of my life, and, as a bonus, our basic tracks...
Arcade is a new cloud-based software instrument from Output that offers an ever-expanding subscription-based loop synthesizer, while also allowing you to use your own loops. The plug-in can be used...
Digital processing has come a long way. Within the modern DAW there are a plethora of tools that replicate our favorite real world classic gear, yet many engineers still reach for actual analog...
You all know the scenario. You're in the studio, the guitarist is getting sounds, and even though they may have a great tone, as a recording engineer all you hear is the obnoxious buzzing hum from...
I'm a big fan of the On Stage CM01 Video Camera / Digital Recorder Adapter, which allows me to use a mic stand as a camera "tripod" when I visit studios to do interviews, or to support a Zoom recorder...
The new Special Edition 2×6 I/O Module for Symphony I/O Mk II offers the highest quality AD/DA in the Symphony line. The module can be added to existing Symphony Mk II audio interfaces [Tape Op...
I've run expensive professional studios, visited many friends' small home project studios, and at home I have what you might loosely call a studio. I've heard incredible music produced in home...
Micparts is a DIY microphone mod/build company started by Matthew McGlynn, of the wonderful microphone resource website recordinghacks.com and Roswell Pro Audio. Matt started Micparts a few years ago...
LaChapell's boutique tube preamps have earned a reputation for being some of the best around, so when they announced their ultra-affordable 500DT preamp earlier this year, my interest was piqued. The...
Andy reviewed the Ultimate MC-125, a tall boom stand, in Tape Op #91. He was right - they're great stands. Sharkbite Studios in Oakland has six or eight different big mic stands, and the only one...
What!? Another Universal Audio 1176 clone? Well, not exactly. Black Lion Audio has been modifying entry-level gear [Tape Op #48], into top-notch studio grade equipment, while building outboard gear -...
After two grueling months of learning how to pour concrete, run electrical wire, frame walls, and hang sheetrock, I have just finished transforming my detached garage into a mixing suite. The end...
I still give most mixes and masters a test listen in my car. Three hundred years ago I did this by burning CDs, but now I use my iPhone. Over time this has become much more of a pain in the ass. I...
Some of the best money spent on your studio is in your playback. Invest some of your hard-earned cash on a good monitoring setup, and your mixes and production choices will improve dramatically. ADAM...
Years ago I was wandering around London with several recording engineer/journalist types, when I made an offhand complaint about the interminable wait I was going through during hard drive backups at...
My experience with Universal Audio's Ox Amp Top Box definitely cleared up any misconceptions or doubts I'd had about this device. More than just a reactive load box, power attenuator, and guitar...
Universal Audio's Ocean Way Studios for their UAD platform is a room emulation; this is the most basic fact when trying to describe the plug-in. But this simple description does a huge disservice to...
