Jul/Aug 2006

Welcome to issue #54 of Tape Op.

 

It's only been a few weeks since TapeOpCon wrapped up. Those of you that were there know how much fun we had and how much there was to learn. I know there are a lot of you readers whom we never see at these events, and I'd like to invite you to consider attending next year. No matter what level of recording experience you think you are at, especially if you are working alone in a home or commercial studio, interacting with your peers can have many advantages. People have hooked up with clients, shared work with other studios, found out about deals on gear and even found romance (crazy, I know) at TapeOpCon. And the excitement and rush of learning about new ideas and sharing information sends everyone back home excited to record and create great music.

Even if you're never going to attend our event, what about hitting up an AES Convention when there's one near you? Check out the massive exhibit hall and attend interesting panels. What about meeting up with other recording folks in your own region? NARAS does an annual Studio Summit in Seattle and I always bring a car full of friends to attend. We get to talk to peers and hear from other professionals as well.

Don't live in a bubble. There's much to be gained by getting out and meeting other people with common interests!

PS: May 6th saw the passing of Grant McLennan, whom along with Robert Forster was the team behind the Go-Betweens. I had the pleasure of recording an album for them in 1999, and was struck by Grant's talent and friendship. I was always hoping to work with them again someday. All our thoughts go out to Robert, Grant's girlfriend Emma, Adele and Glenn, and Grant's family.

— Larry Crane, editor

In This Issue See more →

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Organized Chaos

by Larry Crane

My client Ken is a treat to work with. He brings in sessions off his standalone digital multitrack with each song on a CD-R, clearly labeled, a binder with track notes including how everything was...

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Gear Reviews See more →

S&M

by Dangerous Music  |  reviewed by Mike Caffrey

In a world where 1073 is not only a model number, but also the number of clones said model has inspired, the Dangerous Music S&M is a standout for its originality. While Chris Muth (the S&M's...

KORE, KOMPLETE 3

by Native Instruments  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Native Instruments, known for their unique, high-quality software instruments and virtual studio solutions, have just introduced a distinctive hardware controller/software host called KORE, which they...

Preamps in Paradise DVD-ROM

by 3D Audio  |  reviewed by Garrett Haines

When Lynn Fuston, publisher and coordinator of the 3D Audio comparison series, walked up to the Tape Op booth at the New York AES, I immediately started railing on him. "Oh, look, it's Lynn Fuston....

WizooVerb W2 Room Emulator

by Wizoo  |  reviewed by Andy Hong

If I had to pick one desert island reverb, this would be it. Either as a plug-in if I had a DAW in my luggage, or as a standalone application running on a laptop if I somehow salvaged a great console...

GT60, GT50, GT40, GT30

by Groove Tubes  |  reviewed by Andy Hong

Since receiving these mics a few months ago, I've used them on every recording session to date. And I've got a large collection of mics, with some of them costing many times what the most expensive of...

Rakim Told Me

by Brian Coleman  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Subtitled Hip-Hop Wax Facts, Straight From the Original Artists-The '80s, this book spends its time examining 21 hip-hop albums from the mostly mid-to-late '80s-talking with the artists about how the...

Akira effects processor

by Alesis  |  reviewed by Inverse Room

A couple years ago, internet retailers were blowing out Alesis's ModFX effects boxes at absurdly low prices. The ModFX were flimsy DSP desktop units with goofy names and lousy switches, but a few of...

Small DI

by Avenson Audio  |  reviewed by Chris Garges

Brad Avenson appears to like simplicity. His excellent reputation based on the success of his STO-2 microphones is well deserved, so I was excited about his new active, FET-based direct box. When I...

 

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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