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!
More Entries
Blog
AutoTune as the Subject of a Song?
by Larry Crane
Yup. And here's the video. Funny as shit. "Thanks AutoTune!"
Blog
Boston's Q Division Studios Is Back!
by Geoff Stanfield
After 20 years at the Davis Square location (and a previous 15 years on Albany Street), Boston’s Q Division Studios had to close its doors in July of 2021. Through the years, Q Division was host to a diverse group of artists, including Aimee...
Blog
RIP Hal Willner 1956-2020
by Geoff Stanfield
Eric Liljestrand remembers his friend and working partner Hal Willner Hal and I spent countless hours, days, weeks, months in dark rooms all over creating some of the most original albums and film scores the world will ever hear. A solid third of...
Blog
Tape Op Turns 28!
by Geoff Stanfield
Many Tape Op readers likely can’t imagine that issue #1 was Xeroxed and hand-folded 28 years ago, but it was. People may think of us as DIY, but there’s a long history of so many helping this magazine be its best, beginning with friends...
Blog
Daptone Records Robbed
by Vijith Assar
Via the Village Voice and meta-via Brooklyn Vegan comes the tragic news that the NYC recording studio operated by Daptone Records was burgled last night, with a remarkable amount of main brain Gabe Roth's vintage gear lost. Even...
Blog
End Rant # 95: Recording as a Career?
by Larry Crane
Here's a recent email I received: "I am interested in what you do and how you do it. I guess I am not the average person looking to get into audio engineering. I am 44 and I am an anesthesiologist looking for a second career. I am an audiophile,...
Blog
Larry Reading from Tape Op Book Vol. II at Powell's
by Larry Crane
Here I am at Powell's City of Books in Portland doing the book reading. Quite fun to get up and make an ass of myself in a book store. Thanks to Leigh Marble and Ben for playing sweet music, to Kevin Sampsell for arranging this for Powell's, and to...
Blog
Could 192k Simply Make Good Common Sense?
by Allen Farmelo
As we exit the era of digital audio data compression and begin the ascent into higher sample rates for consumer consumption (via multiple platforms, though most popularly Neil Young's PONO system), we are finding ourselves as a community of...