We interviewed John Cale in issue #156 around the time of his previous release, Mercy. He has just released POPtical Illusion, a collection of synth and keyboard heavy tunes that carry a heavy, and at times angry message about the state of the world. That is not to say that that Cale has lost all hope and there is optimism that we can still bring about change. POPtical Illusion was produced by Cale along with longtime artistic collaborator Nita Scott.
(me and Elliott rolling in Jackpot!'s original MCI JH-16, Feb. 1997)
As most readers of Tape Op may have picked up on by now, I have been involved in the archiving and cataloging of the music of my late friend, Elliott Smith. Here's an interview I...
By November 24th we will have installed a new Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console at my studio, Jackpot! Recording Studio, in Portland, OR. Excited? Of course. And look, no EQ, no preamps and no automation. Just pure, perfect analog mixdown heaven. You...
A reader just informed me that APPLE's recent Logic Pro X includes "Drummer", a virtual drummer plug-in. One of the virtual drummers is named "aidan", who apparently cannot find the CAPS key on his virtual MacBook. In Aidan's "Portland Kit" we...
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...
Tape Op Magazines and the Tape Op Book Vol. II are featured in the reading materials section of the "Sonic Youth, etc: Sensation Fix" traveling art exhibition. Thanks, Sonic Youth!
"The exhibition Sonic Youth, etc: Sensation Fix focuses on the...
Some Maybe Not-So-Obvious Items Every Studio Needs
In the past we've run a few columns about items every studio should have, like Sharpie pens and masking tape, but here I decided to look around me and think about all the items that aren't...
If you want to stay in business you need to record all kinds of bands, including those you don't care for. (This is actually a shock to some people. It is. They don't last long, and their refusal to work with anyone except bands they hand-pick is...
Amidst all the bad news and chaos in the world, there are a few silver linings. One of them is having a bit of extra time for listening. Whether it's while you are working from home, maniacally crafting or cooking that 57th batch of cookies, it...
Larry Crane adds an update to Marc Alan Goodman's orginal review of the Burl B80 Mothership.
Marc Alan Goodman says in his original review, “It's rare to find a single piece of gear that elevates not only my entire...