I've pulled together a collection of recent thoughts I've had about the recording process. You can agree or not agree. The important thing is to use your ears, mind, and creativity to make great recordings.
Recording equipment matters, but it doesn't really matter.It may take you years to learn, or outgrow, some of your gear.At a certain level of recording gear, every $500 step buys you tiny, incremental benefits.Vintage gear is a mirage; not something you really need, but maybe something to conceptually strive for.Some random chain of vintage equipment isn't what really made those records worth listening to 40 years later.Considering every possibility in front of you is paralyzing.Just because you came up with a new overdub or part doesn't mean it's good.Percussion overdubs are 90 percent unnecessary.Backing vocals are 75 percent unnecessary.It's not possible to steal someone's recording tricks; they never work the same for you.Fidelity means everything and nothing, at the same time.Sources that sound natural might not be natural at all."It was recorded live" doesn't indicate anything about the quality.A simple recording is not a bad recording, nor is it underproduced or lo-fi.Recorded simply does not mean recorded poorly.Using more mics doesn't always equal great sound.Anything that "looks" in time is likely not really in time.
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November 24, 2014
The Inaugural Advanced Audio + Application Exchange (A3E) in Boston: A Gear Geek Love Letter
BY Andy Hong
This past September, I attended the inauguralA3Exchangein Boston and hadone of the most enjoyable conference experiences in years.A small team of forw...
September 29, 2014
Legendary Malibu Studio Indigo Ranch Is Auctioning Off Its Remaining Collection of Gear
BY Dave Middleton
Richard Kaplan, owner engineer of famed recording studio Indigo Ranch[Tape Op#103] is selling the remainder of his classic equipment collection. It in...
September 29, 2014
U2's Songs of Innocence "Review"
BY John Baccigaluppi
I'm not actually going to review the music on this record;it's free, just go get it and listen to it yourself. Instead, I'm a bit fascinated by the me...
September 29, 2014
Free Exhibits Plus Badge to AES Los Angeles 2014 for Tape Op Readers
BY Dave Middleton
Just a quick note about the upcomingAudio Engineering Society (AES) conventionin Los Angeles. We have arranged for allTape Opreaders to receive afree ...
July 22, 2014
"Give Me A Hammer": Why the Audio Industry Needs Simple, Stable Tools More Now Than Ever
BY John Baccigaluppi
It was at a recent trade show, after a major DAW manufacturer cancelled our meeting,that I realized I was relieved to be off the hook. I always enjoy ...
May 6, 2014
How Portable Head-Fi Can Help Save The Record Industry
BY Allen Farmelo
head-fi:n, audiophile-grade headphone systems. portable:adj, able to be easily carried.
April 6, 2014
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, t...
March 24, 2014
The Possibility of Subconscious Auditory Effects in Audioworkers - A Case for Renewing Humility and Wonder in the Field of Professional Audio
BY Allen Farmelo
Subconscious Auditory Effects (SAE) is a term I have cobbled together to encapsulate a broad range of phenomena in this barely-studied field of inquir...