End Rant | No. 131
Think Like Tape
by Tony SanFilippo
A while back, Larry Crane – Tape Op's editor – tweeted an observation implying that many producers, engineers, and artists fill up their productions with tons of tracks simply because the...
End Rants
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
At the Feet of the Masters
by Larry Crane
Last year I bought The Beatles’ super deluxe 50th anniversary box set edition of The BEATLES (commonly known as “The White Album”). The new mixes that Giles Martin [Tape Op #103]...
What’s Your Time Worth?
by Larry Crane
Not long after I first opened my recording studio, (some 20 years ago, when people actually booked time via a landline), I got a call one day about a booking request. Client: "Hi, we'd like to book...
Tough Love
by Larry Crane
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...
Set Yourself Apart
by Larry Crane
I'm worried about the current state of how people are learning recording. When I first started tracking myself (and others) out of my home studio, learning how to record on a budget was a difficult...
An Endangered Species?
by John Baccigaluppi
If you're one of the folks doing all your music making in-the-box, with your DAW and plug-ins, then you can skip the rest of this rant. Consider yourself lucky, as this older analog gear is getting...
Mistakes
by Larry Crane
It was 1992. The band I'd been in, Vomit Launch, had called it quits less than six months prior. I'd decided to take a road trip to the Northwest, with the faint concept of finding a new place to live...
Who’s Dropping By?
by Larry Crane
After 32 years of attending, visiting, and helming many studio recordings, I've come to recognize the impact that guests dropping by can have on a session. In Tape Op #73 I described my take on...
The Lasting Power of Music
by John Baccigaluppi
During the past few years I've been thinking a lot about music and why it still feels so important to me. I believe in the long-term, far-reaching power of music in our lives, and I feel that many...
Set and Forget?
by Larry Crane
The art of recording music obviously involves the intersection of technical skills and creativity. It's certainly this juncture that fascinates many of us, and has lured us into a life of placing...
Social Isolation
by Paul Clark
I’ve spent most of my career in the technology industry, early on as the CEO of a rapidly growing electronics firm, and now as a partner in a company with one of the world’s most...
When Does the Production Happen?
by Larry Crane
Years ago, while talking to the late Cosimo Matassa [Tape Op #40], I remember marveling at the sounds he had achieved while recording early hits for Little Richard, Fats Domino, Roy Brown, and many...
A Musicians Guide to Caring for Your Recordist
by Larry Crane
In the past I’ve written many End Rants about how I expect recordists to treat their clients. But I’ve also stumbled across many online forums where I’ve see recording engineers and...