Tone Control Circuit Scavenger Hunt
by Andy Hong
In the previous issue, I discussed how I had successfully employed a $25 car-audio EQ as a sidechain EQ for stereo bus compression. It was a cheap and highly effective solution, but it had its...
Gear Geeking
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
A Good Sidechain EQ Might Be Cheaper Than You Think
by Andy Hong
The band E was in my studio recently. Thalia Zedek (Come), Jason Sanford (Neptune), and Gavin McCarthy (Karate) are all extremely dynamic performers, but even during quiet moments, their instruments...
Audio Analysis Software
by Andy Hong
When I'm reviewing gear, audio analysis software like FuzzMeasure [this issue] gives me the ability to resolve differences in sound quality and consequently use objective language when conveying those...
An Ode to Ribbons
by Andy Hong
I can remember back in 2002, when I first joined the Tape Op team as Reviews Editor, ribbon mics were relatively rare, and even new ones, like the now ubiquitous Royer Labs R-12, weren't too often...
Until the Studio Tech Arrives, YOU Are the Studio Tech
by Andy Hong
The other day, the blower motor of my studio's HVAC system died. The air handler is a large-volume, low-velocity unit (to minimize noise), and the access panel in the wall wasn't large enough to...
Gear Geeking #108
by Andy Hong
I've mentioned before that one of the goals of Tape Op Gear Reviews is to educate our readers. In other words, we strive to publish reviews that are just as informative about recording techniques as...
Gear Geeking #107
by Andy Hong
Let's talk about tape — not the kind that you record on, but the kind that's sticky. Or actually, the kind that's sort of sticky — tape that's used to mount, attach, or repair things, but...
Gear Geeking #106
by Andy Hong
Allen Farmelo has been writing Tape Op gear reviews for a decade. His reviews are always engaging, educational, and importantly, inspirational. Allen always seems to find an arc up to a concept,...
Gear Geeking #105
by Andy Hong
When I saw Hüsker Dü and Soul Asylum perform at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston in 1986, the bands were loud enough to cause physical pain to my ears. The high frequencies were especially...
Gear Geeking #104
by Andy Hong
This past September, I attended the inaugural A3Exchange (www.a3exchange.com) in Boston and had one of the most enjoyable conference experiences in years. A small team of forward thinkers, under the...
Gear Geeking w/ John...
by John Baccigaluppi, Andy Hong
A special installment featuring two guest editorials from JB! -AH I'm not much of a fan of software synths that work as DAW plug-ins. I've tried virtual instruments from Arturia, UVI, GForce, and...
Gear Geeking #102
by Andy Hong
I was amazed when I first witnessed radio-controlled airplane models flying through the air. But the complexity and maintenance requirements of fuel-based engines and analog radio systems scared me...