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...
Columns
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
I recently received a product for review that included a USB cable in the box. The cable worked for charging, but it would not pass data. That got me thinking. Before there were standards for...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
While attending the Summer NAMM Show, I ran into several friends who thought I had left Tape Op completely. I apologize if my “Gear Geeking” column in the previous issue wasn’t clear...
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...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
16 years after first taking on my role here at Tape Op, I'm stepping aside, and starting with this issue, Scott McChane is the new Gear Reviews Editor. Scott has penned close to 50 reviews for the...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
In 2012, I wrote about the P-touch PT-1290 label maker in “Gear Geeking” [Tape Op #90]. I've printed countless self-stick labels with the P-touch, using its mini QWERTY keyboard and...
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...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
Joel Edinberg is a staff engineer at Q Division qdivisionstudios.com, one of the nicest studios in the Boston Area. He's also a gigging saxophonist, a music instructor, and the leader of gypsy-punk...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy
by Andy Hong
It's timely that you'll find a review of the Yamaha TF1 digital mixer in this issue. The TF1 is a 32-channel console featuring 16+1 motorized faders, with 16 fader and “OMNI Out” channels...
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...