Kirt Shearer

I’ve always been fascinated with the history of recording studios, the evolution of analog gear, and MCI equipment. There was one particular MCI...

At the last few pre-pandemic AES conferences I attended, my brief conversations with David Bock centered around his opinions about the classic...

The API 3122V 2-channel mic preamp is certainly not a new and revolutionary design, but rather a new version of a tried and true classic, originating...

This is going to be shorter than my usual overly wordy review – not because the product doesn’t warrant the page space, but because the message is...

A bass amp is not a typical product often seen on the review pages of Tape Op. Reviews usually center on mainstream recording equipment as opposed to...

If you are newer to audio production, you may have asked this question – and if you are a veteran of audio production you have absolutely been asked...

Large-format recording consoles; there just aren't as many of them being made these days compared to decades past. A portion of the industry has...

It seems like the market has never been more saturated with various types of new recording equipment attempting to emulate vintage gear. Vintage...

So I've been engineering long enough that the entire concept of studio monitors has changed. The ubiquitous, dual 15'', soffit-mounted...

I remember the first time I saw a Harrison 3232 console when I was a young engineer visiting Southern California. At that point, I didn't have...

Twenty years ago, there really wasn't much of a market for "plug-ins." Sure, there were some limited software tools for audio, but...

Twenty years ago, there really wasn't much of a market for "plug-ins." Sure, there were some limited software tools for audio, but...

I like gear that makes a statement. The long, narrow aluminum briefcase of the PM40 PianoMic System certainly makes one. That of, "I've got...

It used to be that you couldn't get a large-diaphragm condenser mic for under two grand, and there weren't that many choices anyway. Then...

There's a huge variety of outboard gear out there to choose from. We live in a time where sophisticated audio tools are available at almost...

Summing mixers. They really weren't considered a decade ago, and now it's one of the main product areas that seem to have constant growth...

Gregory Scott of KUSH Audio is one of those guys that seem to really think about the process of making music. In talking with him at trade shows or...

I had seen the ads for a while in Tape Op. There were these preamps I had never heard of by a company I had never heard of — Ingram Engineering. They...

I love this mic. There - I did it. I didn't bury the lead under my normal lengthy preamble. In fact, I'm going to do the review backwards....

People used to find excitement in planning new gear additions for their racks. Now people get even more excited about acquiring new plug-ins for...

Over the course of months, the X-Desk review unit loaned to us by SSL was first shipped to Assistant Gear Geek Scott McChane, for use in his home...

I’ve said it before; I really like being in audio production right now. There is a seemingly endless supply of small manufacturers that are bringing...

Even though the format has been around for decades, there has been an explosion of products in the last few years produced for the 500-series format....

From an equipment point of view, we live in a wonderful time to make music. Although there is an ongoing "vintage gear" craze, we now also...