Welcome to issue #121 of Tape Op.

Larry and Garrett Haines at AES

As I work on this issue of Tape Op I've just returned from the Summer NAMM show in Nashville, and this will also be the magazine I'll be handing out at the annual AES Convention in New York in October. When I first began this magazine I'd never been to any music or audio trade shows, and I had no intention of ever doing so. The other recording magazines would have "show reports" featuring new equipment that had been announced or debuted at recent conferences, and this was something I actively sought not to do in the pages of Tape Op. But years ago, when my partner, John Baccigaluppi, came aboard, he soon went to his first conference, Summer NAMM, and immediately made friends and found support for our young publishing venture. Many of the manufacturers whose ads you have seen in our pages over the last couple decades are people we now regard as friends and colleagues. We look forward to seeing them two or three times a year at various trade shows, around the United States and the world. It's their support that keeps this magazine coming, and keeps it free of charge – so tell them that when you buy their products! If you are actively involved in this field, I would encourage you to visit an AES Convention or NAMM show, meet the people that make our favorite gear, and talk with your peers in this field. I always look forward to learning about new products, picking up recording tips, and getting to see so many of my friends.

Get a free pass to the AES exhibits courtesy of Tape Op:

www.aes.org/events/143/registration/?vip=aes17top