Dave Cobb
"If somebody's too neurotic, I'm out. I think music is supposed to be fun, reactionary, and impulsive." Dave Cobb's great record production for Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, The Sec...
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Nov/Dec 2017
Welcome to issue #122 of Tape Op.
Years ago I was in a session when I suddenly turned around to my clients and asked, "What is it that you think you are paying me for right now?" They came up with a few answers relating to time, recording gear, the space we were in, and such. I laughed and said, "Sure, sort of. But I think what you are really paying me for is every mistake that I've ever made on a session before, and am (hopefully) not making right now on yours." We had a good chuckle and kept plugging away on the overdubs at hand.
In the recording studio, experience is important. Having a wide variety of skills and knowledge is important. Knowing how to solve the problems when making records is key, and having multiple solutions for these scenarios is paramount. See my End Rant this issue for more thoughts on this timeless quest.
— LARRY CRANE,EDITOR & FOUNDER
IN THIS ISSUE
Mike Dean: Hip-Hop Producer/Mixer
By Jake Brown
If you're a hip-hop fan it's almost impossible not to know the name Mike Dean, as his sound is woven so deeply into the last quarter century of music. A low-key legend who prefers to let his music do...
Nick Blagona: Super Special Sound with the Tone Guru
By Roman Sokal
Residing in a small town just south of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is Nick Blagona. I met him over two decades ago at a recording studio in Toronto, and he always had valuable pointers for mic placemen...
Rick Miller
By Pete Weiss
As the guiding light of twang-raunch-rock stalwarts Southern Culture On The Skids, singer/ guitarist/producer Rick Miller has steered the band through over 30 years of musical adventures, spanning lo-...
Jonathan Schenke
By Nivia Hernandez and John Rau
Jonathan Schenke has made a name and a sound for himself by recording and mixing some of the best independent and experimental rock that came out of New York in the last five years. You may have witne...
Brad McGowan: This Issue’s Tweaker of Tones
By Liam Nelson
Louder Than Liftoff is a relatively young pro audio company. They caught my eye with a unique take on both the 500 series EQ and the two bus processor. A small, two-man operation, born of a passion fo...