Nate Smith

Interviews

Linda Perry

Interviews

Tom Wilson

Interviews

Steven Wilson

Interviews

Geoff Swan

Interviews

Dan Alexander

Interviews

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JULY 21, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Harry Connick Jr.

Harry Connick Jr.: An Uncharted Odyssey

Well-known as a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter, Harry Connick Jr. found himself with a cancelled tour, left at home seeking "comfort, peace, and truth throughout the process of making music." He played all the instruments and recorded himself at his home studio and then mixed it with longtime producer/engineer Tracey Freeman. The resulting album, Alone With My Faith, comes across like a healing balm for these times. As Harry says, "Recording was what was necessary… to help guide me through the uncharted odyssey in which we all unexpectedly found ourselves."

JULY 21, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Leon Michels

Leon Michels: No Options

In the alternate reality where everyone still reads recording credits off of their album sleeves as the record spins, we would see the name Leon Michels on many of them. Having worked with household names such as Lana Del Rey, Dr. John, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Adele, as well as projects with his own bands The Mighty Imperials and El Michels Affair, who recently released the album Yeti Season, should make him a known quantity. Leon currently splits his time between New York City and his home upstate. He recently sat down for a couple of conversations about his process, love of analog, disdain for high track counts, and being purposely bad at Pro Tools.

JULY 21, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Marc Jonson

Marc Jonson: and his “Closet of Sound”

It is remarkable how I discovered Marc Jonson. Quite randomly, on a Sunday afternoon a few years ago, I found a box of CDs on the sidewalk in my Brooklyn, NY, neighborhood. Being a music lover constantly in search of new albums to inspire my life, I noticed one CD in particular when flipping through the contents of that random box: an original 1992 pressing of Marc's self-produced home recording, 12 In A Room. There was a quiet energy about the look and feel of this album – some undefinable aspect that set it apart from the 150 or so other CDs in that box, which compelled me to pop it into my CD player as soon as I got home. I knew after listening to only five seconds of the opening track that there was something very special about this album, and this particular artist. Before the album finished playing that first time, I had already exhausted my internet research about Marc Jonson, masquerading as MarK JoHnson on the cover of the CD. I knew that I wanted to contact him and learn more about his music and career. What I didn't know was that Marc lived just outside of New York City in suburban New Jersey, and that he would reply to my email that same evening with his cell number for me to contact him directly. I went to Plainfield, NJ, twice to interview Marc. The first was with photographer Brian T. Silak to do a combination photo shoot and 4-hour interview, which proved to be too full of non-chronological (but amazing) stories to streamline into an article. I returned two months later to Marc's home and studio that he shares with photo-realist painter and girlfriend, Maria Mijares, for another interview – this time structured for editing and publication. Known for his incredible "overnight success" discovery story, wherein a 19-year old kid from Long Island takes a train into Manhattan, enters a building with a nine-song reel-to-reel home demo, and leaves with a recording contract from Vanguard Records, Marc's journey is even more interesting. What a lot of people don't know is that he was also courted by RCA Records from that same demo just prior to signing with Vanguard, and that RCA wanted to hire Marc as a full-time staff producer. They also wanted him to produce the band Pure Prairie League as his first major label release! Marc turned down this offer in favor of producing himself as a solo artist on Vanguard, releasing his album, Years, in 1972. Marc went on to self-release several additional albums, and also worked with various other well-known artists over the years. Marc's songs have been recorded and/or performed by Dave Edmunds, Robert Gordon, Paul Butterfield, The Roches, Willie Nile, Richard Barone, Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplinsky, Richard Lloyd [Tape Op #56], Steve Forbert, Suzanne Vega, and The Smithereens. Most recently, Marc co-penned and recorded an album with the Spanish rock group Company of Dreams Unlimited. Marc and I spoke about a career trajectory punctuated by many real beginnings and even more false starts; by many smaller successes and many even larger moments of lasting self-sabotage. Though I had to edit out 2/3 of the second raw interview – much of which was a name-dropper's wet dream, considering all of the famous people Marc has known, – I kept all relevant stories about Marc's career arc and about his personal approach to pop music engineering and production.

COLUMNS

Brian Eno’s Diary: A Year with Swollen Appendices
END RANT
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
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10S Powered Subwoofer

by 10S Powered Subwoofer  |  reviewed by Ben Bernstein

KRK’s 10S powered subwoofer is the company’s latest innovation aimed at enhancing their ROKIT G4 [Tape Op #137] and V-Series [#118] monitoring systems. Built on KRK’s legacy for sonic accuracy and performance, this powerful but compact subwoofer utilizes a custom-voiced, glass-aramid woofer,...

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2001 and 990 Mod Kits

by 2001 and 990 Mod Kits  |  reviewed by Scott McChane

I bought my first large-diaphragm condenser mic in 2004 for about $100: an Apex 420 that (along with many inexpensive mics of that era) was built on the same circuit as the MXL 2001. These accessible FET and real transformer-based condensers included a smaller-sized (32 mm) version of the K67 (34...

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456 HD 500 Analog Tape Simulator

by 456 HD 500 Analog Tape Simulator  |  reviewed by Pete Weiss

With the era of analog tape slipping ever further into the past, growing numbers of newer-generation music recordists have had precious little experience with actual tape. Analog tape, though still available, is becoming a mythical, magical audio cure-all from the olden days. Ask someone to...

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770 Complete Bundle Mic Kit

by 770 Complete Bundle Mic Kit  |  reviewed by Fiona Gurney

Engineers use large-diaphragm condenser mics to make their records sound alive. There are all sorts of high-end and vintage models that are known for producing a certain vibrance, silkiness, or edge. But sometimes you simply need something that will get the job done. MXL mics are awesome in that...

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80B 500 Series EQ

by 80B 500 Series EQ  |  reviewed by Anthony Gravino

When I purchased an unloaded API 1608 [Tape Op #81] console last year, I immediately began searching for a 500 Series EQ that was versatile and affordable, with exceptional sonics. Enter Trident Audio Developments’ 80B 500 Series EQ: a modern replica of the reknowned Trident Series 80B console’s...

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Acoustica Audio Editor

by Acoustica Audio Editor  |  reviewed by Garrett Haines

Acon Digital's Acoustica (not to be confused with the company Acustica Audio) is a powerful audio editing, podcast creation, mastering, and audio restoration editor. The company also offers excellent plug-ins (that can run as VST, VST3, AAX, AU, or within Acoustica). Invariably an Acoustica...

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A Vintage Odyssey (Book)

by A Vintage Odyssey (Book)  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Ah, vintage recording equipment. Where did this world come from? In the late-‘60s and into the ‘70s, cheaper electronics and manufacturing filled the market of pro audio. As the ‘70s rolled along, people like Dan Alexander and Allen Sides [Tape Op #106] sought out the best of the previous...

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Blackhole Reverb Pedal

by Blackhole Reverb Pedal  |  reviewed by Chris Koltay

Reverb can be a divisive and personal issue among engineers and musicians. Everyone has a favorite, and people are absurdly particular and become oddly attached to what works for them, myself included. One of the many advantages of coming up at the venerable Ultrasuede Studios was that we had an...

Gear Reviews

Clear Mg Pro Headphones

by Clear Mg Pro Headphones  |  reviewed by Scott McChane

Headphones, headphones, headphones – I’ve got ‘em hanging from the walls, equipment racks, and underneath desks. I’ve tried in-ears, planars, open-backs, and closed-backs… you name it, but I’m a loudspeaker dude through and through. I can remember not too long ago when mixing in the box was taboo...

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Core Sub Powered Subwoofer

by Core Sub Powered Subwoofer  |  reviewed by Jeremy Wurst

Low end management is the bane of every mixer’s existence. Too much low end can eat up all the space in your mix, and too little makes a mix sound thin and amateur. Depending on your mixing environment and your speakers’ frequency response, managing low end can feel like guesswork. Do I know what...

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DB-25 Mult & XLR/D-sub Input Box

by DB-25 Mult & XLR/D-sub Input Box  |  reviewed by Brian Bender

In case you’ve missed it, Redco is making two inexpensive tools that will turn some blank space in your DB-25 patchbay into something you can actually use. First: a 4x2 mult in a DB-25 backshell for $30 – plug this into the back of a D-sub based patchbay and you have instant mult points. Infinitely...

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DUDE Five-Channel Mixer

by DUDE Five-Channel Mixer

Pocket-sized synthesizers and drum machines have become popular in recent years. Mixing several of these portable instruments together is fun and can spark creativity. If you are looking for a budget-friendly mixer with a small footprint for your pocket electronics, you may be interested in the...

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Electron Fuzz Custom Studio Distortion Rack

by Electron Fuzz Custom Studio Distortion Rack  |  reviewed by Kevin Friedrichsen

Yes, the Electron Fuzz Custom Studio will melt your face off. No, it is not just an average fuzz box. Yes, it is badass. No, I don’t want to give this one back. I was introduced to Retro Mechanical Labs via the world of Eurorack, and, to be honest, the eye candy of their boxes made me swoon. Based...

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Frontier Powered Monitors

by Frontier Powered Monitors  |  reviewed by Scott McChane

Once there was an audio software company – now also making studio furniture – that decided to develop a coaxial monitor with a Barefoot wizard named Thomas. If you’re going to make fun of people for dreaming, let me stop you right there: Output’s virtual instruments and effects rule, everyone I...

Gear Reviews

Inspirata Reverb Plug-In

by Inspirata Reverb Plug-In  |  reviewed by Don Gunn

Inspired Acoustics might not be a household name in the music industry, but they have been producing minutely detailed, pipe organ sample libraries since 2005 (used by top tier composers), and are part of an acoustic design and consulting company, so they are quite familiar with how sound works in...

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Live 11 Suite DAW

by Live 11 Suite DAW  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Live 11 is here, with an abundance of new features and enhancements that distinguish Ableton’s DAW and production environment as indispensably unique, even as it deploys elements such as take comping and linked-track editing that brings it into parity with Avid’s Pro Tools [Tape Op #126] and other...

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Mastering Limiter

by Mastering Limiter  |  reviewed by Brian Bender

This is such an interesting time to be making records. Not only has the business changed entirely under our feet, but the broader iterations in technology we’ve witnessed in the last 20 years have also continued to inform and enable the process in ways the celebrated forbearers of analog audio...

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P-47 SS Condenser Microphone

by P-47 SS Condenser Microphone  |  reviewed by Daniel Ryan Morse

Nothing captures the boom of a kick drum’s resonant head or the growl of a bass cab quite like a Neumann U 47fet [Tape Op #108]. A well-placed dynamic mic will capture the attack and the mids, but the low and high frequencies usually suffer. Whenever I work in a studio with a deep mic collection,...

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Periscope Mic

by Periscope Mic  |  reviewed by Slater Swan

The opportunity to play with this one-of-a-kind microphone from Scope Labs has been an absolute pleasure. Their introductory product, the Periscope, stands in a category of its own because of its unique look, build, sound, and impact on recordings. This Finland-based company has already found a...

Gear Reviews

QasarBeach CMI IIz Fairlight CMI IIx desktop re-creation

by QasarBeach CMI IIz Fairlight CMI IIx desktop re-creation  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

These days it’s hard to put in perspective how revolutionary the Fairlight CMI (Computer Music Instrument) was as a musical instrument when it was introduced in the early 1980s. A brief history lesson: The CMI was the first commercially available additive digital synthesizer and sampler famously...

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Red 8Line Interface

by Red 8Line Interface  |  reviewed by Don Gunn

Focusrite has expanded their Pro series of audio interfaces with the new Red 8Line; because of its name, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Red 8Line was a simple 8-channel line level interface. Nothing could be further from the truth! Yes, there are 8 channels of analog line level inputs and...

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SketchCassette II Plug-In

by SketchCassette II Plug-In  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

My recording world began via the cassette tape format. I had saved money to buy a cheap home stereo cassette tape recorder, and I’d borrow my dad’s deck for recording my sound-on-sound experiments back in the late-‘70s and early-‘80s. In the mid-‘80s, my parents and friends conspired to buy me a...

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Stompbox (book)

by Stompbox (book)  |  reviewed by Pete Weiss

As a longtime electric guitarist, studio operator, and fan of well-done coffee table books, I must admit to having a somewhat embarrassingly sprawling collection of the latter. There’s no shortage of comprehensive, attractive books on ear-and-eye candy-like guitars, keyboards, amps, and yes,...

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Symphony ECS Channel Strip Plug-In

by Symphony ECS Channel Strip Plug-In  |  reviewed by Gus Berry

Apogee Digital has released a simple, stellar-sounding channel strip plug-in. I’m guessing that ECS stands for Equalizer, Compressor, and Saturator, as those are the tools equipped in this channel strip. The EQ is a 3-band affair, with Lo Shelf, High Shelf, a sweepable midrange with a tight or wide...

Gear Reviews

TG I51 Dynamic Mic

by TG I51 Dynamic Mic  |  reviewed by Justin Mantooth

When I find a microphone I enjoy, I tend to stick with it for a long time – especially in a specific application. So something I have not done in a few years is audition a new close source, dynamic microphone. But being familiar with the quality of beyerdynamic mics, I saw the TG I51 and thought it...

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T-Komp Dual Mono Compressor

by T-Komp Dual Mono Compressor  |  reviewed by Eamonn Aiken

Thomas Kristiansson has been producing audio gear in Sweden for the past 20 years under the Vintagedesign and TK Audio brands. In recent years, the TK Audio line has defined itself with builds that offer up some unique features in otherwise familiar-feeling interfaces. The T-Komp is available as a...

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Vocoder V, MicroFreak Vocoder, & MicroFreak V3 Update

by Vocoder V, MicroFreak Vocoder, & MicroFreak V3 Update  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

I’ve written about vocoders in previous issues of Tape Op, so I won’t go into a lot of theory here, but check this review for more of the basic operational theory of vocoding. Arturia has recently released two new vocoders to their line. The first is a software plug-in vocoder modeled after the...

Gear Reviews

Zen Go Synergy Core Interface

by Zen Go Synergy Core Interface  |  reviewed by Scott McChane

Competition has skyrocketed in desktop interfacing, with multiple manufacturers developing proprietary DSP-powered plug-in technology while simultaneously pushing better quality into smaller, feature-laden boxes. These companies are scrambling to not only meet demand, but also to edge out rivals...