Nov/Dec 2024

Welcome to issue #164 of Tape Op.

 

As I was writing this issue’s opening article about having redundant gear in the studio, I had to think for a moment about who this information would be aimed at. I think the answer is “everyone.” Of course, any of us running a studio that takes outside bookings and charges money wants to keep the doors open and not have to shut down for days if a piece of equipment fails. But what about even the simplest home recording setup? I used to have a Pro Tools system at home that would sometimes take an hour of resetting (powering off and on until I could make a quick mix revision). Needless to say, that drove me crazy!

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Is there a dividing line between professional and “not pro” recordists? I don’t think the content of this magazine needs to be focused in that way. You’ll never see hobbyist-focused articles like “How to Make Your Home Demos Sound Radio Ready” in this magazine. All the knowledge we acquire and dole out with Tape Op can be applied by everyone reading it, regardless of situation. Even a musician that never records anything but quick smartphone demos can stockpile ideas from our articles and reviews that will help them in every recording scenario.

An article on redundancy in a professional studio can be beneficial to every recording situation. If one has inspiration and cannot record it in their “home studio” because of an errant software update or a broken mic cable, they can lose their ideas pretty quickly. Many musicians have several versions of their main instruments, especially for live performances. Not just so they can conjure up different tones, but so they can grab a second guitar when they break a string onstage. All these lessons can be applied in various ways, so please continue to read Tape Op with this frame of mind, and – please – get as much out of it as you can!

— Larry Crane, editor

In This Issue See more →

Alan Parsons

by Larry Crane

I first met Alan Parsons in 2004, when I interviewed him for Tape Op issue #42. We’ve been lucky enough to work together on Recording Academy presentations and meet up socially a few times...

Noah Bruskin: Getting in Right

by Larry Crane

A few years ago, my studio manager, Zach Bloomstein, needed to do a session in the Santa Barbara area, and his client hooked them up with Alan Parsons’ ParSonics Studio in Goleta, California....

Amen Dunes

by Ryan Sommer

In an industry where evolution is key to an artist's longevity, Damon McMahon, known as Amen Dunes, is redefining his musical journey by coming home. The self-described “luddite” –...

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Columns See more →

Gear Geeking

Gear Geeking w/ Andy...

by Andy Hong

The buildout of my commercial studio building is still in progress (ugh), but over the next couple months I’m looking forward to completing my Nashville home studio (also ugh). Long story short,...

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Gear Reviews See more →

ProChannel III

by ART  |  reviewed by Rich Hardesty

I’m a songwriter and musician who composes and records at home. Once in a while, I may bring in another musician buddy with a special skill on a particular instrument, but when it comes to...

Cakewalk Sonar DAW

by BandLab Technologies  |  reviewed by Alan Tubbs

The latest release of Cakewalk’s PC-only DAW is out, and what a long, strange road it’s been. Is it called Cakewalk now? Or SONAR? Before the 20th century ended, Cakewalk began the new...

ABCs of Audio Recording (book)

by Jon Bellona  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

A 9-inch square, 32-page hardcover book, ABCs of Audio Recording is a delightful children’s read featuring a page-by-page alphabet of audio terms, with short descriptions and simple...

Beer & Soda Can Microphones

by Darwin Audio  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Kendra Lynn, our former long-term studio manager and now staff engineer at Jackpot! Recording Studio, recently gifted me with a very unique-looking (and sounding) microphone. Housed in a vintage steel...

Lumina Delay Plug-In

by Mountainroad DSP  |  reviewed by Adam Kagan

A new delay plug-in, you say? I already have dozens of delays and have been pretty happy with my options – but sure, I’ll check it out. Mountainroad DSP may not be a familiar name, but...

Move

by Ableton  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Like a lot of Tape Op-ers, I started my recording expedition with a cassette 4-track. For a young songwriter, the 4-track was nothing less than a joy engine – a new way to capture ideas and...

Lakeside Mic Preamp

by Soyuz Microphones  |  reviewed by Larry Crane, Chris Koltay

In a climate where it sometimes seems like a race to the bottom, with companies trying to build the cheapest audio outboard equipment they can, it’s refreshing to come across gear like...

Historic Recording Studios (book)

by Randy McNutt  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

This 399-page, large format book, Historic Recording Studios: America’s Sound Factories and the People Who Made Them, is actually Volume One (A to M) of “A Scrapbook and...

Rim Mount Mic Clip

by Lauten Audio  |  reviewed by Mike Kosacek

I had ruled out mic mounts that attach to a drum’s rim after trying some in my studio years ago, only to find that they transmitted way too many bad sounds directly through the mount. I’ve...

EQs

80B-EQ 500 Series EQ

by Trident Audio Developments  |  reviewed by Brian Tarquin

I’m a faithful Trident user and have had several Trident recording consoles over the years. Trident Studios was formed by two brothers, Norman and Barry Sheffield, in 1968, with artists such as...

XL-305R Spring Reverb

by AudioScape Engineering Co.  |  reviewed by Brian Tarquin

I have always loved a good sounding reverb unit, one that is authentic and usable in real life mixes. I used to own the magnificent AKG BX20E spring reverb, housed in a beautiful 3.5 foot tall wooden...

UA LA-6176 Plug-In

by Universal Audio  |  reviewed by Cochrane McMillan

If you asked me whether you should try this UA LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip plug-in – or any of the company's plug-ins, Apollo hardware units, or their near zero latency console-like digital...

X-Raying Sound with iZotope RX (book)

by Simone Corelli  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

In this large format, 90-page full-color book, Simone Corelli takes on a tutorial ride through iZotope’s RX audio restoration app and plug-in suite, and is updated for the current RX 11 [see...

RX 11 Advanced App & Plug-In

by iZotope  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

I’ve been using iZotope RX [Tape Op #123] for over a decade, starting with RX 3 [#100], and this "audio repair toolkit" has become an integrated part of my workflow on every music project I do....

JC37 Tube Microphone

by Tonelux  |  reviewed by Dan Knobler

The Sony C37A may be the last classic tube mic without ubiquitous modern clones. There are a million variations of the Neumann and AKG classics at all sorts of price points, which is wonderful...

Quantum HD8 Interface

by PreSonus  |  reviewed by Liam Nelson

I was mixing the record that would never die – or at least would never go to mastering. You may have been there yourself; you start mixing, and then the artist goes to another studio and adds a...

X-Raying Sound with iZotope RX (book)

by Simone Corelli  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

In this large format, 90-page full-color book, Simone Corelli takes on a tutorial ride through iZotope’s RX audio restoration app and plug-in suite, and is updated for the current RX 11 [see...

 

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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