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Welcome to issue #165 of Tape Op.

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I've been reading a few books about the human brain and music lately, and both are by people I've interviewed. One is Susan Rogers' [Tape Op #117] and Ogi Ogas' This is What it Sounds Like: A Legendary Producer Turned Neuroscientist on Finding Yourself Through Music. The other book, which I'm still digging into, is Daniel Levitin's [#74] I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine.

I love reading books that focus on how we assimilate and react to sound, and as the authors point out, recent neural mapping shows a wide range of activity across many parts of the brain when listening to or (especially) playing music. Looking into all this research led me to the concepts of fluid intelligence versus crystallized intelligence. Generally speaking, fluid intelligence can be defined as the ability to assess, learn, and act when confronted with a new problem or situation. Crystallized intelligence, however, applies to decision-making based on accumulated knowledge.

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Years ago, when working with engineers that were older and/or more experienced than myself, I would wonder how they made the recording process look so effortless, and why their tracks always sounded way better than my own work, even when we used identical gear in the same room. While we, as humans, obviously gain crystallized intelligence as we age, we also gradually lose our ability to harness fluid intelligence. Some sources say fluid intelligence peaks at 40, with crystallized intelligence peaking at 60 or 70.

Are you acting fast and generating new solutions, or are you working with wisdom and using techniques you know will work? It's often a combination of the two, and, as John Baccigaluppi points out in his End Rant this issue, "The Joy of Discovery," we need to stay vigilant to be creative.

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Larry Crane, Editor & Founder

PS: As we were preparing this issue, the wonderful Shel Talmy passed away. Brian Tarquin's interview with Shel was done earlier this year, and we were holding it specifically for this issue. We're sending our best to his family and friends. He was a true legend of the recording studio.


— LARRY CRANE,EDITOR & FOUNDER

Larry Crane's signature

IN THIS ISSUE

Shel Talmy
Jan 9, 2025 NO. 165 Interviews

Shel Talmy: Golden Ears

When we interviewed him at 86 years old, Shel Talmy had no intention of retiring. He had continued to look to produce new artists that excited him. In December 2024, Shel passed away, leaving behind a...

Gloria Kaba
Jan 9, 2025 NO. 165 Interviews

Gloria Kaba: A Forward Path

Gloria Kaba is a Ghanaian-American sound engineer, producer, mixer, and writer whose impact spans over a decade. Renowned for her contributions to albums such as A Tribe Called Quest's We Got It from...

Dan Johnson
Jan 9, 2025 NO. 165 Interviews

Dan Johnson: Preserving the Past

In a nondescript office building out in Burbank, California, you'll find Audio Archiving Services, Inc. Run by Dan Johnson, these rooms are full of all types of audio playback devices, and Dan special...

Malcolm Toft
Jan 15, 2025 NO. 165 Interviews

Malcolm Toft: Innovator & Audio Mogul

Malcolm Toft [Tape Op #26] has a career spanning over 50 years in the professional audio industry. He started at CBS Studios in London and went on to work at the iconic Trident Studios. There he began...