Finneas O’Connell

Interviews

Finneas O’Connell

By Muriel Margaret, Duncan Margaret, Ian Brennan, Duncan McLeod

Finneas O'Connell is the youngest person to ever win a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. Rising to fame as the producer for, and collaborator with, his sister, Billie Eilish, he has also gone on to work with such artists as Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Kid Cudi,...

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Bryce Gonzales

Interviews

Bryce Gonzales: The ETA Sessions

By Robbie Jeffers, John Baccigaluppi

In a Pitchfork review of SML's Small Medium Large album, Matthew Blackwell wrote, "There were no rules at Enfie...

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Joe Reineke and Karyn Gold-Reineke

Interviews

Joe Reineke and Karyn Gold-Reineke: In the Temple

By Larry Crane, Larry Shapiro

I first met Joe Reineke in early 1989, when he caught our band, Vomit Launch, on a middle slot between Nirvana and Mudhoney in San J...

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Gloria Kaba

Interviews

Gloria Kaba: A Forward Path

By Lisa Machac, Ryan Nava
Gloria Kaba is a Ghanaian-American sound engineer, producer, mixer, and writer whose...
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Mid-Fi: Cutting Plastic Records with Michael Dixon

Interviews

Mid-Fi: Cutting Plastic Records with Michael Dixon

By Scott Evans, Samantha Decker
Based in Tucson, Arizona, Michael Dixon runs what seems like a hundred businesses centered...
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Modular Synthesis in the Control Room

Interviews

Modular Synthesis in the Control Room

By Chris Koltay
This is part 1 of a 2 part article, you can find the other part here: "A Practical...
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MORE FROM THIS ISSUE

OCTOBER 26, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Emil Amos of Holy Sons

Emil Amos of Holy Sons: Not Left Behind

BY MARK PETTIT, JAKE NEWCOMB

Fresh off releasing his first solo record, Zone Black, for Drag City Records, Emil Amos takes a break to talk about his production philosophies, home recording in the '90s, and what still keeps him curious. Amos has made over 50 records and is launching into 50 more as we speak. Born of the lo-fi movement, but having traversed just about every genre there is, Emil is mostly known for his bands Grails, Om, Holy Sons, and Lilacs & Champagne. His podcast, Drifter's Sympathy, catalogs outsider music and explores the pitfalls of growing up.

OCTOBER 26, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Betty Bennett, Founder of Apogee Electronics

Betty Bennett, Founder of Apogee Electronics: <i>Whenever you find your passion, it's not really work anymore.</i>

BY JOHN BACCIGALUPPI

I've been using Apogee converters in my studio since I bought my first AD 500 analog to digital converter in the early '90s. I've found all their gear to sound fantastic, work reliably, and inspire confidence in demanding studio clients. Via Tape Op I've come to know Betty Bennett, Apogee's founder; something I never expected to happen back when I bought that first AD 500. Betty is an incredibly smart and nice person, and I always enjoying chatting with her. As Apogee approaches a 40th anniversary in 2025, I thought it was a good time to learn more about Betty's journey into the audio industry, and how Apogee Electronics got started and evolved into the present day

OCTOBER 26, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Dan Johnson

Dan Johnson: Preserving the Past

BY LARRY CRANE

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 specializes in transferring audio via all these crazy formats. I first met Dan when he was at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, running their archival room. I've sent a number of clients to him with tapes in formats I can't play back, and his work is stellar and meticulous. I decided it'd be fun to drop in and talk to him about this work.

COLUMNS

END RANT
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
GEAR GEEKING

GEAR REVIEWS

Gear Reviews

0011 Mic pre/EQ

by 0011 Mic pre/EQ  |  reviewed by Michael Urbano

When H2 Audio reached out about getting their 0011 mic preamp/EQ reviewed, my good friend and session drummer Michael Urbano came to mind. Michael has worked on records with Todd Rundgren, Trina Shoemaker, Sheryl Crow, Eric Valentine [Tape Op #45, #133], Cracker, Matt Wallace [#128], Jack Joseph...

Gear Reviews

2+ MKII Interface

by 2+ MKII Interface  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

Though there are many two-channel computer DAW interfaces on the market, I’m often a bit stymied when friends call and say they need a decent, affordable unit for themselves or for their kid just getting into recording. After using the Solid State Logic 2+ MKII, that question is much easier for me...

Gear Reviews

3rd Wave Synthesizer

by 3rd Wave Synthesizer  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

If you are a synthesist, we currently live in a golden age of instrument design. The original “East Coast” and “West Coast” analog synth designs that were supplanted in the mid-‘80s by digital synthesizers have evolved into a huge palette of options to consider when shopping for (or designing) a...

Gear Reviews

AKG: P420 Microphone

by P420 Microphone  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

I have a list of microphones that I recommend for people looking for good quality that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Most of these people are hobbyists, making home recordings for themselves or dipping their toes into the wild waters of recording. My go-to list includes mics from Audio-Technica,...

Gear Reviews

Apollo x8p Gen 2

by Apollo x8p Gen 2  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Universal Audio recently released an update to all five of their flagship Apollo audio interfaces, so we got our hands on the new Apollo x8p Gen 2 for testing. The Apollo range has now been in the market for over a decade, with fully matured hardware/software integration and specs that rival the...

Gear Reviews

Berlin Solo Strings Sample Library

by Berlin Solo Strings Sample Library  |  reviewed by Alex Ruger

Throughout its nearly 20-year history, Orchestral Tools has established itself as one of the premier voices in orchestral and cinematic sample libraries. I’ve always viewed them as one of the “basic food group” companies for any composer’s tool kit. From the large ensembles of the Berlin and...

Gear Reviews

BURL Black Audio Interface

by BURL Black Audio Interface  |  reviewed by Adam Kagan

I’m frequently asked by friends and clients which audio interface they should upgrade to for their studio. My usual advice is to focus on features, as most modern interfaces deliver similarly-excellent sound quality. However, after using the new BURL Black series interfaces, I must retract that...

Gear Reviews

Carnaby HE2 EQ

by Carnaby HE2 EQ  |  reviewed by Scott McDowell

The two-channel Carnaby HE2 is the new flagship version of the Carnaby Harmonic EQ® designed by Cranborne Audio. What do I mean when I say, “Harmonic EQ?” It operates like a multi-band saturator that presents as a 3-band EQ strip. It’s obviously helpful to think of it as an EQ, but it functions...

Gear Reviews

Clean Stereo Compressor Pedal

by Clean Stereo Compressor Pedal  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Chase Bliss’ latest original pedal design, Clean, delivers an all-analog, two-stage stereo "creative compressor." I've been obsessing over pedals as creative outboard tools for some time, using them in a dedicated setup with the Radial EXTC-Stereo [Tape Op #146] effects re-amper connecting my...

Gear Reviews

D3V Active Monitors

by D3V Active Monitors  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

For over a decade, I’ve been using a pair of Tascam VL-M3 [Tape Op #77] monitors with my Universal Audio Apollo Twin [#101] interface for in the box editing and overdubbing in my small home office studio space. They’ve served me well, sounding better than built-in computer speakers or cheap...

Gear Reviews

DK6 6-Piece Drum Mic Kit

by DK6 6-Piece Drum Mic Kit  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

Earthworks Audio has been known for its quality mics for decades, and they are my first choice for clean capture of sources without hype. I have always found them to be natural and detailed sounding, and I use them frequently for acoustic instruments such as drums, acoustic guitars, and woodwinds....

Gear Reviews

EApreq500

by EApreq500  |  reviewed by Zach Bloomstein, Larry Crane

Let's talk about gear snobbery behavior. "Tubes are better than transistors." "Transformers are better than servo-balanced circuits." "Discrete op-amps are better than integrated circuit (IC) op-amps." Sure, sometimes these statements are correct, because there is cheap gear out there. But in other...

Gear Reviews

EQUATE 8-Channel EQ

by EQUATE 8-Channel EQ  |  reviewed by Brian Tarquin

Being a loyal Trident console user, I jumped at the chance to review Malcolm Toft’s [Tape Op #26, #165 online] new EQUATE: Eight channels of six-band EQ in a three-space rack unit built in the UK. Malcolm has been in the audio recording industry as a gear designer, an engineer, and even a professor...

Gear Reviews

Hex FX Multi-Effects Plug-In

by Hex FX Multi-Effects Plug-In  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

Hex FX from Serato is a virtual multi-effects rack that works as an AU or VST3 plug-in and is compatible with Serato Studio, Ableton Live [Tape Op #160], Apple Logic Pro [#74], Native Instruments Maschine, and FL Studio. It can also be used with Pro Tools via a conversion “wrapper” plug-in, such as...

Gear Reviews

Hex FX Multi-FX Plug-In

by Hex FX Multi-FX Plug-In  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

Hex FX from Serato is a virtual multi-effects rack that works as an AU or VST3 plug-in and is compatible with Serato Studio, Ableton Live [Tape Op #160], Apple Logic Pro [#74], Native Instruments Maschine, and FL Studio. It can also be used with Pro Tools via a conversion “wrapper” plug-in, such as...

Gear Reviews

m303 Active DI

by m303 Active DI  |  reviewed by Danielle Goldsmith

Whether working in a live venue, a professional studio, or at home, every recordist knows the importance of having a reliable DI unit. I use a DI on almost every session, so I was excited for the opportunity to try the Grace Design m303. As soon as I took it out of the box, I noticed its solid,...

Gear Reviews

Osmose Synth/MPE Controller

by Osmose Synth/MPE Controller  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

I have seen the future, and it is this instrument. In an industry that overuses terms like “revolutionary” and “game changer,” Expressive E’s Osmose is an amazing new instrument with an extremely elegant and refined culmination of over 40 years of research into sound synthesis and electronic...

Gear Reviews

Pulse 16 MX Converter

by Pulse 16 MX Converter  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

Recently, I’ve been working on streamlining my studio setup, and part of that plan was to ditch my patchbays and integrate all of my beloved analog gear via hardware inserts. I don’t run a commercial studio (I’m the sole engineer), so my main goal is to simplify my personal workflow. I have an...

Gear Reviews

Scarlett 16i16 Interface

by Scarlett 16i16 Interface  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

My home studio is very simple, and is mostly used for editing audio, prepping mixes before using my "real" studio, recording remote interviews, doing my voiceovers, and mixing in the box. An old pair of Dynaudio BM6A speakers [Tape Op #22] and a Dangerous Music D-Box [#61] monitor controller makes...

Gear Reviews

Silencer Drum Gate Plug-In

by Silencer Drum Gate Plug-In  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Subtitled “Where cymbals go to die,” Silencer is a plug-in that claims to remove drum bleed on the individual tracks of a drum set recorded live, a problem I frequently deal with while mixing. I hate resorting to drum samples and would prefer to use the real drum tracks sent to me for mixing, but...

Gear Reviews

The Work of Art (book)

by The Work of Art (book)  |  reviewed by John Baccigaluppi

Subtitled “How Something Comes From Nothing,” this heavy, beautifully designed and written, 423-page book explores the “celebration of the art that happens when instinct meets rigor.” Author Moss interviews 43 creative folks, ranging from visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians to playwrights,...

Gear Reviews

Topline Vocal Suite Plug-In

by Topline Vocal Suite Plug-In  |  reviewed by Daniel Ryan Morse

Universal Audio’s Topline Vocal Suite offers an entire vocal chain’s worth of UAD analog effects in a single Native plug-in. Rather than overwhelm you with options, Topline divides its eight individual effects into three helpful sections: Tuner & Shift; Channel Strip; and Modulation, Delay, &...

Gear Reviews

UAFX ANTI & Enigmatic Amp Pedals; UAFX Control App

by UAFX ANTI & Enigmatic Amp Pedals; UAFX Control App  |  reviewed by Corey Reidy

In Tape Op #159, we published an overview of the UAFX Pedal line. This summer, the UAFX Amp pedal line expanded with two new models: the ANTI 1992 High Gain, and the Enigmatic’82 Overdrive Special. Though their form, physical size, rear panel, and connectivity options are similar to the Lion ’68...

Gear Reviews

UTA-D UnFairchild 670M MkII Plug-In

by UTA-D UnFairchild 670M MkII Plug-In  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Whoa! A plug-in recreation of the Undertone Audio UnFairchild 670M II vari-mu compressor [Tape Op #125]? Sign me up. The hardware UnFairchild is a beast, ranking highly on my desert island gear list. Eric Valentine [#45, #133], the crew at Undertone, and Mixland developed the UTA-D...

Gear Reviews

Xpector Dual Headphone Amp

by Xpector Dual Headphone Amp  |  reviewed by Adam Kagan

Like many, I’ve grown increasingly comfortable working on headphones ever since the COVID lockdown – to the point that even when mixing and mastering commercial projects in my studio, I often spend long stretches working exclusively on headphones. Because of this, I’ve become quite critical of both...