ISSUE ARCHIVE
NO. 173 | Apr 2026
NO. 172 | Feb 2026
NO. 171 | Nov 2025
NO. 170 | Sep 2025
NO. 169 | Sep 2025
NO. 168 | Jul 2025
NO. 167 | May 2025
NO. 165 | Jan 2025
Apr/May 2025
Recently, I randomly stumbled across a social media post advising people on how microphones work. It claimed that the closer the mic was to the source, the more accurate the sound would be. Despite the poster's seemingly authoritative tone, this type of information presents only a very simplistic tidbit of the actual knowledge of what one needs to know when choosing and placing microphones.
Where does the sound originate from? Is this the type of mic (cardioid or figure-eight) that builds up proximity effect? Is there a brighter or duller part of the instrument or amp that you need to consider? Do you need room ambience in the sound for it to work better? I considered posting a rebuttal, but soon decided against getting involved in one of those pointless internet conflict scenarios.
I've spent the last 30 years unlearning many "rules" I read long ago about mic usage in didactic books and articles. Put up a mic, listen, determine if it works for what's needed, and adjust accordingly. Then do it again on the next source. Next time, try different mics and think about how the sounds work together in new ways. This is how we learn. So ignore these often clueless "advice givers" of social media and teach yourself. Carve your own path!
— LARRY CRANE, EDITOR & FOUNDER
In 2017, one of my best friends, Craig Alvin [Tape Op #137], kept texting me about a record he was engineering. He was saying how amazing the process was, and how awesome the results were. The album t...
Tim Oliver is the "Senior Consulting Engineer" at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios [Tape Op #63] in the English countryside. With over 40 years of experience, Oliver has worked with a who's who of B...
I first met Thai Long Ly several years ago at a NAMM Show in Anaheim. He asked me, "What do you ride?" when he noticed the Kriega-branded motorcycling accessories on my backpack. We geeked out about m...
Jarrett Pritchard has seen some shit. After coming up in Florida's extreme music scene, he slugged it out as an educator, live sound engineer, and re-recording mixer for television before getting call...
A little over a decade ago, the A Band Called Death documentary brought cheers and tears to music fans worldwide, telling the fantastic tale of proto-punk band Death's rediscovery. Having been fortuna...
Azalia Snail's recording career began with a TASCAM recorder running on batteries in the forests outside of New York City. From those early, carefree experiments, she has continued to embrace creation...
Jeff Lipton is a mastering veteran with an impressive 30-year career under his belt. He's been nominated for four Grammy Awards in the Best Historical Album category, thanks to his extensive work rest...