Michael Andrews

Interviews

Michael Andrews

By Larry Crane

I'm not even sure of when or how we met, but I've known film composer and musician/producer Michael Andrews quite a while. We co-interviewed John Stephens, the brains behind the Stephens Electronics tape decks, in Tape Op#54 nearly 20 years ago, and have kept in touch since then. I'm...

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Paul Malinowski

Interviews

Paul Malinowski: Massive Sounds

By Todd Zimmer, Ryan Heise

Paul Malinowski is a cornerstone of the Kansas City, Missouri rock scene. His production beginnings from the 1990s and 2000s, plus his presence in the close-knit late-'80s scene, helped spawn the now-iconic KC sound. Paul is an engineer, producer, and musician who was a founding member of...

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Felipe Castañeda

Interviews

Felipe Castañeda: Out on the Ranch

By Alan Esparza, Geoff Stanfield

Originally from Mexico City, Felipe Castañeda is the senior house engineer at Sonic Ranch [Tape Op#94]. Felipe is currently working with two critically acclaimed indie artists at Sonic Ranch studios – Blackwater Holylight, Rachel Eckroth, Portugal. The Man, Strawberry Guy, and a Grammy-winning...

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Chris Coady

Interviews

Chris Coady: Chris Coady

By Geoff Stanfield, Laura Moreau
We interviewed producer, engineer, and mixer Chris Coady, back in 2016...
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MORE FROM THIS ISSUE

MARCH 3, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Charlie Peacock

Charlie Peacock: Being a Good Steward

BY LARRY CRANE, ZACHARY GRESHAM

He might be one of the best producers and artists out there, but it’d be hard to tell from Charlie Peacock’s humble demeanor when you get to talk with him. His recent book, Roots & Rhythm: A Life in Music, is an engaging read, chronicling a life growing up in Northern California’s Central Valley, journeys through music in Sacramento and the Bay Area, and decades working in Nashville, Tennessee, where he now resides. A six-time Grammy Award-winning producer, he’s helmed records for The Civil Wars, Switchfoot, The Lone Bellow, and Holly Williams. But don’t forget he began as an artist and songwriter himself. Charlie has co-written hit songs with Amy Grant, and dc Talk even made one of his songs very popular (their cover of “In the Light”). It was a hoot to chat with Charlie, especially when we learned we’d grown up less than 30 miles from each other in California!

MARCH 3, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Chris Tabron

Chris Tabron: A Mutual Commitment to Excellence

BY GREG WELLS, BLEEK HENDERSON

I met Chris Tabron in New York at the AES Convention in 2019. We stayed in touch over social media, and I started to realize this was a compelling music maker whose discography was as all over the place as my own. When I asked Larry and John at Tape Op if they’d be up for an interview with Chris, they asked if I’d want to conduct the interview. It turns out that Chris is a deeply thoughtful and incredibly intelligent guy who has worked with artists such as Robert Glasper, Beyoncé, The Strokes, Mary J. Blige, Lianne La Havas, SOHN, and Die Antwoord.

MARCH 3, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Shigeto is Zach Saginaw

Shigeto is Zach Saginaw

BY CODY SELLS, CAROLYN ZALDIVAR SNOW

Being in motion while at rest is a good way to describe Detroit’s Zach Saginaw, better known as Shigeto. The self-avowed “jazz school dropout” possesses a critically vetted track record, delivering meticulous records where jazz, hip-hop, and IDM elements blossom from casual bedroom producer moments. A voice memo from a bar, a cheap overhead mic, the frog block on the shelf – and roping people you love hanging out with into tracks. Shigeto is growing into elder status and, after a seven-year break, he has returned in a producer role with 2024’s Cherry Blossom Baby. We caught up over the phone with Shigeto in his Hamtramck, Michigan, studio shared with his brother, Benjamin Saginaw. Like all things in the world of Shigeto, it’s a family affair – whether it’s Detroit personified as a grandmother, learning from your actual grandmother’s trials – and the wisdom of keeping a close-found family when crafting a vulnerable record.

MARCH 3, 2026 INTERVIEWS
The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings: They Started Something

BY ALAÏA FONK , LARRY CRANE

Jules De Martino and Katie White are The Ting Tings. Their debut record, We Started Nothing, featured the hit song, “That's Not My Name,” one you may have heard in Apple iPod ads and many films over the last several decades. Home is their fifth and newest album, produced, recorded, and mixed by Jules in their own studio spaces. A multi-instrumentalist, his enthusiasm for getting the sounds he wants is infectious, and we had a fun chat!

COLUMNS

END RANT by Larry Crane
Obstacles
END RANT

Obstacles

by Larry Crane

I was recently opening a session to do some edits, and as Pro Tools fired up it paused and warned me that my interface was at the wrong sample rate. It’s my personal home studio system, so no one else ever has to use it and wonder what to do when this happens. But the slight pause and the 30...

GEAR GEEKING by Andy Hong
Gear Geeking
GEAR GEEKING

Gear Geeking

by Andy Hong

For the outboard rack in my personal studio, I drew up plans and tasked my cabinetmaker to custom manufacture the equivalent of a kitchen island, with a countertop that’s cantilevered above the backside of a cabinet, except that the cabinet has three 19-inch equipment bays on each side instead of...

GEAR REVIEWS

Gear Reviews

Articulate transient plug-in

BY Articulate transient plug-in  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

When I try to teach what compression is and how to use it, I'll always use the "shape of a waveform through time" as a way to explain what compression can do. In the synthesizer world, this is referred to as the "envelope," which includes four stages of modulation: Attack, decay, sustain, and...

Gear Reviews

C414 XLS microphone

BY C414 XLS microphone  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

The ubiquitous AKG C414 mic has been manufactured in various forms since 1971. I’ve reviewed the modern day C414 XLII [Tape Op #154] and given it high marks, so when the opportunity to check out its sibling microphone, the C414 XLS, came up, I jumped at the chance. Both of these large diaphragm...

Gear Reviews

Clean Boost Pedal

BY MK.4.23 Clean Boost Pedal  |  reviewed by Stefan Konstantopoulos

With an extensive background as the lead tech for a pro audio retailer and the service manager for a console manufacturer, Alex “Skip” Welti founded Creation Audio Labs in 2003. He began working as a mobile tech for studios around Nashville, repairing everything from consoles to guitar amps in his...

Gear Reviews

Connect 4/12

BY Connect 4/12  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The Bitwig Connect 4/12 is a versatile desktop audio USB-C interface that provides four inputs and twelve outputs, along with CV (control voltage) I/O and MIDI capabilities. It also sports some cool monitor and DAW control features, not to mention a special Bitwig Mode that sets it apart when used...

Gear Reviews

DRC plug-in

BY DRC plug-in  |  reviewed by Garrett Haines

The PSPaudioware DRC dynamic range controller is one of the most noteworthy plug-ins I have seen in a long time. Using the dbx 118 Dynamic Range Enhancer as a foundation, the DRC is neither a clone nor an emulation. Enhanced controls offer users deeper adjustments than the original, however, the...

Gear Reviews

FREQ 500 Series 4-band EQ

BY FREQ 500 Series 4-band EQ  |  reviewed by Andy Hong

Each year, more examples of vintage-inspired EQs, compressors, preamps, and mics are made available. Big-name brands, as well as boutique manufacturers, seem to think we all have an endless appetite for clones of classic gear. Consequently, contemporary designs of bread-and-butter products are...

Gear Reviews

Gear (Book)

BY Gear (Book)  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Full disclosure: I was interviewed for this book and appear in the text a bit, plus Tape Op is mentioned. However, despite my own involvement, I found this book to be an important read. As a founding concept of Tape Op, I've long held that people who mostly fixate on recording equipment are missing...

Gear Reviews

Harmonic Content (magazine)

BY Harmonic Content (magazine)  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Subtitled a zine about sound, this mag includes a wide array of people and thoughts and features an arty screen-printed cover. Within its 21 pages, the first issue has an interview with Tape Op pal Matt Boudreau of Working Class Audio, an article with Kirsten Izer and Randy Belculfine discussing...

Gear Reviews

LPZ-2 line to mic level adaptor

BY LPZ-2 line to mic level adaptor  |  reviewed by Stefan Konstantopoulos

For those of us constantly striving to maximize the potential of a hybrid workflow, the LPZ-2 from Avedis Audio can make the job a little easier. It offers two levels of stereo padding to convert balanced line level signal to microphone preamp input level, prevents nonlinear source/load impedance...

Gear Reviews

Motor Synth MkII

BY Motor Synth MkII  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The Motor Synth MkII from Gamechanger Audio is, by some margin, the most original synthesizer design I've seen (and heard!) in some time. It's a desktop unit that generates audio waveforms via its eight variable-speed internal drone motors – that's "drone" as in UAS/UAV/quadcopter. As its eight...

Gear Reviews

P-24 stereo tube mic

BY P-24 stereo tube mic  |  reviewed by Sonny DiPerri

I’ve been a long-time enthusiast/user of the AKG C 24 stereo mic, so it was a treat to review the new P-24 from Peluso Microphone Lab. I have been a fan of Peluso for years, and several mics in their line have been on a lot of albums that I have produced, including the P-12 [Tape Op #72], P-87, and...

Gear Reviews

ReStem drum de-mixer app/plug-in

BY ReStem drum de-mixer app/plug-in  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Anyone who mixes for hire knows the scenario: A client sends a song to be mixed without individual drum tracks (snare, kick, etc.) that are instead embedded in a single track. I'll send an email, "Hey, can I get the actual tracks for the drums so I can really mix your song?" They then email back an...

Gear Reviews

Space Blender Reverb plug-in

BY SpaceBlender Reverb plug-in  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

I love effects that take a sound, morph and modulate it, creating whole new textures. Valhalla's Shimmer [Tape Op #111] plug-in has been a favorite of mine for creating Brian Eno [#85] soundscapes out of almost anything. I'm always on the lookout for any tools that feature various ways to drench...

Gear Reviews

Space Replicator plug-in

BY Space Replicator plug-in  |  reviewed by Adam Kagan

LEWITT, the respected Austrian manufacturer known for its microphones and audio interfaces, has released its first plug-in: Space Replicator. Designed for headphone use, Space Replicator lets users experience how their audio would sound when played through speakers in various virtual environments....

Gear Reviews

Symphony Studio 2x12 interface

BY Symphony Studio 2x12 interface  |  reviewed by Adam Kagan

Apogee has long provided a range of audio professionals with tailored interface choices, from the portable Duet [Tape Op #150] and Symphony Desktop [#142] to the flagship Symphony I/O Mk II [#140]. Their latest addition, the Symphony Studio series, smartly fills the gap with single rack space...

Gear Reviews

The Oven analog processor & plug-in

BY The Oven analog processor & plug-in  |  reviewed by Joe Finocchio

On some level, everyone is susceptible to the dreaded panacea syndrome when it comes to adding tools to their workflow. “If I only had this one piece of gear, all my problems would be solved!” The Oven “Mojo Box” analog processor by Hendyamps and its plug-in counterpart by Brainworx (distributed by...

Gear Reviews

Vintage 11 Condenser Mic

BY Vintage 11 Condenser Mic  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

The Vintage 11 is a large diaphragm FET condenser microphone and is part of JZ Microphone’s “Vintage” series that includes the Vintage 67 [Tape Op #133] and Vintage 12 [#147]. The Vintage 11 has discrete Class-A electronics, JZ’s Gold Drop™ capsule technology, and is hand-built in Latvia. Its flat,...