Clarissa Connelly

Interviews

Clarissa Connelly

By Amy Gwatkin and Meredith Hobbs Coons

Clarissa Connelly, the Scotland-born, Copenhagen-based composer, first captured audiences’ attention with her 2018 release, Tech Duinn, and has been creating medieval-tinged multidimensional soundscapes ever since. Informed by her masters' level composition studies at the Rhythmic Music...

Kid Harpoon

Interviews

Kid Harpoon : Kid Harpoon

By Philip Macías, Larry Crane

Tom Hull, better known as Kid Harpoon,  has produced, co-produced, and co-written with an impressive list of high-profile artists over the last 15 years or so, including Harry Styles, David Byrne, Kings of Leon, Miley Cyrus, Inhaler, Florence + the Machine, Shawn Mendes, and Maggie Rogers....

James Krivchenia

Interviews

James Krivchenia: Making Ripples

By Erin Birgy, John Baccigaluppi

James Krivchenia is best known as the drummer for the band Big Thief. But prior to sitting on the drum stool with that band, he put in quite a bit of time as an engineer and producer in a variety of recording situations, from studios with SSL consoles to makeshift home setups. He continues to work...

Robert Lang

Interviews

Robert Lang: Robert Lang

By Geoff Stanfield, Larry Crane
"They said that the little man couldn't do it. 'Oh, you can't dig 35...
Jeff Rosenstock

Interviews

Jeff Rosenstock : Jeff Rosenstock

By Larry Crane
On the suggestion of Tape Op's Sales & Operations Director, Corey Reidy, I...
Flemming Rasmussen Riding the Sweet Silence

Interviews

Flemming Rasmussen Riding the Sweet Silence

By Brian Tarquin
The engineer/producer behind the sound of the '80s Metallica albums is Flemming...

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MAY 6, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Cameron Spies

Cameron Spies : Always Something Cool Happening

In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, there are a number of talented engineers, producers, mixers, mastering engineers, gear builders, studios, and more. It's a thriving community of creative people, if you hadn't noticed, and one of the folks I'd been curious about for years has been Cameron Spies. He first caught my ear in the cool-sounding Radiation City from 2010 to 2016. From there, he began recording and producing some interesting Portland artists, such as Blackwater Holylight (amazing femme metal), Aan, The Shivas, New Constellations, Spoon Benders, Forty Feet Tall, Haley Johnsen, Reptaliens, and many others. He's now working out of Trash Treasury Studio, and his current group, Night Heron, is a real groovy sonic treat. We met up at Trash Treasury for a chat, and I got to see a heck of a lot of keyboards there!

MAY 6, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Dan The Automator

Dan The Automator

It’s Sunday night in Manhattan at Irving Plaza, and Dan “The Automator” Nakamura takes the stage behind a mouthwatering wall of synths, across from Kid Koala [Tape Op #159] and his three turntables. Deltron 3030 is back to rock the same stage where they made their New York debut 25 years ago, and the place is mobbed. If you were a hip-hop fan at the turn of the 21st century, Dan The Automator most likely blew your mind on numerous occasions. After cutting his teeth in the Bay Area DJ scene, Dan assembled his Glue Factory studio, originally in his parents’ basement, and produced some of the most revered and forward-thinking albums of the era. Dr. Octagon’s Dr. Octagonecologyst, Handsome Boy Modeling School’s So… How’s Your Girl?, and Deltron 3030’s self-titled debut stood out for their unorthodox sample sources and futuristic takes on rap music. Who can forget the first time they heard Dr. Octagon’s “Blue Flowers,” where Dan loops a Bartok violin phrase over a Minnie Ripperton vocal sample to set up DJ Qbert’s virtuosic scratching? Equally at ease producing rockers like Kasabian, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Cornershop, or his Serge Gainsbourg-inspired duo Got a Girl, Dan still operates the Glue Factory out of his San Francisco home and has expanded into scoring for television and film. We spoke on the phone between dates of the Deltron 3030 25th anniversary tour.

MAY 6, 2026 INTERVIEWS
Ratboys and Chris Walla

Ratboys and Chris Walla

Making Singin’ to an Empty Chair I first heard the Chicago-based band Ratboys via their track “Black Earth, WI,” and if you haven't heard them that’s a great place to start. The eight and half minute song takes its time, but it never feels like you need to get anywhere in particular any sooner than where and when the band is taking you. That song is on their 2023 album, The Window, that was produced by former Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and producer – and longtime friend to Tape Op – Chris Walla [Tape Op #19, #111]. As the pandemic was winding down in 2023, it was nice to hear a four piece band playing music together again. The band has a new LP out, Singin’ to an Empty Chair, also produced by Chris. Both albums sound great, but …Empty Chair feels like both the band and Chris have settled into a solid working relationship, and this new LP could open the band up to a bigger audience. They deserve it, as they’ve been together for over 15 years and are a great group. I recently had a chance to chat with singer/guitarist Julia Steiner and guitarist Dave Sagan, as well as Chris Walla, about making the new record. Two fun conversations with three nice people about one cool new record.

COLUMNS

END RANT by Larry Crane
Artists, Keep Your Tapes & Data!
END RANT

Artists, Keep Your Tapes & Data!

It was my first session in an actual recording studio as an artist. There's an End Rant about it in Tape Op#13, and the lessons learned that weekend of "what not to do" remain with me even now. But there was one little action I took, over 40 years ago, that I was recently reminded of, and it's a...

GEAR GEEKING by Andy Hong
Gear Geeking - Issue 172
GEAR GEEKING

Gear Geeking - Issue 172

If you've ever recorded in Nashville, you'll understand that countertop ice machines are ubiquitous here. The first time I walked into Blackbird Studio (years before I moved here), owner John McBride [Tape Op #97] showed me the new ice makers he had just installed. To this day, I smile whenever I...

GEAR REVIEWS

Gear Reviews

Audio PRE-1 mic preamp

BY Audio PRE-1 mic preamp  |  reviewed by Eli Crews

I feel very lucky to be in the type of community where friends will sometimes contact me and say, “Hey, I have this cool thing I’ve been borrowing that you should hear. A buddy made it, but it’s actually really good!” That community is the New York Hudson Valley producer/engineer network, and in...

Gear Reviews

BC-4K compressor pedal

BY BC-4K compressor pedal  |  reviewed by Matt Anderson

Incorporating guitar pedals into studio workflows has become increasingly popular lately. I’ve seen everyone from Walrus Audio collaborating with Aaron Sterling to Chandler offering inserts specifically for guitar pedals in their new REDD Mixing System. Needless to say, everyone’s quickly catching...

Gear Reviews

C114 & C104 condenser mics

BY C114 & C104 condenser mics  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

AKG has just released a new line of microphones that are aimed at the first-time mic buyer. You may ask yourself: Would these mics stand up to daily use by an experienced engineer in a professional-level studio? Absolutely yes. I really don’t care how much a microphone costs, and I certainly have a...

Gear Reviews

C706 large diaphragm cardioid condenser mic

BY C706 large diaphragm cardioid condenser mic  |  reviewed by Danielle Goldsmith

We’re already big fans of Josephson microphones at the studio where I work, Tiny Telephone. We have the C725 tube mic, the C700A, and four e22S mics that get constant use. Most of our collection is vintage; the Josephsons are among the few newer mics we’ve added over the years. It’s easy to get...

Gear Reviews

MonoMate app

BY MonoMate app  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Do you get sent folders full of audio files from other recordists to mix? If you do, I'll bet there are frequently stereo audio files in there that are actually mono. Apple's Logic DAW seems to be the worst culprit, organizing sessions in an "always stereo" way that confounds less experienced track...

Gear Reviews

Oxford Drum Gate 2 plug-in

BY Oxford Drum Gate 2 plug-in  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

I reviewed the original Oxford Drum Gate in Tape Op #135. I've seen Drum Gate users make a lot of requests for features over the last six years, and with competition from plug-ins like Black Salt Audio's Silencer [Tape Op #165] out there, it was time Sonnox revamped this useful tool. Sidechain...

Gear Reviews

P-280 tube microphone

BY P-280 tube microphone  |  reviewed by Sonny DiPerri

Something that I look for when I select microphones is the translation from what I’m hearing in the room to what I am hoping to hear come out of the speakers when playback begins. It’s the challenge of being a recordist. It’s chasing a sound that my ears call “done” or “right.” I am constantly...

Gear Reviews

Pro-C 3 compressor plug-in

BY Pro-C 3 compressor plug-in  |  reviewed by Dave Hidek

Since its release, the FabFilter Pro-C 2 has been one of the most used and beloved compressor plug-ins on the market. FabFilter’s latest update, the Pro-C 3, takes it from incredibly flexible to incredibly powerful, with new compression styles, character settings, Dolby Atmos compatibility,...

Gear Reviews

R-12 active ribbon mic

BY R-12 active ribbon mic  |  reviewed by Geoff Stanfield

Royer Labs has been making quality ribbon mics for decades. They are no-compromise products that meet the demands of everyday use. The newer R-12 is a phantom-powered ribbon microphone that features the same 2.5 micron ribbon element as the R-121 [Tape Op #19]. It handles high SPL (160 dB at 1...

Gear Reviews

SSL Revival 4000 Signature Analogue Channel Strip

BY SSL Revival 4000 Signature Analogue Channel Strip  |  reviewed by Tim Pratt

Farther back in time than I’d like to admit (or can believe), I was the president of my college’s Audio Engineering Society chapter. During one lucky semester, we were able to make a trip to the AES Convention being held in Los Angeles. In the process, we were fortunate enough to tour a handful of...

Gear Reviews

TMA-2 Studio Wireless headphones

BY TMA-2 Studio Wireless headphones  |  reviewed by Danielle Goldsmith

As an independent audio engineer who likes to have access to my projects wherever I am, headphones have become an essential part of my workflow, especially when I’m traveling or working outside of a traditional studio. They give me flexibility to check mixes in different environments, catch details...