Jul/Aug 2000

Welcome to issue #18 of Tape Op.

 

Welcome to Tape Op #18. Some content in this issue may wind a few of our readers up.

I'll warn you now — people will take sides, people will write angry letters and we'll be here, attempting to sit on the fence. Analog or digital as a recording medium? People always assume Tape Op is pro- analog-heck, look at our name*. John and I might have our favorite ways to record, but we don't really care what other people use. Some of my favorite records of the last five years were recorded digitally, like Pinback's recent CD, Heatmiser's Mic City Sons, and many others I might not even know about. It only matters that the music moves you. A great, creative job of recording the music helps to move the listener. Having your recording gear preference, as an engineer, producer or artist, is part of this process. Why do people like Ford pickups over Chevy? Why do some like Mac over PC? I don't have a clue but I know what makes a great record has less to do with analog versus digital than it does with songs, performance and inspiration.

- Larry Crane


— Larry Crane, editor

In This Issue See more →

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End Rant

Just Listen!

by Larry Crane

I recently spent a big chunk of my days working on a record by my friend Luther Russell. We decided it would benefit the record to mix at a different studio, Supernatural Sound. I've spent most of...

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Keyfax Omnibus Edition

by Julian Colbeck  |  reviewed by Leigh Marble

I can honestly say this is the best book I have ever read on synthesizers. It is the kind of book that you find yourself reading with your fingers stuck in various pages, all marking sections you are...

20/20 Monitors

by Event  |  reviewed by Scott Craggs

So my new roommate is a recording geek like myself, and he brought a bunch of cool stuff with him. One thing he had were these Event 20/20 monitors, which he suggested we try. I was a little reluctant...

L47 multi-pattern tube microphone

by Lawson  |  reviewed by Adam Selzer

This large gold-plated mic gets a lot of "oohs" and "aaahs" when I pull it out of its case. Thankfully, the L47 lives up to its appearance. Modeled after the Neumann U47, it shines in vocals with its...

6V6EH Tube

by Electro-Harmonix  |  reviewed by Barry Rudolph

Electro-Harmonix' new, premium-grade 6V6EH tube is built to meet or surpass the USA JAN Phillips or hard-to-get RCA 6V6 tubes. If you have a vintage amp in need of new tubes, the 6V6EH is the one to...

Shock Mount

by Gary Young  |  reviewed by John Botch

Have you ever felt a little ripped off when you pay an extra $100-$300 to buy a shock mount for the expensive mic that shoulda' come with one for free? I've got one shock mount that came with a pricey...

MD409 Microphone

by Sennheiser  |  reviewed by Scott Craggs

I've used this mic on a bunch of sessions lately, and y'know, it's one of those mics that seems to sound good on anything. I've put it on everything except drums, and the sound always seems full, warm...

Masterlink

by Alesis  |  reviewed by Eric Broyhill

The Alesis Masterlink is a versatile user-friendly hard disc recorder with a  built-in CD burner. I used this unit recently on a mix down that I had recorded on a 2-inch, 16-track recorder and my...

Mini-Pedals

by Danelectro  |  reviewed by Graeme McIntyre

After dropping $150 on my Dan-Echo pedal (which I love), you can imagine my surprise when I surveyed my local music retailers' pedal cabinet and saw a tiny little Danelectro Overdrive pedal for $30....

N/D 357 Dynamic Microphone

by Electro-Voice  |  reviewed by Steve Silverstein

ElectroVoice markets its series of N/D small diaphragm dynamic microphones as female vocal mics. The now-discontinued N/D 357, which the N/D 367 has since replaced, is the middle price model in this...

 

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

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