Welcome to issue #53 of Tape Op.

As I was writing the review of Glass Eye's "new" CD for this issue, it struck me how "fan-boy" my writing sounded. I wondered at first if I should tame it down, sound more removed, professional and such. Screw that. I'm a fan of music. That's the reason I first ever wanted to buy albums, go see shows, start a band, record my friends and everything else that has happened along the way. Even Tape Op, in it's own way, is really an extension of fandom — my initial goal was to encourage people to record using whatever was at their disposal and to disseminate as much info about the process to artists as possible — hoping for more music to happen in the end. Being a fan of music should be the driving force for all of us, and if all we do is get hung up on recording gear, specs and sounds then we're missing the point. Then again, I've been recently excited about having 32 channels of Pro Tools I/O, and reading the interview with Danny McKinney, you can see his passion for that next level of great sound he's shooting for. I'm sure I'm mostly preaching to the converted here — I guess I just wanted to justify getting so excited about some music!We're almost ready for TapeOpCon 2006, June 16- 18 in Tucson, Arizona. It looks to be as great an event as any year yet, so sign up and come on down! We'll be learning, meeting, eating and drinking at the Hilton El Conquistador — plus some rockin' out at night at Club Congress. Don't miss this event! www.tapeopcon.comOkay, enjoy the summer. Don't leave your tapes (or CD-Rs) in the sun.

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