Gear Reviews

Ozone 5 Advanced is the latest version of iZotope's software mastering suite, comprised of six programs: Dynamics, Equalizer, Exciter, Imager, Maximizer, and Reverb. Any single title offers enough functionality to warrant an individual review. But given my space limitations, the amount of...

Chandler has created a strong following in the niche market of vintage-inspired preamps, compressors, and tone-shaping tools. Wade Goeke has derived modern tools from the original components and circuitry of early Neve, EMI, Telefunken, and Fairchild units. Chandler employs Class A, high-voltage...

The number of audio and music-related iOS apps has exploded lately and so has the need for ways to get sound in and out of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. There are a good number of such interfaces available now, yet common problems with these include noise, RF interference, and plain old cruddy...

To Oliver Ackermann, "Death by Audio" means a lot more than meeting one's demise by sonic annihilation, though that does indeed seem to be part of the deal, judging by the sounds his pedals emit. Ackermann, who is known for the Williamsburg Brooklyn performance space that shares the...

Rupert Neve Designs recently debuted the Master Buss Processor, adding to their Portico II range of processors that share the all-new, discrete, high-voltage, Class A circuitry that was developed for RND's 5088 mixer (Tape Op #73). The Master Buss Processor (MBP) was conceived as a stereo...

Roger Schult had a very interesting idea. His mastering equalizer, the UF1, which he calls an Aural Editing System for Mastering Environment, has been getting rave reviews from the few people lucky enough to get their hands on one. However, at a price point of €10,399 EUR, it's a little tough...

If you have any open slots in your 500-series rack, the PowerPre should be on your shortlist of preamps to consider. Like other products from Radial Engineering, the build-quality is top- notch, and the design is all about no-nonsense functionality. Soundwise, it doesn't try to emulate the...

A little over a year ago, I asked three other writers to contribute to a four-opinion review of Pro Tools 9 (Tape Op #81), which in my mind, was the most significant upgrade to the venerable DAW in its history, especially with its first- ever "open" support of third-party Core Audio and...

Let me preface my statements here with a general note that everyone's heads, ears, and ear canals are shaped differently; therefore, everyone will hear a set of headphones differently. With that said, the best headphones that I myself have ever used (or earnestly auditioned) are the open-back...

These are four-band sweepable-frequency EQs with 12 dB per octave high and low-pass filters. I've been using these EQs for over six months now and have had a hard time finding the right slant to write a review of them. Here's the most simple, succinct thing I can relate about using them...

When I first heard about this pedal, I was told that it was used all over the recent OM and Shrinebuilder albums, and it was claimed to be the heaviest sounding fuzz pedal ever. I was interested to say the least.

A grey metal enclosure with a hint of silver sparkle doesn't immediately bring to...

Building on the success of the original Duet, while taking into consideration customer feedback, Apogee has set a new standard in A/D conversion for home and project studio with the Duet 2. Simply put, after several years of working at home with an original Mbox, opening my first session with the...