Gear Reviews

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...

Like Teaching Machines’ first product release, the Wellspring spring reverb [Tape Op#155], their new beast of a product is also jam-packed with features and functionality. FuzzBillion is a fuzz pedal, but that may be the understatement of the year. Though initially it may have been intended to be used...

I generally steer clear of microphones specifically marketed for vocals. Past experiences have taught me that vocal mics are typically not “my thing,” as many in this category tend to be fairly bright and aggressive in the high end. There are obviously exceptions, but I personally prefer a neutral-voiced,...

Although I monitor on loudspeakers for mixing, I do spend a significant amount of time doing detail work on headphones, and Audeze’s LCD-Xs [Tape Op#119] have been my first choice for several years now. They provide a fantastic amount of detail, are comfortable, and have been operating without issue...

I recently had to fly across the country for a recording session, and this time I needed to bring a bass. Normally, I would just use whatever was on hand in the studio, but circumstances demanded otherwise. Excitement for the trip was quickly followed by dread; how was I going to get my bass to a destination...

Many words have been written over the years in Tape Op about the pros and cons of analog and digital recording. Based on the VU meter pictograph on the cover of Analog by Robert Hassan, you might think you would find more discussion on that topic, but you would be wrong. Though there is some examination...

Growing up, Tom Petty was always part of my life’s soundtrack. Into adulthood (especially when the Wildflowers LP came out), I began to appreciate his music more; the deceptively simple arrangements, awesome harmonies, and catchy hooks. Many of those catchy hooks were courtesy of Tom’s longtime guitarist...

With the glut of studio monitors available today, it can be easy to forget that JBL was among just a handful of top-notch choices available in the not-too-distant past. I reviewed the JBL Professional 705P monitors [Tape Op#163] and was blown away by just how fantastic these compact units performed....

When Placid Audio released their debut Copperphone [Tape Op#42] in 2003, it seemed destined to become a future classic. I have since seen them on concert stages and in studios, and in front of Jack White [#82], Norah Jones, and other notable artists. The success of the original Copperphone enabled Placid...

BIG stands for "Binaural Image Generator," and that's what it does. Via a 5 to 30 ms left/right split dual Haas Delay Spread and a 5 to 25 cent dual micro-pitch shifter Detune, it adds a "width" to tracks. Overall, BIG brings a certain ambience that is fairly addictive and sometimes...

Years ago, I was advising a band on how to track their gothic metal home recording project. They were using several "housemate-friendly" techniques, such as electronic drum pads to capture the percussion patterns and DI'd electric guitars into amp simulator plug-ins. After checking out...

Mesanovic Microphones is a somewhat newer company from Detroit, eponymously named for its founder, Deni Mesanovic, who built and designed his first ribbon mic for his senior thesis in college. In the decade since, the company has also added to its line of microphones two models of 3-way active monitors,...

Headphones are a very personal choice – different heads, different ears – some like them hefty, some like them light. I know people who love certain headphones that are not a good match for me personally, and some of my favorites are unloved by people whose ears and opinions I respect. Another issue...

From day one, Hazelrigg Industries has been knocking it out of the park with their variants of classic D.W. Fearn [Tape Op#37] hardware, such as the VLC-1 preamp & equalizer [#117] and the VNE tube compressor [#147]. However, many have been hoping for 500 Series versions of this gear. With...

I don’t love dealing with bass amps in the studio, and often prefer to run the bass guitar direct. However, many engineers and artists disagree with that approach and prefer to mic up an amp. To that end, we have a vintage Ampeg SVT head at Panoramic Studios for folks who want to use an amp for bass....

Every music maker is constantly in search of that special something that can make their mixes stand apart from the crowd. Like its namesake, Universal Audio's A-Type multiband dynamic enhancer plug-in is based on the Dolby Laboratories A-Type noise reduction system introduced in 1965. In basic...

Hailing from Slovakia, FLEA Microphones has built a well-deserved reputation in classic vintage mic reproductions for over 20 years. They’ve tackled reinterpretations of iconic tube mics such as the AKG C12, the Neumann U 47, U 49, and M 49, and recently the renowned Telefunken ELA M 251. FLEA has taken...

Focusrite has had a firm foothold in the growing world of Dante-networked hardware for several years, and one of the cornerstones of their RedNet products has been the PCIeNX card, designed for use with tower computers or expansion enclosures. With many studios and artists now using desktop or laptop...

The HOC500 is labeled as a "parallel opto compressor," and is a cousin to Hamptone's HOC1 half-rack version [Tape Op#100]. Adapted for a 500 Series chassis, there's a lot less room for controls, so a unique feature set has been adapted here. A pair of house-made opto cells are run...