Did you know it’s possible to spend $4000 on a 12-inch powered subwoofer? Wait, no, that’s not what I’m reviewing here! While writing this review I ended up scanning Sweetwater and...
In the world of both hardware and software synthesizers, there is a lot of focus on classic instruments like the Minimoog and their time-tested analog subtractive synthesis method. That's all fine and...
A few years ago I reviewed Arturia’s Beatstep Pro [Tape Op #111] and was really impressed by the functionality of that unit. Their new MIDI/CV sequencer/controller KeyStep Pro takes things...
Kush has been consistently developing plug-ins that have major vibe with analog character for years now. Even their partner company, California's Sly-Fi Digital, has made some of the go-to plug-ins...
This thing is beautifully bat-shit crazy. The 0-CTRL is a patchable step sequencer and touch-sensitive tabletop control surface designed tobe used primarily with Eurorack-standard modular gear (or...
Veteran engineers occasionally wax nostalgic about mixing as a "community" act. Until the DAW's rise to prominence, it wasn't unusual to have half a dozen people engaged in a game of Twister above a...
If you mix records for a living and are spending too much time digging through texts, Facebook Messenger posts, and bottomless email threads from various band members looking for mix notes, then...
First, some semantics. When we audio engineer types use language like warm, or full, or vintage, etc. – generally, we're referencing our penchant for distortion. Our ears have been...
Occasionally, a piece of gear comes along that impresses me enough to reach out to Tape Op and make an effort to write a review. The Atomic SixTens have done just that. Founded in 2014 by Norman...
Russian-made mics have been a healthy part of my recording life since the mid-'90s. Back in the days when the local six-string retail chain had an excess of Oktava mics and managers were armed with...
Radial Engineering, of Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada, has built its business by designing clever solutions for stage and studio, including an extensive line of direct boxes. The BT-Pro V2 is their...
Every electrical device has a power consumption signature. If your service is a split-phase 120/240 V residential panel up to 200 A (and many studios are), a Sense is compatible. About the size of a...
Steinberg revealed what they label as a drum re-synthesizer in Backbone. In a market saturated with sample packs, this plug-in can help tailor samples into unique drum sounds, create risers, impacts,...
