THE MEANS CONTRIBUTE TO THE END. USUALLY.
Harrison consoles are beloved by many engineers, and after I had the opportunity to work with four of the new Harrison32Classic MS Mix Strips, I understand why. While the Harrisons are not as colorful as offerings by some of the other notable consoles in recording history, they definitely have a...
Good things come in small packages, and that’s especially true for theiLoud Micro Monitor Pro. IK Multimedia first made waves with their iLoud Micro Monitors, which combined a compact form factor with professional-grade sound. Building on that success, they introduced the iLoud MTM monitors [Tape...
After decades of manufacturing measurement tools and consumer electronics in England, Pye Audio merged with Phillips in 1960, forming Pye TVT Limited. Their studio technologies impacted an era of seminal records from the late ‘60s through the mid-‘70s. Then, the brand was curiously dissolved in...
I’m a big fan of using audio equipment originally designed for radio and other broadcast purposes to work on recording music in the studio. This gear is typically of extremely high build quality and is easy to use since in a broadcast context any interruption can be a major problem that could...
In writing this review, I realized it's been over 30 years since I was introduced to my first TASCAM product: The Porta One Ministudio. That little 4-track cassette recorder planted the seeds for countless multitrack creations. It wasn't long after exploring and outgrowing the...
For decades, I've wondered how the effect on the female backing vocals of Pink Floyd's "Time" fromThe Dark Side of the Moonwas created. I hear a Leslie speaker vibrato or Doppler effect, but it's more focused and clearer in the high frequencies than that kind of re-amping...
Since its release in 2018, FabFilter’s Pro-Q 3 [Tape Op#132] has become one of the most used, if notthemost used, EQ plug-ins for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Seven years later,Pro-Q 4offers several new features and updates, giving FabFilter fans everywhere a reason to celebrate. From new...
I reviewed the RTM (Recording The Masters) 1/4-inch SM900 tape back inTape Op#161, was very pleased with it, and have since used it for a few more mixing sessions. Then, at the 2024 NYC AES show, I bumped into Matt and Tim from RTM, and they gave me a few of theirC60andC90 Type One cassette...
I’ve always been fascinated with the history of recording studios, the evolution of analog gear,andMCI equipment. There was one particular MCI console that almost seemed mythical: The so-called “Hotel California” console at Criteria Recording Studios in Florida. Criteria’s MCI really can’t be...
A few years ago, I had a water leak somewhere on a 600-foot-long pipe. There was no wet ground to give the leak away, and I even tried water witching/dowsing to locate it! No dice. Enter the AudioTechProbe, whose motto is: "You can hear what you've been missing." Described as a...
Ben and Veronica Sneesby have been making mics in Australia for nearly 25 years (the name derives from Ben’s nickname in high school). Some of their mics have been designed as modernized clones of classic originals (e.g., Neumann U 47, Telefunken ELA M 251, etc.), while others are original...
When AEA released their first stereo mic, the R88 [Tape Op#96], in the early 2000s it was quite a statement. Other companies, such as Royer Labs, were fairly new to the scene, and ribbon mics seemed to be making a comeback out of nowhere. I remember looking at the R88’s size and design and being...
Here are books I enjoyed reading that cover two important underground music scenes that may have escaped some folks’ notice.Needles and Plastic, subtitledFlying Nun Records, 1981-1988, is an exhaustive tome by Matthew Goody. It discusses every record released by the New Zealand label Flying Nun...
Malcolm Toft [Tape Op#26,#165] began his career as a recording engineer at the legendary Trident Studios in London in 1968, then went on to found Trident Audio Developments, creating the initial Trident A Range consoles and many others to follow. After leaving Trident in 1988, Malcolm founded...
In April 2023, John La Grou, founder/owner of Millennia Media, dropped me a line about a new audio technology venture he was working on, with the caveat that I could not tell anyone what he was up to. Later that year, he asked if I was interested in becoming a beta tester for his new HDR-A...
Fun trivia: The Audio Engineering Society’s (AES) Pro Audio Reference Guide provides three definitions of the word feedback, one being “the longest word in the English language that uses all the letters 'A' through 'F.'” On a more practical point, the AES Guide also defines...
Jack White [Tape Op#82] likes a certain guitar tone, right? A fuzz with a low octave and maybe some high octave piercing tone. Union Tube & Transistor hooked me up with their collab Third Man Bumble Buzz guitar pedal years ago, and I love the fact that it has no knobs and a perfect Jack White...
For over a decade, I’ve been using a pair of Tascam VL-M3 [Tape Op#77] monitors with my Universal Audio Apollo Twin [#101] interface for in the box editing and overdubbing in my small home office studio space. They’ve served me well, sounding better than built-in computer speakers or cheap...
I have a list of microphones that I recommend for people looking for good quality that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Most of these people are hobbyists, making home recordings for themselves or dipping their toes into the wild waters of recording. My go-to list includes mics from Audio-Technica,...
InTape Op#159, we published anoverview of theUAFX Pedalline. This summer, theUAFX Amppedal line expanded with two new models: theANTI 1992 High Gain, and theEnigmatic’82 Overdrive Special. Though their form, physical size, rear panel, and connectivity options are similar to the Lion ’68 Super...