With its clean, streamlined all-brass construction, Ear Trumpet Labs' Wanda seems to be the first of their unique microphone line that has no plumbing or bike parts in sight. A 26 mm diaphragm phantom-powered condenser mic, Wanda measures under 4-inches long by 2-inches in diameter – with a built-in...
In the shadow of the iconic RCA 44 series ribbon mics produced in the ‘30s is the relatively esoteric RCA BK-5A [Tape Op#65]. It was designed as a directional ribbon mic for higher SPL sources on film sets but gradually found favor with music recording engineers. Some vintage BK-5As are still in service...
Mic stands are one of the parts of owning a studio that is not cool or fun. You need them, but they are often abused and constantly need repair. Cheap stands never last, and expensive stands are, well, expensive – and who wants to spend money on something that just gets abused? It's more exciting...
Pulsar Modular's P821 MDN Tape is a remarkable sounding approximation of the Stephens 821B tape machine. Let me be clear; this is not another they-got-the-rights-to-sell-a-tape-machine-so-they-did-a-pretty-GUI-on-top-of-a-cookbook-EQ-with-variable-delay-some-hiss-plus-distortion-plug-in. This...
One of my favorite things about doing this work are the relationships we establish. I first met Charlene Gibbs, Sammy Rothman, and Nathan Bowers in 2014, while taking a tour of AEA microphones. I knew Wes Dooley [Tape Op#97] already, and had a great relationship with AEA, but after meeting these "kids"...
Over the course of a few months, a friend of mine had been gently prodding me, asking me if I’d take an honest listen to some new high end studio monitors from Germany. I’m always hesitant to write loudspeaker reviews, especially for expensive gear. As the dollar amount goes up, so do my expectations...
When my band recorded our first album (Vomit Launch’s Not Even Pretty) in 1986, our producer, Greg Freeman [Tape Op#1], had a Yamaha SPX90 reverb unit. There were no other reverb processors in his studio at the time, and we loved reverb. If you listen, especially to the original vinyl release, vocals...
For decades, I've wondered how the effect on the female backing vocals of Pink Floyd's "Time" from The Dark Side of the Moon was 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...
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 completely...
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 capabilities...
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 sound....
Good things come in small packages, and that’s especially true for the iLoud 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 Op...
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 feedback...
Since its release in 2018, FabFilter’s Pro-Q 3 [Tape Op#132] has become one of the most used, if not the most used, EQ plug-ins for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Seven years later, Pro-Q 4 offers several new features and updates, giving FabFilter fans everywhere a reason to celebrate. From new...
Harrison consoles are beloved by many engineers, and after I had the opportunity to work with four of the new Harrison 32Classic 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 warm,...
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 digital-to-analog...
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 AudioTech Probe, whose motto is: "You can hear what you've been missing." Described as a "Diagnostic...
I’ve always been fascinated with the history of recording studios, the evolution of analog gear, and MCI 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 called...
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 cause...