Gear Reviews

REAL-WORLD ASSESSMENTS OF RECORDING EQUIPMENT BY WORKING PROFESSIONALS.

NO. 167 Gear Review

Partial Meltdown: Lo-Fi Plug-in

May 25, 2026

I must admit that when I first heard about Memorandum, I imagined it being either another impractically-complicated distraction or a source of amusement while awaiting mix approvals from remote clients. When I looked into it further, I appreciated its conceptual focus enough to explore its...

NO. 167 Gear Review

Ear Trumpet Labs: Wanda high SPL condenser mic

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
May 25, 2026

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...

NO. 167 Gear Review

Base 4 Stands: modular microphone stands

REVIEWED BY John Baccigaluppi
May 25, 2026

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...

NO. 167 Gear Review

Ohma World: Ohma World: ribbon & condenser mics

REVIEWED BY Chris Koltay
May 25, 2026

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...

NO. 167 Gear Review

KSD Studio Monitors: A200mk2 monitors

REVIEWED BY Jeremy Wurst
May 25, 2026

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...

NO. 167 Gear Review

iamReverb Audio: iamReverb plug-in

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
May 25, 2026

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

PSP Audioware: PSP Wobbler Modulation Plug-In

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

AEA Ribbon Mics: Nuvo N28 Stereo Ribbon Mic

REVIEWED BY Matt Anderson
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

TASCAM: Model 2400 Analog Console, Mixer, & Interface

REVIEWED BY Tim Pratt
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

IK Multimedia: iLoud Micro Monitor Pro

REVIEWED BY Adam Kagan
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

DigiTech: FreqOut Natural Feedback Creator Pedal

REVIEWED BY Jonathan Saxon
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

FabFilter: FabFilter: Pro-Q 4 Plug-In

REVIEWED BY Dave Hidek
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

Harrison: 32Classic MS Mix Strip

REVIEWED BY Daniel Ryan Morse
March 15, 2025

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...

NO. 166 Gear Review

Pye Audio: PX2 Transformer Interface

March 15, 2025

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...