If you want to time warp your sounds or samples, XLN Audio’s RC-20 Retro Color plug-in is most likely the tool for you. I should clarify that it is not a clinical, surgical, X-Acto knife of a...
In 2011 Black Lion audio released the B12A, their take on API’s well-known 312A preamp. Not marketed as a clone of the 312A, the B12A represented Black Lion’s re-engineered take to deliver...
Four years ago, Black Lion Audio introduced the B173 [Tape Op #100], their single-channel take on a British-style preamp at a wallet-friendly price. Last year, their B173 Quad improved on the design...
Wavesfactory's Spectre is a unique take on a saturation plug-in, coupling powerful distortion profiles with the familiarity of a parametric EQ. The thought is that you can add distortion or saturation...
FabFilter’s Saturn was one of 2012’s most celebrated plug-ins, offering multi-band distortion and saturation, along with a sleek GUI, plus a powerful modulation section that was embraced...
I didn't know I needed the Avid S1 until I started using it. Most of my production work is done in Pro Tools. I utilize outboard gear via inserts, and I've used an Avid Artist Mix for fader rides at...
A little over a year ago I was finishing up a session when a producer I was working with handed me a mic and said, "Hey man, have you heard of this? You should really try it." He put a JZ Microphones...
FabFilter's Pro-Q 3 is the best sounding, most powerful, most flexible EQ plug-in that I've ever used. If you're familiar with FabFilter's line of products, you'll be glad to know that the Pro-Q 3...
If you've ever mic'd up a drum set, you are no doubt familiar with the struggle for floor space among various cymbal and mic stands – the traffic jam around the snare drum is about as...
Acme Audio has been hitting home runs for the last few years with their Motown D.I. [Tape Op #116] and Opticom XLA-series tube compressors [#86], so when the MTP-66 Motown tube preamp recently popped...
LaChapell's boutique tube preamps have earned a reputation for being some of the best around, so when they announced their ultra-affordable 500DT preamp earlier this year, my interest was piqued. The...
The ACME Audio Motown D.I. WB-3 direct box has a pretty nifty backstory. ACME initially tracked down around 50 of the vintage transformers that were used in the Wolfbox, the first passive DI unit,...
