Several pieces of gear in my studio experienced vacuum tube failures. After I found myself spending money for maintenance and parts, I realized that I would benefit from learning more about tubes and...
When I record acoustic guitars, I use a mic. A real one. Mainly mono, but sometimes stereo — especially if it's a one-voice, one-guitar recording — but definitely a mic; no pickup...
We've all seen photos of studios that own a wall of guitar tube heads. Certainly, having a dozen or more amps to choose from might be ideal, but the total cost can be prohibitive for a studio owner....
Eventide bills its MixingLink as a "Mic Pre with FX Loop." It is so much more than that! I tried to sum it up technically: It's a mic/line preamp. It's an instrument preamp/DI. It's a headphone amp....
Getting prepped for this review was something of a unique experience. For the first time in five or six years of doing reviews for Tape Op, the founder of a company wanted to speak live over the phone...
Maybe it's love for the underdog, but I dig Traynor amps. When I play music instead of recording it, my main amp is a big-ass '70s Traynor Mark 3 - a Twin-style circuit with EL34s. It's an oddball...
So there are two companies called API? Sort of. The original API, or Automated Processes, Inc., started manufacturing modular mixing consoles in 1969 and moved on to develop the 2520 op-amp,...
You don't think the big records you hear use off-the-shelf guitar cabinets? Although some might use whatever the artist has, an open secret among engineers is that modifying, customizing, and...
Wade Goeke of Chandler Limited has built his business on the solid foundations of vintage audio circuits with modern enhancements in both manufacturing and audio character. Chandler mic preamps and...
There's a really strange little song that's been stuck in my head for most of my life - "The Means Are The End" by Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame). It was released when I was about 5...
As PAs get better and more people record at home, classic, lower wattage amps are gaining in popularity - and thus becoming more expensive. Anyone who has priced even a Silverface Champ lately...
Have you ever read a review in which the writer goes into all the details of a really versatile and esoteric piece of gear, only to find yourself entirely lost? Because the Warmenfat is such a unique...
