Gear Reviews

REAL-WORLD ASSESSMENTS OF RECORDING EQUIPMENT BY WORKING PROFESSIONALS.

NO. 159 Gear Review

Lauten Audio: Snare Mic

REVIEWED BY Mike Kosacek
January 15, 2024

I have quite a few snare mics, but none that are actually named “Snare Mic.” That's about to change. I'm a drummer, and I've mic’d a lot of snare drums. I usually rely on dynamic microphones as a snare can generate high sound pressure levels (SPLs) that dynamic mics typically handle well....

NO. 159 Gear Review

Ear Trumpet Labs: Brass Mic Clip & Copper Shock Mount

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
January 15, 2024

Sure, there are a few elegantly functional mic mounts out there (Royer, Audio-Technica, Rycote), but are there any aesthetically beautiful and functional mic mounts available? Manufactured in Portland, Oregon, Ear Trumpet Labs (ETL) have made a name for excellent-sounding and sort of retro-looking condenser...

NO. 159 Gear Review

SAMAR Audio Design: MG20 Small Diaphragm Condenser Mic

REVIEWED BY Liam Nelson
January 15, 2024

SAMAR Audio is a refreshing voice of innovation. Dr. Mark Fouxman founded the company on his passion for electronics engineering, classical piano virtuosity, and pro audio expertise, and has consistently delivered intriguing contributions to the microphone market – particularly in the ribbon microphone...

NO. 159 Gear Review

Neumann: MT 48 USB-C Interface

REVIEWED BY Alan Tubbs
January 15, 2024

The MT 48 isn’t just another desktop interface; it is Neumann’s redevelopment of Merging Technologies’ high end Anubis interface as Neumann and Merging Technologies both now operate under the Sennheiser umbrella. The MT 48 can connect to networks and computers via AES67/RAVENNA IP-based protocol, but...

NO. 159 Gear Review

Eventide Audio: Blackhole & MicroPitch Immersive Plug-Ins

REVIEWED BY Adam Kagan
January 15, 2024

Remember when hardware reverbs were the sole effects available? I certainly do. In the mid-‘90s, when I began making records in Los Angeles, I would scan any unfamiliar studio for the presence of Eventide SP 2016 [Tape Op#129] reverbs and H3000/DSP4000/Orville Harmonizer units. With those hardware effects...

NO. 159 Gear Review

David Adjmi, writer: Stereophonic (play)

REVIEWED BY Sam Retzer
January 15, 2024

Recently, I was lucky to catch Stereophonic, David Adjmi’s off-Broadway (Playwrights Horizons in New York City) hit, featuring songs by ex-Arcade Fire member Will Butler and directed by Daniel Aukin. Set within a dazzling approximation of Record Plant Sausalito circa 1976, the show follows a rising...

NO. 159 Gear Review

FabFilter: Pro-R 2 Reverb Plug-In

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
January 15, 2024

It wasn't that many years ago that my staff at Jackpot! Recording Studio kept mentioning FabFilter's Pro-Q 3 [Tape Op#132] so much that I began using it on everything; they were correct – it’s a well thought out EQ tool that's easy to use and sounds proper. Since I'd somehow remained...

NO. 159 Gear Review

Shure: SM7dB Microphone

REVIEWED BY Danielle Goldsmith
January 15, 2024

The Shure SM7 microphone [Tape Op#36] is an all-around workhorse mic that has been ubiquitous in the recording industry since its introduction in 1973. Subsequently, many engineers have recognized the SM7’s versatility, in large part due to its flat and wide-range frequency response, one that produces...

NO. 158 Gear Review

PSPaudioware: PSP BinAmp Preamp Emulation Plug-in

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
November 16, 2023

What's a BinAmp? Well, the fine folks at PSPaudioware love the sound of the preamp section of the Binson Echorec 2 delay, those cool metal-based magnetic drum delays from Italy, first introduced in 1960. Utilizing six 12AX7/U7 tubes, the real Echorec 2 tonally changes instruments run through it....

NO. 158 Gear Review

Eventide: H90 Harmonizer Multi-Effects Pedal

REVIEWED BY Jonathan Saxon
November 16, 2023

Looking for a new effects pedal and want to know if the Eventide H90Harmonizer is a good fit for a recording rig? Well, it absolutely is a good choice for recording situations. However, is it a good fit for you? That depends on how comfortable you are with studying a user manual. Eventide encourages...

NO. 158 Gear Review

FabFilter: Pro-G Gate Plug-in

REVIEWED BY James Neil
November 15, 2023

Mixing drums can seem like some sort of magic. Mysterious, delightful, revelatory, fascinating, confounding, and confusing all at once. My experience begins with the love of playing drums. The power us drummers wield is amazing! We are able to adjust the vibe of a song by leaning in or out, or by playing...

NO. 158 Gear Review

DPA Microphones: DDK4000 Drum Mic Kit

REVIEWED BY John Baccigaluppi
November 15, 2023

DPA's DDK4000 is a selection of their mics packaged as a complete drum recording solution, including the 4055 kick mic, a 2012 compact cardioid mic intended for snare, two 2015 wide cardioid mics for overheads, and three 4099 compact mics for toms. DPA has been making high headroom, low noise,...

NO. 158 Gear Review

Universal Audio: Apollo Twin X USB 3.0 Interface for Windows

REVIEWED BY Corey Reidy
November 15, 2023

As a Windows/PC user, I have been watching from the sidelines as Universal Audio's Apollo series became one of the most established interface and plug-in platforms while garnering lots of positive word of mouth and reviews. But now, Universal Audio has released the Apollo Twin X USB 3.0 interface!...

NO. 158 Gear Review

Wavesfactory: SK10 Subkick Simulator Plug-in

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
November 15, 2023

The kind folks at Wavesfactory recently offered up the free SK10 plug-in, which simulates having a speaker-based mic as an extra low frequency kick drum track. Insert it on your kick track, dial in the amount of sub frequency desired via the Mix knob and set the Lowpass frequency (200 Hz down to 10...

NO. 158 Gear Review

Earthworks Audio: SR117 Supercardioid Condenser Mic

REVIEWED BY Geoffrey Knecht
November 15, 2023

I work in studio recording, location sound, and live performance. For me, versatility is king, and I'm constantly searching for tools that allow me to minimize my kit and do more with less. With this in mind, Earthworks Audio's SR117 is exemplary. I love how natural this microphone sounds....

NO. 158 Gear Review

Sonnox: Voca Vocal Processing Plug-in

REVIEWED BY Larry Crane
November 15, 2023

I've been wary of "all-in-one" vocal processing plug-ins that claim to deliver "pro-level vocals" for your mixes with minimal work. I've tried a few, and every time I've been better off removing the plug-in and going back to my analog-inspired workflow. That is, until...

NO. 158 Gear Review

Empirical Labs: PUMP 500 Series Compressor

REVIEWED BY Scott McDowell
November 15, 2023

The latest compressor from Empirical Labs is similar to Ike and Tina Turner’s classic cover of “Proud Mary,” in that it ranges all the way from nice to rough. Like its older sibling, the Distressor [Tape Op#32], the PUMP makes it easy to dial in smooth and transparent VCA-style compression or aggressively...