The first-generation Syntrx from Latvian synthesis maestros Erica Synths was a fantastic "reimagining" of the 1972 EMS Synthi AKS. The original Syntrx was a highly desirable analog synth with a limited production run of 1056 units (and a premium price tag of $3029 USD). Erica is back with...
I watched and waited for over a year before I finally purchased the Steven Slate Audio VSX headphone mixing system. VSX is a set of over the ear, closed-back headphones and accompanying software (to use via your DAW) to “listen” in various virtual rooms and spaces. Some of the virtual rooms are modeled...
There are many stereo field processors out there, but they are usually simply fixer tools or effects processors. Among the effect types, most of them do only one thing – meaning if you don't need that approach the plug-in is not applicable. Purchasing too many plug-ins to cover my main production...
In issue #126I reviewed Benson Amps' stereo Studio Tall Bird Spring Reverb, a wonderful piece of hardware that gets used a lot at Jackpot! Recording. The original Tall Bird has been discontinued, but a new iteration is arriving soon. It "sprang" from the Tall Bird All Tube Reverb, an...
As a writer, I try to be as transparent as I can when reviewing a piece of gear. I also feel compelled to include a bit of a backstory that shares what initially lead me to doing the review.
Many know that I moved my studio, SoundShop370, from Manhattan to South Nashville a couple of years ago. When...
I've been a fan of Soundtoys' Little Plate [Tape Op #123] since it came out years back, but in the back of my mind I aways wondered if "Little" meant a more complicated version was coming, in the vein of their Little MicroShift and its bigger sibling. Now SuperPlate is here, and...
As I began writing my review for Neve’s 88M – the company’s first step into the world of USB-powered desktop interfaces – I struggled to find words to describe Neve that hadn’t been used many times before. Adjectives such as “iconic” and “timeless” were earned over six decades of experimentation, design,...
If you’re reading Tape Op reviews and love recording with ribbon and dynamic mics as much as I do, then you’re probably already familiar with Cloudlifters. Also known as “mic activators,” they’re essentially mic preamps that go between the microphone and the “main” preamp. Instead of outputting line...
There are a lot of Rhodes piano plug-ins out there, but Universal Audio's Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio sets itself apart in some critically appealing ways. It has a large dynamic range, comes with an array of studio tools, and allows for deceptively tweaky options via a user interface that...
I try a different vocal microphone on just about every record I make. Some are technically great, but too sterile for my taste. Others – particularly tube large diaphragm condenser (LDC) mics that I’ve settled on – have vibe for days, although, the self-noise of these mics (at least the knock-off versions...
With the Hornet, Useful Arts had a mission: In 2018, the company's founder, Peter Swann, teased that a yet-to-be-named solid-state mic pre/DI “small enough to throw in a backpack” would arrive, with hopes to “make great sound accessible to everyone.”
As promised, the one channel Hornet is smaller...
When I tested the ADAM Audio A7V nearfield monitors [Tape Op#153], I also acoustically measured my control room for the first time. It brimmed with problem areas. Though I will defend home recording with my last breath, I am well aware that – at least from an acoustic perspective – bedrooms do not make...
When I saw the Peluso ad for their shock mounts in the last issue of Tape Op, it immediately piqued my interest. I have several vintage microphones that do not have good shock mounts that Peluso makes custom shock mounts for. Shock mounts are one of the frustrating parts of running a studio, as they’re...
It seems fitting that Universal Audio offers the Capitol Mastering Compressor plug-in. When the first hardware units were made, Capitol Mastering engineer/tech Ian Sefchick [Tape Op#134] drew from his love of the Universal Audio 175 compressor and his desire to pair its tube front end with a solid-state...
Drawmer isn’t the only audio company that offers a saturation processor, but they are the only brand I’ve encountered that offers one with this much functionality, a great price point, and all in one rack unit. The name may suggest at least two features, but there are even more.
Like its name, the 1976...
Kali Audio has swiftly established a notable reputation in both professional and home studios, and quite a few professional engineers have been quoted saying that Kalis match or outperform monitors costing significantly more. Therefore, I was curious to check out their new IN-UNF ultra-nearfield studio...
Despite all the amazing plug-ins available for delay these days, there’s something inherently cool and desirable about early first generation digital hardware delay units, hence so many plug-in emulations of them. With the newly updated Lexicon PSP 42, PSP Audioware has captured everything that makes...
When I first saw the Lindell Audio LiN2A Vintage Leveling Amplifier, I admit I got excited. I use my Lindell Audio LiN76 [Tape Op#153] quite a bit, so I couldn’t wait to try this one. As soon as I pulled the LiN2A out of the box, I saw that one of my minor nitpicks of the LiN76 had already been addressed...
I recently got an email from Matt Walton at Iron Age Audioworks, “Hey John I’ll be in the San Francisco Bay Area in a few weeks installing a console. Maybe we could meet up for a beer or coffee?” Installing a new console? I was intrigued, and so it was that a few weeks later I rode my bike over to meet...