Gear Reviews

The golden age of plug-ins is happening right now. Initially, most audio plug-ins aped existing analog gear such as EQs, compressors, and existing effects units like plate reverbs and tape delays. I almost never use compressor plug-ins, as I don’t think they come close to hardware units, and I will...

Eight years ago, I had the opportunity to evaluate Apogee’s Quartet audio interface [Tape Op #93]. I purchased my own Quartet as a result, and have trusted it ever since for use at The Happy Club studio and for remote sessions. But today I’m pitting the new Symphony Desktop against my older...

PSI Audio started making speakers before some of us were born. Alain Roux introduced his designs in 1975, while a student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. His company eventually became Relec SA. In 1991 Studer retained Alain and company to develop a line of OEM monitors. The...

It’s easy to fall in love with the sound of some new headphones, as it might bring you a different picture from your existing pair. Inevitably for me, the novelty soon wears off, and I return to my trusted cans. However, the Audix A150s had the exact opposite effect. At first, they sounded rather...

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 that vintage “American” sound at a fraction of the price of the real deal. After much fanfare, and the success...

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 plug-in, but rather a paint can of vintage vibe. What I’m trying to say is that the RC-20 is a heavy-handed...

Twenty years ago a wiring guy loaned me a tool and reminded me to return it when I was finished because it was his “best flush-cutters” – I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. I’m still surprised at how many of my audio friends do not know about flush-cutters; a necessity for every...

I’ve established Studio One [Tape Op #86] as my primary mix and master environment these days, making the jump with the previous version (Studio One Pro v4.5) [#132] from other – ahem – Pro(fessional) Tools(ets). Since that time, PreSonus has introduced a flurry of improvements to their flagship...

With the current market for analog audio hardware crowded with clones of coveted pieces, the myriad of redundancies can be a drag once you tire of the usual suspects and begin to seek new tonal flavors for your sonic toolkit. Luckily, this creates opportunities where new companies can thrive by...

At $199, the Aston Element is a very affordable mic, but by no means is it cheap gear. That is to say, the value at this price point is immeasurable. An expertly crafted microphone paired with a proprietary shock mount and magnetic pop filter makes the Element Bundle a great entry-level solution...

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 and assembled four B173s into a two space rack unit. Now, Black Lion Audio is offering an updated...

It’s time to open up about those empty spaces in our 500 Series racks – it feels like a sickness inside you, doesn’t it? Every time you see a shadowy gap or blank panel in your rack, it mirrors the emptiness inside of you. It was during a time when I was feeling particularly vulnerable about my own...

As gear reviews go, this is a pretty easy one to write, as the issue isn’t whether or not this is an excellent product. It most definitely is, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who already uses Radial DIs, nor to anyone familiar with HDI mastermind W.C. “Hutch” Hutchison: The reknowned gear...

I first heard about JZ microphones years ago when my friend, singer Leah Siegel (Firehorse), gave me a BH-1 Black Hole [Tape Op #71] mic she’d received as partial payment for a session. She didn’t need it, and I am always into checking new mics. I fell in love with it. For a mic (and company) I’d...

When I was asked to review an Ear Trumpets Labs microphone, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve always been attracted to their vintage-style designs and have had good experiences with their Edwina [Tape Op #91] and Nadine models. I chose their Myrtle because it’s advertised as “ideal for...

I’ve always been a big fan of Chameleon Labs’ gear. They were one of the first companies to bring classic audio designs into the realm of affordability. I’ve owned a pair of their 7602 [Tape Op #51] mic pre/EQs plus one of their 7720 [#67] bus compressors for close to ten years now and have used...

Subtitled “The People and Processes Behind Self-Recorded Music,” this is a beautiful, hardbound coffee-table-style tome about making recordings that matter. Featuring excellent photos by Daniel Topete highlighting artists in their own creative spaces, as well as a captivating layout and design by...

Coming up in audio in the early 2000s, I was present for what was maybe not the most universally trustworthy or well-informed era of the online audio forum, but definitely the funnest. There were certain distinct concepts, mantras, and methods clung to by each different site’s hive-mind (some of us...

Recently, I read about the MorphVerb plug-in and thought, “Do I need another reverb?” If you are like me, you already have a bunch of reverb plug-ins. But I decided to check it out to see if there was anything special here. I found that MorphVerb is not just another reverb at all, but a bunch of...