Interviews
The Power of Song: Recording Pete Seeger
by Richard Barone
More than two years after his passing at age 94, Pete Seeger's legacy only continues to grow. For seven decades he was living proof of the power of song. But how did Richard Barone, an indie rocker...
Interviews
Chris Coady: Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, !!!, TV on the Radio
by Justin Colletti
Chris Coady is the engineer responsible for some of the most emblematic and critically acclaimed indie rock records of the early 21st century. Teaming up with producer David Sitek to build Stay Gold...
Interviews
Paul Mahern: Zero Boys, Mellencamp, Lily & Madeleine
by Andy Hong
In 2012, I ran across a series of in-studio videos of Bloomington, Indiana's Lily & Madeleine on YouTube. I found myself utterly absorbed — not only by the performances of the two...
Interviews
Talking Vinyl with Scott Hull
by Brad Allen Williams
Scott Hull is one of the top seasoned professionals of the trade — a skilled, sought-after engineer that has transitioned through musical, technological, and economic changes within our...
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Don Was: Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt
by Larry Crane
He started off playing bass in the clubs of Detroit. His group, Was (Not Was), rolled out some funky dance pop in the '80s. He's produced big records for the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, John...
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End Rant
Beware of the "Winner Takes All" Phenomenon
by Larry Crane
When I began Tape Op it was a reaction, in part, to the prevalence of high-end studios in other recording magazines. I'd see a photo of a giant console in a fancy room and think, "I've never made a...
Gear Geeking
Tone Control Circuit Scavenger Hunt
by Andy Hong
In the previous issue, I discussed how I had successfully employed a $25 car-audio EQ as a sidechain EQ for stereo bus compression. It was a cheap and highly effective solution, but it had its...
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32cs channel strip
by Harrison Consoles | reviewed by Kirt Shearer
I remember the first time I saw a Harrison 3232 console when I was a young engineer visiting Southern California. At that point, I didn't have much experience on a large-format analog console. That...
Stretch 500-series dynamics processor
by Standard Audio | reviewed by Eli Crews
Standard Audio caught my attention around six years ago when I reviewed the amazing Level-Or [Tape Op #78]. With the Stretch, Standard again took the DNA of some hard-to- come-by vintage gear and...
Audio Mastering: Essential Practices (book)
by Jonathan Wyner | reviewed by Garrett Haines
When it comes to mastering, people often ask, "What goes on?" While many have a general idea, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the process. While I heartily recommend Bob Katz's Mastering...
Vari-Cap instrument cable
by UnderToneAudio | reviewed by Dana Gumbiner
It's almost annoying. This is the second UnderToneAudio product I've had my hands (and ears) on, and the second to become immediately indispensable to my recording setup. However, to be honest, I...
Tri-Trap corner & 244 FlexRange bass traps
by GIK Acoustics | reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
I recently moved to a new location to have a dedicated mix space. I came across a spot that was so beautifully Seattle in its setting that I wanted to — no, had to — make it work. The room...
MBNM 440 & MBNM 410 small-diaphragm condenser mics
by MBHO | reviewed by Garrett Haines
MBHO might not be a household name, but you've probably used their gear. Based in Germany, the company has had a hand in products for broadcast and studio for decades. Audio engineers will recognize...
X1-R & V1 robotic mic mounts
by DynaMount | reviewed by Larry Crane
A year ago, I stumbled across a Kickstarter campaign to build a robotic mic mount. I'd always wanted something like this, where I could remotely move a mic from the control room while actively...
Drum ring damper
by DrumClip | reviewed by Scott McChane
DrumClips came to me by way of a professional session drummer I'd worked with recently. During our session together, I walked into the live room with a roll of gaffer's tape — an all too...
RNDI active transformer DI
by RupertNeveDesigns | reviewed by Dave Hidek
The RNDI is an active, transformer-equipped, direct interface. It not only provides the best-sounding DI signal I've ever heard, but it can also handle line-level signals, as well as the speaker-level...
EQ4M 6-band stereo EQ
by Mäag Audio | reviewed by Larry Crane
When F. Reid Shippen reviewed the 500-series Mäag EQ4 [Tape Op #88], he gave the six-band EQ high marks while pondering, "I also have to wonder if the EQ4 might not be a really cool mastering...
The Mod Squad handles for SM57 & SM58
by Crimson Audio Transformers | reviewed by Dave Cerminara
I was first introduced to Crimson Audio Transformers through their useful Mogaine ribbon mic pre-preamp [Tape Op #110]. I later tried one of their modded SM57 mics while I was working back at Treelady...
ATH-M50x & ATH-M70x headphones
by Audio-Technica | reviewed by Andy Hong
Everything I wrote about the sound of the original ATH-M50 headphone model [Tape Op #63] still rings true for its replacement, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x Professional Monitor closed-back headphone....
BG-2 tube compressor
by Highland Dynamics | reviewed by Brad Allen Williams
When it comes to checking out new recording equipment, we all bring expectation biases. Some really want to believe that the latest truly is the greatest, while others are skeptical of the new and...
N-8 8-channel active DI
by Phoenix Audio | reviewed by Larry Crane
Some gear in my studio falls more under the category of "problem solver" and less in the "glamorous" camp. The N-8 is a 1RU-height, rackmount, eight-channel version of the stereo Phoenix Audio Nice...
Sparrow ADC mkII , Sparrow DAC
by Black Lion Audio | reviewed by Tom Fine
Black Lion Audio, based in Chicago, started out as a "hot-rodding shop," modifying equipment by other manufacturers to improve the sound quality. After gaining traction in the upgrade business, the...
R-122 MKII active ribbon mic
by Royer | reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
If there is one brand of ribbon mic you see in almost every well-stocked mic locker, it is Royer. Royer Labs introduced its first product, the R-121 passive ribbon mic [Tape Op #19], in 1998, and a...
Apollo 16 Thunderbolt 2 audio interface
by Universal Audio | reviewed by Garrett Haines
The revised Universal Audio Apollo series of interfaces are selling so well that we had a hard time getting a review unit. We were impressed with the price and performance of the original Apollo...
Oxford Envolution plug-in
by Sonnox / UAD | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi, Andy Hong, Scott McChane
Scott, John, and I have all become quick fans of Sonnox's latest plug-in, Oxford Envolution, so all three of us decided to contribute to this review. Sonnox publishes Native (AAX, AU, and VST) and HDX...
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Music Reviews
You See the World
by Shannon Hayden | reviewed by Andy
This is the most picturesque album I've ever heard. The images it invokes, especially when I close my eyes, are strikingly vivid. I first experienced Shannon Hayden's music a couple of years ago, when...