Interviews
Bryan Carlstrom: Rock with Alice in Chains and The Offspring
by Sasha Zand
Educated in music and voice at the University of South Dakota and having made himself a mainstay of the Los Angeles recording business, Bryan Carlstrom has garnered a reputation for working with...
Interviews
GGGarth Richardson: Juno-winning producer/engineer
by Roman Sokal
"Holy shit! This stuff is going to kill me!" states the mighty mortal Garth Richardson, (aka GGGarth), as an assistant brings him a late-night McDonald's snack during the last day of mixing for a...
Interviews
Le Tigre: Home made feminist electronic garage music
by Pam Nicholas
Le Tigre create edgy, grooving transmissions that are fashioned at the intersection of punk and electronica. Mixing noisemakers for the new millenium in their rehearsal space-laboratory, Kathleen...
Let's DIY
Build a Plate Reverb: Building Your Own Plate Reverb!
by Bob Buontempo
(Disclaimer: This article is missing images and parts list. The writers originally offered up a kit of parts and stopped doing so many years ago. This is an incomplete article and please do not email...
Interviews
Rafter Roberts
by Zack Wentz
Almost everything of note that's come out of San Diego for the last few years has the name "Rafter Roberts" on it somewhere. Besides being the local master of mastering, Roberts has also been...
Interviews
The Album Leaf: Recording with Rafter Roberts
by Larry Crane
Jimmy LaValle is a member of San Diego's Tristeza, an instrumental band, who have several fine albums out. He also puts out solo records under the name The Album Leaf, which he records on the cheap...
More From This Issue See more →
Dalek: Hip-Hop from space?
by Jesse Cannon
It's not everyday you hear a band that makes music unlike anything you've heard before. When I first heard Dalek it made me feel really good to know that someone was making truly challenging music....
Sponsored
Columns See more →
End Rant
Is “Analog” Your Answer?
by Larry Crane
When I made the step up from a basement, hobby studio to a professional, full-time studio I bought a MCI JH-16 2" 16-track (beast of a) tape deck. The thing was so big that we had to pull off doors...
Sponsored
Gear Reviews See more →
Reason Virtual Instrument/Sequencer
by Propellerhead | reviewed by AJ Wilhelm
This is an amazing piece of gear, I mean, uh, software. Welcome to Reason, the latest release by Propellerhead, the company that pioneered the virtual instrument/sampler scene with Rebirth and...
CS-9, BC-10
by IBANEZ | reviewed by Steve Silverstein
Once upon a time, notable bands like Wire and the Cure used chorus as a creative effect. By the mid-'80s, so many bands had so brutalized the effect that engineers and musicians everywhere shuddered...
6Q British Channel
by Joemeek | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
We track a lot of bands in my studio that end up taking their rhythm tracks home and finishing overdubs and mixing in their home PC based studio. After using our mic and preamp collection, my clients...
Altiverb Sampling Reverb
by Audio Ease | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi, Eric Broyhill, Henry Robinett
This is one very amazing, albeit very specialized, piece of software. It will only run on a Macintosh G4 (using the Mac's Altivec co-processor) and only with Digital Performer (Although a VST and RTAS...
2x24M microphone cables, Matrix Reference XLR audio cables, Silver Coax S/PDIF cables MC2 digital cables
by Cardas Audio | reviewed by Brian Lucey
Cables are huge in overall tone color for both digital and analog recording. When I was in the midst of putting together this studio three years ago, I had a conversation with a respected gear head...
U5 Active Direct Box
by Avalon Designs | reviewed by Larry Crane
I don't know if it's just my awareness of them or what, but it seems like there are more active direct boxes available now than there ever were. I first stumbled across the Avalon U5 last year while...
Kosmos Sub Harmonic Generator
by Peavey | reviewed by Oz Fritz
This unit rocks! Kosmos puts out the bass - bass with attitude, an attitude that translates as tight, punchy, low end in extreme abundance. It even has what I would call an "exciter" function. Peavey...
Digimax mic preamp/limiter with digital output
by PreSonus | reviewed by Ed Pettersen
The PreSonus Digimax is an ingenious device. I purchased it initially as an interface with my Pro Tools LE rig at home to provide eight more 24-bit clean converter channels rather than rely on the...
M-series Microphone Cables, G-series Guitar Cables
by Zaolla | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
I've never been one of those audiophile types who felt like I needed all my cables to be super expensive one gauge 2" thick cables that cost $35 a foot. But when I had the opportunity to try some of...
MXL 603S Microphone
by MXL Microphones | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
In my continuing quest to find a microphone that emulates a KM-84 for less money, when I was given the opportunity to check these mics out, I quickly said, "Yes". This is a straight-ahead small...
Nuendo version 1.5.2
by Steinberg | reviewed by Mike Reavill
A few months ago I was in the market for better DAW multitrack software. I had previously been using Cakewalk Pro, which was lacking in a few areas to me. I already knew Pro Tools was out of the...
LTD-2 Compressor
by Chandler Limited | reviewed by Larry Crane
Chandler is making a buzz for themselves as the small company that builds Neve-based mic pres and compressors. The LTD-2 is a Class A, single channel compressor based on the Neve 2254 (and similar to...
Radius 3 “Fat Man” Stereo Tube Compressor
by HHB | reviewed by Larry Crane
The "Fat Man" compressor features stereo 1/4" balanced inputs and outputs, 15 presets and manual operation, an affordable price ($460 list) and is housed in an unusual 1/2 rack width, wedge-shaped...
KA-04, KR-2W, KR-1D, KR-2C, KR-1F, KR-3H, KR-25A, KR-33A, KP-6M, TT-3M, BS-3D
by THE Audio | reviewed by Larry Crane
Taylor Johnson, of The Sound Room, has been importing Russian mics like the Oktava brand for years, and now he steps out with his own line of microphones. Partially built in Argentina, these mics are...
737 Tube Mic Pre/Compressor/EQ
by Avalon | reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
At first I had a hard time getting a feel for this unit because I had expectations for it that ended up being false. Before I got it, I had the idea I was gonna use it for snare drum. But after using...
TD-100 Instrument Preamp and Tube Direct Box
by Summit | reviewed by Larry Crane
I'm beginning to realize how different DI boxes can be. Beyond simply transferring a 1/4" mono instrument pickup or device output signal into a usable balanced line-level signal, elements like EQ,...
MP-2NV 2 channel mic pre
by Great River | reviewed by Larry Crane
This is another fine product in the "Mercenary Edition" line, meaning that it's endorsed, used by and has passed the test of Fletcher and crew at Mercenary Audio. It's two channels of solid state...
Sponsored
Music Reviews See more →
Music Reviews
Exploded View
by Granfaloon Bus | reviewed by Larry Crane
I cannot ever express the gratitude owed to Greg Freeman for providing an honest/affordable place to make records (Lowdown) during the '80s and '90s in San Francisco. Barbara Manning, Donner Party,...
Music Reviews
s/t
by The Transmissionary Six | reviewed by Larry Crane
are really just two, Terri Moeller (Walkabouts drummer) and Paul Austin (Willard Grant Conspiracy). They recorded this at Flora Ave Studio with the fabulous Tucker Martine (look for an article on him...
Music Reviews
Low Kick and Hard Bop
by Solex | reviewed by Larry Crane
Elisabeth Esselink has a record store in Amsterdam with her small studio in the basement. In there she deconstructs samples of bootlegs and records nobody wants, to make songs that she can sing over....
Music Reviews
Hibernation Generation
by Pope Factory | reviewed by Larry Crane
This album was recorded at home on one of those Roland digital multitracks (I don't remember which one) by a band that had no budget. It sounds so good I wouldn't have guessed. Pink Floyd meets...
Music Reviews
Long Distance
by Ivy | reviewed by Larry Crane
Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger are part owners in Stratosphere Sound in NY, and they're also part of Ivy with vocalist Dominique Durand. Streamlined pop with French-accented vocals - plus the...
Music Reviews
These Things You do at Four A.M
by Beltline | reviewed by Larry Crane
Like record albums in your basement on a Tascam 80-8? Beltline is Rob Jones, the man behind Jealous Butcher Records in Portland and also the guy that keeps us supplied with late model computer gear...
Music Reviews
Seven
by Kitty Gordon | reviewed by Larry Crane
Our buddy Mark Addison is 1/2 this band with Nina Singh, and they recorded it at his fully-equipped Slaughterhouse home studio in Austin. Modern- sounding rock-pop with some cool production twists and...
Music Reviews
You’ve Seen Us... You Must Have Seen Us...
by Kaito | reviewed by Larry Crane
English multi-gender band with infectious, crazy songwriting. The real treat for me is the playful recording style (by Owen Turner at The Sickroom), with trashy sounds, clear sounds, regenerating...
Music Reviews
My Day is Just Beginning
by Lee Sankey | reviewed by Larry Crane
Tracked by our pal Phill Brown, this is white jazz/blues at it's finest, carving out his own style within the genres and playing and singing like it matters. Phill's engineering is tops, of course....
Music Reviews
Insignificance
by Jim O’Rourke | reviewed by Larry Crane
All over the map: Beach Boys, garage, artsy, pop songwriting. Recorded quickly after tossing many other sessions, this has the right spirit to it. Good call Jim! (www.dragcity.com)
Music Reviews
What We Did
by M. Girard/D. Matz | reviewed by Larry Crane
Home-recorded collaboration between leaders of the Swans and Windsor for the Derby. Subdued, engrossing and really clean recording quality. A treat. (www.younggodrecords.com)
Music Reviews
High Uinta High
by Cub Country | reviewed by Larry Crane
Jeremy Chatelain (bassist for Jets to Brazil) records a country-ish album in his apartment with friends dropping by. Excellent songs and a cool atmosphere. (www.jadetree.com)
Music Reviews
A Feather in the Engine
by David Kilgour | reviewed by Larry Crane
Since you read his interview a few issues back and were curious, here's an easy-to-find release of new songs. In my book? Great! (www.mergerecords.com)
Music Reviews
Songs in a Northern Key
by Varnaline | reviewed by Larry Crane
Anders keeps plugging away, sounds like his old 8- track 1/2" got pulled out for use and then mixed by Ray Kennedy (1/2 Twangtrust with Steve Earle). Amazing songwriting as always. (www.varnaline.com)
Music Reviews
Various CDs and CD-Rs
by The Lost Patrol | reviewed by Larry Crane
Stephen Masucci is a synth rebuilder and studio wiring guru by day - his band is Linn drum powered, pretty femme vocals, and tracked onto 8-track cassette - spaghetti western Cocteau Twins?...
Music Reviews
The Ride
by Seaworthy | reviewed by Larry Crane
Joshua McKay's spin-off from the defunct Macha spreads out the ideas into even more territory - a super-fun trippy listen. (Jetset)
Music Reviews
Sparkler
by Elaine Summers | reviewed by Larry Crane
Songwriter-lady pop produced by Pete Droge, mostly at home. I hear a lot of Distressor action on the drums. (www.elainesummers.com)
Music Reviews
Mixed Signals
by Tristeza | reviewed by Larry Crane
Deconstructed remixes of their last LP - even Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins lends a hand! On CD or vinyl (extra tracks). (Tiger Style/Rocket Racer)