TOC Intro #92
by Larry Crane
How do we get better at the craft of recording music? For me, and from what I've gleaned over the years from other producers and engineers, there is one simple fact: I am never 100 percent happy with...
Columns
by Larry Crane
Tell the Truth
by Larry Crane
A while back I had an interesting session recording auditions and providing camera audio feed over the course of three days for 24 instrumental and vocal performers, all of whom were hoping to get on...
TOC Intro #91
by Larry Crane
One topic of conversation I always have with fellow engineers centers around keeping up with new local music and how to go about getting recording gigs. Professional engineers can get locked away in...
TOC Intro #90
by Larry Crane
I remember my first experiences of being captivated by actual studio creations; not simply drawn in by the songs as I had been before, but instead intrigued by the sound of the recorded music. It was...
TOC Intro #89
by Larry Crane
People often mistake what the art of recording music actually is. Learning how to choose and set up a microphone is simple. Gain structures should be obvious, once you learn the basics. Recording...
TOC Intro #88
by Larry Crane
Tape Op gets a certain kind of letter frequently, and they all basically say the same thing: "I'm young. I really like recording. Where do I go from here?" Part of me can empathize with and...
TOC Intro #87
by Larry Crane
I've been taking on a lot of recording and mixing sessions this year. In between these sessions I work on this magazine. That doesn't leave much room for the rest of my life. I'm lucky to have an...
The Little Misunderstanding
by Larry Crane
In issue #84 I wrote an End Rant entitled "The Big Misconception." In it, I railed against the concept that a computer could replace an entire studio. I still say it can't really do as such, and to...
TOC Intro #86
by Larry Crane
While interviewing Bob Weston in 2000 for Tape Op #18, one of his comments took me by surprise. He told me, "Some bands just assume I won't record them. They assume I'm too busy, that I'm too...
My Unwritten (Until Now) “Rules” in the Studio
by Larry Crane
During a recording session, there are many small details that can subtly derail the ideal flow of the work at hand. Outside of the technical end of capturing music, I think we all bring other habits...
TOC Intro #85
by Larry Crane
As I was nearing the end of one of the bigger album projects I've done this year, I had this thought: "What is my job?" Now first off, don't get on my case about professional engineer/producer versus...
The Big Misconception
by Larry Crane
Here's the scenario: You're reading an article in a magazine about the current state of the music business. You come across the inevitable part where the journalist talks about how empowered musicians...