Document & Archive
by Larry Crane
Okay, here's the rant I've been building up on for years and during the Tape Op Conference it came up a few times. What the fuck is wrong with some of you engineers out there that can't be bothered...
End Rants
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
Random Thoughts (at the end of 21 ten-hour days of recording in a row)
by Larry Crane
1. I'm tired. I think continual listening, especially when checking for pitch, may be exhausting. Just a thought. 2. Recently, while recording an album, I witnessed one of the most amazing vocal...
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...
Things You Shouldn’t Say in the Studio
by Larry Crane
When I'm working with a band that I'm unfamiliar with I always start out acting quiet and polite, but by the end of an album (sometimes as soon as the end of the day) my cynical/smart-ass side...
End Page
by Don Fury
I watched the twin towers burning from a train on the Manhattan Bridge, hundreds of feet above the East River. And again from Union Square at 14th Street, where the image of the towers, flames, and...
Open Up Your Ears!
by Larry Crane
Many of us who make records get into ruts. You know, you develop habits in the way you work, your taste dictates how the recordings sound, and you mix in a certain way. None of this is terribly wrong,...
On Top Of The World
by Larry Crane
I was at a large music conference when, after being introduced to a fellow engineer who's work I greatly admired, I found him asking me if there were any "world-class" studios in Portland, Oregon....
Consider the Source
by Larry Crane
Just the other day a band came in for a quick tracking session. As they were setting up their gear I heard one of the guitar players comment that he wanted to buy a guitar preamp for $250 so he...
The Future History Of Audio Recording
by Larry Crane
2002: Antares introduces the band modeler plug- in and rackmount unit. It is able to process 24 tracks of audio through "group synthesis" and rearrange songs into the styles of the Beatles, Rolling...
One Week In Hell
by Larry Crane
It started innocently enough. The producer called me to feel me out and see if we'd work well together. The artist called, came by and booked some time. "Awesome", I thought. I would be able to...
Open Letter To A Friend
by Larry Crane
25 REASONS NOT TO OPEN YOUR OWN STUDIO: 1. Freelance engineers. They always complain about your choice of gear, especially speakers. They also point out what's broken on a regular basis. damn. 2....
A Mono Proposal
by Larry Crane
Audio reproduction formats have been in flux since the first cylinder spun over at Edison's workshop. The mechanical "horn" system of playback, used on those early recorders and 78 players, gave...