How to Make a Record
by John Simon
Reprinted from Truth, Lies & Hearsay by John Simon.See interview here (on page 28 in print). Book and poster: www.johnsimonmusic.net/shop
End Rants
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
Sorting it Out
by Larry Crane
Recently, I was helping out a client via one of my Virtual Recording Workshops. In his single song session, there were almost 100 guitar tracks, with multiple amps and mics for every part and...
Rob Christensen, a Big Star to Me
by Larry Crane
When I founded Tape Op twenty-six years ago, I had no concept of the ways in which this magazine would change my life. Professionally, it’s been amazing to visit studios and recordists all...
Learning Through History
by Larry Crane
Until recently, I’d never really listened to many podcasts. I know that I help our online publisher, Geoff Stanfield, with the Tape Op Podcast, but I hadn’t really found the time or the...
Advice That Really Matters
by Larry Crane
In 2016, Jason Hughes and his solo project, The Camera & Film, released an LP titled You & Me. As he’d recorded the record alone in his basement home studio (with mixing by our friend...
Moving Forward Standing Sideways
by John Baccigaluppi
I’ve come to realize that there are two things I really enjoy doing in life:1. Moving forward while standing sideways.2. Making things with other people. Pretending I can surf like Larry...
Learning How to Really Record
by Larry Crane
Do you want to know how to make better recordings? Start by making a lot of bad (or not-quite-perfect) recordings. Yeah, I know this may sound like some tired old adage, but it’s true. I know,...
Brian Eno’s Diary: A Year with Swollen Appendices
by John Baccigaluppi
I bought the first edition of this book when it was initially published, over 25 years ago. That edition was 12.7 cm by 16.51 cm and weighed 397 grams. This newly released edition is 15.24 cm by...
Keep Growing, Keep Learning
by Larry Crane
This last year, because of the pandemic, has been one of the most important times for learning how to pivot our skills, and to say yes to jobs that might have previously seemed outside our...
What I Learned From Music
by John Baccigaluppi
As we move through life we learn different things from different people, many of which are formative. From my father, I learned the value of a good work ethic and doing what you say you’ll do,...
Can You Hear What You're Doing?
by Larry Crane
One of the biggest weak spots in every recording chain is usually right in front of you, and it's a very obvious one – once you think about it. How are you monitoring the audio that you're...
Forest for the Trees
by Larry Crane
What would be the most important concept I would explain to someone just starting out recording music? There’re a lot of things I’d like to say, but one of the most salient is,...