You Have a Credit Problem
by Anu Kirk
Your magazine was not the first place I'd seen Count's "I Have a Credit Problem" essay [Tape Op #89], but I feel compelled to respond. I agree with his general ideas — credits should be shown,...
End Rants
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
I Have a Credit Problem
by Count
Over the last few years we've seen an explosion of online music services. Pandora, iTunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, Soundcloud and dozens of other platforms are touted as groundbreaking ways to deliver...
Perception - The Final Frontier
by Ethan Winer
In Tape Op #86, Greg Calbi related his early experiences as a mastering engineer. I was struck by his comment that professional mix engineers would ask him if a bass or vocal was too loud or too soft....
Done Fast, Done Good, Done Cheap
by John Baccigaluppi
Maybe you've seen this triangle of wisdom at your auto mechanic's shop. That's where I first saw it: on a piece of paper scrawled with a Magic Marker and tacked up on the wall by my mechanic Dave,...
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...
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...
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...
End Rant #83
by Larry Crane
So you just graduated from recording school? Congrats to you! But here are a few things you might not have learned in school: You will initially blame the musician for not having the right sound,...
Bad Investments???
by Larry Crane
A reader in our letters section [Tape Op #75] recently bemoaned the fact that a virtual instrument plug-in he had purchased was no longer functioning properly and that he had received no support from...
Four Tracks and an Attitude
by Luther Russell
As a teenager in 1985 I slaved away all summer as a prep cook to buy a $500 Tascam Porta One 4- track cassette recorder. I proceeded to do what a lot of musicians of my generation did: record like...
the iPad as a True Instrument?
by Tom Freeman
I'm an iMusician — I like making music on iPhones and iPads. While I also like making music with a drum machine, in the studio or on a guitar, I consider the iPhone and iPad to be musical...
Please Check all that apply:
by Scott Craggs, Chris Garges
Dear Mastering Engineer, I'm sorry that I was: ?? unable to attend the mastering session. ?? unaware of your work. ?? unaware that the band is using you to master the project I did for them. But...