I find that as I interview more and more people involved in the process of recording music that I feel I may be backing myself into a corner of sorts. I like the fact that a lot of our interviews are more "human" — about the people and their journeys through music. Maybe it's running a studio as a business, the learning processes we all go through, or imparting what one has learned for others to peruse. But if I shy away from asking about specific studio techniques are these interviews less "useful" to our readers? I'm always curious what people think of the balance we present in Tape Op, so feel free to drop me a line telling me what you think.
What's always bugged me in other recording magazines are the articles that seem to claim to have all the answers. "Fix it in the Mix," "How to Get Great Guitar Sounds," "Master Your CD at Home" and their ilk are far removed from what I find interesting or representative of the real world — especially when the words "hot," "extreme," "killer," or "pro" are used. There are so many ways to make an exciting and creative recording — why would we want to suggest that we have found the only way and will tell you how it's done? I also find interviews that ask, "How do you mic a drum kit?" to be usually somewhat ludicrous. Oh yeah, this guy was recording John Bonham and the choice of mics was the key to the sound? C'mon.
But what do we talk about then? What is Tape Op covering? I've had more time to really focus on this magazine lately, and many thoughts come through my head. We'll keep moving forward and see where it goes — because I do think there is still so much to learn from each other and so many things to discuss. I'll just try to make sure we never get backed into a corner or profess to have the "hot tricks and tips" that you need.
Larry Crane, editor
PS. Our second Tape Op Book is finally back from the printer!