Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
I bet most Tape Op readers who own a soldering iron also have a digital multimeter (DMM), and they've learned at least the basics of diagnosing misbehaving instruments, amps, pedals, preamps,...
Columns
Sporadic and regular articles from our contributors.
When is a Mix Done?
by Larry Crane
I sat down to try and write an End Rant describing how to know when a mix is done, and then I became stuck. Everyone’s experience with this can be different, so I dropped a line to some...
Are You Being Lazy?
by Larry Crane
Somewhere along the line, when working on any recording project, there are points where the "real work" needs to be done. Real work, to me, is the time where intense listening skills are brought...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
In 2022, I shared my opinions on several models of Bluetooth earbuds that I own [Tape Op #150, #151], with the conclusion that Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC) were my...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
After completing multiple home, studio, and office moves in the past couple years, I’ve been frustrated by the challenge of finding tools and supplies after packing them away – not just...
The DynoPopper X-10
by Larry Crane
Photo by Roman Sokal, courtesy of Audio Crowbar Dynamics. Having recently spent more time working on the Tape Op Gear Reviews section of this magazine, one thought keeps creeping into my mind and...
Not So Oblique Strategies
by Larry Crane, Garrett Haines
In 1975, Brian Eno [Tape Op #85] and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt published their first set of Oblique Strategies: Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas. These cards work as creativity resets,...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
During my attendance of the NAMM Show in April 2023, I saw many new and unique products. Audiomovers showed me Inject, a plug-in for recording iPad virtual instruments directly into a DAW using only a...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
When we lust over aspirational recording gear, what often comes to mind are vintage hunks of steel and vacuum tubes from the likes of Fairchild, Telefunken, Neumann, RCA, Pultec, Collins, and Altec....
Open Minds, Open Ears
by Scott Anthony
"No drum machines were used on this album!" "No synthesizers!" These liner note proclamations were, for a time, a "cool" way to indicate a declaration of purity. But bands like Queen, who made these...
What the F#ck is “Industry Standard”?
by Larry Crane, Garrett Haines
After receiving negative feedback regarding her release, a talented artist I’d worked with dropped me a line. Apparently a random critic of her album had declared that “the song was...
Gear Geeking w/ Andy...
by Andy Hong
For quite a time surrounding the year 2000, I was known as “the guy who records Karate” — their de facto recording engineer. Following the completion of their third album, The Bed is...