May/Jun 2006

Welcome to issue #53 of Tape Op.

 

As I was writing the review of Glass Eye's "new" CD for this issue, it struck me how "fan-boy" my writing sounded. I wondered at first if I should tame it down, sound more removed, professional and such. Screw that. I'm a fan of music. That's the reason I first ever wanted to buy albums, go see shows, start a band, record my friends and everything else that has happened along the way. Even Tape Op, in it's own way, is really an extension of fandom — my initial goal was to encourage people to record using whatever was at their disposal and to disseminate as much info about the process to artists as possible — hoping for more music to happen in the end. Being a fan of music should be the driving force for all of us, and if all we do is get hung up on recording gear, specs and sounds then we're missing the point. Then again, I've been recently excited about having 32 channels of Pro Tools I/O, and reading the interview with Danny McKinney, you can see his passion for that next level of great sound he's shooting for. I'm sure I'm mostly preaching to the converted here — I guess I just wanted to justify getting so excited about some music!

We're almost ready for TapeOpCon 2006, June 16- 18 in Tucson, Arizona. It looks to be as great an event as any year yet, so sign up and come on down! We'll be learning, meeting, eating and drinking at the Hilton El Conquistador — plus some rockin' out at night at Club Congress. Don't miss this event! www.tapeopcon.com

Okay, enjoy the summer. Don't leave your tapes (or CD-Rs) in the sun.

— Larry Crane, editor

In This Issue See more →

Sponsored

Columns See more →

End Rant

Customer Service

by Larry Crane

I recently installed a Pro Tools HD system and Pro Tools 7 in my studio to replace the Digi002 we've been using for a few years. I'd be lying if I said this was an easy task, but I'd also be lying...

Sponsored

Gear Reviews See more →

Z-Noise plug-in

by Waves  |  reviewed by Rob Shelby

Like most plug-ins these days, Z-Noise comes in RTAS/AudioSuite, VST, AU, and MAS flavors. It supports up to 96 kHz resolution (requiring 1 GB of RAM to do so). As a fan of Waves' preceding noise...

Bound by Law

by Duke Law  |  reviewed by Garrett Haines

Using audio samples isn't just for rap artists anymore. With the proliferation of loop-based production software (e.g. GarageBand, Acid, Live, et al) more and more songwriters are using sound bites...

M600 Universal Mic Mount

by Enhanced Audio  |  reviewed by Andy Hong

The first time I saw this sucker, I was a little skeptical. Why does just about every large-diaphragm condenser mic come standard with a suspension shockmount? Because a shockmount isolates the mic...

Glory Comp

by Groove Tubes  |  reviewed by Craig Schumacher

There is no doubt that Groove Tubes understands vacuum tubes. Aspen Pittman, the owner of GT, is one of the most knowledgeable persons you could ever meet when it comes to the subject. As a follow-up...

REDDI Tube Direct Box

by A-Designs Audio  |  reviewed by Craig Schumacher

Lots of companies are offering newfangled direct boxes these days. The old days of a passive direct box that gave you a clean signal have been replaced with direct boxes that offer many options of EQ...

Dangerous Master

by Dangerous Music  |  reviewed by Larry DeVivo

The Dangerous Master has taken my mastering console up quite a notch. Integrating it with the Dangerous Monitor (Tape Op #34) has truly given me the processing and routing capabilities I've always...

Sonik Synth 2

by IK Multimedia  |  reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

This is a versatile sampler/synth/workstation plug-in for Mac and Windows, running under RTAS, VST, DX, and AU hosts. On the surface, the user interface and overall concept seem to strongly resemble...

Making Tracks

by Jeff Touzeau  |  reviewed by Larry Crane

Occasional writer for Tape Op, Jeff Touzeau has a relaxed way of interviewing people about recording music. In his book Making Tracks, he visits eighteen studios and interviews people involved in...

 

Tape Op is a bi-monthly magazine devoted to the art of record making.

Or Learn More

Sponsored