The original Telefunken ELA M 251 tube-powered condenser mics were made for Telefunken by AKG in the early '60s – when Neumann had pulled their U 47 distribution from Telefunken – and were...
I've been a fan of Kim Bjørn and Bjooks' series of hardcover synth nerd bibles since the initial release of Push Turn Move in 2017. For those unfamiliar with the series, Bjooks publishes a...
Ever since getting a very patient and life-changing call from mastering engineer John Golden [Tape Op #121], where he explained that my snare drum and overhead mics on many of my mixes were out of...
I recently got an email from Matt Walton at Iron Age Audioworks, “Hey John I’ll be in the San Francisco Bay Area in a few weeks installing a console. Maybe we could meet up for a beer or...
When I first saw the Lindell Audio LiN2A Vintage Leveling Amplifier, I admit I got excited. I use my Lindell Audio LiN76 [Tape Op #153] quite a bit, so I couldn’t wait to try this one. As soon...
Despite all the amazing plug-ins available for delay these days, there’s something inherently cool and desirable about early first generation digital hardware delay units, hence so many plug-in...
Kali Audio has swiftly established a notable reputation in both professional and home studios, and quite a few professional engineers have been quoted saying that Kalis match or outperform monitors...
Drawmer isn’t the only audio company that offers a saturation processor, but they are the only brand I’ve encountered that offers one with this much functionality, a great price point, and...
It seems fitting that Universal Audio offers the Capitol Mastering Compressor plug-in. When the first hardware units were made, Capitol Mastering engineer/tech Ian Sefchick [Tape Op #134] drew from...
When I saw the Peluso ad for their shock mounts in the last issue of Tape Op, it immediately piqued my interest. I have several vintage microphones that do not have good shock mounts that Peluso makes...
When I tested the ADAM Audio A7V nearfield monitors [Tape Op #153], I also acoustically measured my control room for the first time. It brimmed with problem areas. Though I will defend home recording...
With the Hornet, Useful Arts had a mission: In 2018, the company's founder, Peter Swann, teased that a yet-to-be-named solid-state mic pre/DI “small enough to throw in a backpack” would...
