1. Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: really. 2. Record Producer: known for albums and hits by ABC, Seal, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, Dollar, Belle and Sebastian and...
It just seemed like too interesting of an interview to pass up. A new, luxurious studio in Manhattan? An engineer/producer who made her name working with the talented Alicia Keys? I had to meet Ann...
So many of the people we talk to have had a similar story to tell. You know, they were in a band, built a studio, started recording local artists and made a few records people noticed. The story of...
I didn't expect Andrew Schneider's Brooklyn studio to be on a tree-lined residential corner: Unsane records happen here and nobody calls the cops? But, as it turns out, it's entirely possible to have...
So many of people we talk to have a similar story to tell: they were in a band, built a studio, started recording local artists and made a few records that people noticed. The story of Todd Perlmutter...
In August of 1969 I got the job offer of a lifetime, one that led to the greatest year of my life.
Kevin Ratterman is a musician and engineer living in Louisville, Kentucky. He plays drums in the psychedelic rock trio Wax Fang, and was a member of the well-loved punk band Elliott. For the last...
Here's some more dialogue with Trevor from our print interview in Tape Op #89 I said, "I'm not good enough. I'll get somebody really good." And then I'd go and get somebody really good and when...
I didn't expect Andrew Schneider's Brooklyn studio to be on a tree-lined residential corner: Unsane records happen here and nobody calls the cops??? But, as it turns out, it's entirely possible to...
Tape Op issue #89 features a rare interview with Tom Jenkinson, a man known to the world as Squarepusher. Below is an "introduction" of sorts for someone that might be new to the music this man has...
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...
After reading Brad Kelly's review of the Flents Flitemate earplugs (Tape Op #86), I ordered a pair for myself. I tried them in several different applications, but I wasn't excited as Brad was; in my...
I'm often asked by clients and artists I work with, what good, inexpensive recording interface I recommend. I used to recommend the Mbox, but the USB C400 is my new choice. I was looking for something...
Sitting down to write this review, I feel a little overwhelmed. Honestly, the notion that I can fully quantify and qualify this plug-in bundle in this short amount of space is yay short of giving me...
A little over a year ago, I asked three other writers to contribute to a four-opinion review of Pro Tools 9 (Tape Op #81), which in my mind, was the most significant upgrade to the venerable DAW in...
If you have any open slots in your 500-series rack, the PowerPre should be on your shortlist of preamps to consider. Like other products from Radial Engineering, the build-quality is top- notch, and...
The number of audio and music-related iOS apps has exploded lately and so has the need for ways to get sound in and out of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. There are a good number of such interfaces...
These are four-band sweepable-frequency EQs with 12 dB per octave high and low-pass filters. I've been using these EQs for over six months now and have had a hard time finding the right slant to write...
When I first heard about this pedal, I was told that it was used all over the recent OM and Shrinebuilder albums, and it was claimed to be the heaviest sounding fuzz pedal ever. I was interested to...
Let me preface my statements here with a general note that everyone's heads, ears, and ear canals are shaped differently; therefore, everyone will hear a set of headphones differently. With that said,...
Building on the success of the original Duet, while taking into consideration customer feedback, Apogee has set a new standard in A/D conversion for home and project studio with the Duet 2. Simply...
Chandler has created a strong following in the niche market of vintage-inspired preamps, compressors, and tone-shaping tools. Wade Goeke has derived modern tools from the original components and...
Roger Schult had a very interesting idea. His mastering equalizer, the UF1, which he calls an Aural Editing System for Mastering Environment, has been getting rave reviews from the few people lucky...
Rupert Neve Designs recently debuted the Master Buss Processor, adding to their Portico II range of processors that share the all-new, discrete, high-voltage, Class A circuitry that was developed for...
Ozone 5 Advanced is the latest version of iZotope's software mastering suite, comprised of six programs: Dynamics, Equalizer, Exciter, Imager, Maximizer, and Reverb. Any single title offers enough...
To Oliver Ackermann, "Death by Audio" means a lot more than meeting one's demise by sonic annihilation, though that does indeed seem to be part of the deal, judging by the sounds his pedals emit....
In Tape Op #82 I picked Brendan's brain about his thoughts and experiences with recording. Here he drops his fifth solo album, this one recorded at the decidedly retro-ish Welcome to 1979 Studios in...
As a recording engineer I can't even count the number of albums I've worked on where my participation didn't end up on the final album - hell, some records never even came out. I'm by no means saying...
Last issue, #88, Liam Watson opined, "using older equipment or simpler recording techniques doesn't necessarily mean you intend things to sound 'lo-fi.'" In Tape Op #67 we interviewed Lewis Durham,...
Brian Joseph "Danger Mouse" Burton co-wrote and co-produced the seventh Black Keys studio album with band members Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach. There's something really great and crunchy about...
I just sat through several hours of SiriusXM's "The Coffee House" radio station while I was grabbing some Internet and espresso at a tiny café. The endless parade of shitty cover songs,...
In Tape Op #76 I interviewed drummer, producer, engineer, songwriter Alan Evans of the band Soulive. He's recently formed this ready- to-tour combo to record and play a batch of his new tunes. Wanna...
With a name like Intergalactic Spiral you know it's going to be a journey into [sonic] space. Think Stomu Yamashta's GO project, featuring a little King Crimson and some out there Miles Davis. The...
