Gear Reviews

I've been searching for the perfect headphone amplification system for tracking live bands in the studio for years. Realizing that sending a single mix out to more than one musician would not do, I began using the aux outs on my console to send several different mixes, but even then, bassists...

I've had a lot of fun with this bundle! I think this may be the first time that I found a plug-in bundle to beat out the physical processor that it models, not only in versatility, but also in sound quality. The Eventide Anthology II bundle is an upgrade package that adds some cool new effects...

To be honest, I never really thought I'd be in the market for a summing mixer. When Dangerous Music pretty much invented the category with their 2-BUS a few years back, I thought about it but decided on a small mixer instead-a Neve Melbourne broadcast console (Tape Op #37). But when the 8816...

While designing The Lodge's music production facility in NYC, I originally spec'ed a Furman HDS/HRM-6 system (Tape Op #38). I showed the studio design to producer Jason Carmer, and he insisted that major-label musicians (unlike the indie-rockers I record) need more personal control over...

First off, let me state that I am a huge fan of using the original Auratone 5C Sound Cubes for mixing. My usual methodology when mixing is to get tones on my ADAMs while switching my Event subwoofer in and out to reference the bottom end. Then when I feel I have the tones pretty much dialed, I move...

This book is sadly hilarious. Jen Trynin was a rock singer/songwriter from Boston whose 1994 self-released debut CD set off a huge bidding war between all the major labels. She ultimately signed with Warner Bros, and then essentially flopped after one almost-radio-hit and disappeared after her...

PSP recently released a truly mastering-grade linear-phase EQ plug-in called Neon. Two versions are on the market, Neon and Neon HR (high resolution). The HR version offers the following enhancements over the standard version: the ability to operate at sample rates up to 192 kHz, mid-side...

The Atlas LO-2B is a quick-release mic clip adapter that basically eliminates forever the need to thread another mic clip onto a stand. One piece threads into the mic clip and stays there. The other piece threads onto the stand and stays there. Once installed, mounting a mic is only a matter of...

I've run out of room in my 11-space 500-series chassis to hold all the mic preamps I'd like to put into it. And my rack isn't big enough for a second chassis, so I end up powering down my chassis and swapping preamp modules as needed. But with the recent addition of two Purple Audio...

The vintage craze is far from over. The more we try to make audio perfect, the more we realize that imperfection makes more interesting recordings. In many ways, tubes are far less superior to solid-state, so why are tubes still hanging in there? Could it be the sound? It's true you can record...

Geoff Emerick is a legend among engineers and producers. He was the young "balance engineer" for The Beatles on Revolver through Abbey Road, with a spell off for later White Album and Let It Be sessions. Geoff went on to work on many other landmark albums, including the Zombies&apos...

I love attending sessions at Peerless Mastering with Jeff Lipton (Tape Op #34). His "A Room" is the most accurate listening environment I've ever experienced. The room is so well designed and treated that it imparts very little of its character on what you're hearing in it; and...

Home recording can be a lonely endeavor. There are great websites, books, and of course magazines to give you ideas and encouragement, but there will always be times when you end up staring at the screen wondering, am I doing this right? Former Byrd, Roger McGuinn (Tape Op # 34) comes to the rescue...

This is one of those fairly affordable, simple products that falls under the "how did I get by without this" category. Elegantly simple, the Airfoil is an anodized aluminum tray that holds your laptop at a slight angle with a wrist rest at the front. This makes typing and using the touch...

The Equinox represents all that is right about Peter Reardon and his Shadow Hills Industries products. It's beautiful, it's functional, it's innovative, it's a throwback to another time that anticipates the needs of the future, and it's not cheap; but it's probably...

PreMaster CD is Sonic Studio's entry-level, host-based software for creating DDP masters and standard Red Book Audio CDs. I was anxious to try PreMaster CD for a number of reasons. I've owned a dedicated mastering facility for over a decade now and pretty much have always run Mac- based...

Karma is a new microphone brand based out of Cupertino, CA. The units are produced in China according to Karma's specifications. But let's make something clear right away: this is not another line of vintage mic clones. Both in sound and appearance, Karma microphones are clearly setting...

I use all outboard preamps in my studio, and none of them has an EQ section. I really didn't know what I was missing until I borrowed a friend's 1073 module and discovered what a difference a little boost or cut here and there can make when they stack up over an entire mix. Gone were the...

Like many readers, when I receive Tape Op, I thoroughly take in every page. One item I came across recently was a very small ad for Cascade Microphones. For a while now, I've wanted a ribbon mic to fill the need for different sounds other than what my small collection of condensers and...

David Royer and his company Royer Labs have a great reputation for their fine line of ribbon mics. When the time came to manufacture David's designs for non-ribbon mics, Mojave Audio was formed to create and market that brand exclusively. The MA-200 is the new company's first production...

Wow, am I in preamp heaven or what? For the past few months, I've had a bunch of awesome mic preamps in my studio from Seventh Circle Audio (Tape Op #54), Purple Audio (see review in this issue), and A-Designs... supplementing my already decent collection of outboard mic preamps. You may...

Before we move my studio to its new location this winter, I've been scouring the control room looking for gear that doesn't get much use and making plans to sell or put the units aside for rental use. One of the factors that might consign a piece of gear to this doom is what I think of as...

I saw this sucker for the first time over a year ago at one of the annual gear conventions. I was immediately impressed with its utilitarian but attractive design. It seemed to have all the right controls and displays in all the right places, it was extremely portable, and the Sony reps were...

Playing the much-appreciated role of "poor man's plate reverb", spring reverb units have been enjoying a renaissance as of late. Thankfully, they've taken their place among a growing set of tools that battle the cold, unforgiving world of digital. I've had a Tube Works Real...

Here's a funny story. Some years ago, the only outboard mic preamps I owned were Brent Averill-refurbished Neves and APIs. I recorded direct to a TASCAM MS-16 1'' 16-track and mixed on a Panasonic DA7 digital console. When Larry Crane recommended that I check out a Hamptone Silverbox...