Gear Reviews

Issue #88

NO. 88

Strymon: El Capistan dTape Echo & blueSky Reverberator pedals

REVIEWED BY Alex Maiolo

When we think of boutique effects, what comes to mind are hand-built units, based on classic designs, created in a garage, one box at a time. Strymon, while certainly being boutique, have unabashedly embraced the digital age - using modern technology to fix age-old problems and eliminate...

NO. 88 Gear Review

RME: Fireface UCX USB/FireWire interface

REVIEWED BY Andy Hong
March 15, 2012

This compact audio interface allows you to record up to 8 channels simultaneously on an iPad; delivers 18 input and 18 output channels on Windows and Mac OS X (8 analog, 10 digital); supports USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 connectivity; provides onboard routing and mixing as well as DSP effects; supports...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Retrospec: Juice Box tube DI

REVIEWED BY Larry DeVivo
March 15, 2012

The Retrospec Juice Box is an all tube, Class A direct-

injection box for recording musical instruments. It is fairly simple in layout and unique in looks. It has the usual 1/4'' I/O and an XLR output to feed a mic preamp, console or converter. The unbalanced 1/4'' Amp Out is...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Softube: Tonelux Tilt equalizer plug-in

REVIEWED BY Garrett Haines
March 15, 2012

Softube is a Swedish company that develops pro audio hardware and software, with plug-in titles that include official emulations of gear from Abbey Road Studios, Tube-Tech, Trident, and more. Interestingly, Tonelux Tilt was originally created in collaboration with Tonelux's designer Paul Wolff...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Line 6: M5 Stompbox Modeler

REVIEWED BY Pete Weiss
March 15, 2012

Like many Tape Op readers (especially guitarists), I've amassed a somewhat embarrassing collection of effects pedals over the decades. For me, it started in 1982, too young to drive, when I pedaled my bike three towns away to buy a used Univox Micro Fazer for $15. I still have it, and...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Other World Computing: Mercury Rack Pro RAID enclosure

REVIEWED BY Garrett Haines
March 15, 2012

The OWC Mercury Rack Pro is a hard-drive enclosure designed for the high-performance demands of audio and video production. Whether you want it for production, backup, or a combination, the unit is mission-ready out of the box. Working with Mac or PC, it's configurable as a desktop or...

NO. 88 Gear Review

KuSh Audio: Clariphonic Parallel EQ

REVIEWED BY Kirt Shearer
March 15, 2012

Gregory Scott of KUSH Audio is one of those guys that seem to really think about the process of making music. In talking with him at trade shows or seeing his posts in recording forums, he communicates his ideas in a way that is informed, intelligent, and artistic. His company has in recent years...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Moog: E1 Guitar

REVIEWED BY Pete Weiss
March 15, 2012

These are fun days for adventurous electric guitarists. All sorts of permutations of the quintessential rock instrument have reared their headstocks in the past decade. We’ve got easy access to modeling guitars that mimic classics pretty convincingly. Also, there are baritone guitars, axes with...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Equator Audio: D5 compact powered monitor

REVIEWED BY Andy Hong
March 15, 2012

Inspired by the straightforward approach Equator Audio takes in selling the D5 direct to consumers — without middleman margins and BS sales tactics — I’m going to just cut to the chase here. The D5 studio monitor is high in quality, low in cost, sounds fantastic, offers amazing detail and imaging...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Avantone Pro: Active MixCube, mini reference monitor

REVIEWED BY Allen Farmelo
March 15, 2012

The reason most mixers use speakers like the Yamaha NS-10M and Auratone — or small radios, cheap computer speakers, and other assorted “crappy sounding” things — is that these speakers highlight the midrange content of our mixes where the most essential sonic content exists. This focus helps in...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Chandler Limited: Little Devil Pre Amp (500-series)

REVIEWED BY Adam Kagan
March 15, 2012

Most of you are probably familiar with Chandler Limited and Wade Goeke from previous reviews and experiences with Chandler gear — the cool-looking, vintage-styled processors with innovative, modern twists. This newest 500-series module in the Little Devil lineup follows the EQ and Compressor and is...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Maag Audio: EQ4 equalizer

REVIEWED BY F. Reid Shippen
March 15, 2012

The Maag EQ4, from the designer of the venerable NTI EQs with their legendary Air Band, isn't really an equalizer at all. So if you're looking for a new parametric EQ, stop reading, because the EQ4... isn't.

You don't need a new EQ anyway, do you? Of course not. There's...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Empirical Labs: DocDerr EL-Rx 500-series EQ/compressor

REVIEWED BY Eli Crews
March 15, 2012

I jumped at the chance to audition the DocDerr EQ/compressor, a new 500-series module designed by ELI’s founder/designer Dave Derr. I, along with almost everyone else in the audio world, am a huge fan of his Distressor compressor, so my interest is always piqued when a new product of his is...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Inward Connections: Vac Rac TSL-4V tube limiter

REVIEWED BY Adam Kagan
March 15, 2012

Inward Connections and its Vac Rac series of tube audio processors may be some of Pro Audio’s best kept secrets. The TSL-4 represents the latest incarnation of Vac Rac tube limiters that graced premier equipment racks since the early 1990s. This newest 3RU-height behemoth sports the same vintage...

NO. 88 Gear Review

MDI PrecisionMotorWorks: Head, Red & Roll Cleaner

REVIEWED BY Garrett Haines
March 15, 2012

I've been using the same brand of head cleaner for a decade. Nice alcohol-based stuff. But I ran low and found that MDI PrecisionMotorWorks was able to reintroduce their "right stuff" cleaner. (The previous formula contained ozone-depleting substances, and it took years to come up...

NO. 88 Gear Review

Acoustic Geometry: The Curve Diffusor

REVIEWED BY Garrett Haines
March 15, 2012

Acoustic Geometry is a new line of professional sound products from Acoustical Surfaces, Inc. (www.acousticalsurfaces.com). Their debut product group, called the Curve System, is a family of diffusors, absorbers, and corner traps. As the name implies, the units are rounded, with a constant-radius...