Digidesign: Mbox 2 Pro
reviewed by Andy Hong
Unlike the other Mbox 2 interfaces for Pro Tools LE (see Tape Op #51 and #57 for reviews of the Mbox 2 and Mbox 2 Mini), the Pro connects to the host via FireWire instead of USB, it supports 88.2 and...
Gear Reviews
The means contribute to the end. Usually.
Zizzle: Zoundz looping toy
reviewed by Pete Weiss
Last Christmas, in addition to the Recording the Beatles book (coolest gift ever?), my wife gave me a nifty little device called Zoundz from the toy company Zizzle. It's intended for children aged...
Barefoot Sound: MicroMain27 active monitor
reviewed by Allen Farmelo
Thomas Barefoot designed the MicroMain27 to be the only speakers one would need in a studio, functioning as detailed nearfields; as loud, impressive mains with integrated subwoofers; and (brace...
Native Instruments: Absynth 4 & FM8 soft synths
reviewed by Andy Hong
There are quite a few soft synths out there which aim to emulate (or improve upon) classic keyboard sounds of the past. But what about new sounds? What about a soft synth that is built from the ground...
M-Audio: ProFire Lightbridge interface
reviewed by Andy Hong
Wow. 34 inputs and 36 outputs via a single FireWire cable. 32 channels of ADAT Optical I/O at 44.1/48 kHz; 16 channels S/MUX'ed at 88.2/96 kHz. Two channels of S/PDIF I/O. Word clock in and out. Two...
Audio-Technica: ATM450 side-address condenser
reviewed by Chris Garges
Audio-Technica has just released a microphone that I've been waiting on for years. The ATM450 is a small-diaphragm condenser microphone. Audio-Technica makes several excellent small-diaphragm...
AudioSkin: AudioSkin Cable organizer
reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
Our pal Diane Gershuny turned us onto this handy little studio organization tool at the Austin NAMM show and sent us a few to try out. AudioSkin is one of those plastic products that wraps around...
Chandler Limited / Abbey Road: EMI TG EQ Mastering Pack
reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
Abbey Road Studios along with their stateside partner, Wade Goeke of Chandler Limited, are continuing to make some of the great sounding early audio gear from the EMI empire available to us common...
M-Audio: Sputnik multi-pattern tube mic
reviewed by Joel Patterson
There's hype, and then there's hype... and then there's HYPE. No buzzwords have been spared in the promotion of M-Audio's new tube microphone, the Sputnik. "The end of microphone envy," with its saucy...
Drawmer: S3 multiband compressor
reviewed by John Baccigaluppi
Almost 20 years ago, I was working for a recording studio that was owned by an FM radio station. One day, the Program Manager asked me if I wanted some gear the station was throwing away. They had...
China Cones: China Cones
reviewed by Garrett Haines
China Cones are an isolation device used to decouple monitor speakers from the console, stand, or surface supporting them. Made of ceramic, the manufacturer claims China Cones vibrate in a frequency...
Digidesign: Pro Tools 7.3 upgrade for HD, LE, and M-Powered
reviewed by Andy Hong
As I write this, I'm just finishing up rough mixes for a project that I tracked and edited with Pro Tools HD 7.3. It's my favorite upgrade in recent years. 7.3 added so many crucial user-interface...