Joel Hamilton
Gear Review
Copperphone AV20 Microphone
Sep 15, 2023
It has been more than 20 years since I got my first original Copperphone microphone and wrote a review for Tape Op about it . I fell in...
Gear Review
V2 Equalizer
Jan 15, 2022
In an incredibly saturated market, where there is a piece of equipment for every possible scenario – like a mic pre or EQ for hi-hat top and bottom...
Gear Review
1073 SPX Preamp & EQ
Sep 15, 2018
When I first opened the box to take a look at the 1073 SPX, I immediately saw a lot of familiar knobs that represented the exact same functions as...
Gear Review
Resonator A & B Dynamic Mics
May 15, 2017
When a piece of equipment comes along that challenges the norms of the day, I always take notice. "Normal" is an ever-shifting sandbar in...
Gear Review
Red12
Jul 15, 2014
A shotgun shell — an actual shotgun shell, from a 12 gauge shotgun — turned into a microphone. I liked the idea immediately. "Let's use...
Gear Review
Dove LDC FET mic
Jan 10, 2014
Transparency comes in many colors. The Archangel is a mic preamp that seems to create its own reality of transparency - with unprecedented...
Gear Review
AM670 compressor
Jul 15, 2011
Joel Hamilton and Allen Farmelo each spent extended time working with the AnaMod AM670, a solid-state recreation of the Fairchild 670 Limiter, one of...
Gear Review
Yardstick 2496
Jan 15, 2011
Here I am, Tape Op’s Gear Geek, butting into an otherwise enthralling review from Joel Hamilton. After reading Joel’s draft of this review of the...
Gear Review
PDI 500 passive direct box
Jul 15, 2009
Sometimes a simple piece of gear can make your life so much easier. Think about a TT to TRS adapter-handy for patching in something that you will use...
Gear Review
M7 Stereo Reverb Processor
Jan 15, 2009
When you walk into a room that seems like a cool acoustic space, do you clap your hands to hear the decay properties? Do you keep the conversation...
Gear Review
Si 500-series mic preamp
Jan 15, 2009
Every time I record something, I am thankful that I have the right tools to simply get things rolling for the client. I don't make them stand...
Gear Review
mpressor
Jan 15, 2008
Please read this with the "movie guy" voice in your mind. Many years have passed since the invention of the compressor, and the world has...
Gear Review
VMX tube mic
Jul 15, 2007
I have always been curious about the Brauner microphones. I have seen the name for a while now, and the fact that Klaus Heyne got involved with this...
Gear Review
Modified Oktava MK-219
Nov 15, 2006
Let me start this rant of a review by saying that endeavors like this one warm my recording heart. I love it when I meet someone that loves recording...
Gear Review
SE-BB1 Bova Ball spherical condenser mic
Jul 16, 2005
The folks that make this really cool, great sounding microphone may just be the nicest people I have ever dealt with on the phone, period. That...
Gear Review
Liquid Channel
Sep 15, 2004
I have to admit, I wanted to hate this unit. I realized that my prejudice came from my experience with a market that makes outrageous claims every...
Gear Review
Copperphone
Jul 15, 2004
A microphone for anyone who likes outstanding build-quality, interesting sounds, and a DIY ethic, the Copperphone is handmade by Mark Pirro (The...
Gear Review
NY-2A Stereo Vacuum Tube Optical Compressor
Jul 15, 2004
Wow. This seems to be the operative word for this compressor. We are trying one out at Studio G Brooklyn right now. Wow. This compressor is the...
Gear Review
MDX4600 MULTICOM PRO-XL
Jul 15, 2004
One of the first things I learned when I started recording live concerts is the importance of a compressor/limiter right before going to tape/hard...