Tape Op Magazine - Issue #91

Interviews

Jan Erik Kongshaug

By Patrick Hinely and Jonathan Saxon

A slight drizzle on an August afternoon in Oslo, Norway, set the mood perfectly for a conversation with engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug at his RainbowStudio. The space is tucked away in a beautifully designed modern business park. The lively stream running through the complex of buildings adds a...

Interviews

David Boucher: Andrew Bird, The Ditty Bops, Randy Newman

By Deborah Coleman

In a time when the term "audio engineer" has been watered down to such a generic title, David Boucher is a throwback to a different era. He is not merely a connect-the-dots kind of guy. He has taken the time to learn his craft, not only from a musical standpoint but from the technical...

Article

Emperors of Wyoming

[ image promo type=fullcenter border=noneatall ] A while back I got an email from producer/engineer/drummer Butch Vig (Tape Op #11): "I started working with some musician friends a couple years ago on a side project, The Emperors of Wyoming. We decided to form a 'country' band, and...

Interviews

Bruce Kaphan: American Music Club, CVB, Pedal Steel

By Chris Xefos

"Sloooooooowly I turned...step by step, inch by inch..." so goes the old Three...

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MARCH 23, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Bruce Swedien: Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Count Basie

BY LARRY CRANE, JOHN JENNINGS

There are few audio engineers and music producers as legendary as Bruce Swedien. If all he had done was engineer Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world would know his name. But he has done far more. In his teens he worked in studios, as well as opening his own, Swedien Recording, in Minneapolis. Soon he was off to Chicago to work for RCA Victor, and later for Bill Putnam at the legendary Universal Recording. Eventually Bruce ended up in Los Angeles and, along the way, began working with Quincy Jones, which led to his long-standing recording relationship with Michael Jackson. He's won five Grammy Awards. He's recorded big band and jazz greats like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock. He's made memorable pop records with Roberta Flack, Mick Jagger, Jennifer Lopez, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. He is a legend, and we were lucky enough to spend an amazing afternoon talking with Bruce and his assistant, Ramsees Mechan.

MARCH 23, 2026 INTERVIEWS

Jan Erik Kongshaug (bonus): ECM Records, Pat Metheny, Jan Garbarek

BY JONATHAN SAXON

A slight drizzle on an August afternoon in Oslo, Norway, set the mood perfectly for a conversation with engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug at his RainbowStudio. The space is tucked away in a beautifully designed modern business park. The lively stream running through the complex of buildings adds a well-balanced pastoral feeling to the surroundings. As I enter the building and am warmly greeted by the studio manager, I am introduced to the man that is at the center of many of the most beautiful jazz recordings of the past 35 years. He has engineered hundreds of recordings; many of them have been for the respected jazz label, ECM. The founder of ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music), Manfred Eicher, is an audiophile and producer who has been actively involved in creating the highest quality recordings possible. There are those that claim there is a signature "ECM sound" to the label's recordings, but the discerning listener is easily able to distinguish the uniqueness of each recording. If there is a continuum from one recording to the next, it is the ability to hear the dynamic range of the music, as well as the clarity and focus of the players. Artists such as Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Charles Lloyd, Bobo Stenson, Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen, and Palle Danielsson, are only a few of the dozens of world renowned musicians that have made multiple recordings on ECM and have benefitted from the engineering of Jan Erik Kongshaug. Jan Erik Kongshaug in the studio with Terje Rypdal

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Gear Reviews

10DC compressor/limiter

BY 10DC compressor/limiter | reviewed by Marc Alan Goodman

In the world of boutique audio equipment, the classics are held in high regard. Manufacturers are praised for releasing the most accurate clones of gear from what people now consider to be the Golden Age (roughly anywhere from 1930-1990) but are often looked down upon for trying to improve on these...

Gear Reviews

Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust: Off the Record with The Beatles, Bowie, Elton & So Much More (book)

BY Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust: Off the Record with The Beatles, Bowie, Elton & So Much More (book) | reviewed by Marsha Vdovin

Long considered to be one of the great producer/engineers, Ken Scott [Tape Op #52] has written a wonderful memoir of his career in audio. Starting as a tape op at Abbey Road, he had his first experience behind the board engineering The Beatles and soon moved on to produce David Bowie - hence the...

Gear Reviews

DJ Style Pro Headphones (Item #8323)

BY DJ Style Pro Headphones (Item #8323) | reviewed by Joseph Lemmer

I have not tried every pair of headphones on the market, but I have tried a lot. I think these Monoprice DJ Style Pro Headphones are the best value out there. Closed-back, high-quality build, great sounding, and strangely inexpensive - I will look no further for tracking headphones. What the heck...

Gear Reviews

Edwina large-diaphragm condenser mic

BY Edwina large-diaphragm condenser mic | reviewed by Kevin Robinson, Pat Kearns, Larry Crane

As anyone who's seen the TV show Portlandia knows, in our little city, the dream of the 1890s is still alive. People cure their own meats, roast coffee, raise chickens in the backyard, and pickle any food item, but they also build their own mics. Self-described bricoleur, Philip Graham, builds...

Gear Reviews

HDSPe MADI FX interface

BY HDSPe MADI FX interface | reviewed by Andy Hong

I bought my first RME product, an ADI-648 MADI-ADAT converter [Tape Op #63] a decade ago, when my primary recording devices were an Otari MTR-90 2'' tape machine, a TASCAM MX-2424 standalone HD recorder [#22], and Pro Tools|HD running on a single-processor Mac G4. Ten years later, my PT|HD rig is...

Gear Reviews

m502 optical compressor

BY m502 optical compressor | reviewed by Scott McChane

The Grace brothers (Michael and Eben) are well-known for their uncompromised designs. I've been a big fan of Grace since JB introduced me to the Model 101 preamp [Tape Op #27] five years ago, and I've used some "Grace" on nearly all the recordings I've made since then. A few years ago, Grace Design...

Gear Reviews

MC-125 mic boom stand

BY MC-125 mic boom stand | reviewed by Andy Hong

I can't believe this boom stand streets for $200, because its quality is far above what you'd expect from an affordably-priced studio boom. I've used plenty of boom stands during the many decades I've been recording music, including modern, high-end models from Latch Lake [Tape Op #67]; vintage...

Gear Reviews

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (book)

BY Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio (book) | reviewed by Scott Evans

Mike Senior has written about a million things for Sound On Sound magazine, but I associate his name with their "Mix Rescue" column. Each month, he does a "makeover" mix of a reader-submitted song, explaining his decisions and techniques in detail. The column is clearly and frankly written, and...

Gear Reviews

MixMaster 20 studio control center

BY MixMaster 20 studio control center | reviewed by Kirt Shearer

Summing mixers. They really weren't considered a decade ago, and now it's one of the main product areas that seem to have constant growth and development. Although the debate rages on, many feel that the sonic benefits of analog summing are well worth the extra expense, as opposed to just mixing...

Gear Reviews

Practical Studio Construction (DVD)

BY Practical Studio Construction (DVD) | reviewed by Scott McChane

Perhaps your car is not worth parking in the garage anymore? Or maybe you've cleared out your basement, deciding to generally complicate your life further by building a recording studio in your home? If you've done any research, you'll find many opinions and methods for creating critical listening...

Gear Reviews

SOC-20 stereo optical compressor

BY SOC-20 stereo optical compressor | reviewed by Steve Silverstein

New Zealand gear manufacturer Buzz Audio is best known for its REQ-2.2 mastering EQ [Tape Op #71], which some have compared to a classic Sontec. This impressive reputation made me curious enough to buy Buzz Audio's top-of-the-line compressor, which has achieved less visibility so far. The SOC-20...

Gear Reviews

Source monitor controller

BY Source monitor controller | reviewed by Thom Monahan

With every recording session, there's one piece of the puzzle that never rests; it's constantly in use, informing every decision that you make - and that's your monitor controller. You'll use different mics, mic preamps, and dynamics processors; switch between speakers; and order food from a...

Gear Reviews

Tactile Pro computer keyboard

BY Tactile Pro computer keyboard | reviewed by Scott Evans

QWERTY keyboards aren't exactly audio equipment, but when I work on audio, I spend a lot of time at a computer, and I can't live without a good keyboard. A typical $5 PC keyboard, or those modern Apple calculator things that are designed to look good in a photo shoot - those are no fun for any...

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by Larry Crane

by Andy Hong

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