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At some point in the near future I want to move my Tascam ATR-60 into our rehearsal space so we can actually record with it. However, it's a smallish room, and space is at a premium. I'll have no choice but to keep it in the general vicinity of a lot of speakers. How far away should I keep...

I have this tape containing my dad's thesis project from when he was in electronic music school. I don't know what brand of tape it is, but it was recorded December 1976. I know chances are very high that it would shed like crazy, but is there some kind of test you can do to be sure without...

Okay, I ponied up the dough for an MRL tape, and I was finally able to attempt some calibration on my Tascam ATR-60-8 last night. I didn't get very far, though...the manual prescribes the use of an oscilloscope and an AF level meter. I don't have either of those, but I do have a PC with Visual...

I'm in the process of improving what I have as far as studio gear. I don't have all of these things yet, but ultimately I plan to buy an RME Fireface, a Sytek MPX-4Aii preamp unit, and then eventually one more of each. I will either be recording into the Fireface or into a 1/2" analog 8 track...

As I posted a few days ago, I picked up a Tascam ATR-60-8 cheap this weekend. I haven't been able to get my hands on anything to play on it yet, or to calibrate it for that matter. I'm curious about the condition of the heads--are there obvious visual cues that would tell me if they were...

I've been using M-Audio PCI cards (a Delta 66 synced with a Delta 1010LT) for a good while now, and I feel it's time for me to move up. I had been planning to save up for an RME Fireface 800, and then eventually a second one, but today I was looking at the Mackie Onyx 1200F. It doesn't cost...

It's the 1/2" 8-track version. Got it for $100. I'm not positive that it's in fully functional condition, though--the guy who sold it wasn't into recording and didn't know anything about it. I know that all the lights come on and the motors spin, but that's about it. I'm feeling around among...

I'm considering building a new computer, as my current mixing machine is an Athlon 2400-based system that I built in 2005. From what I understand things have changed since I last built a computer, and the Intel Core Duo processors are now the leaders of the pack for audio. I've heard great...

I have had a pair of MXL 603s as my main small-diaphragm condensers for years now, and I think it's time to get something different for variety. A pair of either the NT5s or the C4s is pretty much the same price through my work, so I want to make a smart decision here. I hear that the NT5s are...

My tracking computer is a venerable AthlonXP 1500+ based rig. It's running on an Abit KG7 with half a gig of RAM and a Delta 66 synced with a Delta 1010lt for sound. It used to be rock-solid back when I built it in 2002 or so, but for a while now it has been liking to freeze completely solid...

I can get a used Alesis Studio 24 console for $150, and I think it would be a good step up from my Yamaha MX12/4 just for the better connectivity (i.e. direct outs on every channel) alone. My only concern is how good the preamps are. Has anybody ever used one of these?

It's high time I buy a second large-diaphragm condensor mic. For several years now, my only one has been a CAD M-37, which I actually like quite a lot as an all-around 'point it at anything' type workhorse. And I do have access to my roommate's Rode NT1, but I'm not a huge fan of it (no...

Here's a neat little program that displays a guitar fretboard from the top down, then picks notes at random and asks you what they are. It's a fun way to find out how well you know your axe. I played it a couple of times and my best result was 92 right and 0 wrong in 5 minutes. Anybody care...

Until recently, my typical drum mic setup would be 1 SM57 each on the snare and the rack toms, 2 MXL603s overhead, a CAD M37 on the floor tom, and a Sennheiser e602 on the kick. Last month I traded a pair of my SM57s for a pair of Beta 56As, and I was quite happy with that deal. They're slick...

I just found out an acquaintance of mine reps for AT, and he says he can get me some good deals on their mics. I think it's high time I expand my mic selection a bit. Here's what I use at the moment: 4 SM57s (may be trading two of these for a pair of Beta 56As today depending on whether this...

I've been using my Yamaha MX12/4 for a long time now, and I like it, but I'm wondering whether I could get more out of my recordings by moving up to a Mackie VLZ-series mixer with those preamps that are supposed to be so nice. My equipment is otherwise not of extraordinary quality--I mainly use...

I've decided I want a different flavor of kick drum mic. I've been using my Sennheiser e602 for years, and it's a great-sounding mic, but I've had better luck mixing tracks recorded with the Shure Beta 52. My mic is in great shape and I still have the original box and pouch. Does anybody want...

My main amp is a Marshall TSL601 which I usually pair with a Hughes & Kettner 4x12. This is great for live playing, but lately I've been getting the urge to buy a second tube amp. Since I live in an apartment and like to record, I'm wondering whether one of those little 1 watt or 1/2 watt tube...

I'm interested in replacing the nuts on two of my guitars (a Peavey Predator Strat clone and an SX Les Paul clone) with bone nuts, as I hear you can get some extra sustain this way. I can get the blanks pre-cut from www.stewmac.com, but not pre-slotted. Getting the tools necessary to slot a...

My first guitar was a Peavey Predator, which cost around $240 and which I still have. It's really a pretty nice axe. It stays in tune, plays well, and feels good. I've been thinking it might be a good time to put a little more money into this guitar and try to get a sweeter sound out of it...