BACKGROUND I started playing guitar at 12 years old, and began pursuing it seriously upon...
Benjamin Ricci
Guitarists Wanted! Take the Elixir Strings Endurance Challenge
Grubby, corroded strings are disgusting and kill your tone. That's why we're looking for two...
MEET YOUR MAKER: Black Lion Audio
How Long Have You Been in Business? We incorporated in December, 2006. How did you get started? We...
Mastering With Analog Tape: What You Need to Know Before You Start Your Project
CALIBRATION IS KEY The main thing a band needs to know about using tape for the mastering process is that it is extremely important to use their decks correctly. This means servicing their decks to...
Learn Why Drums Sound So Much Better Recorded to Tape
Yum! Drums On Tape Taste So Much Better And Why Committing To Choices Yields Better Recordings Recording to analog tape is in my top drawer of favorite subjects. Combine my love of drums as both a...
Veteran Producer Eric Lilavois on Analog’s Resurgence, Plug-Ins & The Real Benefits of Tape
Veteran Producer Eric Lilavois’s Thoughts on The Format’s Modern Resurgence EMBRACING THE RESURGENCE There’s a word resurfacing in the studio world that has become more and more unfamiliar to...
How to Price Your Band Merch: A Simple 4-Step Guide
Setting prices for your T-shirts, vinyl, seven-inches, and even buttons is not unlike designating a price for any other retail good. You've got to consider not only the cost of the product, but also...
SONG PREMIERE: Nashville Piano Rocker Zach Vinson Drops “You’re The One”
Zach Vinson's upcoming EP, How We Spend Our Days, is due out June 2, and we're excited to premiere the new single “You’re the One" - a catchy, concise, indie-pop-tinged piano rocker on par with Ben...
Learn The Key Differences Between Analog Tape Speeds
What Speed Do I Need? Examining The Differences Between Recording Tape Speeds ALL ROADS LEAD TO VINYL So I’m told there has been a renewed interest in vinyl records and analog recording lately. It...
How to Maximize Analog Tape’s Limitations & Embrace Music’s Humanity
How to Maximize Tape’s Limitations & Embrace Music’s Humanity And Why Over-Editing in the Digital Realm Dehumanizes Art When most people think about analog tape, they often romanticize about its...
The Producer’s Perspective: Why I Prefer Recording to Analog Tape
The Producer’s Perspective: Why I Prefer Recording to Analog Tape SOUND MATTERS As a producer and engineer, I prefer working on 2” tape for several reasons. The first, and most important reason is...
The Reel History of Analog Tape Recording
[Editor’s note – in order to fully appreciate the Tape Issue, we thought it prudent to provide at least a bullet-point, 10,000-foot view of how this whole crazy thing got started. This is an...
The Analog Tape Issue Is Out Today!
This month Performer presents a very special issue devoted entirely to ANALOG TAPE. INSIDE: recording tips, mastering advice, compression ideas, machine buyer's guide, care & maintenance, releasing...