Tape Op Apr/May 2024 No. 160

What are the personal rewards of making and recording music? Or, maybe more tellingly, what are the rewards of recording other people’s music? In this April/May 2024 issue, with Kyle Nicolaides’ “What is Success in Music?” piece, we see how misunderstanding what success and fame truly are (or could be) can sometimes be debilitating. In John Baccigaluppi’s “One Degree” End Rant, we get a perspective on how our day-to-day recording studio work can, at times, become intertwined with important albums we’ve always admired. In Tape Op’s interview with Mike Bridavsky, he discusses taking a few years doing less recording to take care of his special cat, Lil BUB, and coming back to the studio with a renewed sense of purpose. Plus more. Tape Op’s original subtitle still probably says it best: The Creative Music Recording Magazine. Tape Op is about learning how to make great recordings with whatever tools you have access to. They interview engineers, producers and musicians who are making great recordings, sitting down and talk with them at length and then run long, in-depth interviews. The reader becomes, in essence, the “tape op” hanging out in the studio and learning the trade from the seasoned vets working in the studio. Unlike most recording magazines, Tape Op’s primary focus is not on reviewing equipment. They want to discuss making art.