Recording - December 2019 - 4

publisher:

Thomas Hawley
Brent Heintz

associate publisher:

FadeIn
Welcome to December!

The Holiday season, the end of the year-in much of the country, it's time to bundle up and stay warm. You may even be experiencing snow on the ground this very
moment. It's the perfect time to keep warm in the glow of your studios. Remember,
tube gear is an especially great way to stay warm and toasty in the studio!
End the year by writing and recording a new song. Spend the afternoon playing with plugins, run mixes through your favorite outboard gear, line up three mics
and listen to what they do differently, craft some new beats on a drum machine,
and run the results through an effects pedal or two or seven. Since you're reading
this right now, take a break, kick back with your favorite beverage, and find out
what the December issue of RECORDING Magazine has in store for you!
A large chunk of this issue is dominated by our 2019 Holiday Buyer's Guide,
with studio-focused gift suggestions from fifty-six companies, all priced $350 or
less. Start circling the things you really want this holiday season and leave a list in
a conspicuous location for your friends and relatives to find.
Our review department has a very broad selection of items this issue, including
two microphones, one FET compressor, a drum machine, a stereo tube EQ, notation software, four classy hardware-controlled plugins, a custom mic clip, a mini
keyboard controller, a new reel-to-reel tape formulation, room simulation software,
and a full scale 24-channel recording desk (this one's on my list!)
On the computer front: while OS X users are currently being bombarded with emails
from software companies warning us to hold off on Catalina, our Windows 7 users
need to seriously examine the ins and outs of the inevitable Windows 10 upgrade.
Our resident PC expert Devon Brent shares his experiences with the upgrade process.
Our December issue wraps with another one of Scott Dorsey's snapshots from
recording history installments (always a personal favorite). Scott puts up a vintage
studio session photograph, and like a visual archaeologist walks us through what
was happening, and why it happened that way. This month it's all about the classic Tubby the Tuba children's record.
Now is the perfect time for me to wish all of you a happy Holiday season, from
all of us in the RECORDING family, to you and your families. I hope you find what
you want in your stocking, under the tree, or
at your favorite gift exchange, and most of all,
I look forward to seeing you next year!
Enjoy the issue and Happy Holidays!

We here at RECORDING mourn the passing of industry legend Ed Cherney. I had
the privilege of meeting Ed at the 14th Annual ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO 2019.
Prior to flying out for the panel, I touched base with Ed over the phone-we ended up
talking for over an hour. Ed had a special way about him that made you comfortable.
He was an open book and loved to share anything and everything. It became clear to
me very quickly why so many renowned musicians sought him out; not only was he one
of the best engineers from a technical standpoint, he was also exactly the type of person
you'd want to be locked in a studio with for hours on end. He was charismatic, funny,
and full of wisdom. I am grateful for the short time I got to spend with him, and I know
his legacy will continue to inspire engineers like myself for many generations to come.
- Alex Hawley
4

RECORDING December 2019

EDITORIAL
Paul Vnuk Jr.
special projects editor: Lorenz Rychner
copy editor: Mike Scheibinger
editor at large: Beto Hale
músico pro editor: Rodrigo O. Sánchez
editor:

CONTRIBUTORS
Devon Brent, John Czerwinski,
Scott Dorsey, Alex Hawley,
Mike Metlay, Marty Peters
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION
Colin Courtney
production manager: Colin Courtney
art director:

PLAYBACK PLATINUM SERIES
Lorenz Rychner

editor/producer:

CIRCULATION
Tiffany Sepe

circulation manager:

ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING
director: Brent Heintz
classifieds manager: Colin Courtney
ADMINISTRATION
Thomas Hawley

accounts receivable:

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Thomas Hawley
vice president: Brent Heintz
president:

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1-800-783-4903
ADVERTISING/CLASSIFIEDS/MAIN OFFICE:
(303) 516-9118
RECORDING MAGAZINE
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Recording - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2019