Mic or Preamp: Which Should You Upgrade First?
Which came first: The chicken or the egg? Nobody seems to know the answer to this age-old question. Likewise, many recordists wonder which gear... Read more »
ShelfordCH News
May 1, 2025, 2:49 PM
Feb 8, 2022, 8:00 AM
Analog Recording on Any Budget
Fat analog warmth — it’s the Holy Grail that most of us have been chasing since tape-based recording started fading away in the late 1990s. It’s... Read more »
Aug 27, 2020, 9:00 AM
Making Records in the Golden Age of Analog Part II
In this article, we’ll examine consoles and signal processing used in the Golden Age of Analog — and the modern gear you might deploy to infuse... Read more »
Sep 22, 2017, 8:52 AM
Best Channel Strips
Back when records were made on large-format analog consoles, the qualities we now identify as “vintage-flavored” – warmth, clarity, and punch –... Read more »
Jul 17, 2017, 12:00 PM
Best Preamps for Snare Drum
As much as I enjoy comparing mics on snare, as discussed in Best Mics for Recording Snare Drums, I love exploring the differences a preamp can... Read more »
Jun 19, 2017, 8:08 AM
Plug-ins vs. Hardware — Which Should You Choose?
Want to have some fun? Get a handful of recording enthusiasts and put them in a room. Then ask them which is better: plug-ins or hardware. The... Read more »
Jun 3, 2017, 8:25 AM
Telefunken Vintage ELA M 250E vs. New ELA M 251E Mic Comparison
What’s the sonic difference between a brand-new Telefunken ELA M 251E microphone compared to a vintage original Telefunken ELA M 250E? Join... Read more »
May 26, 2017, 2:25 PM
Vintage Neumann U47 vs. New Telefunken U47 Mic Comparison
What’s the sonic difference between a brand-new Telefunken U47 microphone and a vintage original Neumann U47? Join Mitch Gallagher as we put... Read more »
Apr 7, 2017, 12:00 PM
Best Mics and Preamps for Acoustic Guitar
There are many ways to record acoustic guitars — and all are correct. Some engineers like small-diaphragm condenser microphones on acoustics... Read more »
Nov 28, 2016, 2:23 AM
Rupert Neve Designs Shelford Channel Review
Mitch Gallagher presents the Shelford Channel mic preamp/EQ/compressor by Rupert Neve Designs. The Shelford Channel is fitted with Rupert’s... Read more »