Computers have virtually replaced tape recorders.

Visconti’s remark points to the technological shift in music production from analog tape-based recording to digital, computer-centered workflows. In the studio, tape recorders once served as the primary medium for capturing, editing, and layering performances; computers and digital audio workstations later absorbed those functions, making recording and manipulation faster, cheaper, and more flexible. The quote also implies a change in creative practice: editing becomes non-destructive and infinitely revisable, and the “sound” of recording is less tied to the physical constraints and coloration of tape. Coming from a producer associated with landmark analog-era sessions, it can be read as a pragmatic acknowledgment of industry-wide modernization rather than a purely celebratory endorsement.