Digital Production vs Reel to Reel!?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by HDOM, Apr 27, 2018.

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  1. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    IMAGINE THAT A ARTIST WILL RECORD IN THE SAME TIME (I DONT KNOW IF IT IS POSSIBLE) A SONG IN ANALOGE USING REEL TO REEL THERE THE FINAL PRODUCT WOULD BE PURE ANALOGE REEL TO REEL FORMAT ;

    AND THERE IT IS ALSO A DIGITAL MICROPHONE AND ALL THE CHAIN REPRODUCTION IS DIGITAL THERE THE FINAL PRODUCT IT IS FLAC OR WAV IN TO EXAMPEL 24-48KHZ;

    what do you think it would sound more to the original sounds of the music or how do you think it would sound, any thoughts or commends?
     
  2. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    It is possible to hear this for yourself, IF you can manage to get ahold of some very rare recordings. A number of the Sheffield labs recordings in the 80s ran 30 ips analog tape in parallel with a bank of disk-lathes and an early PCM recorder. Some of these titles can be found in their original direct to disk format, CDs taken straight from the PCM recorder, as well as some later "direct from the masters" re-releases which were sourced from analog tape.

    The biggest problem with this comparison is that the pure-digital recordings are first generation digital, so they actually only demonstrate a very primitive form of PCM recording, and digital has come a very long way since then. So these original CDs get blown-away by the LPs as well as the later re-releases which were analog tape-sourced CDs.

    Back when I was in college, CDs had only been out for a few years, and I loved to sync-up my turntable to my CD player (using the DD Sheffield's and their original CDs) and have some CD-nuts tell me which one was the CD. It was hilarious because they would always pick the LP because it sounded so much more lively and 3-D. Then they would be shocked when I lifted the tone-arm on what they thought was the CD playing, and the music would stop.

    The thing is that were this done today, while the DD LP would still have a slight edge, it would not be anything like it was back then. You might be able to hear a modern comparisons of this today since the first direct to disk recording made since 1986 was recorded last year. It is called Anne Bisson, Live at Bernie's. 24/96 PCM and analog tape was all run in parallel with the Lathes, much like with the Sheffields. A CD and an SACD are planned, but these have not been released yet to my knowledge. And I do know what they will be source these from yet (could be from either tape, or PCM, I don't know). If you can still buy this LP, I would do so quickly because they only made a total of 5000 of the DD LPs, and there will not be a re-pressing of the DDs,
     
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2018
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  3. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    I skip that Bisson album because i dont like it, but thanks for your thougts, what would You prefer:

    Some jazz band records all in digital or that it record in analog,?

    Maybe You would not like THE digital taste?
     
  4. acdc7369

    acdc7369 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Tape has a much worse signal to noise ratio than 24 but digital. The digital would unquestionably sound more accurate
     
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  5. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    tha is my feeling to i mean i had listen some jazz 14-44 files of miles and i had not heard better (exept i had not heard the original lp) but i also feel the best edition of for example kind of blue is the mono 1959 promo lp that i had download riped to 24bit 96khz and i had compare it to the hdtracks stereo version of the 24bit96khz and the mono 1959 lp sound better but of all the other lps i had listen to even the mfsl 45 rpm i feel the hdtracks is better in my opinion just a example, but people should make max 48khz everything about it is just a wasted of time and i like mono special if the old master tapes was mastered to mono, but there is no many digital files in mono (even when it had start to come recent years) the thing with digital is that the sound is so great clean and it never deteriotated even if 50 or 100 years goes bye :D
     

  6. Man that is one long continuous thought. Periods would be good.
     
  7. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Good quality tape, good tape machine, mikes, etc. - I would think the tape would have a more natural sound. Analog.
     
  8. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Well, he did use a question mark...
     
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  9. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    What's a CD?
     
  10. No he didn't.
     
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  11. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Read it again: ..."any thoughts or commends?" - Looks like a question mark to me.
     
  12. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    i guess :winkgrin:
     
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  13. HDOM

    HDOM Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    i dont know but i felt many times "analog sounds type" in digital music;

    or somthing similar like for example:

    Julian Bream 24bit remaster or the mono cd box set of Miles Davis
     
  14. Wrong post Chris.
     
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  15. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Whatever.
     
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  16. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    The very best sound I've ever heard was from 30ips safety copy of master tape. Although analog loses its edge very quickly when you start having multiple generations involved.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2018
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  17. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Or the wrong tape stock from the vaults without baking.
    Or a magnatized tape head.
    Or incuorrect azimuth adjustment.
    Or not paying attention to the tones on the front of the reel.
    Or OhMyGodHereWeAreBackToTheLP-vs-CDDebate all over again...:doh:

    Same players, please haul out the same scripts you've been repeating from for the past 20 years...:pineapple:
     
  18. enfield

    enfield Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex UK
    To me the slight smoothing off that analog recording/playback produces is not more 'natural' because it slightly changes the sound of the original performance.Most instruments sound slightly harsher in real life than they do when recorded and played back through an analog source.More pleasant than a digital recording of the same performance ?? Probably yes! More accurate/transparent? Probably not!
    I remember the producer of Dire Straits -Brother In Arms saying he recorded in early digital 24 track because he didn't like the way analog recording slightly changed the sound he was hearing live in the studio.And through the mixing desk.He didn't like with the slight softening/bloom in the lower frequencies.Although he admitted that most producers did like that sound signature.This coloring is also enhanced through tape wear the more often an analog master tape is played back before final transfer.
     
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  19. timztunz

    timztunz Audioista

    Location:
    Texas
    “Whatever” what? ......“any thoughts or commends?"....is not in his post.
     
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  20. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    No, it's not in his post. - Do we all feel better now? Jeez... :laugh::sigh:
     
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  21. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    It's more of a "tone" quality (maybe what you termed "coloring") that analog produces. I have used this analogy before: A violin is an instrument, the bow across the strings vibrating creates an analog sound.
    When a recording of a violin is played on a turntable, the arm/cart is an instrument also, and an "extension" of the true analog expression.
     
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  22. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    Our brains and ears are analog... I feel analog better represents how we hear... having said that, I use both when in the studio... record strictly to tape... dump to digital for editing and mixing (although I use analog outboard gear during this process) for ease of use and to save wear and tear on tape and reel-to-reel... but final mix is sent back to tape...
     
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  23. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    All things being equal, there should be no difference between the sound of vinyl playback vs. digital.
     
  24. Rad Dudeski

    Rad Dudeski Forum Resident

    Location:
    -
    I'm lost here.... Are we comparing Analog to Digital or are we having a discussion about a song/album being recorded to both Digital Audio PCM and Analog Magnetic Tape simultaneously?
     
  25. therockman

    therockman Senior Member In Memoriam

    There should be more punctuation in this world, period!!!!
     
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