[Bob2]

"

[orthobiz]

Did anybody mention the source? From the master tape, from a safety copy, from some other copy? The older recordings were not digitized, you know...

Kinda like the brain in Young Frankenstein, your digitized file may have come from Abbie Normal!

Paul

[Gumby]

Did anybody mention the source? From the master tape, from a safety copy, from some other copy? The older recordings were not digitized, you know...

Kinda like the brain in Young Frankenstein, your digitized file may have come from Abbie Normal!

Paul

That’s one of the biggest advantages of the Vinyl format: you can play some records that stayed in the analog chain, from microphone to your speakers.  There’s a Neil Young LP, Comes A Time, that’s a repressing.  It states that it’s made from the original analog master tapes.  The best sound I’ve heard coming from my system. 

New LPs created from analog masters are few, which is why the OP focused the discussion on digital masters.  But yes, these true analog recordings are out there.  All records made in the 70s and before, are from tapes. 

I’m now reminded of a quote from DB COOPER ; “Integrity of Content”....Well then, isn’t the sound captured from the microphone, and kept in its analog state all the way to your LP, the most integrious ?

“Integrious”?...

[Elizabeth]

One difference between analog.. (particularly Rock) and digital...
Analog, coming from mics passing through a huge console. being 'adjusted' in said console, or, even worse, several tape machines passing thought more than one console, back to tape, back through another console, back to tape, etc. Until the final 'product' has been completed. Every trip adding phase changes, and distortion... (no wonder folks have no clue what the 'phase' of a particular album is)
Or.. YOU can have a digital recording. Where the digital signal coming from the mics. passing though many changes still is very unaffected by the passage, except for what is deliberately altered by design. (all dependent on the quality of the recording chain, either way)
True you can ague the fine points..

As far as analog somehow 'being special' is all in the mind of the listener. No problem with that, just sayin'. Though it may be true for that listener with his system.
In my setup, digital and analog are pretty equal, aside from the added fooling around with playing LPs. All I would claim is they do sound slightly different. Neither one better than the other. BOTH way more dependent on the quality of the recording than the format.

Magnepan 20.7
Digital Marantz SA-10 fed by other players
Analog Kuzma Stabi Stogi S with Dynavector 17D3 to Audio Research SP-15
As my main sources. The speakers just to know what 'level' of Mid Fi I am using.

[Photon46]

One difference between analog.. (particularly Rock) and digital...
Analog, coming from mics passing through a huge console. being 'adjusted' in said console, or, even worse, several tape machines passing thought more than one console, back to tape, back through another console, back to tape, etc. Until the final 'product' has been completed. Every trip adding phase changes, and distortion... (no wonder folks have no clue what the 'phase' of a particular album is)
Or.. YOU can have a digital recording. Where the digital signal coming from the mics. passing though many changes still is very unaffected by the passage, except for what is deliberately altered by design. (all dependent on the quality of the recording chain, either way)
True you can ague the fine points..

As far as analog somehow 'being special' is all in the mind of the listener. No problem with that, just sayin'. Though it may be true for that listener with his system.
In my setup, digital and analog are pretty equal, aside from the added fooling around with playing LPs. All I would claim is they do sound slightly different. Neither one better than the other. BOTH way more dependent on the quality of the recording than the format.

Couldn't agree with you more. I also feel there is little qualitative difference between the best examples of digital and vinyl recordings in my system, they're just different in their particular strengths. No doubt it has cost me more to get the same level of playback quality in vinyl that I get with my Luxman SACD player though  I also agree that Rock recordings are all too often afflicted with all manner of poor recording practices. Most nights when I listen to Classical recordings and then switch to Rock, I'm struck at how substandard the Rock recording sounds by comparison.

[Gumby]

BOTH way more dependent on the quality of the recording than the format.

Why doesn't the recording industry create Mastering Standards that all recordings must abide to. How is it that records can go from crappy to incredible, in any medium.   

The frustrating part of this hobby is, i can play a killer recording through lossy streaming and it sounds better than a mediocre recording on CD or vinyl. 

[dB Cooper]

I own a very nice analog and digital front end, and the convenience of digital is great, but I still prefer the sound of a well recorded near mint condition record.

Problem is, the only way to keep it in 'near mint condition' is to not play it.

[Photon46]

Problem is, the only way to keep it in 'near mint condition' is to not play it.

In my experience, that is not much of an issue IF one is careful to clean your records and keep them that way (and use properly set up cartridges in good tone arms.) I've got many albums that are over fifty years old that still play like new. However, I've always kept my vinyl very clean and made sure my cartridges were set up properly. No doubt if if one plays the same dirty record over and over it audibly degrades. However, most of us who are into vinyl have hundreds if not thousands of records. I just don't play any given album that frequently even if it's a favorite because there's "so little time, so many records." I've played awful looking vinyl albums that were abused on a $15 thrift shop record players back in the seventies and found that after a good cleaning, there's far more music left in the grooves than one might expect when one uses a modern fine line stylus that gets down into places cheap conical styli never did in the past.

[dB Cooper]

At audio shows, I hear popcorn in almost every room. It was particularly jarring on the million-dollar system in the Von Schweikert room.

[Photon46]

At audio shows, I hear popcorn in almost every room. It was particularly jarring on the million-dollar system in the Von Schweikert room.

Well mate, all I can say is you need to find someone who takes proper care of their vinyl to have a broad and proper perspective on the medium's capabilities. I can't comment on the Von Schweikert room because all they ever played when I was in their room was digital. There's no doubt vinyl has its problems and I'd never argue that someone starting the audio hobby from scratch should take the vinyl path vs. digital. It's expensive and problematic for sure. If it weren't for the fact that I've been collecting vinyl over fifty years I wouldn't put up with the hassles. However, I have lot's of odd and off the beaten path world and classical music that isn't likely to ever make to digital transfers.