Does tape really sound better?

[wrenhunter]

By the which I mean, does it really sound better on its own technical merits, or are we just used to its sound? And are we especially, er, biased in that the greatest in modern jazz and rock was recorded to tape?

To put it another way, if Fergie used 2", and the Kinks had used Logic, would we hate tape?

[Cyan421]

im not gonna hate on a great, useful peice of audio software because a girl using her T & A to sell records used it.

[farview]

'Better' is so subjective that there is no way to answer the question. Especially coming from a production standpoint, the 'better' medium is the one that gets us the sound we want for the project. That can change from project to project or even intrument to instrument.

Tape does something that is really cool in some instances and really frustrating in others.

For the most part, digital gives back what you give it. Tape changes things, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

It's really about the right tool for the job.

[Knights Who Say Neve]

Better? Sorry but I'm not going there. I don't want to start a flame war.

It could be that the era of music that was recorded on tape and released on vinyl sounds best on the format it was intended for. But for that to hold true, digitally-recorded releases would have to sound best on CD or hi-res digital rather than vinyl. I don't know if that's true at all...I have some Boards of Canada and Mogwai stuff that sounds amazing on vinyl...but OTOH maybe I have a great turntable and pre but only a so-so CD player? Too many variables.

[A-Barr]

For what it's worth...

Years ago, after I found out about analog and digital and what the little DDD/ADD/AAD things on CD's meant, I went through and looked at it on all my CD's.

Now as an example, let's take the Pixies (please!) ...

Their first few albums, Come On Pilgrim, Doolittle, Surfer Rosa, they sound so organic and natural, invitng, I always loved the way these sounded long before I knew ANYTHING about recording or even thought of albums in terms of how they sound from an engineering perspective, they have 2 other albums - Trompe Le Monde and Bossanova, while these have a lot of great songs, I could just never get into them, they always seemed cold to me and just not as inviting, I could never put my finger on it but they just never hit me the same way, although the music was just as good.

So it turns out the first 3 albums were tracked to tape and the last two were digital. Coincidence? Surely there are a lot of other factors and it was late 80's/early 90's digital so you can't really compare it to today's digital recordings, but that discovery left a strong impression on me.

Philosophically, and I may be wrong, but analog recording technology is more or less done evolving, while digital is still marching along to its end-goal, at least in my eyes. So that should tell you something that any digital recording gear you use will invariably be improved upon later and make what you used look weak, while the apex of analog is already available. Just my opinion, I'm sure others disagree and that's cool by me...

[BeepBeep]

Philosophically, and I may be wrong, but analog recording technology is more or less done evolving, while digital is still marching along to its end-goal, at least in my eyes. So that should tell you something that any digital recording gear you use will invariably be improved upon later and make what you used look weak, while the apex of analog is already available. Just my opinion, I'm sure others disagree and that's cool by me...

Actually I think there's a lot of merit to what you are saying. Digital is still new and us humans are still learning how to make it sound good. While analog has been mastered and as you say reached it's apex.

'Better' is very subjective. Both mediums have advantages. IMHO digital excels in editing and analog has a warmer tone. I do think that as digital recording develops it's tone is improving or maybe I'm getting used to it.

[dokushoka]

keep in mind not all tape machines sounds all that hot. I really don't care for most 2" 24 tracks. If you're going to go tape, I would look into a Studer A800 with 16 track heads. The A827 is very clean and a bit boring. I don't particularly care for the sonics on it.

[japmn]

I like micro cassette a lot.

[???????]

wax cylinder

[mjau]

Big fan here of the shaman with a killer memory and perfect pitch.

[wrenhunter]

Big fan here of the shaman with a killer memory and perfect pitch.

Pfft, that's just because you were both on sacred drugs.

Please let's not do tape vs. digital again, that wasn't my intention. Let me rephrase.

If you like or prefer the sound of tape, do you think its virtues are inherent in the format, or due to association with classic music (like The Association)?

[0-it-hz]

I'm not sure about analog being done evolving...plenty of interesting places to go if there was a driving desire to do the R&D.

A better or not magnetic tape machine would be neat,...How about optical data stored on a polymer tape....why not.

Just a pipe-dreamy example of an idea which, although not impossible, is unlikely to be pursued because there's just not enough interest/money at the other end.

[A-Barr]

A better or not magnetic tape machine would be neat,...How about optical data stored on a polymer tape....why not.

Ever play an optigan?

http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machi ... index.html

[drumsound]

For the most part, digital gives back what you give it.

I've been seeing this line for years and years. I'm calling bullshit on probably 98% of converters. Have you A/B the source to the digital? Listen to the mic pre/mixer out and then listen to the out of the digital source. Unless you have that 2% you will hear a difference. It may be subtle, it may be drastic. It may be helpful, it may be harmful but it will be different.

Tape changes things, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

Yep, but IMNSHO more often for the better.

[numberthirty]

While I can't say I have any hard data to back it up, I do believe that an old copy of Back in Black I had on 8 track gorilla stomps any other version of that release in any format.

As for tape vs. digital, I'd say tape has a lot of things going for it that I don't think digital ever will. I've never heard any reverse sort of things that turned out to be digital that seemed anywhere near as cool as reverse sound coming from flipping tape over.

There's also the character in various sorts of tape formats. Will digital ever produce a set of recordings that will rival some of the four track cassette-based releases of the ninties. That they were recorded in whole or in part on cassette has everthing to do with records by the Grifters, Guided By Voices, Man of Sin by Varnaline, and lots of Centro-matic/Will Johnson solo stuff.

Pork Soda by Primus is another example. It seems like it was recorded for the most part on ADATs. However, I think there's one song that was recorded on a Tascam 388. That song has always really grabbed my attention in the sonic sense. It would have been a real shame if the had opted to re-record that song on an adat.