Long before the recent vinyl In the renaissance, audiophiles have long defended the analog benefits of vinyl records as far superior to digital ones. The argument often includes claims that vinyl sounds “warmer” or that digital audio is built on discrete steps with a ladder-shaped waveform that omits audio information that retains a smooth, continuous analog signal (this It is, by the way, a fallacy that has been perpetuated for decades).
Because analog sound reproduction (and the analog production chain) is a continuous signal, audiophiles maintain that it is a more accurate representation of the original recording or performance. Except in 2025 (and for the last 40 years), apart from perhaps a few rare cases, a purely analogue production chain does not exist. At some point, even if you are listening to a vinyl recordthat audio signal was digital.
As you might expect, there are many steps involved in producing a recording. Obviously, there’s the singing and playing of the instruments, the addition of any processing and effects during (or after) recording, the media on which those master tracks are placed or saved, the mixing, mastering and pressing of the vinyl (and other smaller issues). steps along the way). After the broader introduction of digital audio technology Back in the ’70s and ’80s, he began to make his way into the production process, whether to experiment and determine what he could do, to open up creative opportunities, or to make the process easier, faster, and cheaper to do.
quietest and loudest sound) than pop recordings. , rock or jazz to properly capture a performance. .
Once we hit the 1990s and the proliferation of digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, Cakewalk, Digital Performer, and Cubase, digital became almost impossible to avoid. Analog methods, although still taught to new students from a historical perspective, were no longer part of the workflow.
The non-destructive ability to quickly test different editions was too attractive to ignore. Yeah Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite was produced in 1997 instead of 1967, would we have the same psychedelic carnival sojourn made up of randomly spliced pieces of an organ recording? Maybe not. But I digress.
The ability to create a fully analog recording in 2025 is extremely difficult and expensive. Analog recording platforms require specialized maintenance and the tape used for master recordings is much more expensive than recording to a hard drive (not to mention the degradation of magnetic tape that is inevitable over time). Unless expressly designed to avoid all digital technology, a modern recording studio will include a DAW, a console that includes digital elements, digital instruments, digital effects modules, and digital controllers.
The mixing is done in the digital realm. Mastering is done in the digital realm. Even reissues and remasters of classic recordings that were originally all analog are mixed and mastered from masters that were transferred to digital, probably years ago. It’s inevitable. And really, with digital technology where it is, there’s no reason to even try to avoid it. Except for those who proclaim the superiority of analog over digital.
Does digital matter on vinyl?
Ultimately, any digital addition to the production chain must be audibly transparent; and if it isn’t, there is something wrong with the equipment, not the medium. Just a few years ago, there was a Controversy with MoFi (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab) where it emerged that DSD (Direct Stream Digital) files were used for their All Analog vinyl records, resulting in a $25 million settlement. But was anyone able to audibly identify it in the decade-plus before it came to light?
I’m not here to spite anyone, especially since I also enjoy the ritual of listening to my favorite vinyl recordings. But that’s all. I appreciate the ritual. Holding the record sleeve, admiring the art and design, sliding the LP out, carefully turning it over in my hands to select the side I want before placing it on my turntable and dropping the needleAll of this satisfies a need for appreciation.
Thanks to the recording artists. Thanks to the engineers, mixers and technicians involved. I appreciate the effort it takes to create the recording, of which I am intimately aware.
But the most important thing is the appreciation of art.
The vast majority of the time I put on a record (and this goes back to my teenage years) is to experience the art of the album. The craftsmanship of the wallthe emotional blow of black starthe beauty of Brahms’ second piano concerto or the sound fabric woven by the John Coltrane Quartet. If I sit down to listen to a record, I’m usually there throughout the entire process.
But am I missing out (or you) on some extra magic because the Led Zeppelin III Did the remastering have analog-to-digital conversion at any point in the chain? I don’t think so. The magic of music is there regardless of the medium. And the vinyl ritual that so many of us enjoy is unaffected by 1s and 0s.
