What makes tape sound better than vinyl ?

Inna,

Please enjoy your cassette recordings, as that is what it is ultimately all about. However, I could never imagine how a cassette without the use of Dolby would be an improvement in any regard. However, I respect the fact that you do. I have owned many TOTL cassette decks and without the use of Dolby they are an immediate and obvious compromise, IMO.

Ray

Let's return to real tape machines - open reel decks.
In addition, cartridges color the sound like hell. Even if vinyl was better you cannot fully make use of it - no cartridge will be able to extract all the information from the groove and present it as a complete flow as opposed to imperfectly connected elements, and that's plus coloration. It would be interesting to hear what engineers think. Direct to disc recordings will not solve playback problems, one of the reasons why it was virtually abandoned.

R2R is a different story. R2R using Dolby SR  can be argued to be as good as, or better than, hi rez digital. D2D never made it because it is essentially a live recording. 

raymonda
Geoffkait,

Compression is added to get "punch". As a recording engineer I learned this from others and use it myself. If your kick sounds loose and flabby, add compression. It will give it punch. If the bass is a bit defused and lost in the mix, and compression it will give it punch and sit better in the mix.

Compression and punch in audio engineering terms and practice go hand in hand.

Ray

With all due respect I’ll stick with my definition of "punch," which one hears in live performances due to outstanding dynamic range and on recordings that have not (rpt not) been overly compressed dynamic range wise. Your "loose and flabby" and "diffused and lost in the mix" descriptions don’t actually compute for me. No offense. Most likely we’re talking about two different things. When I I hear CDs that have been overly compressed they lack "punch." That’s why I don’t like overly compressed CDs. They are loud, I’ll grant you that. Want some examples of what I’m talking about? Dylan’s Modern Times, Stones’ Bridges to Babalon and Steel Wheels and A Bigger Bang and any Radiohead CD. No Punch! MONODYNAMIC. New word! 😀 In my world music IS dynamics. You seem to be saying that the overly aggressive dynamic range compression of music in the last twenty years is actually a GOOD IDEA. Cases of overly aggressive compression can be confirmed in the Official Dynamic Range Database.

I love tape but i "believe" from a non-technical point of view that due to some smoothing (cut-off) of the high frequencies and excellent midrange and mid-bass response, that the sound is very pleasant and inviting to my ears.  Vinyl noise and some flaws in the original recording can often fall more into the background on tape (at a more typical 7.5ips) so 50-15,000Hz. "ends up" being easier on the ears.
CD's and vinyl have more extension and dynamics but also are more revealing, and can be more distracting/annoying.  I have not as yet heard a FULLY optimized tape front-end though- a second generation copy of a master tape played back on a Studer with specially designed EXTERNAL playback amps, or a UHA tricked-out Tascam Br-20 (unfortunately).  The guys at the audio shows are far luckier than I.  Again though, i was raised on R-t-Reel tape and I still love it for some strange reason. Like getting out microphones and playing guitar with a friend.  Lot's of fun.