Reel to reel

orpheus10

... I recall being at a high end emporium and requesting them to play my CD of Santana’s "Abraxas". This was my CD; I bought the LP Abraxas when it came out; to say that I was familiar with the album would be an understatement; the background music that had been barely audible on all the rigs I had, was cleanly audible here. There were certain sounds that I have not heard clearly audible before nor since, and that was from a CD

That’s not at all hard to believe. An LP and its CD counterpart are often mastered differently.

benjie

When I record these files, the information is there, it’s just not very audible. It is more in the background. Recording the file to tape seems to bring out more detail of the recording than is present through a digital player for the file.

Understood. But if what you hear from an analog tape dub differs from what you hear from the source itself, that difference is distortion. And it’s fine you find the tape preferable. I get it. I’m a tape guy, too.

LP and CD both came from the "Master tape";  I think the only difference is obvious; one is digital, and the other is analog.

orpheus10

LP and CD both came from the "Master tape"; I think the only difference is obvious; one is digital, and the other is analog.

You may well be correct - but not necessarily. After all, the LP wasn’t made directly from the master tape, right? It would have to go through an RIAA EQ network, and almost certainly some amount of limiting or compression, if only to protect the cutter head.

Abraxas is a great album btw, and one of my favorites. Great art, too.