3 things ...
We have to look at the whole recording process. And we have to look at the limitations of vinyl that give it an advantage, and then finally the distortions of vinyl vs digital.
1. The recording process of vinyl era records is usually great players, in a room, playing mostly together. Vocal takes are mostly live. Engineers were experts and decisions were made in real time, building MUSICAL MOMENTUM. Today decisions are not made in real time by most engineers who are not as experienced, and vocals like everything else are done in pieces and edited together. LESS MUSICAL MOMENTUM. So vinyl era records are INNATELY MORE MUSICAL aka "sounds better" with more real instruments, not in the box instruments. And often the recording was to tape, then to vinyl, never a digital stage.
2. The vinyl media DEMANDS MORE DYNAMIC RANGE. Vinyl is more punchy because it has to be, else the stylus jumps the groove. Digital can be compressed and limited to a pancake of white noise. This means that NEARLY EVERY vinyl record is more punchy than it’s digital counterpart and that "sounds better".
3. The vinyl distortions are in the same family as tape distortions, although different. This is not the family of digital distortions. They are more pleasing. Or "sounds better"
As a mastering engineer I prefer my own work on digital as I grew up on vinyl and I put those vinyl era musical qualities into my digital work, yet I fully understand the appeal, especially with classic records that were built straight to vinyl.
Brian Lucey www.magicgardenmastering.com
We have to look at the whole recording process. And we have to look at the limitations of vinyl that give it an advantage, and then finally the distortions of vinyl vs digital.
1. The recording process of vinyl era records is usually great players, in a room, playing mostly together. Vocal takes are mostly live. Engineers were experts and decisions were made in real time, building MUSICAL MOMENTUM. Today decisions are not made in real time by most engineers who are not as experienced, and vocals like everything else are done in pieces and edited together. LESS MUSICAL MOMENTUM. So vinyl era records are INNATELY MORE MUSICAL aka "sounds better" with more real instruments, not in the box instruments. And often the recording was to tape, then to vinyl, never a digital stage.
2. The vinyl media DEMANDS MORE DYNAMIC RANGE. Vinyl is more punchy because it has to be, else the stylus jumps the groove. Digital can be compressed and limited to a pancake of white noise. This means that NEARLY EVERY vinyl record is more punchy than it’s digital counterpart and that "sounds better".
3. The vinyl distortions are in the same family as tape distortions, although different. This is not the family of digital distortions. They are more pleasing. Or "sounds better"
As a mastering engineer I prefer my own work on digital as I grew up on vinyl and I put those vinyl era musical qualities into my digital work, yet I fully understand the appeal, especially with classic records that were built straight to vinyl.
Brian Lucey www.magicgardenmastering.com