Vinyl / High qual analog tape / High-res digital -- One of these is not like the other

@rauliruegas

to be clear;

---1/4", 15 ips tape on a high quality RTR deck is superior to even the very best vinyl, when the source tape for the transfer is pristine, and the transfer is well done. tape is better. vinyl is not equal. even direct to disc vinyl does not measure up to the very best of this tape.

but what has changed is that the vinyl in my system has moved up so far now that the degrees of pristine for the source tape, and quality of the transfer, are simply higher to maintain that margin. so fewer of my tapes hold up as clearly better.

but.......the best tapes are on another level.

so vinyl does not equal tape.

and it takes a huge commitment to vinyl to get it to this point. so for most people tape is still the easiest access to the very best sound. unless you have a ’daddy’ vinyl set-up. then.........getting better tape than vinyl is harder than before.

i don’t personally know about that Wind Music Lp, Paramiter.

my opinion is that there are many modern digital recordings which have ended up as very good sounding Lps. and i buy quite a few of them and enjoy them. but......there is nothing like tape sourced or direct to disc Lps. so if i have a choice, i’m staying analog, but i’m happy to buy great music on vinyl that happens to be digitally recorded. the music comes first.

here is a tape sourced Lp i highly recommend that was recorded in 2015. it was recorded on a 24 track Studer A80, mixed on an analog mixing board to 2 track analog on a Studer 810. and then mastered to vinyl on an Ampex ATR-102.

https://www.discogs.com/Ferit-Odman-Dameronia-With-Strings/release/7850724

try and find a digital recording that can match the dynamics on this record, the tone of the horn, the authority of the piano. i know i cannot.

really wonderful. that is what we have from the golden age of vinyl. we should all appreciate those analog sourced records. they are precious.

mikelavigne,

Is the record you linked above the same as this...

https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/125556?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpZn49saZ6gIVB4_ICh0EeQRZEAYYASABEgJjyvD_...


I know it is the same album, but I wonder if you know anything about pressings. The one on Discogs is "limited to 1000" and this one does not mention anything. Significant? Insignificant?

Thanks in advance.

yes; that is the same one.

same codes and product numbers as mine.

i know it's limited, but exactly how many i cannot say. so i cannot exactly answer your question other than the record i have and i am recommending is the same as what is for sale at Acoustic Sounds.

Thanks,

I just heard it on youtube and, holy smokes, it sounds good even there. That would not cut it, as far as I am concerned, but I actually like the music.

In short, thanks for recommendation. I am buying it right now.

mikelavigne

a cassette tape is 1/4" tape, 4 track, and auto reversing, running at 1 and 7/8th ips. ’4-track’ means 4 tracks on a 1/4" tape. those tracks are tiny, and the sound, while nice on a good cassette, is nothing to write home about.

If you're talking about the Phillips Compact Cassette you're mistaken. It uses 1/8-inch tape. And as a rule, the best cassette decks weren't auto reverse - most of the auto-reversing decks couldn't maintain alignment in two directions.

... 1/4", 15 ips tape on a high quality RTR deck is superior to even the very best vinyl, when the source tape for the transfer is pristine, and the transfer is well done. tape is better. vinyl is not equal ...

That's been my experience.