Analog is Better!
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In a sometimes halting video posted to the YouTube channel of his Phoenix record shop, the ‘In’ Groove, Esposito said that “pretty reliable sources” told him that MoFi (Mobile Fidelity), the Sebastopol, Calif., company that has prided itself on using original master tapes for its pricey reissues, had actually been using digital files in its production chain. In the world of audiophiles — where provenance is everything and the quest is to get as close to the sound of an album’s original recording as possible — digital is considered almost unholy. And using digital while claiming not to is the gravest sin a manufacturer can commit.
Link to video“They were completely deceitful,” says Richard Drutman, 50, a New York City filmmaker who has purchased more than 50 of MoFi’s albums over the years. “I never would have ordered a single Mobile Fidelity product if I had known it was sourced from a digital master.”
Record labels use digital files to make albums all the time: It’s been the industry norm for more than a decade. But a few specialty houses — the Kansas-based Analogue Productions, London’s Electric Recording Co. and MoFi among them — have long advocated for the warmth of analog.
“Not that you can’t make good records with digital, but it just isn’t as natural as when you use the original tape,” says Bernie Grundman, 78, the mastering engineer who worked on the original recordings of Steely Dan’s “Aja,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic.” -
Yep, this is absolutely a thing. Which is why I mostly buy used. Also cheaper.
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So, hang on a minute - they were using digital masters, but nobody could tell? Hahaha.
I have a ton of stuff recorded in the 50's, and to be honest quite a bit of it doesn't sound that great from a quality perspective. Kind of Blue has a lot of audible tape hiss. Obviously, from a musical perspective it's freaking awesome. Maybe it would be better to focus on that.
"Warmer", oh Jesus.
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So, hang on a minute - they were using digital masters, but nobody could tell? Hahaha.
I have a ton of stuff recorded in the 50's, and to be honest quite a bit of it doesn't sound that great from a quality perspective. Kind of Blue has a lot of audible tape hiss. Obviously, from a musical perspective it's freaking awesome. Maybe it would be better to focus on that.
"Warmer", oh Jesus.
@Doctor-Phibes said in Analog is Better!:
they were using digital masters, but nobody could tell? Hahaha.
Information theory and DSP FTW!
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The "audiophile" world was always at odds with rationality and basic science.
Nobody can identify pure "analog" recordings in a blind test.
I can completely see the point of appreciating vinyl, as a conscious counterpoint to the superficial modern digital streaming world where nobody has the patience to endure 3 seconds of silence.
There is no need for an additional pseudo-technical justification that falls apart very quickly.
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The "audiophile" world was always at odds with rationality and basic science.
Nobody can identify pure "analog" recordings in a blind test.
I can completely see the point of appreciating vinyl, as a conscious counterpoint to the superficial modern digital streaming world where nobody has the patience to endure 3 seconds of silence.
There is no need for an additional pseudo-technical justification that falls apart very quickly.
@Klaus said in Analog is Better!:
The "audiophile" world was always at odds with rationality and basic science.
Nobody can identify pure "analog" recordings in a blind test.
I can completely see the point of appreciating vinyl, as a conscious counterpoint to the superficial modern digital streaming world where nobody has the patience to endure 3 seconds of silence.
There is no need for an additional pseudo-technical justification that falls apart very quickly.
That's exactly what all the normies say. It's like you're reading from a script. Sorry I can't wave a magic wand and let you hear what I can hear - but since you can't, you do not have a valid opinion on this subject.
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@Klaus said in Analog is Better!:
The "audiophile" world was always at odds with rationality and basic science.
Nobody can identify pure "analog" recordings in a blind test.
I can completely see the point of appreciating vinyl, as a conscious counterpoint to the superficial modern digital streaming world where nobody has the patience to endure 3 seconds of silence.
There is no need for an additional pseudo-technical justification that falls apart very quickly.
That's exactly what all the normies say. It's like you're reading from a script. Sorry I can't wave a magic wand and let you hear what I can hear - but since you can't, you do not have a valid opinion on this subject.
@Horace said in Analog is Better!:
@Klaus said in Analog is Better!:
The "audiophile" world was always at odds with rationality and basic science.
Nobody can identify pure "analog" recordings in a blind test.
I can completely see the point of appreciating vinyl, as a conscious counterpoint to the superficial modern digital streaming world where nobody has the patience to endure 3 seconds of silence.
There is no need for an additional pseudo-technical justification that falls apart very quickly.
That's exactly what all the normies say. It's like you're reading from a script. Sorry I can't wave a magic wand and let you hear what I can hear - but since you can't, you do not have a valid opinion on this subject.
Ever walked up to somebody and tell them “ You look flush… Are you feeling okay?” 15 minutes later they are sneezing and feeling a sore throat… Audiophiles are kinda the same way…
