At what point did studios move from analog to digital? *PS - Metallica Remasters?

[Deeds]

I'm new here so first off - Hello! I recently fell in love with vinyl and have been buying records from old to new.

I've found that many of the old records sound better (IMO) than records post 1990. Nirvana Nevermind sounds nice and clean but too much like a CD (lacking the depth of Queen Night at the Opera or even a TRex album that I own).

Is there a way to tell if an analog recording (like the old Metallica albums) were actually digitized to remaster?

 

[dobyblue]

The only way to tell really is to contact the producer and the mastering house and ask whether or not the vinyl came from an analog master.
But I wouldn't fear digital...if the vinyl came from a high resolution 24-bit digital master then there's no reason why it still won't provide a better experience than the drc'd clipping CD.

Still CD when done properly can yield good results - take a look at Chinese Democracy, no clipping, no dynamic range compression.

As far as Nevermind is concerned you might want to try looking at a different pressing. If you're listening to the Back In Black I'd suggest going to Discogs and trying to pick up an original Geffen pressing, those usually seem to be the best. The Simply Vinyl, Japanese, MOFI, Universal, etc., pressings don't seem to be as good sonically as the original pressings.

European Geffen pressing - 9 for sale - http://www.discogs.com/Nirvana-Nevermind/release/380426

Some studios can be pretty good with communication. I picked up the new DMB album on vinyl and my ears were telling me it was sonically superior to the CD. I e-mailed Ted Jensen's project manager at Sterling Sound and within an hour they e-mailed me back to confirm that the vinyl was a 24-bit master.

You might enjoy reading Tom Port's site - http://www.dccblowout.com/dept.asp?dept_id=14-006-013

He has some interesting vinyl theories. He also sells "hot stampers" and grades them - you'll pay good money but it's a money back guarantee. I haven't gotten any yet but a friend on the blu-ray forums has and he's elated with the hot stampers.

 

[Deeds]

Vinyl

I have a Nevermind (424-425-1) - I think its EU pressing and original release. It just doesn't have that vinyl boom.

I'm starting to think that even if the Master is 24-bit it just will not sound the same as analog. That being said - I have heard some CDs that sound awesome - Rhino's doors reissues.

Does newer material have the potential to have the same vibe as a 70's record? The White Album is so meaty on vinyl.

I have the new DMB on vinyl as well and it does sound great. It's just so clean and pristine. Not sure if I'm kidding myself into thinking the newer records sound so much like CDS but I have White Stripes Elephant on vinyl (I know the original was analog) and it does have that deep, meaty feel like older records (meatier than the DMB).

 

[Exit]

Thread: At what point did studios move from analog to digital? *PS - Metallica Remasters? Reply to Thread

If I remember correctly the first digitally mastered album I saw was Peter Gabriel's Security album which must have been around 1983, but you would need to check the album date to be sure.

 

[dobyblue]

Does newer material have the potential to have the same vibe as a 70's record? The White Album is so meaty on vinyl.

When it's recorded properly it definitely does. A 24/96~24/192 master, or a DXD master, should capture anything the human ear can detect. It's what happens in the mixing and mastering stages that can mess up a vinyl.

This is a good read with four of the top vinyl mastering cats all contributing their opinions and what they can do to make a record better and when they have to say "this master isn't good enough, remix". Really good stuff.

http://emusician.com/tutorials/mastering_vinyl/

It's also interesting as sometimes I find people complaining about 2LP set with a single length album (fits on 1CD) - not wanting to flip the LP. Well these guys explain why they try to go with a 16~18 minute limit on each side. Very cool reading.

I have the new DMB on vinyl as well and it does sound great. It's just so clean and pristine. Not sure if I'm kidding myself into thinking the newer records sound so much like CDS

Try listening to Lying in the Hands of God and flip between the CD and the vinyl - it's a huge difference (not volume, but fidelity).

I look forward to getting the first three albums on vinyl sometime in the next year according to sources close to the band.

 

[Deeds]

Before these Crowded Streets

I would love to get my hands on Crowded Streets on vinyl.

 

[dobyblue]

Two weeks ago the even rarer "Too Much" 7" vinyl with a live Jimi Thing on the B-side went for US$351.

I'd love a copy to have the only live DMB recording available on vinyl, but that sort of spending is well out of my reach. The most I've paid for a record is around CDN$70 for a NM copy of "A Storm In Heaven" by the band Verve from the UK.

DMB 7" = http://cgi.ebay.com/Dave-Matthews-Band-VINYL-JIMI-THING-rare-45-SINGLE-DMB_W0QQitemZ110397129571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item19b42e8363&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:2103|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

 

[Deeds]

Tool

Two weeks ago the even rarer "Too Much" 7" vinyl with a live Jimi Thing on the B-side went for US$351.

I'd love a copy to have the only live DMB recording available on vinyl, but that sort of spending is well out of my reach. The most I've paid for a record is around CDN$70 for a NM copy of "A Storm In Heaven" by the band Verve from the UK.

DMB 7" = http://cgi.ebay.com/Dave-Matthews-Band-VINYL-JIMI-THING-rare-45-SINGLE-DMB_W0QQitemZ110397129571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item19b42e8363&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:2103|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:0|293:1|294:50

That is crazy and should be forwarded to management as evidence that vinyl should be released.

For some reason (before I was into listening to vinyl) I picked up Pearl Jam vs. and Tool Aenima. Aenima sells on ebay for over $150 at times but I would never sell it. Vs sounds amazing as well. I must have known that come day I would delve into vinly.

 

[skizzerflake]

I'm new here so first off - Hello! I recently fell in love with vinyl and have been buying records from old to new.

I've found that many of the old records sound better (IMO) than records post 1990. Nirvana Nevermind sounds nice and clean but too much like a CD (lacking the depth of Queen Night at the Opera or even a TRex album that I own).

Is there a way to tell if an analog recording (like the old Metallica albums) were actually digitized to remaster?

Often the fine print on in the insert booklet will have something about the recording. Some still have the old AAD, DDD or whatever that indicates Analog or Digital for original master, intermediate master and final recording. Obviously, if it's a CD it always has a D as the third character. Also some vinyl was made in the early digital age (late 70's) that used digital mastering as though it were better. Ironically some of those had even lower sampling rates than CDs but they bragged about being digital.

I have a lot of old vinyl that I have picked up along the way that is pre-90's and sounds great. If it isn't too wrecked and you clean it up, it's surprising how good it can still sound (if you can ignore the surface flaws).

It seems pretty deceptive to make a vinyl disk that's been through an intermediate digital stage. Once it's digitized you can never go back.

 

[dobyblue]

The SPARS code is specific to CD's, you won't find it usually on other media and these days you won't find it much used on CD's either.

A lot of mixing is done digitally, going from analog to digital and back again. Even if it comes from an analog tape...if it was mixed digitally it's really not analog anymore. However if it's mixed at 24/96 or higher there's not much to complain about as vinyl will still offer better fidelity than CD. If it's a 16/44.1 digital master being used, then vinyl is pointless.