Mastering digital mixes vs. analog

[Ninja_Drummer]

Though I know the heated debate that entails, I'd just like to hear a few opinions as to how, to me, it seems like digitally produced (electronica music) mixes can be pushed a little more than analog (rock, etc.) produced music.

An example would be mixing say a trance or D n' B mix versus say like a heavy metal or hard rock mix. From what I can assume and understand, analog mixes have much more busy signals than digital in terms of wave consistency, case in point, the mix is easier to "compress" and "drive" rather than a digital mix. Kinda like if you were trying to level a range of mountain peaks versus leveling a tall building. I also think it may have to do with conversion factors of analog to digital or analog to tape, which I really don't have the knowledge of breaking down the science of method of how that works, but I'm sure you catch my drift.

So anyone wanna bust this mystery for me?

 

[Farview]

What you are talking about has nothing to do with analog vs digital, it has to do with acoustic instruments vs. electronic ones.

Acoustic instruments take to certain processing differently because there is 'air' or space around the instruments that the mics pick up, where as electronic instruments exist in a vacuum. For example, an electronic snare drum can be compressed and EQ'd as much as you want without having to worry about how that processing is making the hi hat sound, because the hi hat is bleeding into the snare mic.

None of this has anything to do with analog vs digital recording. I would say that most hard rock and metal albums in the last 10 years have been recorded digitally.

Another difference that just popped into my head is just the different aesthetic of the genres. Rock music has a ton of midrange compared to most electronic music. It also ends up being a more dense, wall of sound thing instead of a sparse, ambient thing. It's more factors like those that affect the way you approach mixing and mastering the styles of music than it is analog or digital.