Recording in 90's

[miroslav]

...and even then, most people had to transfer them [CDs] to casette to listen to them in the car.

Yeah...the first use of a pseudo "digital plug-in" to make the digital recording sound better!!!

I remember the early CDs always having the "AAD" stamps, since most were only converted to digital in the last (mastering) phase...nowdays it's rare. Most are done DDD.

Mine would probbaly need an ADAD stamp.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I remember the early CDs always having the "AAD" stamps, since most were only converted to digital in the last (mastering) phase...nowdays it's rare. Most are done DDD.

Mine would probbaly need an ADAD stamp.

These days, I think most artists would get, and most listeners would prefer, one marked ADHD. Although they'd probably never get to reading that last D, having moved on to something else by then... .

It's kinda funny how things have gone full circle...in a way. Back when they started using that designation, DDD was the rare exception, and often the coveted one. Now, the idea of tracking and mixing on some old analog big iron before moving over to digital (AAD) is often the coveted setup, with DDD being the anybody-can-do-that method.

None of which has anything to do with the 90s, but it's more fun to talk about the pre-90s

G.

 

[shoggoth80]

"It's kinda funny how things have gone full circle...in a way. Back when they started using that designation, DDD was the rare exception, and often the coveted one. Now, the idea of tracking and mixing on some old analog big iron before moving over to digital (AAD) is often the coveted setup, with DDD being the anybody-can-do-that method."

Lol. I thought about this as soon as someone mentioned the AAD conversion stampings. Some people LOVE analog sound, and nuance it can have. Some people just like "classic" sounding stuff. No harm in that! I liked to collect LPs for a while, and there is an aesthetic thing there for me as well, but with a good needle, and good speakers LPs can sound great. Cassette tapes? Not so much for me... but I never had access to a tape deck that was anything resembling quality (for that matter, my personal turntable wasn't so hot, but I knew some guys with better rigs). I personally would like to try analog recording, with digital mastering... but that is outside my means by a long shot. Maybe one day, but it sure wouldn't be on my own gear. Full digital is the modern DIY way! Lol.

 

[leddy]

I personally would like to try analog recording, with digital mastering... but that is outside my means by a long shot.

If you are serious, you could get into it for relatively cheap.

One way to do it - pick up a decent 1/2-track machine. 1/4" tape, at least 15 IPS. Something like a Tascam 22-2 can be had for around $100. Mix to it from your daw and record the output back in (I do it on the same pass to minimize any wow/flutter/hf loss/print through/etc.).

From there, you have to learn about operating levels, maintenance, and such (especially if you don't purchase a healthy deck). There will be a learning curve, but no reason you can't dive in and experiment.

Eventually, you can think about tracking to tape - which is where the real benefit is, IMO.

 

[Massive Master]

I personally would like to try analog recording, with digital mastering... but that is outside my means by a long shot.

I would be exactly the opposite -- Not that I don't have a thing for hitting tape, but I'm quite happy with digital, assuming the front end is up to the task. On the rare occasion that I'm asked to mix it's usually a project that started out digital and I'll generally keep it that way (although I might use an analog summing mixer at the end). But at the mastering phase, you'd have to pry the analog from my cold dead hands.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Hey John,

I get what you're saying about using analog gear for mastering, but is that enough to change the AAD rating? Isn't one stuck with that "D" at the end as long as it's a CD or as long as the final product to some out of the mastering suite is in a digital format? Or do I have that wrong?

Merry Christmas, BTW .

G.

 

[Massive Master]

That's why I'm glad they pretty much stopped using that. Like the sounds weren't analog (along with the entire front end) in the first place also... But yeah, if it was recorded to digital, mixed analog but to DAT and then mastered through analog to a digital format, it was designated DDD.

 

[buzzard bass]

My God, front end appreciation guys. In my book it's all about the front end, the track. So much on this forum about post-production stuff. Post-production should be minimal. I've bought a lot of stuff recently, been fun, but it's all front end, mics and the such. As a musician I want to record what I do, as pro engineers you want to record what the musician does, other camp, I have a studio but want to be a rock star, so I'll play a POS guit and do everything in post production.