So what is it about analog that makes it sound so good?

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Han said:
What will it be bro, yes or no? :D

I wonder, many of you guys have a strong opinion about analog gear, but is it based upon experience? I mean, have you ever worked with a Studer A820 multitrack and a big board?

I'm curious.
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I have not, but, I have worked with other 2" decks. I do love analog, but, the Studer is a totally moot point as there is no-one on this BBS that can afford one (unless they mrtgage their house). The fact is that the analog that is affordable to the Home-reccer is gone to the four winds. We are stuck with digital which will get better faster. The used stuff will only go so far. So, enjoy it while you can because to refurbish an aging deck will become so not worth the $$$.
 
acorec said:
Studer is dropping the Analog Multi-track line. They will be gone within 2 years. They are putting all their efforts in the RADAR line.
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Huh? Studer makes the Gold 827 and hasn't as far as I know decided to stop making them. They might cost more because of a lesser demand but I heard they were still going to make the Golds? About 5 years ago they said they would continue them after the current production runs ends, but they are still listed in the product page. How long does a production run last?

Otari is the company that is focusing on the RADAR system btw.

SoMm
 
acorec said:
I have not, but, I have worked with other 2" decks. I do love analog, but, the Studer is a totally moot point as there is no-one on this BBS that can afford one (unless they mrtgage their house). The fact is that the analog that is affordable to the Home-reccer is gone to the four winds. We are stuck with digital which will get better faster. The used stuff will only go so far. So, enjoy it while you can because to refurbish an aging deck will become so not worth the $$$.
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A couple of years back I got a Telefunken M15A 2" 16 track in good working order for free, plus a Studer B67 1/4" 2 track, also for free. Both machines were gathering dust in a movie studio

I have bought more than 50 two inch tapes (Basf 911) used only a couple of times for 15 euro pp.

Hi end analog can be very affordable, you have to search.

BTW, a Fostex G24 or a Tascam MSR24S can compete with many two inch machines and are affordable these days.
 
Han said:
A couple of years back I got a Telefunken M15A 2" 16 track in good working order for free, plus a Studer B67 1/4" 2 track, also for free. Both machines were gathering dust in a movie studio

I have bought more than 50 two inch tapes (Basf 911) used only a couple of times for 15 euro pp.

Hi end analog can be very affordable, you have to search.

BTW, a Fostex G24 or a Tascam MSR24S can compete with many two inch machines and are affordable these days.
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Yeah, I have the Fostex. My heads need relapping so I ordered a Fostex D2424LV to get me through. I was going to do the heads on the Fostex but everyone who I recorded on the D2424LV loved the sound! They still keep coming back to record. I will fix the Fostex analog sometime, but since the D2424LV does such a great job, I keep putting it off. Plus, I have saved so many $$$ on tape. I now think I am too lazy to care about analog anymore. It was such a pain to do all the things to the machines to keep them running up to spec. I really don't miss it at all. Now I am ready to do a session in about 5 minutes. Turn on, tune in, drop out.
 
It seems to me when the CD standard goes from 16/44 up to 24/96 we will enter a whole new world of fidelity.I'm only guessing that it will happen.That means recording at 32/192 or somewhere around there. I read somewhere,I think it was a website on broadcast engineering,that a 24/96 digital recording comes close to a high end analog recording in terms of sonic information(density,clarity,detail,whatever.....you know what I mean).Sounds about right to me.
 
Han said:
Adorec, you are missing a couple of important points. Vinyl is alive and kickin'. We have a pressing plant in Haarlem that has to work 24 hours a day.

Analog multitracks are still in production.

An Ampex ATR102 1/2" two track is very expensive these days and so are the hi end multitracks. A studer A820 is still pretty popular among many studio guys and expensive.

Digital is not here because it sounds better,but because it's much more convenient and cheaper, everybody should know that.

There was a time that a vintage Neumann wasn't worth much money, that has changed as you know.
There was a time that tubes were 'out', but that has changed also.

I am not going to defend analog or going to start another digital/analog debate here.

Digital still has a long way to go and it will sound better than hi end analog some day, but IMHO it will take at least another ten years.

You did quote my post, but didn't respond to it as a whole, what about the loss of an important piece of our art? Your hard disk will not work within ten years from now, so you will only have your master on CD. No possibility to remix. And the question is whether that CD master will play or not.

Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue' was recorded in 1959 and was recently remixed to SACD and it sounds wonderful.

My two inch tape will work like a charm within 10, 20 or even 50 years and there will be a 2" machine somewhere in working order.
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UPDATE: I found 3 hard disk drives from 1985. That is almost 20 years ago. I installed them and they all read data fine. They have been in storage in my garage (unheated) for 4 years and moved over the years in a junk box. These drives have seen winter, summer, spring and fall weather! Amazing.

Just adding some long term data.
 
I think it's the negative ions in analog gear. Analog smells great!

I've been theorizing that maybe the playback through analog gear has alot to do with it. It's alive! It's not an exact replication everytime.Too many time's I would think I'd have something on my digital workstation to listen again and realize I didn't. It's sounds great at first but after a couple listen's your ears are tuned in and it doesn't sound as good.
 
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