... i.m.h.o. :
The digtal notwithstanding the high resolutions achieved (192khz)
still cannot take all the nuances "details" (air) of sound , as the "quality" analog devices still can do...
... overall the digital that do not have dedicated DSP cards like Pro Tools ... ,
it is true that with increasingly powerful computers the digital data "compression"is always smaller...
but as for a digital photo when you zoom on it suddenly appears the "square" of the max resolution pixel
( a.k.a. : Linit ? .... )
same as you set max zoom on the digital audio wave ,
the analog do not have that "square limit" ,
so now multiply that "slight" difference by the number of tracks of the song .... , and the "winner" is ?
.... ok , the analog have other "issues", like noise , gain limit before distorsion , etc..
(..no copy-paste , and other editing options , .... include the perfect total recall )
but isn't it true that it is just the right distortion of the harmonics to often makes the sound more interesting ?
besides the fact that the analog every time it plays ,
little or a lot is never the same as the previous one ?
unlike sampled sounds that sound practically always the same,
and that even if they are made well, after a while they generate boredom ?
(...psychoacoustics ? )
digital distortion apart , ...still "annoying" though ,
despite of the results achieved in elecric guitar digital simulators of amplifiers and distorsion effects ...
and another aspect of the matter to be considered , is the depth of sound ,
in particular the one related to reverberation fx ,
determined by the "tails" of the lower levels ,
and again , the digital have the "squares"... (large or small, depending on the quality of the resolution) ,
while analog is sinusoidal... ,
..square and sine waves ,
... the endless saga of sound ? .. or the crucial difference ?
which is why, for over 20 years, there has been an overwhelming return to quality valves devices ? (Avalon , Manley , Thermionic Culture , & co. )
... which seems to be the only way to restore roundness to the squares....
hoping it will help ,
cheers
Ps :
Ever tried to compare the same tracks recorded in the 70s and 80s , also 90s , recorded , mixed , mastered in hi pro quality analog domain (a.k.a. "AAA" ) ,
between the original vinyl version, the subsequent (pretty cold) first reissue in Compact Disc made with the first digital technologies ...
and the latest remastered with quality valve devices ?
and hear details that were not audible in the previous ones ?
apart from an additional sound quality always enhanced by the quality of "those" valve devices...
And :
If originally instead of being made with the professional analog technology of the time ,
had been made with digital ,
would they sound like this ?