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RE: Why are CDs digitized from master tapes?

Posted by Tre' (P) on March 19, 2017 at 18:16:29

In Reply to: Why are CDs digitized from master tapes? posted by magiccarpetride on March 19, 2017 at 10:22:19:

I wonder how many people would prefer the master tape (digital or analog) to the CD or LP?

When the master tape gets "mastered" to either LP or CD it's not just transferred. It's manipulated.

In the old days the mastering engineers were technicians in white lab coats.

The artist and producer had nothing to do with the mastering process.

The technician's job was to make the LP sound as much like the master tape as they could. Period.

Then guys like Doug Sax can along and made the LP sound "better" than the master tape. The "mastering engineer" becomes part of the artistic process.

This is not mastering in the technical sense.

This is sweetening. I have sweetened many albums myself.

It's interesting to hear the master tape without the sweetening.

It's also interesting to hear different engineer's take on just how to sweeten a master tape.

The only way to get a handle on digital vs. analog is to do a straight transfer (no sweetening) to digital from a analog master tape and a straight transfer to the cutting lathe to make a vinyl record.

The transfer to the lacquer will take some EQ,etc.. to make up for the losses in the cutting and pressing processes but should be done old school technician mastering. Just make the LP sound as much like the master tape as you can.

If you could do all that and then compare the CD vs. the LP vs. the master tape itself, then you would know something.

Here is my point, we both like the sound of our LPs vs. CD.

How do we know that we aren't just liking the "mastering job" done on those LP vs. the mastering job done for the CD?

Tre'

Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"

Edits: 03/19/17

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