analog or digital

[northern_dirt]

Unless you honestly think Sgt. Pepper would have turned out better had they used Pro-tools with 75 overdubs.

You think they recorded that without mono and stereo mix downs to optimize track count
and it was all live off the floor?

[Maggieo]

Hoo-boy, let the D vs. A dick-waving begin. 

I'll just point out that it is perfectly easy to use ProTools as a four or eight track recorder and that all the analog equipment in the world is no replacement for a bit of education, experience and good ears.  There's a great article in the most recent Tape Op about recording solo clarinet in a ProTools LE rig, where the artist limited himself to eight tracks and only EQ plug-ins.  In other words, he used PT like an Otari 8-Track, hooked up to a board.

Good microphones and some knowledge about how to use them will make more difference than the difference between analog and digital.

[JazzBlaster]

I wont even argue with anyone that analog is better. It's also more difficult to use and way more expensive. For someone that wants to record a demo for the least amount of cash digital is totaly the way to go. And no, the Beatles or anyone else from the 60's-70's would sound totaly different on pro tools. But then it's not the 60's is it? To push music foreward you need to use whatever you can to get he sound you desire. Weather it be analog, digital or reverse enginerred alien technologys.

David

[echobaseone]

do you guys suggest i get a digital or analog 4/8 track recorder?
keep the price range no higher than $300

Hmmm, difficult to rent out Abbey Road and an orchestra for $300

Wow I can't believe on a site dedicated to "classic" guitars like the Jazzmaster nobody prefer's the Harder and more time consuming reel tp reel analog recording.

I don't think it's a matter of NOT preferring Analog, it's simple economics. Do you transfer your finished tunes to vinyl? Getting a 45 pressed is quite pricey.

[northern_dirt]

Hmmm, difficult to rent out Abbey Road and an orchestra for $300

$199...

HAHAHAHA

[ugly casanova]

Wow I can't believe on a site dedicated to "classic" guitars like the Jazzmaster nobody prefer's the Harder and more time consuming reel tp reel analog recording.

I don't think it's a matter of NOT preferring Analog, it's simple economics. Do you transfer your finished tunes to vinyl? Getting a 45 pressed is quite pricey.

right. we spend our money on pedals and guitars and not for pushing our egos by saying we have a room full of analog recording tools.
it's just to expensive.. on the other hand most of us want to publish their music as mp3's anyway ..
and have you ever heard about LoFi? i think that genre fits better to this board..

[parry]

The "vast collection of excellent analog recordings" you hear everyday on the radio, it's anything before 1970.

I actually wasn't referring to the incredible analog material published by the Greats in the days before digital - most of us are aware that certain, current pros gush and wax nostalgic over the qualities of analog recording and the 'chops' it takes to use it well... I'm sure we've all read many of the same articles - what I was referring to, is music written, recorded and published by you. You weighed in pretty heavy on the digital bash, which gave me the impression that you must be pro, or nearly pro, with a large library of recorded material, and it made me want to listen to YOUR music so I could ask myself (a lover of analog) if your music has a quality that just couldn't exist if it were captured digitally...

Ultimately, I guess I get frustrated when people buy in to the "this is better than that" consumer, corporate BS. TRY and argue against what really matters is the song. You can't. It's not how, or where it was recorded and not what it was played on. It all adds to the overall ambiance, yes - but realistically... who would give a sh*t if Poison recorded their next album using ONLY offset guitars, recorded entirely analog, and released ONLY on vinyl?
Nobody.

I WILL tell you (and here's where I open myself up to debate) that if there's one current band that's mastered the marriage of the warm quality of analog with digital, it's Radiohead. History shows us that with any significant advance, there always end up being two camps -those opposed to the new, and those who pioneer the move forward. The true masters emerge later, as those who've learned to take the best of both worlds and blend them together seamlessly.

I'm stepping off the soapbox now.

[northern_dirt]

Oh he has a HUGE wealth of recorded analog material..
with many many recordings he's done of great artists,
who dropped $500 an hour to record on his 1/4 inch
8 track.. 

ok all kidding aside.. I USED to be an Anologophile
I had an 8 track 1/2 inch Otari and almost bought a
16 track 1 inch Otari (that was the size of a washing machine)

Ive worked with 24 track 2 inch MTR 90s, 1 Inch 16 tracks, 1/2 Inch
16 tracks, 1/2 inch 8 tracks, and 1/4 inch 2 tracks..

And Ill tell you, and I think this is where a lot of the A vs D debate comes in
Its a hell of a lot easier to work with digital.. which opens it up for amateurs
to make music.. A lot of which is awful.. So yes, digital HAS in one way led to
some BAD recordings.. but when you put  digital into the hands of those
who know how to use it you get great results. The old quality debate was
pretty much crushed as higher Sampling rates and bit  depths were introduced

[spaceghost]

Um...Sgt. Peppers has more than 8 tracks AND they had overdubs.

Just because it's tape doesn't mean you can't overdub.

just because someone uses digital doesn't mean they are a lazy ass, have you ever ran ProTools via an  SSL board before?

just because you run digital doesn't mean you can't run to tape afterwards for that 'sound'

if you know anything about current digital technology you would know that plenty of producers use digital and they have lots of ideas and don't lose track of projects.

http://www.tapeop.com/

that's like because I do graphic arts that i'm lazy because I don't paint it. that's just dumb.

[northern_dirt]

just because someone uses digital doesn't mean they are a lazy ass, have you ever ran ProTools via an  SSL board before?

Very true, before selling ours wed lay out all the tracks across our 40 channel board.

[spaceghost]

just because someone uses digital doesn't mean they are a lazy ass, have you ever ran ProTools via an  SSL board before?

Very true, before selling ours wed lay out all the tracks across our 40 channel board.

right, that's not easy! no matter what the preference others may  DoorSlams automatically insults anyone who doesn't think like him, before he hears from them! that may work on other boards but not here. to be quite honest northern, i didn't even read the second page of posts, since i got a little worked up! 

[idiotbear]

Oh, I do love it when someone jumps straight in and proves himself a total fuckknuckles* before he's even said "hello".

Future reference, DoorSlams. We don't talk the way you talked on this board, without quite a bit of provocation. We don't set ourselves up as 'experts' until we've earned the right to some respect. So get over yourself, draw a line under it and maybe think about starting again.

Once more with respect, please.





* Fuckknuckles is a registered trademark of the Sookwinder Corporation of Australia.

[Doorslams]

Whoa hold on their guys, for one I spent Thousands on my Logic 8 (7 before the recent upgrade) automated digital board thousands of plug ins all that shit and guess what...I still use it....know why, cause half the time I'm to "LAZY" to spool up some tape! Everyone I know that loves analog also uses digital and if you asked them why...they'd say "cause I'm lazy" It wasn't ment as an insult , like you can't get a job and you smoke crack cause you use digital, I'm saying if you could go anywhere in the world and record your dream album on an unlimited budget would you use pro-tool with a "crunchy 70's Rhodes" plug in? I said I got an 8 track analog setup for $234 shipped which is UNDER the $300 he wanted to spend. I HAVE all the digital stuff, it's like anything digital, remember when Boss Dr. Rhythm drum machines first started getting popular and everyone was like "man you can't even tell it's not a REAL drummer" listen to those tapes now....horrible, when I first started using plug ins I thought the "rhodes" plug-ins sounded "dead-on" then I bought a 73' Mark 1 off Craigslist for $80 and it sounds and feels 10x better and guess what....nobody has that plug in.....NOBODY....it's mine, and however I mic it or whatever effect's I use or whether I run the Wah pedal with a battery or power supply....it will be my sound and mine only. If I was just content with plug ins and digital then I wouldn't have gotten off my "LAZY" ass and driven to that tweakers house to buy his rhodes. Ok, I'm rambling but it's because your all taking offense but basically arguing my point for me, digital is cheap and easy, which is why I say your a "lazy cheap ass" just like I am sometimes when I run out of tape and just go digital cause I don't want to drive to buy more or cause I don't want to spend the money. Hell half the time I just launch garageband cause it loads faster I'm so lazy. When I started I used an old reel to reel 4 track and it taught me a lot (patience mostly) I think everyone starting out should be FORCED to use reel's just to have the respect for current shit. Not to mention I'm sick of everybody coming up asking if I want to hear their demo and 99% of the time it sucks ass...I don't think 8 out of 10 people should be able to play and record, only the dedicated music lovers should, but that's just me, cheap easy recording and music equipment waters down the scene, you SHOULD have to save up for 8 months to buy your first guitar so you appreciate it and really WANT it not some $70 Jay Turser POS every kid in suburbia gets for their 11th birthday. Take fucking piano lessons damn it!

[Maggieo]

Paragraphs.

I'm just sayin'.

[echobaseone]

[quote="Doorslams"]
Not to mention I'm sick of everybody coming up asking if I want to hear their demo and 99% of the time it sucks ass...
[\quote]
99% of everything sucks ass. It's that 1% that makes life magical. And wading through it is what makes the diamonds shine in the shit. Who are you anyway? Clive Davis or something? Why are you being deluged with demoes?
[quote="Doorslams"]
I don't think 8 out of 10 people should be able to play and record, only the dedicated music lovers should, but that's just me, cheap easy recording and music equipment waters down the scene[\quote]
What scene? The only scene I see is you and Alan Parsons holed up in some underground bunker. That's straight up elitism, and to me, NOT what music is about.