Analog to Digital Conversion Question

[starprojektors]

Analog to Digital Conversion Question
Ok, so I have a question about analog to digital conversion. I record music on a Tascam 388 analog 1/4" 8-track. It sounds warm and fat and gorgeous. However, I believe that, at some point, it must make the leap to digital to be made into a cd, correct? If it is so, then how does one avoid "digitizing" your analog recording? Some beautiful albums come to mind: Nick Drake's "Pink Moon", Iron and Wine, The Microphones, etc, which I know were made on analog devices. But here they sit in my room, on CD. How did they keep it so beautiful??

Thank you! I know, I know, I'm new to this. But I have a record coming out in the fall! Hoorah!

-Gavin

[WmAx]

Recording to standard analog tape systems that are/were popular in studios, introduces levels of even order distortion as part of the process. The distortion is at levels that exceed JNDs(just noticable dfference) for humans on some soure material. In addition, it was common to slightly saturate(exceed maximum linear levels of the tape medium) the tape as a form of compression and/or desirable type of coloration. These two factors are not inherant to digital recording systems. However, they may be emulated with specific software/DSP emulation products. Some artists still record to analoge tape in order to keep these various colorations, tranferring to digital as a last step. Some may find the transparent recording of digital to sound as if it is 'plain', I suspect.

-Chris



Analog to Digital Conversion Question
Ok, so I have a question about analog to digital conversion. I record music on a Tascam 388 analog 1/4" 8-track. It sounds warm and fat and gorgeous. However, I believe that, at some point, it must make the leap to digital to be made into a cd, correct? If it is so, then how does one avoid "digitizing" your analog recording? Some beautiful albums come to mind: Nick Drake's "Pink Moon", Iron and Wine, The Microphones, etc, which I know were made on analog devices. But here they sit in my room, on CD. How did they keep it so beautiful??

Thank you! I know, I know, I'm new to this. But I have a record coming out in the fall! Hoorah!

-Gavin

[Beckman]

Analog to Digital Conversion Question
Ok, so I have a question about analog to digital conversion. I record music on a Tascam 388 analog 1/4" 8-track. It sounds warm and fat and gorgeous. However, I believe that, at some point, it must make the leap to digital to be made into a cd, correct? If it is so, then how does one avoid "digitizing" your analog recording? Some beautiful albums come to mind: Nick Drake's "Pink Moon", Iron and Wine, The Microphones, etc, which I know were made on analog devices. But here they sit in my room, on CD. How did they keep it so beautiful??

Thank you! I know, I know, I'm new to this. But I have a record coming out in the fall! Hoorah!

-Gavin

Try:
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/analog-digital3.htm
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/cd1.htm