A Discussion of Analog and Digital Recording Techniques

The Best Tool for the Job: A Discussion of Analog and Digital Recording Techniques

ABSTRACT the job. Analog gear has largely just become a new tool in an engineer’s arsenal for creating music and art. This article discusses various aspects in the recording industry debate of analog versus digital 2. LITERATURE REVIEW recording techniques. It specifically examines why engineers still choose to produce recordings on analog One of most highly contested areas in the analog tape, the rise and popularity of emulation plug-ins, the versus digital debate is on the use of analog tape. While nature of analog equipment, and the impact of the artists “So is Analog dead Yet” discusses reactions to the last vision and consumers desires. Research came from producer of recording tape filing for bankruptcy in 2005, various articles of experiments with analog equipment, their bleak outlook has largely been unfulfilled. While discussions of specific engineer’s mixing philosophies, there has been a shift towards a wider use of digital and overall discussions of how different pieces of (especially as a storage medium), analog tape has persisted equipment work. The article concludes that ultimately in studios for artists desiring a vintage sound. There is also Engineers choices and preferences on what sounds the a large faction of engineers who still use analog tape for best ultimately determines what gear they use on a project, final mixes, as discussed in Brown. While engineers like and that they are largely unaffected by external influences. Gustavo Celis still prefer to bounce their final mixes to However, there is a marked shift in the use of analog tape, they do this out of a desire to achieve a certain sound equipment as a stylistic choice and not a technical and not because of a technological necessity for quality. necessity in the production of recordings. Anderton and Robojons expand on these concepts in their

articles on incorporating tape and analog equipment into a studio. While Anderton focuses specifically on home 1. INTRODUCTION studio use and why analog tape might not be the best idea Most professionals in the audio engineering field for recording hobbyists and home-studios due to the would say that we are currently experiencing a “golden required knowledge of tape machines and possible upkeep age” for music production. Even in the last ten years there of vintage tape machines, Robojons provides a wealth of has been a dramatic drop in the cost of quality equipment, information on the reasons engineers like to use tape, from microphones, to recording interfaces/mixers, and specifically discussing the audible harmonic distortion even to digital plug ins and free DAWS such as Garage analog tape produces in recordings. He describes this Band. However, with all of these advancements in digital distortion as the “warmth” that so many engineers say that recording techniques, analog processes and equipment are tape provides. The biggest dissenting opinion on analog still prevalent in almost all professional recording studios. tape comes from Stuhl. In his article on “analog fetishism,” This article explores some analog recording techniques he argues how the public has affected the recording that still persist in the digital era and explores the opinions processes with the “vintage obsession” of vinyl, tapes, and of many engineers on these processes. other pieces of analog gear. He concludes that because the One of the biggest questions that this research set general public is more concerned with “vintage” and the out to answer is why analog processes and equipment “lo-fi” sound that tape provides that engineers and persist in the digital recording era when most of these amateurs alike are buying and using tape because they pieces of gear are considered obsolete technology. While think that simply by using it they will get the sound that most of the general public and even some artists would say they want. All of the articles still support that fact that that analog gear is “better” than digital for superficial, in engineers are no longer focused on using analog tape as a reality almost any professional audio engineer will choose necessity, but that they are using it as a stylistic choice. what processes they use for any given project because of While most engineers would argue that analog the desirable sounds that they produce. While the public equipment is a great tool to enhance mixes, buying ten has become obsessed with the aesthetic that “vintage” 1176 compressors, for example, is incredibly expensive represents, the audio engineering community has remained and takes up a lot of space in your studio. This is where grounded in the ideals of using the best sounding tools for emulation plug-ins have become almost a new standard for

engineers. Brown discusses this in her article on tape, new SSL Duality console for use in their audio programs. specifically how engineers praise the UAD tape emulation The article helps to give an overview of new large format plug-ins of the Studer A 800 and ATR-102. Engineer Matt mixing consoles that are being designed for use in modern Shane claims that the plug-in “seems to be the best one “hybrid” studios with digital recording and DAW’s at the I’ve used for straight up tape emulation,” while Chris center. Houghton’s article from Sound on Sound explores Coady states that most plug-ins “sounded good, but didn’t other options within the concept of creating a “hybrid sound like tape.” Coady further remarks that most plug-ins studio” that uses a blend of digital and analog equipment now do just as good of a job of emulating the actual sound and recording techniques. Houghton discusses the use of of tape machines, and he uses them in conjunction with various pieces of hardware and outboard devices in a actual tape regularly. In recording an album in many digitally based studio, concluding that different pieces of studios, Coady states, where some were tracked to tape, a equipment work best for different studios, depending on tape emulation plug-in can be handy in making a track what type of workflow the engineer wishes to have. recorded digitally blend in with the tracks recorded to tape. Another example of a “hybrid studio” technique is Ciletti’s article delves into comparisons between emulation explored in Chris Este’s article on CLASP systems. While plug-ins of API, dbx, and Neve devices, and concludes that his article is biased because he is the creator of the same plug-ins largely sound close to hardware devices but technology that the article discusses, his technology usually do not react in the exact same manner. Anderton represents a new advancement in the integration of real does a similar comparison in his article “Next Generation tape machines in a digital based studio. Plug-ins” but approaches the idea from the concept that While most of the different areas of contention in newer emulations are expanding on the original concepts the analog versus digital debate come to conclusion that to help engineers spend more time creating music and less neither analog or digital is necessarily a better or worse time tweaking settings to get the exact sound you want, method of working for a particular project, there are still giving in depth reviews of what he likes about various different reasons why people choose to use analog gear. emulation plug ins. Robojons also briefly discusses For many, it is based on the stylistic choices that engineers emulation style plug-ins indirectly in his article, but states and producers make with artists to create a certain kind of in his article that the best way to get the sound of a piece of sound. Robojon discusses the philosophy that analog gear analog equipment is to use the analog equipment. While can create warmth in a recording. Anderton reinforces this opinions on emulation plug-ins vary, the pattern of with his argument against tape machines - they can seem engineers choosing one for any given situation is again like a nice addition to a home studio but that in reality the based on preference and the needs of the specific project. upkeep can outweigh the benefits. In Another major area of contention in the analog Shimonski/Anderton’s article, the idea of integrating versus digital debate concerns the actual type and use of analog gear with a digitally recorded project is based analog gear in a project in general. Whether it is a large almost entirely on getting the sounds that the engineer format analog mixing console or simply analog summing wants for a recording, and that there is no right or wrong converters for an audio interface, engineers have differing method or amount of gear to use (or not use). Another opinions and methods for use in studios. Merton explores concept that is prevalent is that analog gear is simply the changes in sound between different types of analog cooler to use for a project than recording digitally. Stuhl summing mixers, which some engineers claim are essential discusses this concept when discussing his concepts of “lo- to make a mix sound “lively” and to combat the sterility of fi” and consumers attitudes to the recording world. While digital mixes. He concluded that the differences between a all engineers have different preferences, the biggest mix summed digital and a mix summed through any constant is that it is ultimately up to the engineer and artist analog summing mixer are largely only noticeable to other to decide what works and sounds the best for their project, audio engineers and are not likely to impact any given mix and any technique when used properly can be the right in a major way. Merton also concluded that it is ultimately one. the engineer’s preference as to whether or not to use an analog summing mixer in their studio. Robojons explores 3. RESEARCH ANALYSIS the use of tube and transistor based analog equipment in “Analog Warmth,” but also comes to the same conclusion - My research focused on 4 different topics within that it is ultimately user preference. Reid’s article “The analog and digital recording techniques, which revealed Digtal Myth” provides a nice counter argument to the the patterns and opinions that engineers hold about analog notion that digital audio has passed the quality of analog recording processes in the digital era. Specifically I will and that engineers who claim that analog is better quality discuss the use of analog tape, emulation plug-ins, analog than digital are wrong from a scientific point of view. outboard gear and mixers, and the impact of the general While his article is from 2007, his findings have only been public and the “coolness factor” of using analog gear reinforced with advancements in digital audio. An article among professional engineers. from the University of Hull discusses the installation of the

3.1 TAPE AND TAPE MACHINES and because he likes the way it sounds. This is a mindset that is widely echoed across the recording industry and Analog recording tape is one of the most clearly extends to the use of almost any analog process, not just obsolete technologies in the era of digital recording. tape recording. Analog tape is finite, degrades over time, and requires Ultimately engineers have moved away from specific knowledge of how tape machines work to use. A using analog tape as a necessary part of the recording hard drive (usually) perfectly recalls whatever information process to having tape machines occupying a space similar you store on it and has virtually an unlimited amount of to other outboard gear. Analog tape imparts “warmth” memory. It’s pretty obvious that studios have moved away through the addition of noise and enhancement of even from tape for storage of recording projects and DAWs harmonics in a recorded track. Robojons also discusses have overtaken recording machines for actually recording how the actual tape machine imparts noises to a recording. music. Analog tape is also not the “cleanest” method of The speed control of a tape machine leaves behind artifacts recording music, because analog tape adds harmonic that he describes as “wow and flutter,” and breaks down content and noise to anything recorded to it, but this analog into even more detail in the Sound on Sound article “sound” is in many ways the reason why engineers still “Analouge Warmth.” Ultimately these imperfections were choose to use it today. a part of all recordings up until the mid 1990s when digital The last major company to still produce analog recording replaced tape machines. Their absence is recording tape in the US, Quantegy, closed its doors in perceived in newer recordings, and engineers are now 2005. The shutdown of the company brought a wave of making the stylistic choice to add these sounds back into discussion on listservs on the topic of analog tape in recordings. recording, with the majority of users responding that the outlook for analog recording was extremely poor. Gateway 3.2 PLUG-IN EMULATIONS OF ANALOG Mastering stated that it was “crucial to have new projects EQUIPMENT done on analog because it is so musical for many mixers.” (“So, is analog Dead Yet?”) This attitude still prevails While many still claim that there is nothing quite among many in the audio engineering community, but a the same as using the real thing, there are multiple analog larger majority views the analog tape machine as a useful tape emulation plug-ins for all DAWs that are virtually piece of gear to treat as outboard equipment to augment a indistinguishable to the average listener. In a 2012 article mix, not a necessity. Advances with both computers and from Sound Recording, a poll of engineers revealed that DAW software have made some of the arguments from most were not able to distinguish significant differences 2005 invalid. While Remote Recording Services claimed between the UAD-2 Studer A800 and ATR-102 plug-ins in 2005 that analog tape was still necessary because and the actual sound of those tape machines. It also states recording digital only was “too risky,” (“So, is Analog that while some engineers, like Gustavo Celis, still print Dead Yet?”) any engineer with a Macbook can record a mixes to analog tape, he uses plug-in emulations liberally three hour concert with Pro Tools with little risk of major and for his reference mixes to send out before a project is issues. These improvements in computer and DAW complete (Brown). Other engineers follow a similar technology have also led to the rise of more plug-in philosophy. Chris Lord-Alge uses plug-in emulations in his emulations of tape machines and the sound and warmth mixes when editing and preparing a project for his final that analog tape brings to a mix. mix down, which is then printed to tape during his mix Surprisingly, plenty of recording studios still use phase (Tingen). These examples, as well as many others tape machines in the digital era. In 2011 the Foo Fighters from the literature, help to prove the point that engineers famously recorded an album “all on tape” because they make their choices of equipment and plug-ins based on the wanted to prove the point that music “isn’t made on the sound that they wish to achieve in the project. While all computer.” Plenty of engineers, like Chris Lord-Alge, still engineers have their individual preferences and pieces of mix all of their projects to tape. Lord-Alge looks at using equipment that they like, the motivation for why any tape as a necessary limitation. He looks at the limitations individual piece is chosen is grounded in the sound that it of a tape machine mix as “an elegant way of organising his creates. material and sharpening his creative focus.” In the same While there are plug-ins that can adequately article he talks about why he likes to use tape over digital, emulate the sound of tape machines, there are other plug-in saying that “When you are mixing with tape, you are doing emulations of classic gear that are helping engineers to rewind and fast-forward and locate and play and you get a achieve the sounds they need. As stated in the literature feel for a song in a way that a computer doesn't give you. review, it is very impractical for a studio to own ten 1176 Plus, when I compare the sound of Pro Tools and Apogee compressors for use on any given track in a project (and and all that, the 3348 still sounds better to me.” (Tingen). even then you only have ten tracks that you can use them Ultimately he makes the choice to use analog tape in his on). This is where plug-ins emulations of classic gear have projects because it is the best tool for his mixing process taken over the engineering world by providing the ability

to use them on unlimited tracks and the fact that they are piece of gear. Ciletti mentions that no two pieces of analog significantly cheaper to purchase than any piece of analog equipment sound the same, and that because of that gear. Many claim that these emulations sound just as good engineers that prefer the sound of any one piece of gear. as the originals, but there are obviously differences and He states, “A perfect example is the Neve 1064/1066/1073 limitations to take into account. Ciletti and Anderton’s preamp/EQ modules. There's no way that a pair of vintage articles in which they actually did “shootout” comparisons or retro-modern analog hardware equalizers can be made of analog equipment and plug-in counterparts revealed a to agree simply by putting their knobs in the same place.” few notable points. The biggest “advantage” of plug-ins This concept can be applied to the choice to use any piece over any piece of analog gear is that all iterations of the of analog equipment, really, if you approach it from the plug-in will react in the same way with the same settings “whatever sounds best” idea. No two consoles, channels, on any system, because it is a digital emulation of the mixers, compressors, etc will ever sound exactly the same hardware. In contrast, no two pieces of analog equipment and as such it is up to the engineer to decide what sounds will sound exactly the same, and even putting two pieces best. of gear at the exact same setting will likely produce slightly different sounding results. Ultimately their 3.4 STYLYSTIC CHOICES/CONSUMER research comes to the same conclusion; plug-ins usually do IMPACT a very good job of approximating the sound of actual gear, but they never sound like exact copies of the analog While all of the previous areas of discussion have equipment. They go on to talk about how whether or not centered on technical aspects of any given piece of you choose to use an emulated plug-in or the real deal, equipment and the sounds that different analog and digital whatever the engineer thinks sounds best is the best tool gear impart to a recording, there are other approaches to for the job. explain why an engineer may choose to do something in analog or digital. For example, if the engineer is recording 3.3 OUTBOARD GEAR AND MIXERS a sixties style psych rock band, they may want to choose to record to tape and use tape style plug-ins to more At a bigger level than specifically choosing to use accurately re-create the sounds they are looking for. It still a plug-in or a piece of hardware for a project, there is a boils down to the idea that the engineer has to make the debate in the audio community on the very nature of using choices for what sounds best for that project, but it can analog gear. With the DAW and computers taking the absolutely affect the gear used in a recording as well. central position in the majority of studios, some engineers Another point of discussion is the vain, but still very claim that there is no longer a need for any analog gear, important to note idea that Engineers have to please especially with the constantly improving quality of plug- clients. Consumers, and sometimes even the artists, do not ins. That being said, consoles and other pieces of “analog” understand the way that different pieces of gear work or equipment still persist in studios. The reason for this is, how the recording process even works. However, most again, about how things sound. One interesting example consumers would not be that impressed by a project that comes from a comparison on analog summing mixers done was simply recorded with the basic plug-in suite in pro by Merton. Many engineers claim that a digitally recorded tools on a clean sounding interface. They are interested in mix sounds “dry” or “lifeless” because all of the tracks are hearing that something was recorded to tape to get a summed on the computer and not through a piece of analog “cooler” sound, or that the engineer used a specific analog equipment. Summing mixers are essentially the “guts” of a keyboard to achieve the “trademark” sound of a recording. master bus of a recording console. An audio interface’s Music marketers display an awareness of analog nostalgia outputs can be connected to it, and then the digital tracks in advertising that touts, for example, the absence of digital are summed together through the mixer, where you can tools in a record's production or emphasizes the then connect it back into your DAW through the mixers authenticity of an artist's sound (Stuhl). This has a direct outputs. Merton’s experiment came to the conclusion that affect on how recordings are produced. Stuhl goes on to summing mixers do change the sound of whatever you discuss how the current obsession with “vintage” has feed into them, but that the differences are so subtle that created a culture that expects the sound recording the average listener is not going to notice the difference. community to make decisions that please the masses and He also makes the point to note that while these fit the “lo-fi” aesthetic that he claims consumers want. differences are subtle, if the engineer thinks that a mix Stuhl comes to the conclusion that engineer’s motivations summed in analog sounds the best then it is the best mix. are still largely grounded in the performance and sound of Again, the emphasis is on the engineer making the choices the music. Engineer’s choices largely reflect the vision that that provide the best sound for a project. the artist creates and their choices of equipment are still On the other hand, engineers have made the point based what sound the equipment achieves, not whether or that analog equipment will always be different from digital not it is analog or digital. plug-ins because of the very fact that it is a unique physical

4. CONCLUSION http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/hardware- software-studio In conclusion, more research into these areas of discussion will yield better information. While there are 7. Merton, Orren. "The Sum of all Tracks." Electronic many elements in the debate of analog versus digital Musician, vol. 22, no. 2, 2006, pp. 57-58, 60, 62- recording techniques, the universal condition that almost 64http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest. all engineers can agree upon is that any piece of equipment com/docview/1402784?accountid=8285. can be used on any given project if it is determined that the sound is the preferred choice. There are not very many 8. Reid, Gordon, “The Digital Myth: Why Digital Audio engineers claiming that analog recording in its purest form Sounds Better than You Think,” Sound on Sound, is the best way to record music, just as there are very few September 2007, who claim that all recording should be done on the http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/digital-myth computer in the box. The recording studio is just as much an instrument in the recording process as any guitar, drum, 9. Robjohns, Hughes. “Analogue Warmth: The Sound of or other sound created by musicians and engineers and Tubes, Tape & Transformers.” Sound on Sound, February producers play just as much a part of sculpting a 2010, recording’s sound as the musicians. Whether using a piece http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/analogue- of analog equipment or the newest analog emulated plug- warmth in, if it sounds right for the project, then it is the best tool to use. 10. Shimonski, Robert J., and Craig Anderton. "Mix: Bus -

using Analog Gear with DAW Mixdowns." EQ, vol. 20, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS no. 3, 2009., pp. 44-

45http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest. I would like to thank Paul Ohelers, Rogerio com/docview/756580399?accountid=8285 Naressi, and American University for allowing me the opportunity to conduct this research. 11. "So, is Analog Dead Yet?" Pro Sound News, vol. 27,

no. 02, 2005., pp. 32 http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.co 5. REFERENCES m/docview/200170892?accountid=8285.

1. Anderton, Craig. “Digital Home Recording: Analog 12. Stuhl, Andy Kelleher. “Reactions to Analog Fetishism Tape- Magic for the Digital Studio?” in Sound-Recording Cultures,” The Velvet Light Trap, Number 74, Fall 2014, pp. 42-53. 2014, University of 2. Brown, Janice, “Tone Shaping with Tape Sounds,” Texas Press, //http://muse.jhu.edu/article/553703/pdf Sound Recording, October 2012

3. Eno, Brian. “The Studio as a Compositional Tool,” New 13. Tingen, Paul. “Secrets of the Mix engineers: Chris Music New York, New Music America Festival, 1979, Lord-Alge.” Sound on Sound, May 2007. New York, New York, Lecture- http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/secrets-mix- http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/dow engineers-chris-lord-alge nbeat79.htm 14. "University of Hull Selects SSL Duality for Music 4. Ciletti, Eddie. “Tech’s Files: Dare to Compare- Pitting Programs." Live Design (Online), 2015., pp. Processing Plug-ins Agains the ‘Real Thing’” Mix, 31.8 nphttp://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://search.proquest. August 2007, pp 98, 100. com/docview/1698928939?accountid=8285. http://search.proquest.com/iimp/docview/1296387/69FB2 A867A254877PQ/19?accountid=8285#

5. Estes, Chris. "Analog Recording Re-Invented." Pro Sound News, vol. 32, no. 6, 2010., pp. 37- 37,44http://proxyau.wrlc.org/login?url=http://search.proqu est.com/docview/1789367533?accountid=8285.

6. Houghton, Matt. “Hardware in the Software Studio: Hybrid Systems” Sound on Sound, May 2010.