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Mastering or media?

Paul's Posts — 12 November 2011

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Mastering or media?

My friend and reviewer Michael Fremer loves his iPod when traveling – but he doesn’t think a lot of digital audio – preferring vinyl instead.

Here’s what’s interesting: Michael digitally records his favorite music from his turntable and transfers to his iPod.  Indeed, I can attest to the wonderful sound he gets.

Does this mean digital audio as a medium is ok as long as you pass it through the filter of transferring to vinyl then back again – or is something else going on?  I believe something else is going on.

My experience suggests that it is the differences in mastering for vinyl vs. digital audio that makes for improved sound.  When you transfer music from one medium to another (tape to vinyl, digital to vinyl) you have to set the audio parameters to match the medium – and I believe it is this final step to mastering that makes the difference.

It would be instructive to master for vinyl but transfer only to digital and compare.

I’ll bet this would be eye opening.

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About Author

Paul McGowan

Paul McGowan is the CEO and co-founder of PS Audio Inc. a Boulder Colorado design and manufacturing company of high-end audio products and services. McGowan has been designing and building high-end products for nearly 40 years. Hobbies include skiing, music, hiking, artisan bread baking, kick boxing and cooking. He lives in Boulder Colorado with his wife Terri and his 4 sons.

(5) Readers Comments

  1. November 12, 2011 at 9:49 am

    You would need an RIAA curve on your player or amp.

  2. Mike48

    November 12, 2011 at 11:44 am

    Paul, I’m not sure quite what you’re driving at here? That digital recordings are mastered with settings more appropriate to vinyl? That they should be mastered with the settings used for vinyl? IMO, much of the problem seems to be (1) too much compression, and (2) too much HF boosting in reissues to make them sound “crisp.”

    • November 12, 2011 at 7:14 pm

      Mike. I think that the way they master vinyl is superior to the digital masters. What’s odd is that vinyl mastering is more dynamically restricted. I have some ideas why this works better. I’ll try and elaborate but presently at a Warren Miller premier of the newest ski film and intermission’s almost over.

  3. califhifi

    November 13, 2011 at 11:18 am

    My friend is an audio engineer, he says that engineers still prefer analog recoding equipment over digital. Therefore, even though some of the mastering is done the digital domain, in the final stage, they use analog equipment. If they are mastering vinyl they do not need to go convert the analog master from analog to digital. However, if they are mastering a CD, they must go through a ADC and thus,the higher quality ADC that they use, the closer the CD will sound to vinyl .

    • November 13, 2011 at 8:56 pm

      True but it ignores the point I was making. When you go from vinyl to an iPod, you are going through an ADC (analog to digital converter). The only difference is a pro ADC that might be used to transfer from a master tape to CD is better than the consumer grade we’re talking about from Apple – yet Fremer’s iPod recorded vinyl sounds great. Therefore, it isn ‘t the process of going from analog to digital we’re talking about at all.

      I am suggesting something else is afoot here.

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