Analog vs Digital Recordings

If you can find some of Reference Recordings vinyl, you can do a pretty decent direct comparision. Their LP mastering is strictly analog, CD mastering is DDD.

Digital recordings are not made from analog tape. That would be AAD or ADD. Digital recordings (DDD) are made directly to digital (hard drive or digital tape).
(Of course to put old recordings onto CD, the mastering is done in the digital domain - that final "D" in the AAD or ADD).
In the case of Reference Recordings, I believe they have found a way to have a digital recorder at the mike and thus cut down on or eliminate losses from long cable runs.
Thin, shallow CD sound is partly due to the conversion to digital in the PCM format. Low sampling rate and the brickwall filter lead to the sterile sound.
However, the best CDs I've heard have either been RR's DDD recordings (with HDCD) or Mapleshade's direct to analog 2-track with no mixing and short cables, using custom a/d's...the sound has good depth and presence.
So both the quality of the recording and mixing and the format used play a part. The fewer stages of conversion and the fewer electronics are used, the better the sound.

I've heard some pretty poorly made LPs also, to you really need to listen.

I BELIEVE CRAIG SAID IT ALL IN A NUTSHELL.DOUBLE CHEERS,RICH.

Most recording today are all digital "DDD". For classical I prefer the older analog recordings "AAD" and some "ADD". FYI, The first letter is the recording, the second the mixing, the third is the final product which will always be D if on CD.

I believe that almost all (certainly most) digital recordings are still made from analog tape. The process of going from a master tape (analog) to CD certainly has improved in the last few years IMO, and there are now many excellent quality CDs. I have heard DDD discs and not been impressed, but there are also some good ones. I still prefer the master tape to CD process.

I also think that in the history of the entire world, there have been as many poor records made as there have poor CDs. That said, I have cherished the good of both formats (at different times). Also, the "CD sound" can be very good with a very good digital playback system-- assuming a good recording of course. Cheers. Craig.