What makes tape sound better than vinyl ?

I don't find that to be true for cassettes vs vinyl.

Geoffkait,

Compression is added to get "punch". As a recording engineer I learned this from others and use it myself. If your kick sounds loose and flabby, add compression. It will give it punch. If the bass is a bit defused and lost in the mix, and compression it will give it punch and sit better in the mix.

Compression and punch in audio engineering terms and practice go hand in hand.

Ray

Maybe I’m wrong, but if your cassettes sound better than your turntable, then something is wrong with your vinyl set up or hardware. Cassettes can sound good but ultimately I find vinyl better. Now, if Dolby SR was used for all cassette mastering and releases that would be very interesting, indeed. The problem is it wasn’t.

I did an enormous amount of live to two track analog recording back in the day and cassette was only used as a convenience not as SOTA. Hey, but it worked and I made some nice recordings.

Inna,

Please enjoy your cassette recordings, as that is what it is ultimately all about. However, I could never imagine how a cassette without the use of Dolby would be an improvement in any regard. However, I respect the fact that you do. I have owned many TOTL cassette decks and without the use of Dolby they are an immediate and obvious compromise, IMO.

Ray

R2R is a different story. R2R using Dolby SR  can be argued to be as good as, or better than, hi rez digital. D2D never made it because it is essentially a live recording. 

If you are saying that transferring cd's or vinyl to tapes sounds better then you are saying that the transfer is not an accurate transfer and that the distortion that the tape is adding is one that pleases you. There is nothing wrong with that but you do have to admit that you just introduced a uphonic distortion. 

Now if you are saying that a live mic feed is more accurately captured on tape, rather than vinyl or digital then you are saying that tape is a more honest format for capturing truth. IMO, tape using Dolby S is right up there with the best.

However, most here are reporting on the former not the later. I doubt that tape is correcting for the flaws in vinyl or digital and, in that case, it is the processing distortion you are enjoying. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

I'll stick with what I stated. Your's is more than a bit murky.  But, hey, it's your pleasure not mine and in the end that's what matters. Enjoy!

However, with the use of Dolby S, Reel to Reel can be extremely good and pushes right up there with the best.

The signal to noise ratio of Dolby SR is around 90dbs.

Digital far exceeds cassette at a far less overall cost factor and is far easier to manage and maintain.

 "We also simultaneously recorded to 6-track magnetic film which is analogous to reel to reel"

This is not cassette and in no way reflects the inherent problems with cassette.

The point isn't about whether analog or digital is better but, rather, whether cassette or high rez digital is better. And, on that note, IMO, there is no contest. High rez digital wins out by far.

"Cost factor and maintainability are not necessarily convincing arguments when dealing with audiophiles. You know..... "

For ultimate sound, you are right. But, for the cost you would need to spend on cassettes you would be better off going with reel to reel. 

Further, to demonstrate the issues with cassette compare 1st generation through 5th generation copies of a cassette duplication. All the glaring problems and distortion associated with cassettes are laid bare! Couple that with not using noise reduction, as some have advocated, and the problem is even greater.

I've owned many of the best cassette decks and still own a Nak 700 mkII and Kyocera D811. I have even better decks in the past. My experience on location, in the studio have easily led me away from cassettes many, many years ago. However, I still have hundreds of hours of masters that I keep for archival purposes. All of which have also been transfered to 96/24 using the best digital equipment!