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True Analog LPs versus Digital Recordings

Greetings Audiogon Music Lovers,
Is there any good way of knowing when an LP is released if it has actually been recorded in analog versus if it is just a digital recording slapped on vinyl? I keep buying music of current artists and not finding that same sound of the analog recordings of the past.

Thank you in advance for any and all feedback.

Cheers,
Love It Loud
loveitloud
inna
7,554 posts
 
I have one album which was recorded in analog in 1987 both on original Japanese cd and original Japanese LP. Mastering was done in digital. My analog set-up is a bit better than digital. You know what? While the record sounds a little better, its sound is definitely close to cd. Not really worth it. And the recording itself was analog. Though the digital technology improved considerably, I would generally think that it's not worth buying LPs when the recording or/and mastering was done in digital. And as others said most of today's recordings and masterings are digital. And many re-issues will have digital in them too somewhere.
With some exceptions records are really for older music.
old_6eyes
46 posts
 
I have a classical Lp which, according to the jacket, was digitally recorded in 1978. So there ya go - some digital goes back to the 70's.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,523 posts
 
Old_6,

I think 1978 or so is about the time i recall first seeing the first digitally recorded lps, on Telarc label I believe, but these were quite novel and very few and far between at that time.

Their most distinctive sonic attributes were the dynamics. The grooves in these records were heavily modulated accordingly and presented a challenge for many turntables around in that day to track well without breaking up.

Then, as digital matured, the vendors realized that most systems out there could not handle these kinds of dynamics without distorting severely (be the source vinyl or CD) so they gradually geared things back over time with recordings in general in order to make digital more digestible for the masses.

Conversely, I assume sonic smearing due to jitter was a common problem with many digital recordings early on as Kijanki points out and digital recordings actually improved over time in this regard.
old_6eyes
46 posts
 
Telarc also made some direct-to-disc recordings in the late 70's - now we're talkin' true analog.
wildoats
339 posts
 
I love the sound of some of my old LP's so this isn't about starting a food fight, but if current LP's for sale , many for $30 - 50 apiece are digital based, what's the big thing about a vinyl re-surgence ? The Lp's then ARE NOT analog which is what makes vinyl sound better in the first place. I would submit that vinyl made out of digital recordings would not be as good as the original digital recording, so why not buy the cd in hi-rez?
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