Analog vs Digital Recordings


We all know that an analog recording played back on an LP will sound better than the same recording which has been digitized and played back on CD because there are mountains of analog recordings from the 60's, 70's and 80's available on both LP and CD and they can easily be compared.

My question relates to whether current digital recordings played back on CD's (D to D)can compare with the quality of LP recordings (A to A)of a generation ago. Is the "thin" sound of CD's made from analog masters due to converting to digital (A to D)?

At first, this might seem to be an easy answer, but since little (if anything) has been recorded both "A to A" and "D to D", direct comparisons are not likely. And, while the digital recording process has improved, I am not always certain that the "CD sound" I hear in recent recordings is the nature of the digital format or the recording techniques or volume manufacturing problems.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
jimbo3
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.
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.