[net.audio] CDs: Digital --> Analog --> Digital ?

stewart@ihldt.UUCP (R. J. Stewart) (01/22/85)

Here's a question for those who know about recording procedures:

I recently bought several of CDs that were labled as being
"Digital Master/Analog Recording".  I figured that the most
important thing was that it was digitally mastered.

I got them home and found out that I was wrong.  From the levels of hiss
on the disks, it is clear that they were produced from an analog source.
My question then, is "If the recording is digitally mastered, why do
they make the CD from an analog recording?"  Seems strange to me.

Bob Stewart
ihldt!stewart

lgssq@dsd.UUCP (Roger Stenerson) (01/26/85)

> Here's a question for those who know about recording procedures:
> 
> I recently bought several of CDs that were labled as being
> "Digital Master/Analog Recording".  I figured that the most
> important thing was that it was digitally mastered.
> 
> I got them home and found out that I was wrong.  From the levels of hiss
> on the disks, it is clear that they were produced from an analog source.
> My question then, is "If the recording is digitally mastered, why do
> they make the CD from an analog recording?"  Seems strange to me.
> 
> Bob Stewart
> ihldt!stewart

   Several of the latest discs that I have bought have a new label that
tells which technologies were used to make the disc.  Here is the 
description:

       "This recording technology is identified on the back cover by a
	three-letter code:

	DDD  Digital tape recorder used during session recording, mixing
	     and/or editing, and mastering (transcription).
	ADD  Analogue tape recorder used during session recording; digital
	     tape recorder used during subsequent mixing and/or editing and
	     during mastering (transcription).
	AAD  Analogue tape recorder used during session recording and
	     subsequent mixing and/or editing; digital tape recorder used
	     during mastering (transcription)."

	(info obtained from "Vangelis:  Soil Festivities")

   Thus, the disc in question here was either a ADD or AAD which accounts
for the noticeable hiss.

Roger Stenerson		UUCP :  {hplabs,fortune}!dsd!lgssq
Ampex Corporation,	Advanced Technology Division
Redwood City, CA

"The above opinions are mine, or at least they were when I wrote them"