Paul McGowan Prefers Digital

[the sound of Tao]

I think we like to think we develop a clear and precise and conscious strategy and move forward but I can’t remember anyone ever saying to me they were designing their system solely around it being digital/analogue with respect to every choice of every component beyond the actual source itself.

I do believe people design their systems around sonic outcomes or musical outcomes be it conscious or not.

Most have a preference here whether they have ever identified it or not.

I prefer musical systems though I admire many systems that are strong at sonics as long as that doesn’t degrade the musical performance of the system.

 

[spiritofmusic]

In my long and ignoble tweaking history, I've generally found improved room acoustics helps analog and digital equally, vibration/mechanical isolation like my Stacore, Symposium rack and Rollerblocks aids my tt more, power/EM noise suppression like my balanced transformer, dedicated lines and Entreq grounding helps my cdp more.

If I was solely into digital I'd be looking at ploughing more money into more effective grounding like Troy and full fat Bocchino plugs and sockets and upgrading IECs.

If I was solely into analog I'd be looking at ploughing more money into more Stacores, no holds barred tt wall shelf.

Since I'm pretty much split btwn analog and digital, my spending is split accordingly.

Next year, my spending other than a server and dac will be on further attention to room acoustics, helping both sources.

 

[Elliot G.]

at the top of the hifi system food chain the system does not care what source you feed it. it will demand the best possible source performance, and will expose anything less. but i don't think that top level 'source' performance is limited to one brand, or one format. it's a reasonably wide space.

i heard Elliot's system both at RMAF and then in his South Florida showroom some months later. at RMAF Elliot had the top of line CH phono stage along with the same level digital, and at his showroom i heard only the digital. the analog sounded as synergistic as the digital at RMAF. i got no feeling that that system favored one format or the other.

OTOH there is no doubt that Elliot favors his music through the digital format as it meets his needs better.

for me; i would not say i favor digital, but it more works for my energy allocation these days. i'm not always in the mood for analog. but when i am in the mood for analog, it does take me farther. and while that is no longer important to Elliot or his friends he mentions, it is to me.

I personally made my choice but moving beyond that in all my years in Audio I built systems. I never thought about what the source was . I am a big set up person and I believe the devil is always in the details. What I mean by that is IMHO if it isn't set up right the rest really matters very little. I see many who try to fix what is terminally broken by changing parts and tweeks. IMO this is the wrong way 100 percent of the time. Getting your speakers in the proper place in the room and dealing with the issues that this entails is the first and foremost issue. If wrong you are then just guessing and trying to fix one problem with another. I might fine tune a system differently based on my source but not because of its technology but rather by the sound of the entire chain. I hope that makes sense. Analog does require a lot more adjustments and for those with multiple arms and cartridges they certainly are aware of this.

 

[microstrip]

Digital has a lower theoretical noise floor hence greater dynamic range. So it's better. Carry on...

When I want to scratch my chin and think about lowest lows and highest highs, biggest crescendo and quietest background I spool up some digital.

When I want to enjoy music, relate to the artist, remember an epic night out, tear up a little, I spin a record.

But I've never been one to say what's best.

Thanks for saying it so clearly - surely it is not possible to debate passions ...

 

[microstrip]

We are not addressing the signals, we are addressing recording media with very different capabilities - would you record using multi-track tape the same way as using multi-track digital? Do you carry mastering the same way for vinyl or digital?

Yes.... end of story.....

Thanks for the straight answer -IMHO it helps undersatnding your opinion on this thread. Most of your colleagues I could find in professional forums and sites clearly say that they master differently according to final format.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks for the straight answer -IMHO it helps undersatnding your opinion on this thread. Most of your colleagues I could find in professional forums and sites clearly say that they master differently according to final format.

i'd say that speaks more to the potentially radically different audiences intended for that final format.

if it's pop/rock intended for main stream media it's going to be very different from audiophile girl with guitar or classical multi-channel.

which has little to do with hifi systems being optimized for analog or digital.

specifically mostly i think Bruce's work is targeted toward higher fidelity customers. Bruce can correct me if i'm wrong about that. and if the end users/customers who are the commercial targets have higher than typical concerns about sound quality then it won't matter (should not matter) if it's analog or digital.

 

[NorthStar]

I was going to mention Bruce too.
Bruce is like another mentor to me in these pages of What's Best Forum

It amazes me that we question why people decide to listen from analog or digital sources or both. ...And the systems we build around them/it. But it is certainly permissible.

It is perfectly appropriate to build a hi-fi stereo system based on the type of music we love more and the source of that music we love more too. It's called audiophile perfecting...in my book. It's the journey ...

We all know that Jazz, Blues, Classical Chamber, Chorales, Opera, Orchestral symphonies, Organ, Pop, Rock, Electronica, Heavy Metal, Country, Punk, Rap, Traditional, etc., recorded music, live, studio, they all sound fantastic from versatile speakers that like all those styles.
And the sources, analog/digital? Whatever rocks our boat gently is the right wave to be sailing.

All the world measurements won't affect the emotional rewards we get from our music playing/listening, regardless of its recording source. The right piano notes from the right piano brand from the right pianist is the one we like listening to. "It is live or it's memorex".

Paul made a choice in preference from experience, his own. ...His journey.
He is his own music sail.

 

[microstrip]

i'd say that speaks more to the potentially radically different audiences intended for that final format.

if it's pop/rock intended for main stream media it's going to be very different from audiophile girl with guitar or classical multi-channel.

which has little to do with hifi systems being optimized for analog or digital.

specifically mostly i think Bruce's work is targeted toward higher fidelity customers. Bruce can correct me if i'm wrong about that. and if the end users/customers who are the commercial targets have higher than typical concerns about sound quality then it won't matter (should not matter) if it's analog or digital.

No, the people I referred are known for their high quality work. Anyway, for me the interesting matter are the reasons why people make their choices, I hope Bruce B will explain them.

 

[microstrip]

(...) It amazes me that we question why people decide to listen from analog or digital sources or both. ...And the systems we build around them/it. But it is certainly permissible. (...)

Bob,

I don't question people preferences, I just want to understand the reasons (technical and subjective) supporting them. And surely we can learn a lot looking at their systems.

 

[Bruce B]

Most of your colleagues I could find in professional forums and sites clearly say that they master differently according to final format.

This was true back in the day when cartridges could not track a loud bass line that was cut... but these days... it's irrelevant. The past few years I've mastered projects that went to download, CD and Vinyl. I used the same master. I didn't master them any differently. You can probably hear this same scenario on the Adele projects. The downloads sound the same as the vinyl..... like sh*t

 

[microstrip]

This was true back in the day when cartridges could not track a loud bass line that was cut... but these days... it's irrelevant. The past few years I've mastered projects that went to download, CD and Vinyl. I used the same master. I didn't master them any differently. You can probably hear this same scenario on the Adele projects. The downloads sound the same as the vinyl..... like sh*t

Interesting - so you think that there was a big change in the way vinyl is cut since five years ago? I must say I did not feel a big change in tracking capabilities of cartridges during the last years - and most people here love vintage pressings and cartridges.

The references concerning the double masters I could now find - including your own posts on WBF - are all dated before 2015, but are very clear. How do you deal with very the limited headroom of stereo low bass, a commonly addressed mastering limitation of vinyl?

 

[Solypsa]

(-snip)How do you deal with very the limited headroom of stereo low bass, a commonly addressed mastering limitation of vinyl?

I'm no longer in this field, but I used to be. While the question is directed to BruceB and so I will leave it to him, I will add:

True, there are limits to the level at which you can cut stereo, panned, out of phase etc. bass material. For most music I think this is not of much consequence. *if* you are transferring edm from a 'born in the digital age' producer with tons of processing and panning and *if* you are tasked with producing 'pop music' transfer levels then some adjustments might be called for. In such a case it may be a different master or it may be a few tweaks before the track hits the rack...

 

[NorthStar]

Bob,

I don't question people preferences, I just want to understand the reasons (technical and subjective) supporting them. And surely we can learn a lot looking at their systems.

Francisco, my simple post was for the general population.
I wasn't thinking of anyone, not you no one else.

It's interesting to read all the opinions; they all have their validity more or less.
That's why I like social forums...to expand my knowledge/vision from the more experienced than I.

It builds the world we live in.

 

[Bruce B]

Interesting - so you think that there was a big change in the way vinyl is cut since five years ago? I must say I did not feel a big change in tracking capabilities of cartridges during the last years - and most people here love vintage pressings and cartridges.

"Back in the Day" was certainly not 5yr. ago! I'm talking maybe 15-20. Has come a long way now that more is known about how these vinyl rigs can handle hotter signals. Converters/software have gotten better and of late, the loudness wars seem to be dying down. Granted, my clients seem to actually give a damn about how their masters sound. If you want your master crushed, send it to Vlad or LANDR

 

[Tapetech]

"Back in the Day" was certainly not 5yr. ago! I'm talking maybe 15-20. Has come a long way now that more is known about how these vinyl rigs can handle hotter signals. Converters/software have gotten better and of late, the loudness wars seem to be dying down. Granted, my clients seem to actually give a damn about how their masters sound. If you want your master crushed, send it to Vlad or LANDR

Has a client ever demanded that you crush a master? If so, how do you deal with that?

 

[NorthStar]

Just for the pleasure, because music matters ...
• https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/the-...-version-of…-kate-bush’s-hounds-of-love-r784/

 

[Solypsa]

Oh my. The 80s and first love.

 

[BlueFox]

LOL. This thread is so far off topic it is now an official What’s Best thread.

 

[Bruce B]

Has a client ever demanded that you crush a master? If so, how do you deal with that?

Yes... quite a few times. I told them to leave my name off the credits!! Too bad Ted Jensen couldn't do that!@!

 

[bonzo75]

Could you point me a link to Fremer other opinion? I

Hi in this video somewhere in the 14th minute on he refers that you need to get that Beethoven 9th recordings in analog rather than digital because of the way it was recorded
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/which-beethoven#XBiFyy0U85DwS8KF.01