What proportion of vinyl records are produced from DSD files versus master tape or direct to disc?
Interesting question! I’ve done some limited comparisons of 70’s & 80’s Japan Press, 70’s and 80’s US press, 2010’s reissues (MOVLP) of Alan Parsons LPs. The MOVLP are said to be from DSD files. I was surprised to find that the MOVLP versions were my favorite the majority of the time.
Anyway to answer your question AFAK MOVLP (Music on Vinyl) pressings are mostly from DSD files.
It would be very interesting to have a chart showing what major pressing labels are DSD sourced and how to tell the diffference.
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Great question. I assume that it must be a large majority digitally sourced.
I look for claims of “mastered from the original tapes”.
But I do have some MOFI recordings that are ADA and they sound quite good.
Interestingly, friends who use tape are asking the same questions.
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Yes it would
There might be a more up to date listing, but here’s a good all-in-one chart for MOFI:
any other charts out there? Feel free to post.
Also, Wikipedia states:
“In 1979 the first digitally recorded album of popular music Bop 'Til You Drop by guitarist Ry Cooder was released by Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in Los Angeles on a 32-track digital machine built by 3M Corporation.”
So that gives a decent year marker for when the possibility of a digital to vinyl pressing started to exist.
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thank you
yes, they seem to have had a transparency issue
notably, we know that all Octave Records vinyls are from DSD files AND they have been transparent about this
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this list presents songs recorded on tape, then digitized, then these digital files are sent to the lathe with a digital to analog conversion to make vinyl record
I am curious what proportion of the industry makes vinyl records from tape (ie, analog to analog) vs from digital recording (digital files sent to lathe with a digital to analog converter).
I was informed here a couple years ago that virtually all vinyl records the past 30 years are recorded digitally (eg, Octave Records) and then sent to a lathe via a digital to analog converter…leading to my question about proportion.
I understand a bit better what you were asking. I found this Recording Engineer YT video that describes the process where by every analogue to vinyl recording made after 1978 has at least one digital step in the process. (Warning, he is very informed about the audio chain but also very very very opinionated about audiophiles)
In part, he states: "most vinyl records that were cut after the late 70s went through at least one round trip of analogue to digital and digital to analogue conversion. This is because a digital delay is almost always used in the cutting process in order to get better cuts. This was originally done with tape machines by modifying them by fitting a highly specialized preview deck for cutting vinyl records, and this is IMHO the best method if the original mixes were printed to tape and the mastering engineer is highly skilled and cuts using an AB split console. However, there are very few engineers capable of doing this and very few studios that actually (really) offer it, despite any marketing claims of “all analogue”.
Many “all analogue” vinyl records still have this digital process because hardly anyone knows about it. The only way to be sure you are listening to “all analogue” music is to restrict your listening exclusively to music from before the 1970s, as digital recording was happening in the early 70s, digital editing in the mid 70s, and then towards the end of the 70s digital delays started to establish themselves as the new standard in vinyl record cutting racks. Any reissue of a record made in the 50s or 60s was probably recut from analogue tape using a digital delay process in the lathe, unless it was specifically mastered by one of the very few studios who genuinely offer all analogue cuts from tape, using preview deck modifications on their tape machines. To me, all of this purity is stupid anyway, seeing as digital is highly transparent and none of these all-analogue enthusiasts could pass an ABX test."
19 minute video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM7sI7GZPbk
I learned a lot about vinyl recording and such. Hope this adds to the discussion.
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I have seen the light the last 3 years regarding the qualities of digital recording…microphone to DSD recording (eg, Octave Records and at least a couple of others). And, then this file may be used to produce vinyl product via digital to analog conversion for the lathe.
But, also agree with the many who hear the benefits of vinyl. Vinyl and digital definitely sound different.
I have not been a hardliner re vinyl vs digital. I do think they are different. Funny, I enjoy the digitally sourced vinyl of some records more than the CD version of the same mastering. Other times I am overwhelmed by the digital version vs the 1960’s analogue source. I do enjoy learning more about the sourcing and mastering processes and like to be informed in my choices. But heck, we like what we like and sometimes we don’t need to find any justification for it, right?
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You are exactly right! For me, If it sounds great that’s all I need. I’ve just assumed all this time that somewhere in the chain of tape to vinyl there has been digital. But I really don’t know anything on the subject.
In my humble opinion, vinyl, CD and SACD all can sound great. It just depends on all the steps between the microphones and your speakers. However, when the recording is good and you’re playing the music on a good system, then I think the step that makes the biggest difference in sound is the mastering… 
I play and enjoy all three and now and then, when I’m in a nostalgic mood, also cassettes 
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