Analog recording produces a warm, round sound. Digital is convenient, consistent, and reliable. However, for that extra punch, consider bringing analog recording equipment into your studio.
Today, anyone with a halfway decent digital audio workstation (DAW) has the where-with-all to turn out a pro-level product in a matter of hours. However, if you want to inject your music with a little ingenuity or individuality, you need to think analog. If you want to create sounds in your recording studio that are different from everyone else’s, think analog.
Back in the days of ‘old school’ recording – studios created their own unique sound through various methods:
The sound rooms were constructed in a distinctive design.
The “effects” equipment, reverb and echo, were sometimes designed and handcrafted on site
The analog recording consoles were often modified from broadcast equipment.
Some of these studios even had their own house band.
All of these ‘human touch’ elements combined gave the studio a signature sound.
Oftentimes, people in the industry could tell where a new record was recorded just by how it sounded.
So how do we get that ‘human touch’ into today’s digitally base studio environment? For analog tone and digital convenience try tracking on tape and editing in digital. A two-track reel-to-reel machine can be used for mastering digital tracks, or a hard-disc recorder can be patched into an old analog mixing console. Why not get the warmth you are looking for with some real tube mics or tube mic preamps. The possibilities are endless.
Analog recording is an art form that requires a team; a producer with the “vision” and the engineer to make it happen. When set up properly, the producer and the engineer focus on getting the track right quickly, hopefully on the first take. Ultimately, the Mastering Engineer takes the tracks from the studio and tweaks them so that the end product (vinyl, tape or compact disk) can be optimized for the best possible listening experience.
Building a Recording Studio 