Direct to disc recording
Encyclopedia
Direct to disc recording refers to sound recording methods which bypass the use of magnetic tape
recording and directly onto disc master; and record albums made using this process.
The term may refer also to modern video camcorder
s that are tapeless camcorder
s that allow users to record directly to other media including flash memory
, optical disc recording technologies
and hard drives.
per side of LP using professional audio
equipment. It would be made without the use of multitrack recording
, and without overdubs. The performance would have to be carefully engineered, and mixed live in stereophonic sound
. During performance, the cutting head engages the master lacquer used for pressing LP record
s, and is not stopped until the entire side is complete.
A recording may be simultaneously recorded onto a two-track master tape
for subsequent pressing in the traditional manner, and although such tapes were often made to preserve the recordings in case the direct to disc process failed, or discs became damaged before the final product could be produced, direct to disc albums were almost never re-issued as standard albums made from tape masters.
s from multi-tracked masters. Conversion of the signal into digital
form and its reconversion into analogue may be avoided, although some modern disc cutting equipment makes this step mandatory.
The method also bypasses problems inherent in recording tape: tape hiss
, wow
and flutter, and limited dynamic range
.
: "It was a notoriously difficult way to record; the musicians and all concerned had to record a complete Lp
side without any serious musical or technical mistakes."
Some artists also maintain that musical instruments may drift out of tune: it is not possible to keep musical instruments in tune for the length of the LP side.
In the late 1970s, Direct to disc albums began to appear on the market, and were one of several short-lived attempts at establishing a market for audiophile
editions, coming between the quadraphonic
era of the early 1970s, and the various half-speed master, DMM (Direct Metal Mastering), Dolby
encoded, and dbx
encoded records of the 1980s.
Promoters of direct to disc recording believed consumers would be willing to pay more for high quality pressings. But many of these records ended up being sold at double the price of normal albums, resulting in poor sales.
Because of the limited number of copies that could be made, the format was shunned by established artists, and mainly used by obscure or unknown artists. Most of these albums could be classed as vanity records
, and were not well promoted. Music genres included jazz, acoustic folk, classical (small ensembles or soloists), and alternative rock groups with a non-commercial sound.
Another turn-off for consumers was the short playing time. To reduce the risk of a technical glitch in the disc cutting process, sides were rarely more than 15 minutes in length, and could be as short as 10 minutes. When this problem was combined with the records' high sales prices, they were regarded as poor quantity for the money.
Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
recording and directly onto disc master; and record albums made using this process.
The term may refer also to modern video camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
s that are tapeless camcorder
Tapeless Camcorder
A tapeless camcorder is a camcorder that does not use video tape for the digital recording of video productions as 20th century ones did. Tapeless camcorders record video as digital computer files onto random access data storage devices such as optical discs, hard disk drives and solid-state flash...
s that allow users to record directly to other media including flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
, optical disc recording technologies
Optical disc recording technologies
Optical disc authoring requires a number of different optical disc recorder technologies working in tandem, from the optical disc media to the firmware to the control electronics of the optical disc drive...
and hard drives.
Professional analogue sound recording
In order to make the recording, musicians would typically play one fifteen minute "live" set in a recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
per side of LP using professional audio
Professional audio
Professional audio, also 'pro audio', refers to both an activity and a type of audio equipment. Typically it encompasses the production or reproduction of sound for an audience, by individuals who do such work as an occupation like live event support, using sound reinforcement systems designed for...
equipment. It would be made without the use of multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
, and without overdubs. The performance would have to be carefully engineered, and mixed live in stereophonic sound
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
. During performance, the cutting head engages the master lacquer used for pressing LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
s, and is not stopped until the entire side is complete.
A recording may be simultaneously recorded onto a two-track master tape
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
for subsequent pressing in the traditional manner, and although such tapes were often made to preserve the recordings in case the direct to disc process failed, or discs became damaged before the final product could be produced, direct to disc albums were almost never re-issued as standard albums made from tape masters.
Advantages
From the musicians' point of view, the advantages of direct to disc recording are a greater immediacy and interaction among the players. Technically, it gives rise to a cleaner recording through the elimination of up to 4 generations of master tapes, overdubs, and mix downAudio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
s from multi-tracked masters. Conversion of the signal into digital
Digital recording
In digital recording, digital audio and digital video is directly recorded to a storage device as a stream of discrete numbers, representing the changes in air pressure for audio and chroma and luminance values for video through time, thus making an abstract template for the original sound or...
form and its reconversion into analogue may be avoided, although some modern disc cutting equipment makes this step mandatory.
The method also bypasses problems inherent in recording tape: tape hiss
Tape hiss
Tape hiss is the high frequency noise present on analogue magnetic tape recordings caused by the size of the magnetic particles used to make the tape. Effectively it is the noise floor of the recording medium. It can be reduced by the use of finer magnetic particles or by increasing the amount of...
, wow
Wow (recording)
Wow is a relatively slow form of flutter which can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders. In the latter, the collective expression wow and flutter is commonly used.-Gramophone records:...
and flutter, and limited dynamic range
Dynamic range
Dynamic range, abbreviated DR or DNR, is the ratio between the largest and smallest possible values of a changeable quantity, such as in sound and light. It is measured as a ratio, or as a base-10 or base-2 logarithmic value.-Dynamic range and human perception:The human senses of sight and...
.
Disadvantages
Although the spontaneity of performance is preserved, no overdubbing or editing is possible. It becomes more challenging for the musicians, engineers and producers, whose performances will be captured "warts and all". In the event of aborted sides, expensive lacquers are wasted and cannot be used again. According to Robert Auld of the Audio Engineering SocietyAudio Engineering Society
Established in 1948, the Audio Engineering Society draws its membership from amongst engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products for audio, and persons working...
: "It was a notoriously difficult way to record; the musicians and all concerned had to record a complete Lp
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
side without any serious musical or technical mistakes."
Some artists also maintain that musical instruments may drift out of tune: it is not possible to keep musical instruments in tune for the length of the LP side.
Albums and Public Reception
Most sound recording for records, prior to the 1950s, was made by cutting directly to disc. Recording via magnetic tape became the industry standard around the time of the creation of the LP format in 1948, and these two "revolutions" are often seen as being joined, although 78 rpm records, cut from tape masters, continued to be manufactured for another decade.In the late 1970s, Direct to disc albums began to appear on the market, and were one of several short-lived attempts at establishing a market for audiophile
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
editions, coming between the quadraphonic
Quadraphonic
Quadraphonic sound – the most widely used early term for what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of one another...
era of the early 1970s, and the various half-speed master, DMM (Direct Metal Mastering), Dolby
Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. , often shortened to Dolby Labs, is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction and audio encoding/compression.-History:...
encoded, and dbx
Dbx (noise reduction)
dbx is a family of noise reduction systems developed by the company of the same name. The most common implementations are dbx Type I and dbx Type II for analog tape recording and, less commonly, vinyl LPs. A separate implementation, known as dbx-TV, is part of the MTS system used to provide stereo...
encoded records of the 1980s.
Promoters of direct to disc recording believed consumers would be willing to pay more for high quality pressings. But many of these records ended up being sold at double the price of normal albums, resulting in poor sales.
Because of the limited number of copies that could be made, the format was shunned by established artists, and mainly used by obscure or unknown artists. Most of these albums could be classed as vanity records
Vanity label
A vanity label is an informal name given sometimes to a record label founded as a wholly or partially owned subsidiary of another, larger and better established record label, where the subsidiary label is controlled by a successful recording artist, designed to allow this artist...
, and were not well promoted. Music genres included jazz, acoustic folk, classical (small ensembles or soloists), and alternative rock groups with a non-commercial sound.
Another turn-off for consumers was the short playing time. To reduce the risk of a technical glitch in the disc cutting process, sides were rarely more than 15 minutes in length, and could be as short as 10 minutes. When this problem was combined with the records' high sales prices, they were regarded as poor quantity for the money.