Analog & Digital Formats
Since the time of first music releases in the commercial form, various formats have been created to present the product in analogue or digital formats, and the buyers of these works always look for the suitable format, according to their facilities to listen to music at home, car or any other place, or according to their listening taste.
Analogue:
– Vinyl record
– Quarter-inch tape )Reel-to-Reel Tape(
– Cassette Tape
Digital:
– Digital Audio Tape (DAT)
– Compact Disc (CD)
– Audio files (wav, mp3, FLAC, Wv, and…)
But each of these formats can be produced in different ways. In this article, I am going to introduce codes that give us enough information to know how audio products are created.
SPARS Code:
Spars codes were first introduced in 1984 by PolyGram company, whose purpose was to inform the buyer of the recording, mixing and mastering format of that product. These codes (XXX), in which the letter A means analogue and D means digital, consist of three parts:
The first part: represents the recording format. If the recording is done on a magnetic tape, they use the letter A, and if it is on a digital tape, they use the letter D.
The second part: represents the output format of the mix. If the mix was recorded on magnetic tape, they use the letter A, and if it was recorded on digital tape, they use the letter D.
The third part: represents the final output format. If the mix is mastered for an analogue platform, they use the letter A, and if it is mastered for a digital platform, the letter D.
Normally, we see one of these codes on audio products:
AAA: Products that are produced on magnetic tape from the beginning of recording to the end of mastering. It is obvious that this coding is never seen on CDs and digital products and is only for vinyl or magnetic tape.
AAD: Products whose production was done on magnetic tape from the beginning of recording to the mastering stage, but the mastering was done on digital format.
Grace Under Pressure (CD) – Rush (1984)
Master of Puppets (CD) – Metallica (1986)
ADD: Products that were only recorded on magnetic tape and the next steps until the end of mastering were done on digital format (digital tape).
The Unforgettable Fire (CD) – U2 (1984)
Somewhere in Time (CD) – Iron Maiden (1986)
When Dream and Day Unite (CD) – Dream Theater (1989)
DAD: Products that were recorded directly in digital format, but their final mix was recorded on tape and re-mastered in digital format.
Flood (CD)- They Might be Giants (1990)
Psalm 69 (CD)- Ministry (1992)
DDD: Products whose production is done on digital format from the beginning of recording to the end of mastering.
Bop till You Drop (CD) – Ry Cooder (1979) (The first album in the world that was completely digitally recorded)
The Visitors (CD) – ABBA (1981) (The first commercial album in the world that was printed on CD)
Bad (CD) – Michael Jackson (1987)
Specifically, these letters refer only to the format they use and not to the tools and equipment used during the project. For example, if an analogue console is used in the mixing stage, along with analogue sound processors and finally recorded on a digital format, this process is called digital. Or if our entire mastering process is analogue and the final format on which it is recorded is digital (CD or digital file, etc.), this is also a digital process.
But there are also some other codes that are less frequently used, such as:
DDA: Products that were produced from the beginning of recording to the end of mastering, on digital tape, but because the final product was released on analogue format, they changed the platform from digital to analogue once (such as a vinyl record produced from a digital source).
ADA: Products that were recorded on magnetic tape, but were transferred to digital tape after mixing and returned to analogue format. (for example, for ease of digital editing)
The End of New Beginnings (Cassette) – Hell Breaks (2013)
DD: Products that are recorded directly on the digital format (Direct to Digital) and no mixing was done on it. (such as the products of the DMP label, which is one of the first digital music companies)
DDDD: Products that were not only recorded, mixed and mastered directly on digital, but also all the materials and instruments were digital.
Haswell & Hecker – Blackest Ever Black (Electroacoustic UPIC Recordings, 2007)
A/DDD: Products that are partly recorded on magnetic tape and partly digitally, and mixed and mastered digitally.
Mötley Crüe – Decade of Decadence 81-91 (1981 – 1991)
Unfortunately, less attention is paid to these codes and informing the buyers of the products, due to the prevalence of online releases and digital formats in the form of files. The buyers themselves also pay less attention to this issue.