1. Introduction
Nostalgia is a silent companion of human everyday life. It can influence one's decisions and perspective of the past, present and future. Hepper et al. (2012,p.102) claim that the expression "nostalgia" originated in Greece and is a combination of two words nostos, meaning coming back to the motherland and algos, implying pain and agony. Both of these words, joint together mean yearning for a comeback. Hepper et al. (2011, p.102) have also argued that at the beginning the notion of nostalgia summarized a special capacity to take out strength from recollections of the past, mainly recollections connected to friends or family members. Over the centuries the meaning of nostalgia has become more diverse. Now it is often associated with many other aspects of life than just longing for home.
"Davis found that college students associated words such as 'warm', 'old times' and 'yearning' more frequently with nostalgia than with homesickness, indicating that people naturally differentiate between the two”. (Davis cited in Hepper et al. 2011, p.103)
By knowing that nostalgia is not simply homesickness, but a much more complex concept that can depend on the individual, it is important to look at the nostalgic connection to the technology. Matyus (2019) has argued that technology was never about the past but always about the present and future. The long history of society and culture is full of fixation over progress and forward outlook, which is why the notion of longing for the past concerning technology may seem paradoxical. According to Hepper et al.(2012,p.114), the feeling of nostalgia is often caused by "encountering a familiar smell, sound or keepsake, by engaging in conversations, or by feeling lonely”.
The association with sound is probably the only way of understanding the place of technological nostalgia (further referred to as technostalgia) in modern recording. Perhaps looking back does not always mean wanting to go back. This essay aims to explore the intentions behind choosing vintage equipment over modern digital solutions.
2. Analogue
The golden era of recording took place between the 1950s and 1970s led to an abundance of analogue studio equipment. For many, vintage technologies are still associated with great value, robust engineering and unique quality. (Bennett, 2012) The vastness of analogue gear was the most prominent mostly during the rock and roll era, as Pinch and Reinecke are pointing out,
"There was so much money involved in the commercialization of rock and roll, in particular the sorta psychedelic blues-rock, in the U.S. in the 70s. As a consequence, there was a lot of money to be put towards recording equipment and money that today doesn’t really exist” (2009)
The amount of second-hand analogue equipment on the market in the 21st century can be explained by a shift that took place at the end of 1970, where big renowned studios like Abbey Road started to sell a lot of equipment to make room for the new digital gear. A lot of equipment consisting of mixing desks, tape recorders, monitors, disk cutting machinery, reverbs and delays was sold for a very attractive price. (Bennett, 2012) At that time all of the hardware was considered redundant as major studios were looking into the digital future.
There is a prominent notion of warmth and fuzziness that surrounds the analogue gear, whether it is a vintage compressor, tape recorder or vinyl. Generations of producers and engineers who grow up listening to those records are now working in the entertainment industry. As Robjohns explained in Sound on Sound,
“When we talk about analogue warmth, we're usually referring to the character that the analogue processing/recording equipment and the recording medium add to the sound.” (2010)
Jack White, Grammy-winning producer and front-man of rock band The White Stripes, known for working fully analogue, supports that claim in the interview with Paul Tingen,
“When you are recording and producing, you are aiming for something and if you want vibe, warmth, soulfulness, things like that, you will always be drawn back to analogue.” (Tingen, 2014)
In his article, Robjohns identifies three aspects of analogue sounds. First is "the mechanical artefacts such as flutter and other speed‑stability issues.", then "harmonic and non‑harmonic distortions, such as those caused by transformers and inductors" and "active circuitry, whether it includes valves (vacuum tubes) or solid‑state devices.” (2010)
The aberration caused by the inherent imperfection built-in the machinery is what many engineers and producers referred to as 'character' and 'roundness'. The imprecision and certain functions that don't perform accurately is what gives it such importance. (Pinch and Reinecke, 2009)
Another aspect of working in the analogue domain was by recording performance with all of its flaws and imperfections. This approach defines the engineer as someone who tries to capture the raw essence of the artist. The role of the producer was focused on facilitating the recording session. A modern production legend Steve Albini confirms that statement,
“Ultimately what I’m trying to do is satisfy the band. Most of the time what they want is for me to record their organic sound, so that’s what I’m trying to provide.” (Tingen cited in Bennet, 2009)
The limitations of recording in analogue induce creativity which could help understand why so many studios are still relying on 50 years of technology. This philosophy of non-interventionism is still prominent among many acclaimed engineers such as Brian Eno. As Bennet points out,
“The reasoning is one relating to process: fewer tracks create limitations, which in turn demand ‘whole’ performances from the musicians.” (2012)
3. Digital
What one engineer can see as an advantage the other can describe as a flaw and impracticality. Old analogue equipment requires a significant amount of maintenance and knowledge of old days circuitry. Bennet claims that the practicality of some vintage gear is at risk of redundancy as the maintenance technicians from the 1950s and 1960s are getting older. (2012)
The growth of the digital medium in the audio industry started at the beginning of the 1980s with the manifestation of systems developed to save money, time and space. The new technologies brought new workflows which led to the reinvention of what it meant to be an engineer or a producer. (Bennett, 2009). Among the new solutions were MIDI, CD format, first digital workstations (Cubase, Motu Digital Performer) and more universal machines like personal computers (Apple, Atari) which started to appear in the centre of the control room. With the new technology came new terminology and jargon. Bennet has identified that in her paper published in the Journal on the Art of Record Production.
"The audio industry and music technology press played an active role in the translation and interpretation of this new language, often expressing idealistic or even techno-utopian standpoints in their commentary and reviews” (2009)
Another aspect of the digital realm is sound reproduction, which is described as cold and lifeless. There were accusations that "digital didn’t always produce the most pleasing tones". (Simons cited in Bennet 2012). Digital plugins started as a clinical imitation of the real analogue hardware but with the advance of computing power and algorithms in recent years a lot of the software versions are becoming indistinguishable from the original equipment.
“However, in recent years, not only has the presence of vintage technologies and precursors become more prevalent, but digital ‘plug-in’ appropriations featuring analogue ‘faults’ have become ubiquitous” (Bennet 2012)
Ableton Live 10 is a modern DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
4. Analogue vs Digital
Growing excitement towards digital solutions collided with strong scepticism from engineers who were used to the performance-oriented style of recording. One of the accusations coming was the fixation over post-production editing. The digital audio workstation introduced the idea of perfect pitch and ideal machine-like tempo accuracy, none of which exist in nature.
"Nowadays, a lot of studio tools are used to compensate for bad performances. So if a drummer’s slightly off the beat, they’ll use the computer to make it in. If you were around before that, you’d have been kicked out of the studio because you can’t drum" (Durham cited in Bennet, 2012)
Another point made by practitioners of the analogue techniques is that the engineers and producers while relying on a digital recording need to further process stems using plugins and effect processors after the song was captured. It is a labour-intensive task that requires hours of editing in DAW's like Pro-Tools and can be avoided in the analogue domain. (Tingen, 2014)
But digital workstations seem to have more advantages than disadvantages. One is the price tag, which is many times less than even an average analogue solution. Portability is another reason why digital recording became revolutionary, with many modern producers working on their laptops and being able to mix and travel, while the same is almost impossible with tape recording.
"The digital recording process has become so cheap and versatile that it is difficult to resist for a small-budget musician.” (Pinch and Reinecke, 2009)
Universality and accessibility gave birth to the DIY culture in the music industry with artists like Chance the Rapper, Snarky Puppy or King (Ross 2017)
5. Case Studies
Steve Albini is a well-known producer, recognized for his work on albums by Pixies, Nirvana or PJ Harvey to name a few. Apart from his unique approach towards recording other artists, he also has strong opinions on working in digital. According to Tingen Albini claims that the computer could only slow him down due to his lack of knowledge of the software, as he needs to be constantly conscious of every function that happens under the hood. Trying to solve a technological issue while using a computer is troubling as there could be countless reasons why something is not performing as expected. In the analogue, issues are solved very quickly as each equipment offers only limited functions. (2005)
Steve Albini works exclusively using analogue gear.
A completely different opinion comes from one of the most prolific mainstream mixing engineers Dave Pensado. Pensado works almost exclusively with the Avid Pro Tools system and uses a high amount of elaborate plugins in his mixing process. In the article published in Sound on Sound, he stated, that the reason why engineers are reluctant to work in the digital domain is due to the lack of willingness to put the same amount of time and effort as they did into analogue gear. Pensado also claims that software plugins sound the same as their hardware versions and can offer a greater amount of precision and control. (2007)
The third example is the middle ground between the previous two opinions and it is also the one that reflects the majority of producers and engineers in the music industry. Jacquire King is a successful engineer/producer known for his work with Tom Waits, Kings of Leon or Norah Jones. He is using a combination of both worlds,
"King primarily works out of his private studio just south of Nashville. He uses a combined analogue and digital signal flow, often tracking to 2” tape while mixing in Pro Tools with a Quad 8 desk."
Hummingbird Media (2020)
Because King is using both analogue and digital, he is able to combine quick editing, multitrack recording with the analogue character.
6. Conclusion
The way of work and different understanding of practicality is what divides some producers when it comes to the analogue and digital domains.
“technostalgia” is more than a return to an ideal past, but rather an attempt to mediate between past and present to achieve a particular sound and feel" (Hennion cited in Pinch and Reinecke 1997).
Technostalgia is a much broader concept in the world of music. The accusation that this is purely a sentimental choice governed by emotions and longing for the past does not hold merit. It often comes down to what a particular producer is used to, or what will benefit the band.
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