If an album from the '70s used analog synthesizers and guitar amplifiers for example, it would technically still be a purely analog recording. But I wouldn't go as far as calling it 'all analog'. If one of these albums were mixed down to two-track tape and mastered for vinyl directly from the two-track, sure, by definition it's AAA. On the vast majority of late '80s and '90s hip hop albums, all the instrumentation would have been from a sampling drum machine like the SP-1200 or the MPC-60/3000. The only thing I'd be worried about maybe more so with vinyl pressed in the '90s opposed to after the revival is that perhaps certain labels didn't take vinyl very seriously in the '90s and just mastered a record once for CD and used that to cut the vinyl in order to cut costs. It makes sense that an album from that time period would have been mixed down to 1/2" two-track tape then mastered from that tape, so when it comes to the vinyl remaster (and the original master of course) it would make sense that it could very well be AAA. Interesting about Ill Communication (that's been reissued twice in the US TMK, first in '98 by Grand Royal and second around 2010). Many of of us have thought the OG press of Outkast Aquemeni was all analog but I'm not sure this is possible but it has been stated the the OG press is hands down better than the reissue that is certainly a digital cut.Ĭlick to expand.This is a good discussion.we can have it right here. The only thing that I can say for certainty is AAA from start to finish is the Beastie Boys reissue of Ill Communication.maybe Check Your Head and to a less extent Hello Nasty. Some of the one's spread on 2-lps sound exceptional though. For the most part, hip-hop should be better on CD, at least in theory. Yes, the 1-lp 50+ minute hip-hop albums aren't very good sounding. They don't don't sound like big black CDs either. In saying that, I have at least 25 hip-hop albums that excel in the SQ department. With 90s original pressings, 95% of it will not be AAA and with hip-hop that percentage is even higher.
![the fugees the score vinyl the fugees the score vinyl](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81PfCESMCLL._SL1500_.jpg)
If you are going back to that 2012 list, my goal was to really start a conversation and learn what may or may not be AAA. This isn't really the case with most hip-hop albums though, especially sample dense ones. I'm not sure, I'm just thinking out loud on this one.
![the fugees the score vinyl the fugees the score vinyl](https://images.991.com/large_image/Fugees+The+Score+Bootleg+Versions-516203.jpg)
I guess technically we might not consider this AAA but essentially why couldn't the sound be the same if the sample became a track on the tape just like an instrument. Then if the mix done was to tape and then it was cut from tape to vinyl. You are right, too much digital sampling would prevent this but this is interesting as well because what if the sample is being used as an instrument or a separate piece and just laid to tape (if this makes sense). In my 2014 response, I was trying to clear up some of my AAA misconceptions. Many of of us have thought the OG press of Outkast Aquemeni was all analog but I'm not sure this is possible but it has been stated the the OG press is hands down better than the reissue that is certainly a digital cut.
![the fugees the score vinyl the fugees the score vinyl](https://www.musicmaniarecords.be/media/og-image/96922-the-score.jpg)
Click to expand.If you are going back to that 2012 list, my goal was to really start a conversation and learn what may or may not be AAA.