How many of you still use ANALOG recording with your DAW ?

After abandoning it seven (7) years ago, I have rediscovered the great tonal benefits of analog recording and tape saturation.

Smacking the tape at +6 for drums and +3 for distorted electric guitars just works a kind of magic that no amount of plug-ins seems to capture.

Drums get a solid thump and thwack that Plug-In Channel strips and compressors don't seem to equal.

The "fizz" edge of distorted electric guitars are smoothed out and they are just more solid and harmonically rich.

Of course analog is a hassle with tape costs, recorder repairs and the almost non-existent editing, no true loss free backup and  difficult long distance project sharing power.

But tracking to analog first, then transferring to DAW for full powered editing seems to capture the best of both worlds.

More hassles for sure ... but it seems worth the effort for the vast tonal improvement on certain instruments.

Digital is certainly better for complex editing, unlimited tracks, backups, working with other over long distances, no-hiss, etc..

But the one area where analog still seems to excel is simply SOUND.

A high end analog recording simply sounds better than a comparable all digital recording.

Something about the effect tape saturation has on the tone just works so well.

QUESTION --

How many of you still incorporate Analog recording in your SONAR studios ??

I use a hybrid system mixing out to analogue gear i.e. Neve Preamp, 1176, Portico 5043. It adds girth for lack of a better term.

Analogue tape is basically a filter which softens the highs and saturates the lows. A very nice sounding filter I might add which can be coped from an EQ perspective but the width and depth it provides is not so easily copied. The problem however is the tape hiss that comes with most low end machines. 

It is nice to see some companies going after the sound of tape and the recent Studer A800 plug in from UAD does a really good job at providing the EQ and soundstage characteristics of tape. I know some people doing this in hardware with the Portico and Cranesong devices as well.  

Analogue adds a beauty and atmosphere that digital cannot provide at this point and time depending on the type of music you are creating.

From another thread:

I do my main recording in computer, mix down to tape and then send the mix back to the computer for burning. I guess I'm using the tape as some sort of effect. Can't explain why I like it but it floats my boat. Besides that it's just that I have this mint 50 lb tape recorder from the 70's in my living room and can't let it be turned into a planter for some shrub. The only problem is that tape has a lousy shelf life and is getting very hard to find and $$$$

A good front end can get you the analog mojo.  Not the tape compression, of course, but some of the roundness of tone you get from tape and the whole analog chain.  And none of the drawbacks - maintenence, noise, etc.