Timing?

[Peter Larsen]

I often hear the term 'better timing' when it comes to describing one of the benefits - sound wise - of turntables, but what exactly is meant by 'timing'.

Is it the analogue sound that has better timing compared to digital audio, and thereby sound better, or how should I understand the term?

I guess recording an album requires sound waves to be sent to a microphone, and no matter if the sound is recorded digital or analogue, the way the cartridge on a turntable "reads" the grooves comes close to how sound is created originally. Am I close?

 

[CnoEvil]

A possible answer is that TTs (and Tape Decks) can have a problem with Wow and Flutter, where the motor suffers from speed variations, which effects the pitch / intonation and tempo of the recorded sound.

EDIT. I see you've started a thread on this.

Here is an explanation of PRaT (where "T" is timing).....but it isn't just in relation to TTs:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/edcorner/prat_e.html