We're following the lexicon developed by Tom Caulfield — NativeDSD’s Mastering Engineer — who, to the best of our knowledge, coined the term “Pure DSD.” We use this definition to tag and categorize applicable DSD files in our catalog at NativeDSD.
In short, a “Pure DSD” file is one that has been created from an analog input signal and has not undergone post processing in PCM. That means:
No round-trip through DXD in a digital audio workstation to mix and sweeten
No direct conversion from PCM original recordings (e.g., 44.1kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz, or 352.8kHz DXD)
What Qualifies as Pure DSD?
DSD recordings mixed and mastered entirely in the DSD domain — also Pure DSD one mic live recording sessions with no analog desk mixing
DSD recordings or session live tracking mixed and sweetened in analog, then converted to DSD — still Pure DSD, with no PCM involved
Analog tape converted directly to DSD via an A/D converter — Pure DSD, as long as there’s no PCM processing
So yes, the term “Pure DSD” is a bit flexible. But this flexibility reflects the various ways engineers work to preserve DSD’s sonic integrity while tailoring the process to the music and the project.
The Three Types of “Pure DSD”
To better distinguish these approaches, we have assigned the following labels:
🔹 Pure DSD - Direct Mixed
This refers to a production in which the original DSD microphone tracking channels are mixed and optionally sweetened (EQ, reverb, etc.) entirely in the DSD domain, without any conversion to another format.
There is no trip through analog or PCM — it’s 100% DSD from microphone to edit master.
🔹 Pure DSD - Analog Mixed
In this process, the recorded microphone tracking channels are:
Converted back to analog
Mixed and optionally sweetened using an analog mixing desk
Converted to DSD for the edit master
This also includes on-the-fly analog mixing during the recording session, with the output tracked directly to DSD.
🔹 Pure DSD - Unmixed Transfers
This applies to straight transfers from analog master tape to DSD, with no editing or mixing — sometimes referred to as "flat transfers". These files are captured with utmost transparency, often used for archival or purist playback purposes.