Yes, analog is warmer. Some people swear that their plug-ins can emulate analog's warmer features but it can never beat the real thing. Tape features a property called saturation that you don't get in the digital realm. The sp-1200 type sound has more to do with lower bit-rate conversion which smooths the sound a bit. You can also run you sounds through a tube amp or pre-amp. I'm gonna tip you on alittle secret though. Buy an early budget DJ smapler and resample from that if you want that dirty sp-1200 sound. gemini work great and are super cheap.

All hiss and analog distortion isn't bad unless you're a techno-geek engineer listening to Sarah Brightman and C&C music factory records for their non-artistic qualities.