Analog Vs Digital

The words analogue and digital get thrown around all the time with some people getting excited about digital while others rave about analog. I plan on making this a series and as I learn I will share the wealth.

Is analog better than digital? That has been the great debate over the last 40 years amongst the sound geeks. Now, I am not an audiophile, and I do not have perfect pitch but I do have ears and the capacity to process noises and distinguish rhythms. So with those talents, I am going to over simplify and generalize with the intention of planting the seed for anyone who might be curious. If you feel the need to go down this rabbit hole then may your journey begin here. I will start with the structural differences between analogue and digital sounds and how ears perceive those differences (if any). So. Without further ado, here it is. 1 - Analog: Is a continuous signal (wave) that with voltage variations (vibrations) impact the air pressure to create sound waves. Below is an image of the basic analog sound-wave that has existed ever since the beginning of time.

Analog sound wave

2 - Digital: Is a series of frequencies that are either on or off. Everyone is aware the Binary computer language (weather by joke or for real) 10101010101 these 1's and 0's basically represent on and off. That is a simplified way of looking at digital music and comparing the signal images might help make a bit more sense.

Digital Sound Wave

Now that is all fine and dandy, but what does it all mean? Well, the natural state of sound is analog, and our ears are fine tuned for decoding analog sounds, also the majority of music has been recorded and preserved on analog formats. When we are required to convert sound from analog to digital either through devices or through recording and mastering techniques we get the closest possible calculation of an analog sound but these computerized devices have to round to the nearest. See image below. Red = Digital/Grey = Analog

Digital Vs Analog

As you can see in the above image the digital representation is trying to match the analog wave but falls short in the organic flow of sound. Analog has an indefinite range of variables where digital has a defined amount variables.

Now after all that, what does it mean? Can you actually tell the difference? Well, that depends on you. I recommend you give it a try by listening to a favorite song on vinyl, then listen to the same song on Spotify and see if you can tell the difference. If you do attempt this please come back to comment and leave your impressions. Cheers and happy listening.