Analog vs Digital

Post by **mr tibbs** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:26 am

So, to help me better understand the entire scope of electronics in general can anyone explain to me in dirt stupid terms the difference between analog and digital? Let's say in EQ's or processors fro example. I seriously have no idea what the difference is. Sometimes I wonder how I got this far in life!

Post by **fuzzysnuggleduck** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:37 am

Analog means the audio is transported and processed as an electrical waveform. Think of a sine wave. All devices that operate on analog waveforms pass the signal through electronic devices that do something to the waveform, be it amplify, EQ, whatever. This is done with transistors, capacitors, resistors and what not.

With digital, everything is a digital signal composes of 1s and 0s. While the transport medium may be the same (wires), the signal is merely a digital representation of the sound. Instead of a waveform that IS the sound, you're sending voltage down a line that represent 1s and 0s that in turn represent the sound. MP3s and other digital audio is basically a ton of "snapshots" of the data at a certain frequency. The higher the frequency, the higher the quality and closer to the original you are. This also makes the data set to represent the sound larger.

As for digital EQs, they basically interpret the 1s and 0s and apply mathematical equations on the data with Integrated Circuits (mini CPUs) and produce an output stream. If the output stream is to be analog, you need a DAC (digital to analog converter). Same goes for digital gear that takes analog inputs (except this time it's a ADC).

I'm sure someone can explain it all more clearly.

Post by **Francious70** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:17 pm

Follow me on this:

Analog is like a report you printed out. You can see it, touch it, smell it, taste it. Whatever.

Digital is like an e-mail of that same report, only you can't touch it yet or smell it or taste it. You can still see it though. but you have to run it thru a Digital to Analog converter (printer for our senerio) to get a physical copy of it.

Post by **bdubs767** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:18 pm

also far less likely to get noise sneaking in.

Post by **mr tibbs** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 12:27 pm

bdubs767 wrote:also far less likely to get noise sneaking in.

Digital or analog?? I'm assuming digital.

dgoodhue · Post by **dgoodhue** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:34 pm

mr tibbs wrote:
bdubs767 wrote:also far less likely to get noise sneaking in.
Digital or analog?? I'm assuming digital.

Digital. Any noise Analog picks up is noise. Digital has to theoritcally have enough noise to make a zero into a 1 or 1 into a zero before it noticable. Depending on teh devices, digital can easily tolerate as much as 30-60% nosie before triggering false readings. If did have that much noise to pick up noise, the same Analog signal would be far more screwed anyways. Ofcourse compressing data that is common now loses a few onces and zero's along the way