The analog vs digital audio debate spans film, art, and music, with creators and listeners wondering which is better. After all, if digital audio was superior, would it not have replaced its predecessor, analog? Although many technological advances completely displace their forerunner, things aren’t quite the same when it comes to creative pursuits. Instead, it becomes a question of preference.
For example, artists like Billie Eilish and Daft Punk use digital recording techniques to create and layer sounds that can’t be replicated with analog instruments. Other acts like Jack White, Foo Fighters, Adele, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers prefer analog recordings because they create a natural, “warm” sound profile that helps capture the live sounds of their instruments and voices.
Each format has its strengths and weaknesses, and both can create effects that the other can’t. Let’s look at the key differences between analog and digital audio and explore the pros and cons of both formats.
WHAT IS ANALOG AUDIO?
Analog audio uses physical signals, such as electrical currents or mechanical vibrations. Over the past 150 years, these signals have been captured and stored in various ways.
The most well-known and popular format right now is vinyl, where tiny grooves are etched into a laserdisc and played back using a stylus that travels along these grooves. Cassette tapes are another popular analog audio format, where signals are stored magnetically on thin plastic tape.
Regardless of how the signals are stored, analog playback devices convert the signals into electrical currents that can be amplified, controlled, and listened to.
WHAT IS DIGITAL AUDIO?
On the other hand, digital audio represents sound as numerical values. Sound waves are converted with great accuracy into digital data that is stored on a computer and converted into sound. Digital audio is known for its “high fidelity,” which means the recording is a very accurate copy of the original sound.
Most modern computers can play back digital audio, from laptops and desktops to smartphones, tablets, and handheld game consoles. CDs are also digital, though today, it’s more common for music to be saved as an audio file than stored on a CD.
KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANALOG AND DIGITAL AUDIO?
Digital audio and analog audio may be used for many of the same things, but they are vastly different. Let’s cover a few of the key differences.
SOUND QUALITY
Digital audio is incredibly accurate. Not only can it record exact sounds with minimal background noise, but it can also be easily edited to remove anything unwanted from the final product. This creates exceptionally clean and precise sounds that you can shape to your exact preferences.
Analog audio, on the other hand, is more “natural.” Many environmental and external factors can affect the recording, resulting in quirks on the recording that are out of your control. The result of these imperfections — paired with the characteristics of the specific equipment being used — creates a uniqueness that many artists value. The overall effect on the sound produced is often described as “warm.”
STORAGE AND PORTABILITY
Unsurprisingly, digital audio is the more convenient of the two formats when it comes to storage and portability. You can put your digital audio files on a CD, flash drive, phone, laptop, or the cloud and access it from any device.
For consumers, streaming digital audio is also very popular. You pay a subscription fee and get access to a huge library of music that can be played anywhere, at any time. That’s about as portable as it gets.
Storing analog audio, however, requires physical media like vinyl records or cassette tapes. As these aren’t the most mainstream formats anymore, they’ve fallen into enthusiast territory — which often makes them considerably more expensive. They’re also delicate and will degrade over time, no matter how well you look after them.
SIGNAL PROCESSING
It’s much easier to edit digital audio than analog audio. If you record something digitally on your phone, you probably already have software on your laptop that can edit it, and if not, it’s just one quick download away.
For analog audio, you’d need to buy expensive equipment and learn how to use it to start editing your recordings — and even then, you couldn’t achieve results that are as precise as digital editing. You can, however, make an analog recording of your musical performance and then make a digital recording of the result. This would allow you to capture many of the unique aspects of your analog recording but still edit, store, and transmit the end product digitally.
ANALOG VS DIGITAL AUDIO: THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH FORMAT
| Digital Audio Features | Analog Audio Features |
|---|---|
| High-fidelity audio | Warm, natural sound |
| Easy to edit | Unique sound, though more background noise and imperfections |
| Easy to store and share | Easy-to-maintain equipment, though expensive |
| Most commonly used format | Physical media |
PROS OF ANALOG AUDIO
Choosing to use analog audio for your recordings is about style and preference. It doesn’t matter what kind of music or recording you’re working with, if you think the earthy tones and warmth of analog recording will sound good, then it’s a perfectly valid option.
In terms of common uses, artists who use a lot of physical instruments and care a lot about live performances often like analog audio.
PROS OF DIGITAL AUDIO
Digital audio is liked best by artists who want to add sound effects, layers, and non-traditional elements to their music. Bands like The Prodigy even made music entirely from sampling existing music and editing it with digital editing software.
Digital audio provides the freedom to make new and exciting things — and the results are also extremely high-fidelity and easy to share.
CONS OF ANALOG AUDIO
The cons of analog audio are fairly easy to imagine — it’s not the main audio format anymore, so you won’t be able to work with others as easily. It’s also lower fidelity sound in a world where high fidelity is valued highly.
Another thing that’s valued highly is convenience — the ability to send an audio file over email or play a song on your phone. You can’t do this with analog audio and although the lack of convenience is part of the charm for some people, it’s a drawback for others.
CONS OF DIGITAL AUDIO
As high-fidelity as digital audio is, some artists argue that fidelity isn’t necessary for art. Sure, clarity and accuracy are great for a news broadcast, but music doesn’t really gain anything from perfect audio. For some, it even loses something.
ANALOG OR DIGITAL AUDIO: WHICH IS BETTER?
The running theme through all of this is that there isn’t a “better” or “worse” option when it comes to digital and analog audio. Yes, digital audio has higher fidelity, but that isn’t always something you need. In the end, it comes down to personal preferences — what kind of sounds do you want to hear, how do you want to store and share them, and how much editing do you want to do?
If you want to have your cake and eat it too, there is the trick we mentioned earlier: digitizing your analog recordings. This allows you to keep a lot of the warmth, imperfections, and unique aspects of your analog recording while also gaining a digitized file that you can keep forever.
DIGITIZE ANALOG AUDIO WITH EVERPRESENT
Our audio digitizing technicians transfer over 10,000 hours of audio tapes, vinyl records, and reel-to-reel cassettes every year — and we can help with your project too. Reach out today to find out how we can help.
