What is the difference between analog and digital audio?

Question

What is the difference between analog and digital audio?

Answer 1

Analog refers to audio recorded using methods that replicate the original sound waves. ... Digital audio is recorded by taking samples of the original sound wave at a specified rate.

Answer 2

Analog recordings retain the link to physical reality, digital does not.

Answer 3

sound is analog. It is vibrations of a given object that transfer the sound waves through the air to your ear. Analog recording of these sounds are done by mechanical or magnetic process. Vinyl records or by magnetic tape.



Digital is a process where they take the original analog wave and recorded to a digital recording system. Digital takes the original analog source and converts it to digital and then must convert it back to analog for us to hear it.



It would take to long to completely explain the process of digital recording and decoding. Research digital audio for a deeper explaination.



So there are huge differences in the two, many still prefer the sound of analog recording and playback over digital. I am one of them, digital is a sample of the original sound, it is not a continuous recording like that of analog.



Kevin

40 years high end audio video specialist

Answer 4

I strongly recommend that you get a copy of

"Principles of Digital Audio" by Ken Pohlmann

and Read It.



There is no better or more complete explanation available in any form.

Answer 5

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Analog audio is made up of waves. Digital audio is made up of samplings of waves using a sampling rate.

Answer 6

Analogue is like taking a stick and drawing a wavy line in the sand on a beach, with the wavy line representing a voltage over time. Digital is like drawing a center line though your wavy line and then measuring the height of the wave at regular distances and saving the info as numbers.