Analog vs Digital Audio: More Than Just Sound Quality

The analog vs digital debate is constantly evolving as new technologies come out. Listen to some of my thoughts from a different perspective than simply "what sounds better".
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[@AnandaJermin]

Have always loved music produced from a hybrid setup of analog and digital. But digital has really helped new musicians spur to the scenes through simpler studios. Budget and workflow will decide the direction and tools used. Great insights Alex 👍

[@axk]

Totally correct, and there are so many great tools available at all levels! Thanks for watching.

[@TheInstrumentsAcapella]

I had to pause at 3:30 to marvel at that studio space! Beautiful and very overwhelming to a beginner 😂. Thanks Alex for your insights. Always informative!👌

[@joesalyers]

The studio at 3:30 is Jack Joseph Puig's old room at Ocean Way. With a Focusrite ISA console. That room is a bizarrely setup room that only JJP knew how to use. Most of the gear was Jack's private collection except for the console and a few outboard pieces that were Ocean Way's.

[@TheInstrumentsAcapella]

@@joesalyers quite a master piece. Should be a museum open for visits.

[@codylander]

As a beginner a lot of this went over my head. Crazy those voice over recordings still hold up over all of this time! I enjoy learning from you. Excited to see what’s next!

[@AnandaGarden]

Aaah, Alex is back. I always enjoy your explanations - so clear and informative.

[@axk]

Glad you like! Thanks for watching.

[@georgerady9706]

As always… fascinating! I’m just getting re-started (after an involuntary Covid break… broke my projects) and I just did voice over from online training with PluralSight… my vocal recordings needed a lot of post performance work… and a fellow was able to run it thru various filters to produce superior audio tracks… but I’d like to be able to edit that myself… so it’s back to Square One with Logic Pro and Alex’s videos on Voice Over!

[@axk]

Thanks for watching! Just to add perspective: no matter you record, once you deliver it to a post sound person, they’re going to process it in some way to make it fit into their mix. I would encourage you not to go too heavy handed on your own processing - don’t overcompress, don’t go too crazy with EQ, etc. Priority #1 is your performance, but you want to deliver high enough quality recordings that a mixer will have flexibility to get them sounding great. I almost always find myself removing mouth clicks, reducing sibilance, controlling bass frequencies, and notching out resonance even in the most professional voiceover recordings. That’s the way it’s supposed to go!

[@drakecassidy2942]

I will never get rid of my Avalon M5. After 20 years, It still makes almost any worth mentioning Mic sound better IMO.

[@charles.vernier]

Learned a lot from this video. Thanks!

[@axk]

Thanks for watching Charles!

[@brazickofficial443]

Nice I have to ask one other thing though Can you please make video about gate/expanders and how to properly use to suppress noise in dialogs Thanks a lot for your videos love them! They basically got my carrier started about 2 years ago) Happy new year!)

[@axk]

Happy new year and thanks for watching! So happy to hear that, I’m glad these videos have been helpful!

[@joshmcdzz6925]

@@axk did you make this already?

[@ralphbullis40]

Great as usual. Here's a purely theoretical thought. At the end of the day (which might be decades into the future) Theory tells us that all sound, no matter how complex, can be reduced to a bunch of sine waves through Fourier Transformation. A Fourier Transformation is simply a mathematical formula. Formulas are what computers love. So eventually all will be digital. However, your analysis of dedicated speaker tuning seems to be part of my theoretical analysis. I'll have to work on this some more.

[@thomaswalder4808]

"At the end of the day (which might be decades into the future) Theory tells us that all sound, no matter how complex, can be reduced to a bunch of sine waves through Fourier Transformation. A Fourier Transformation is simply a mathematical formula. I have good news for you - you not hacve to wait decades - this theory (known as Nyquist-Shannon theorem) was invented by Harry Nyquist (but in parallel also by other scientists like Wladimir Kotelnikow) and mathematically proved by Claude Elwood Shannon in 1948 already.... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist%E2%80%93Shannon_sampling_theorem

[@offcenterconcepthaus]

Another good one!

[@axk]

Thanks for watching!!

[@krawieck]

one befefit that digital stuff has is that you can pirate it. While you can steal a physical compressor from a store it's much more of a hassle 😅

[@axk]

This is actually something I want to address in another video.

[@davemakesnoises]

Not me casually stuffing an SSL G8000 down my pants...with a tower crane

[@axk]

Them: “Yeah I pirated the Waves Mercury bundle” You: “I pirated a 1800 pound SSL9000K console in my fucking pants”

[@hildemora]

I have to ask, what mic are you using?

[@TroyNaumu808]

I've been analog since 1966.

[@indianindian5906]

Which is best analog or digital?

[@Sheriffvlogs]

Great video have u tried dolby-atmos specifically for music

[@axk]

Thanks for watching! Yes, have worked in the Atmos world for quite sometime.

[@Sheriffvlogs]

@@axk it seems like it going to be the next big thing in audio kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ-7ZaOMp92kp5I I'm going to be trying it out with nuendo

[@axk]

It already is! It was introduced about 8 years ago in the theatrical film world, and has made its way into music, podcasting, installations, etc. Definitely here to stay.

[@Sheriffvlogs]

@@axk especially the binaural version

[@MaxoticsTV]

One aspect you didn't mention, but which could be the subject of a separate video, is the short-thrift both Apple and Microsoft give to audio (and video). In Windows 11, the speaker control is now attached to the wireless control. You can't just right click and change the speaker. I can't even wrap my mind around some of the stuff Microsoft does. I thought they had learned their lesson when they removed the start button years ago. Yes, they're better, but they're still horrible. Add to that, MS and Apple fight through proprietary stuff and audio pays a price. What that means is VST use remains in the professional or enthusiast domain. I wouldn't dream of setting up a friend with a VST EQ for their voice on their PC. Just one change from the manufacturer and it would fall apart and need to be re-configured. Even for me. I bought a DBX 286x to fool around with. The technology is literally from the tech stone age (no on/off switch). But it does the job, and, as you pointed out, is set and forget. It's no longer an experiment for me. But it's stupid. I should be able to use a simple VST. Yes, Elgato has now integrated them in its Wave Link, but I've found that buggy. Can't trust it. This is all a long winded way of saying you might cover the reality of using audio on PCs. Or tell me I'm wrong. I think it is a sht show and I don't see it becoming plug-n-play anytime soon.

[@itismeanttobe]

Ahh now i get it my dad has a bunch of pedals i just remembered so that must be analog and you can do the same effect on a software which digital

[@MantasticHams]

Actually technically there are both digital and analog pedals, even hybrid pedals where digital UI and chip control an all analog signal-path.

[@gaanokibaraat]

I love analog quality... Digital ruined the essence of music.... By ruined I mean, when I used to listen to the songs back in the 80s, I felt mesmerize, but after the advent of the CDs, those feelings vanished away, as a result, I reduced to listen to the same songs that I used to listen almost every day in the 80s.

[@asnark7115]

And that's the real difference. Digital music causes stress. The real question is, "Which one feels better?" The answer has always been, "analog".

[@capybara5494]

Everyone : “MacOS X” : this isn’t even my final form!

[@marcoluca6552]

I would like to take off a curiosity that I have had for many years: with the progress made in the last years of digital and vinyl, if I had a 1800/2200 pound budget, between a Rega Planar 8 turntable and a player in this range like the Technics SL-G700M2 for example, which one would sound better for Pop and Rock music, no classical / jazz , and no loudness war (only 80/90' music) ? Does a player in this range still sound "digital" ? Does one need a higher budget to hear "analog" like a vinyl in this range ?

[@lyntedrockley7295]

if you're listening to Pop and Rock then it doesn't matter what you use.

[@GO-su3lf]

digital for preservation and storage only. Analog is the true original, sound captured in pure sine waves, digital can never reproduce the original sound 100%

[@asnark7115]

Digital doesn't capture the feel, and does cause stress for the listener.

[@dannydaniel8975]

Naww, analog is better waywayway better and you really dont need a lot. Have a tascam 8 track cassette recorder, a joe meek twin q mic pre and a fostex 1/4 inch reel to reel. The plugins never could cut it for me!!!

[@rhoten8039]

It’s the imperfections of analog that is desirable. In the box is too perfect in my opinion. Sounds very sterile. There maybe a day where algorithms can simulate the imperfections accurately, but it’s not right now. A/B tests if one channel isn’t as noticeable. It’s more apparent when you have 20-30 tracks that are summed. Almost night and day.

[@rhoten8039]

Yep. The history was to make things perfect, then it became reality. Then the perfect digital ecosystem created plug ins to make the perfect signal imperfect with saturation plug ins or others that emulate the imperfect vintage analog gear. If perfection is perfect, why make the plug ins to create imperfections? LOL

[@rhoten8039]

@@nicksterj I subscribe to loving the best of both worlds. Taking the best of analog and digital for the hybrid perfection! 😎

[@nero008]

you really go out of your way to show these hype inducing stock photos

[@travisraab]

Silver dress or blue that's the question

[@axk]

OBVIOUSLY silver. …..wait no, it WAS blue!!! Who took this picture anyway?!?!

[@MadACeTeeMack]

Analog is better period

[@Rolf-1gv7ej2j]

Analog sound sucks digital sound is better

[@MadACeTeeMack]

@Roblox-News1gv7ej2j Good luck convincing an A&R and a radio DJ then with that thin sounding mix 😂😂😂

[@enneff]

@@MadACeTeeMack do you think it's 1985? Every single song in the Billboard top 100 was recorded with digital equipment.

[@MadACeTeeMack]

@@enneff We are talking plugins and not DAT machines

[@MadACeTeeMack]

@@enneff Even then, DAT machines were pretty much tape. I'm talking about outboard gear versus bouncing tracks using 1s and 0s.

[@colourbasscolourbassweapon2135]

Digital vs Analog is a Dumb argument why not use both

[@eddy_sonik]

👍i LoVe ! 💙⚪❤

[@damiandrabik7602]

Its funny how you talking about professional audio and you have overdrive in your microphone on youtube video. Dislike.