In contemporary music production, we are spoiled for choice. There are endless ways to shape sounds — all kinds of recording equipment and plug-ins, not to mention the analog options that brought warmth to the music we know and love. Thus, settling upon the right approach can feel overwhelming, especially given the potential high cost and learning curve required from today’s most advanced equipment.
When it comes to analog vs. digital recording, neither option is inherently superior; each presents powerful possibilities and notable drawbacks. Below, we further clarify these options, along with opportunities to blend the best of analog and digital.
Framing the Choice
Analog and digital represent the two main approaches to capturing sound in audio production. We delve deeper into their differences later, but first, it’s essential to clarify that analog is all about physical equipment and processes, whereas digital relies on encoding.
What “Analog” and “Digital” Mean in the Signal Path
The core distinction between analog and digital? Whether sounds are captured physically (using manual equipment) or rely on numerical data obtained via sampling. Analog recording techniques deliver smooth and continuous waveforms. Digital creates discrete values and allows for precise editing within digital audio workstations.
Aesthetic Outcomes: Warmth, Clarity and Translation
The built-in physical modalities of analog and digital systems present significant differences in terms of sound quality or aesthetics. For instance, analog is commonly described as “warmer” than digital, but digital promises greater clarity. These distinctions are at the crux of the analog vs. digital sound quality discussion. And while analog enthusiasts may claim that warmth is inherently superior, this ultimately comes down to personal preference and project-specific visions.
Budget and Workflow Constraints
Though the analog vs. digital discussion often centers on aesthetic priorities, practicalities must also be considered. Digital tends to be more accessible — for example, by expediting editing processes and limiting investments in physical equipment.
Core Audio Science
Audio science and music theory can help explain how waveforms contribute to the distinct sounds we associate with analog or digital recordings. In essence, analog sound waves involve continuous physical signals, while digital sound waves involve discrete numerical samples.
Sample Rate, Bit Depth and Dithering Explained
These concepts shape digital recording, influencing clarity and the overall listening experience:
- The sample rate determines how many snapshots or samples are taken every second.
- Bit depth represents the resolutions of these samples. Higher bit depths lead to less distortion.
- Dither adds noise to the signal to limit the quantization distortion.
Dynamic Range, Noise Floor and Headroom
All electrical noise within a recording setup (such as hissing) contributes to the noise floor, determining the base level of unwanted sound present in the recording in question. The dynamic range then reveals the ratio between the smallest and largest measurable signals. Another influential ratio (known as headroom) describes how the maximum undistorted signal relates to the average level. These qualities must be brought into balance to achieve powerful mixes.
Analog Workflows
Focused on shaping sounds via continuous signals, analog offers a tactile experience that lends character to audio creations. Considerable time, space and maintenance may be required — but analog enthusiasts feel that this is all worthwhile.
Tape Machines and Calibration Routines
Magnetic tape (especially reel-to-reel) has a major role to play in the perceived warmth of analog recording. In capturing continuous fluctuations, tape introduces saturation and compression but in an appealingly subtle manner. Calibration supports consistency across sessions, preserving the desired sonic character.
Consoles, Transformers and Nonlinear Harmonics
The heart and soul of most analog recording setups can be found in the analog console. This workstation features everything a producer needs, from mic pre-amps and equalizers to monitors and faders.
Some elements of the console (such as the mic pre-amps and summing mixers) also feature transformers, which transfer audio signals between circuits and help create beloved analog tones. These are believed to contribute to sonic characteristics known as the transformer color. Additionally, signals can add extra frequencies known as nonlinear harmonics. As with transformers, these harmonics are responsible for yielding the warm, full sounds associated with analog recordings.
Digital Workflows
Reliant on numerical data, digital workflows bring a precise approach to storing and editing audio. Seamless integration is prioritized, with plugins expanding creative options. Key perks include efficiency and scalability.
DAWs and Session Templates
Digital audio workstations (DAWs) serve as central hubs for recording, editing, mixing and mastering. These offer impressive efficiency via consolidation, but this is further enhanced through session templates featuring pre-configured setups based on desired workflows.
Latency, Buffer Settings and Low-Latency Monitoring
Delays naturally occur between when sound is produced and when it’s heard by listeners. This latency cannot be avoided, but digital tends to extend this as plug-ins process sounds or as conversions from analog are completed. DAWs can reduce these delays via low-latency monitoring, ensuring that only direct signals are heard from interfaces. Buffer settings impact latency, too, which increases alongside buffer size.
Editing Power: Comping and Elastic Audio
Digital solutions expand editing possibilities. Elastic audio enables purpose-driven compression and expansion of audio files, in turn offering creative possibilities for stretching sounds. Comping allows for the best performances (achieved through multiple takes) to be integrated to craft a polished track.
Color and Character
Analog enthusiasts frequently reference the value of “character” — but what exactly does that involve?
A BBC report details the potential for “happy accidents,” defined, in this situation, as “unexpected or unplanned outcomes that arise from the imperfections in analog equipment.” A musician discussing this phenomenon with the BBC explains that the result “ends up sounding better than what you intended… You get a little bit of randomness in it, and that randomness can add to what you are trying to achieve.”
Randomness may be the goal, but understanding the mechanisms that underscore these seemingly random results can bring to light the deeper role of analog equipment.
Tape Saturation, Wow/Flutter and Soft Clipping
Subtle distortions known as tape saturation occur with the recording of audio signals on magnetic tape. This can add a unique richness as the audio’s dynamic range is slightly reduced, but modulations known as wow and flutter add to the appeal; the wobbly, slow drift of wow and the rapid fluctuations of flutter join forces to add undeniable character. Meanwhile, soft clipping replaces harsher digital versions with a more gradual (and natural-sounding) compression.
Tube and Transformer Tone vs. Clean Solid-State
Tube amps promise a nonlinear effect, with responses evolving according to changing signal levels. Under this approach, clipping occurs gradually. Solid-state technology delivers a tighter response.
Conversion and Hybrid Setups
These days, analog and digital need not feel opposed. A hybrid studio can offer the best of both worlds, with converters functioning as the critical bridge.
AD/DA Quality, Clocking and Word Clock Topology
AD/DA converters translate electrical signals — from analog sources into digital or from digital to analog. During this process, a method known as clocking ensures accuracy. This works by sampling the incoming audio at a fixed rate and at even intervals to ensure that no clicks, pops or other audio distortions occur.
Word clock topology entails setting up or laying out the digital audio devices so that one master clock can relay this timing to other devices in the chain. Insight into clarity or sound character can be gained through a converter shootout.
Summing: In-the-Box vs. Outboard Mix Busses
Summing blends tracks to create final formats and can be completed within DAWs or while using external consoles. In-the-box solutions are portable and cost-effective but may lack depth. Outboard strategies increase perceived warmth but sacrifice convenience.
Tracking Strategies
Tracking reveals how individual parts are recorded, often in isolation. There are various ways to approach this, and the gear used during this process can prove nearly as important as the musicians themselves.
Mic Choice, Preamp Topologies and Input Levels
Microphone selection is far from simple.
- Dynamic mics record loud instruments such as guitar, bass and drums.
- Condenser mics, meanwhile, are known for delivering great-sounding vocals and capturing acoustic instruments.
- Ribbon microphones capture the warm, smooth tones of string and brass instruments.
Phase coherence describes relationships between sound waves and has a significant impact on multi-mic setups. Microphone signals are sent to the amp, then shaped using a range of different topologies. Gain staging keeps audio set at optimal levels through multiple processes. Finally, the microphone’s signal is boosted by the amplifier, with each microphone requiring some tweaking to find the perfect level.
Printing Compression/EQ vs. Saving It for Mix
During production, engineers must decide whether to print compression and equalization (EQ) directly onto tracks or leave them for mixing. Printing ensures consistency and gives performers a playback closer to the finished product, whereas reserving processing for the mix stage offers greater flexibility — letting producers hear all tracks together and adjust as needed.
Cue Mixes, Performer Comfort and Bleed Management
The cue mix is what the musician hears within headphones while performing. Preferences vary between performers, but it’s up to the producer to inspire greatness. While sound bleed isn’t always problematic, it could mask desired instrumentals. When it comes to bleed management, the right room treatment can limit bleed, with bass traps and absorption panels making a world of difference.
Mixing and Mastering Considerations
The implications of digital vs. analog extend to mixing and mastering. Again, analog promises warmth and character but requires careful handling of hardware limitations and recall. Digital sessions provide precision and flexibility but introduce challenges like plugin latency. Throughout this process, be mindful of the following key concerns:
ITB Versus OTB Mix Discipline and Recall Notes
Among the greatest benefits of digital audio mixing is that every single setting in each session can be saved and called upon later. Inside-the-box production leans heavily on the inherent benefits of computers, but these positives can sometimes lead to a perfectionist mentality. The easier it is to start all over again, the more inclined creators are to do just that.
Analog, on the other hand, supports a “just wing it” approach in which sounds are landed upon after experimentation. Keeping detailed recall notes for each piece of analog gear will ensure that sounds remain mostly the same during multiple sessions.
Parallel Chains, Saturation Stacks and Bus Architecture
Producers can flesh out a sound by adding parallel chains to the original. Parallel compression limits dynamic range lending an expressiveness to quiet moments. A processed copy of the original sound can be blended back into the original to create something truly memorable. This can be achieved through saturation stacks, too, in which multiple small layers are added to enhance warmth and thickness.
These sounds are organized via bus architecture, in which similar sounds can be grouped together and then manipulated all at once. Buses also exist for effects, such as adding all vocals to a reverb bus. The mix bus represents the final step in this process, where the same compression or effects are applied to everything before the mastering process.
Loudness and Crest Factor
The wrong approach can create the impression of excessive loudness. Compression — and lots of it — can lead to unwanted distortion and clipping. True peak limiting offers greater control over peak levels, supporting final mastering.
Albums like Metallica’s Death Magnetic suffer from a low crest factor, meaning the difference between its loudest and average sounds are minimal. This can make the listener feel like they ran into a wall of sound. Pink Floyd’s 1973 triumph The Dark Side of the Moon is a well-regarded example of dynamic range done right.
Reliability, Maintenance and Cost
Both analog and digital strategies call for specialized equipment and, often, substantial investments. Costs can add up quickly, and not just upfront expenses. Maintenance concerns must also be considered — not only from a cost perspective but also because degradation can impact the overall sound.
Tape, Heads and Time Alignment: Time and Consumables
Analog systems can be difficult and expensive to maintain. Tape degradation can occur rapidly, but maintenance also involves the components that make contact with the tape. Even without concerns like degradation or demagnetizing, equipment can become misaligned.
Computers, Interfaces and Update Lifecycles
Digital systems are not free from maintenance challenges. While the physical upkeep is less significant, regular updates are needed to ensure that security and performance remain up to par.
Total Cost of Ownership and Studio Throughput
While setup costs can seem considerable, the return on investment is worth noting, especially as it relates to throughput and productivity. With analog systems, physical constraints may limit throughput. This tends to be higher for digital systems thanks to instant and non-destructive editing processes.
Archiving and Deliverables
Once the hard work has gone into recording, mixing and mastering, archiving ensures that the final product remains accessible for years and decades to come. Deliverables must also be carefully curated to ensure that tracks can be enjoyed as desired across various mediums.
Stems and Mix Versions
Individual tracks known as stems consist of situation-specific groupings. These yield multi-faceted tools for adapting projects that can meet unique needs within various contexts: streaming, gaming or even live performances. Alongside various mix versions, these extend the versatility of curated audio experiences.
Delivering for Streaming, Vinyl and Broadcast
Deliverables should be tailored to reflect desired media forms, and varying technical requirements must be taken into account. For instance, loudness normalization impacts streaming while groove-centered challenges may prompt specialized mastering for vinyl.
With broadcasting, requirements may be network-specific, although in general, it’s important to be mindful of volume requirements mandated in the Commercial Advertising Loudness Mitigation (CALM Act), plus industry standards such as ITU-R BS.1770.
Long-Term Storage: Tapes, Drives and Cloud
The aforementioned maintenance limitations surrounding analog tapes also influence long-term storage and archiving. Issues such as “stick-shed syndrome” threaten even the most well-preserved tapes, eventually leaving recordings practically unplayable. Climate-controlled storage can help, but eventually, transfers to newer media may be required. With digital recordings, challenges are more likely to involve shifting file format standards or even corrupted drives.
Case Studies: Global Perspectives
Case studies showcase both analog and digital techniques as well as how one is not inherently better than the other; rather, both should be tailored to reflect the core creative vision. Examples include:
United States: Indie Rock Hybrid: Tape Rhythm, Digital Vocals
The Black Keys went back in time during the recording of the 2010 album Brothers, even working in a studio that hadn’t recorded an album in 30 years. Frontman Dan Auerbach’s vocals received some digital love during the mixing phase, standing out well against the gritty, fuzzy instrumentation.
United Kingdom: Pop ITB Precision With Analog Bus Color
Who needs analog recording studios when you can do everything in the box? Charli XCX’s COVID-era fan collaboration album How I’m Feeling Now took this statement to the extreme, with production done entirely inside her own home. Producer A.G. Cook worked with Charli on the album, and his “virtual analog” fingerprints can be heard on tracks like “Forever” and “Party 4 U.”
Germany: Electronic Music Craftsmanship Via Analog
It would be an understatement to claim that Kraftwerk had a profound impact on electronic music. This German powerhouse made extensive use of analog synthesizers early on, including the beloved Moog Minimoog.
Founding member and sound designer Florian Schneider felt that Kraftwerk’s clipped precision reflected the “feeling of our [German] language … Our method of speaking is interrupted, hard-edged … a lot of consonants and noises.” Reamping provides the chance for today’s electronic geniuses to pay homage to Kraftwerk, capturing harmonic richness along with subtle shifts that may not otherwise be present within digital workflows.
Japan: Jazz Direct-to-Two-Track on Reel With Minimal Mics
The intricacies of jazz make it the perfect genre to capture through analog. Every note of Japanese musician Tsuyoshi Yamamoto’s Misty for Direct Cutting was mixed live, directly to the vinyl mastering process via a direct-cutting session. This might be among the closest any listener will ever get to being directly in the room during the performance itself.
Warmth and character are clear priorities, as Yamamoto details the need for creatives to “focus on creating their own true sound. They have technical knowledge, but they need to create a sound that is authentically their own … imbued with their own character.”
Nigeria: Afrobeats Vocal Chains: Clean Digital With Select Outboard
Vocal chains are audio effects used to shape the sound of particular vocals. These effects can add multiple layers to a vocal recording, giving it a feel ranging from bedroom pop to EDM. Producer Ayo Lizer, for example, developed an Afrobeat vocal chain that can be paired with tube preamps or optical compressors to create a warm and evocative mix.
Exercises, Decision Aids and Hybrid Possibilities
While many audio engineers or producers are guided by intuition, practical tools or strategies can also help guide the decision to opt for analog or digital:
A/B Testing and Reference Tracks
Offering direct comparisons between different versions of tracks, A/B testing reveals which mixes or settings best capture desired sounds. Reference tracks can be used as benchmarks, helping clarify which approach best supports artistic goals. Keep in mind, however, that it can still be difficult to control variables, and these approaches can prove time-consuming or expensive as well.
Hybrid Template: Latency Comp and Recall Sheets
Hybrid solutions infuse elements of favored music approaches — the warmth of analog alongside the convenience and versatility of digital. High-quality analog gear may be used to capture vocals or instrumentals, but DAWs add opportunities for experimentation.
Recall sheets support this process through precise documentation (aided by session recall), bringing much-needed continuity to hybrid workflows. Latency compensation addresses timing delays to improve synchronization, thereby limiting timing issues within hybrid workflows.
FAQs: Analog vs. Digital Recording
Q1: Which sounds better, analog or digital?
Analog and digital recording methods each produce their own unique sound profiles, and deciding which one is “better” is a matter of personal preference. Whereas some listeners may prefer the tape hiss and pops inherent to analog recordings, others may go for the clarity and consistency of digital.
Q2: What sample rate should I use?
Though it’s tempting to use ultra-high sample rates for the clearest sound possible, file sizes and practicality must be considered. When working with digital music production tools, sample rates such as 44.1 kHz for music and the professional standard of 48 kHz for video production should be more than enough.
Q3: Do tape and transformer stages really help mixes?
Recording directly to tape or running audio through a transformer (such as a direct injection box or analog compressor) can help to create analog’s signature warmth.
Q4: How do I reduce latency while tracking?
While latency isn’t much of an issue in analog recording, it can definitely be bothersome in the DAW workflow. Thankfully, most digital audio workstations offer low-latency modes that, if enabled, help thwart this issue. Direct monitoring can also be useful, sending the audio directly to the headphones before it’s routed anywhere else.
Q5: Can plugins replace analog hardware?
Plugins help imitate many of the sounds we naturally associate with analog audio production. It’s not always a question of whether plugins can replace sounds but rather whether they can replace the analog recording equipment responsible for making those sounds. In that regard, there’s no replacing the original hardware.
Q6: What’s a simple hybrid setup?
There are several different ways to capture the analog sound while taking advantage of modern digital tools. One simple setup involves an instrument plugged into an analog tube preamp, running that into a reel-to-reel machine, which then outputs to the digital recording software. This setup will give you the signature sounds of tape — with the editing flexibility of digital.
Q7: How should I archive sessions?
Digital sound editing makes it easy to save sessions and recordings. Archiving becomes trickier in the analog world, as the physical tapes and reels not only take up space but also must be precisely documented and cared for to limit degradation. Embrace another form of digital archiving by taking photos of all equipment settings so they can easily be pulled up before the next session.
