The word 'digital' is a derivation of 'digit' and refers to systems which process numbers, typically 0’s and 1’s. Analog systems are a representation of an object that resembles the original, interns of waveforms. In a previous post, Lauren McCurdy included a simple distinction between analog and digital from wisegeek saying, “analog technologies record waveforms as they are, while digital technologies convert analog waveforms into sets of numbers, recording the numbers instead. When played back, the numbers are converted into a voltage stream that approximates the original analog wave.”
One of the most common comparisons made between digital and analog is with music recordings. At what point does a digital file cease to be a recording, and instead become a programmed performance in its own right? Lance Strate proposed this question in an earlier post and it speaks to a lot of controversy surrounding digital and analog forms of recording. Some musicians prefer analog recordings because the sound you hear is as close to being in the same room as the artist as possible without actually being there. However, modern recording artists tend to take full advantage of digital recording capabilities. Digital recordings can be converted, enhanced and manipulated on a computer to give you the final product. Take the newly popular “auto-tune” digital feature used by popular artists like Kanye West, and originally Cher in her song “Believe,” to produce a synthesized, digitally “perfect” vocal tone. Auto-tune uses a voice encoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed many artists to produce more precisely tuned recordings (Wikipedia). Although the music we hear today on the radio is widely popular, could we actually call them “recordings?” What are the justifications between authentic audio content and an enhanced, auto-tuned “performance?”
There is no answer to this argument. Consumers in our modern society take tweaked and manipulated audio files to be forms of entertainment and have become widely popular. Digital technology has allowed for numerous advancements in music and the outcome of such is a subjective matter. Some will see it as taking away from the true talent that many musicians possess and others see it as the future and pure-genius.
Source: pcmag.com, techmind.org, wikipedia.org
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Digital technology is user-friendly. FOr example, clocks are easier to read. Cable channels are larger in number and easier to find as opposed to the "old cable box" where there was the A and B side. Digital technology's popularity has grown quickly. Consequently, just about everything we use today is digital, if not, it soon will be.
ReplyDeleteWhat i find particularly interesting is that digital representation can be as accurate or as inaccurate as it can be. Since there's only a finite number of symbols to represent information, a digital readout needs to be "truncated" in order to fit everything on the display. The analog instrument can only be read up to the information printed on, but even that is not 100% accurate.
ReplyDeleteBut when it comes to control, analog controls are much more preferred these days. Take a look at your typical video game controller, I guarantee there will be at least one analog method of control in addition to the "D" pad.
I find this point disappointing, in that you don't take into account what's been said in previous posts, Ben, and it's not correct to say that digital is the same as electronic, there are analogical electronic technologies, nor is it correct to say that digital is automatic, as your own example of the clock demonstrates.
ReplyDeleteLuke, good point about digital being either/or while analog allows for shades of gray, and about the game controllers.
Please note that I revised this post to better acclimate what has already been said in previous posts and made changes to make it more accurate.
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