Analog vs digital audio system

Would an analog or digital audio system be better for reproducing the reference sound?

And does it depend on how the artist originally recorded the music?

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Digital obviously

From a purely technical standpoint, analog. But for most real world applications digital is much easier, and produces the same quality audio as analog

youtube.com/watch?v=FG9jemV1T7I

You can record a digital signal perfectly and AD conversion adds minimal distortion with high quality equipment. On the otger hands analog recording ads significant distortion to the sound.

Analog

Analog media will have more noise than the distortion digital encoding will introduce. And live audio is fucked up by the recording equipment anyway. Purely digital audio obviously should stay digital.

I don't think purely analog recording and mixing systems have been used in a while, some studios like Abbey Road still own multi-track tape machines, but 99% of today's music is captured or at least processed at some point in digital, usually somewhere between 48k/24b and 192k/24b.
The actual specs of the audio capture don't matter as much as the quality of the analog components (mic/pre/mixer/ADC), but if you're going to be applying fancy effects and distortions to the audio, then it helps to maintain sound integrity by using a higher capture rate. Even if analog might have some theoretical advantages, the limitations you're faced with in trying to keep it within a purely analog paradigm outweigh the benefits you get with digital processing.
>t. location sound guy

*get outweighed by the benefits
Sorry for the derp.

The fact you're asking means you need to go read up on information theory.
khanacademy.org/computing/computer-science/informationtheory

This is an accessible introduction for anyone on Sup Forums.

Digital, a signal can be perfectly and losslessly converted from Analog to Digital and vice versa. This whole analog sounds better thing is such a meme it is not even funny. Plus, digital systems reduce the possibilities for interference, hence why live shows run on digital systems.

Won't all the components in an analog system degrade the sound more than the conversion to digital?

Digital is more accurate but some prefer the sound of some analog degradation /thread

Yes.

digital signal processing is garbage but recording onto tape is the only disadvantage to analog gear since its metal flakes against a magnet. your not going to get the sound of a chandler from digital signal processing

"digital signal processing is garbage"

Ok my dude because you can totally tell the difference between a digital effect and an analog one. Tell us more about how god himself crafted your ears.

analog doesn't degrade the sound if anything it sweetens the harmonics and gives it character. hence why outboard is still preferred for mastering. anybody who thinks sound going through a manley degrades it is retarded. only tape degrades sound

Yeah, but in an ideal situation it would be better.

>it sweetens the harmonics and gives it character.
You meant to say "distorts the sound".

An ideal vinyl still has lower dynamic range than 16bit audio. How is it better?

no if anything adding harmonics means distortion but its also frequency coloration. its not digital distortion where it clips its more of stress on circuitry adding harmonics. live sound is the worst example because most of it is conveniennce over quality besides a place like the Lincoln. and even so, theres a reason why most amps you see on stage are not fully digital. you can think mathematical equations can reproduce accurately but subtles from like an actual plated reverb or spring aren't accurate. at some point the numbers with digital are subjected to quantization and rounding numbers is degradation itself

Assuming you invest $x in an analog system versus a digital system, will analog ever win out at any price point?

E.g., $1000 analog system vs $1000 digital system

So is there any price point at which an analog system will be better than a digital system?

E.g., $1000 analog system vs $1000 digital system

At infinity