How to Differentiate Between Analog Tape and Digital When Creating an Album

In recording music, it is important to know the difference between digital and analog formats. With the right knowledge and a little skill, you can be on your way to creating a great music album (CD) and closer to your dream of recording or producing music.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Recognize the importance of analog and what it has brought to the music industry. We all are familiar with analog, as it was the format for LPs and tapes. They are resilient and last a long time but can wear over time, causing sound and functioning problems.

2. Consider the progress digital has made. Now, digital is readily available to all consumers and used by all recording studios as the premium recording style. Digital offers the quality of analog without the noise and other negative characteristics.

3. Use a converter when recording digital music. You can't allow the DB full scale to go past zero, or it will pick up feedback in the recording and you would have to edit those pieces out at a later time. A converter will help avoid this problem; keep it set at -10, which gives "headroom."

4. Understand what headroom is. Headroom is a "lee-way" in the DV setting to avoid feedback being picked up in the recording. It is important to have this headroom, so that if some of the peaks get through, they will not register too high.