Digital vs Analog

Here we are in the year 2014 still talking about which style of mixing is better, analog verses digital mixing and what it does to the sound quality of audio files. This argument or debate among engineers seems to be a bit pointless nonetheless if you ask me. Both sides make valid points when it comes to what they choose to use and why they feel one is better than the other. This is like guys debating which car is better a Cadillac or a Mercedes Benz. People will just have what they like and why they like it and this it. That is the beauty of Life, you have options and in the world of audio mixing we have a world of options. Even though I mix in the box (from my computer) I also like sitting behind the large console doing recordings and mixes. The feeling of being a mad scientist for sound quality is something I get when I am in a recording studio versus being at home mixing from my computer. The Power is in my hands.

Back in the 90’s this would not be much of a conversation to have because the world of recording and mixing music was mostly still being done on big analog consoles in large, luxury studios. Digital mixing was something that was new and still had a long road ahead and a lot of bugs to work out before it could be compared to the age old tradition of analog sound quality. Analog was the king of mixing since the beginning because there were no other options but now there is. Digital recordings and mixes have gotten better over the years and I now feel they are equal to or greater than analog when it comes to sound quality. There has been much success and plenty of hit records that have been mixed in the box. There has been much success and plenty of hit records that have been mixed on large consoles in the years since the inception of digital audio.

To sum it all up, the choice is yours; there is no right, wrong or better it is all in personal preference.

You can go and read these two articles to form your own opinion on the topic Digital vs Analog and Summing .