Is Digital Really Better?

Hypothetical Conversation 

Worship Pastor : “why don’t we sound like the conference we just went to?”

Sound Guy : “they had a digital board.”

WP: “, if that’s what it takes to get great sound, we should get one!”

SG: “this will fix all our problems!”

The Problem

I’ve seen many, many people (especially in certain Facebook groups) buy into the lie that “you have to have a digital board to get a good sound”. There seems to be this assumption that having a digital board will instantly upgrade the quality of the listening experience. 

To determine if digital is inherently better, lets look at the path sound takes from being generated until the listener hears it. 

The Source

“In the beginning, God said……”.
It all starts with the audio source, wether its created via a vibration like in the case of acoustic instruments, or electrical samples as in the case of things like keyboards and electric drums, good sound starts with a good source. If the source sounds bad, it makes it impossible to get a good sound out of it later. Garbage in, garbage out. 

The Transducer (Microphone or Direct Box)

Next on our journey is the transducer. This is the point where the signal is converted from sound waves (in the case of acoustic instruments) to electrical waves or from unbalanced/high impedance signals to balanced low impedance signals to be fed into the mixer. There are many things that impact the sound picked up by a transducer. In the case of a microphone, the type of microphone, the distance to the source, the reflectiveness of the room and the rejection of the microphone all play into what kind of sound the microphone picks up. In the case of a direct box, The type of circuitry inside the box itself has an effect on the transparency or coloration of the sound as it passes through. 

The Mixer

Finally…. We arrive at the mixer (spoiler: this isn’t the end of the signal chain). 

The signal path for the average analog mixer is as follows:

Preamp/Head-amp -> HPF(high pass filter)-> Compression/Inserts (if applicable) -> EQ -> Auxiliaries/Mixes -> Fader -> Master Bus -> Main Output. 

Throughout the process the analog electrical signal stays analog as it passes from one point to the next. 

The signal chain for the average digital mixer is as follows:

Preamp/Head-amp -> HPF -> A/D(analog to digital) Converter -> Digital trim -> processing (EQ/Compression and other processing) -> Auxiliaries/Mixes -> Fader -> Master Bus -> D/A(digital to analog) Converter -> Main Output. 

Once the analog electrical signal passes the preamp it is converted from electrical current to digital (1s and 0s). To preserve data throughput, a sample of the data is captured at a predetermined interval. This is known as sample rate.

Did you catch the difference? Both mixers have most of the same tools (or at least a way to get them) for processing audio. The only difference in what the mixer does to the signal is in the Analog to digital conversion and back that takes place in the digital mixer. There is a lot of debate about how much effect this has on the signal quality, but the debate is over how much the conversion is able to preserve the original quality of the analog signal. Meaning digital is constantly trying to be as close to analog as possible when it comes to the treatment of the raw audio signal. 

System Processing

After the audio leaves the mixer it goes into the system processor. This is where the speakers are tuned to best work in the room. If this isn’t correct it makes mixing very difficult, since you are now trying to compensate for room issues in the mix.

Tip - if you are experiencing sound problems, this is the first thing to look at. You need to have a professional evaluate your room. This doesn’t always mean that new equipment is needed. Sometimes its as simple as a tune-up.

Amplification 

This is where the signal amount is increased up to a level to be able to drive a speaker. 

Speaker

Finally the Signal is converted back to audible sound waves that travel through the air. Different speaker types and configurations can lead to drastically different sounds being reproduced. A well deployed system should work with the natural acoustics of the room (sometimes acoustic treatment is needed) to create consistent even sound across the whole space. If this isn’t correct, everything before it can be ruined at this final step. 

The Verdict

So which is better, analog or digital? Or is that even the right question?

Maybe the question should be: “How do I get the best sound?” Unfortunately, its not nearly as simple as just buying the right thing. Each one of the things in the chain above is just a tool that can be used to improve or destroy the sound quality. What matters is that you use the best tool for your context, and that the person operating it knows how to use it. In many cases you don’t even need to buy new equipment.. You need to invest in your people.

Also see
“Why Don’t We Sound Like The Record”

If you would like to discuss specifically what you can do to improve your audio quality, please send me a message. I’d be happy to discuss it with you.