Weekly Blog 3/24/18 - Digital VS Analog

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Summary

Analog technology is any kind of non-digital tool that is used to create an "analogy" of what it is measuring or doing. In the case of sound, analog recordings adjust and create "analogies" based on variations in air pressure. Digital technology, however, takes the sound waves then converts it into numbers to store or display. Many believe that analog sounds produce warmer, more natural, and better quality audio than digital recordings do. However, there are many more benefits to digital recordings. They are easier to manage, store, edit, create and distribute. Overall, there are pros and cons to both digital and analog recordings.

SP7 Engaging in an Argument from Evidence

I engaged in an argument from evidence when I researched the advantages and disadvantages of both analog and digital versions of sound recording. Ultimately, I decided to write my WAC about and argue the reasons why digital recordings are more suitable for artists and their producers. One of the cons of analog tapes is that they are hard to edit and there is no undo button. One mistake and the recording will be ruined and we will have to start all over. In addition to this, tape hissing and static background noises that often comes with analog recordings are nearly impossible to fully get rid of. With digital formats, however, getting rid of background noise can be as easy as the click of a few buttons. Digital recording equipment requires less maintenance, is more efficient at its job, cheaper, and takes up less space. 

XCC: Cause and Effect

By using digital recordings, you are able to do many things like store more information in less space. This is because digital recordings are just "samples" of sound waves converted into numbers and stored in devices. There are many effects that digital sound technologies cause. One negative effect of using digital sounds is that the quality tends to get worse after sampling. One positive effect is that digital formats allow you to send and share information with others quickly and efficiently.

Digital Vs Analog WAC 3/21/18

     Since the 80's and especially now, digital recording technology has been overtaking and dominating the music industry leaving analog recordings in the dust. However, recently many people have been arguing the benefits of analog sound recording. According to the article Analog, Digital, What's the Difference? by Recording Connection, "analog sound tends to be warmer, has more texture and is thought to capture a truer representation of the actual sound."(para. 9). Digital, however, is described as "somewhat cold, technical and perhaps lacking in analog’s nuance."(para. 9). But which format of sound recording is better for me as a recording artist? Though both analog and digital recording formats have their pros and cons, I should record my music in a digital format. This is due to the fact that digital recording formats are cheaper, easier to work with, and more accessible to everyone.

     If we decided to record in analog format, editing would be a tedious and difficult task for you, the producer and the studio. Analog tapes are hard to edit and worst of all, there is no undo button. One mistake and the recording will be ruined and we will have to start all over. In addition to this, tape hissing and static background noises that often comes with analog recordings are nearly impossible to fully get rid of. With digital formats, however, getting rid of background noise can be as easy as the click of a few buttons. "You can chop, edit and manipulate audio within a matter of minutes"(para.4), says Charmain2010 in his article Analogue VS Digital: Advantages VS Disadvantages. Overall, when it comes to easier editing in the studio, digital recording definitely wins.

     There are also more benefits to digital recording than just editing. In addition to that, digital recording equipment also requires less maintenance and is cheaper. To create an analog recording, you would need a whole studio full of expensive and bulky equipment. For digital, however, you could create a whole soundtrack at home on your laptop. Also, in Chris Woodford's article Analog and Digital, he writes "You'll need several shelves to store 400 vinyl, analog LP records, but with an MP3 player you can put the same amount of music in your pocket!".

     Another important factor that will determine my success as an artist is how widely distributed and available to the public my music is. We live in a digital age where everyone can connect and discover new things online through the internet. The biggest way to get my name and songs out in the world for the public to discover is through online social media sites like YouTube and Spotify. In addition to this, we could upload and sell our music online in places like I tunes. If we sold analogue records, listeners would be limited to those owning and interested in analog record players. We should take advantage of the many music sharing platforms online available to us and record in a digital format.

     A common argument that is often brought up in favor of analog recordings is that they simply sound better and are of better quality. Steve Guttenburg wrote in his article, Why does Analog Sound Better than Digital?,"Music isn't a test tone or just a sequence of numbers. It's about soul, and when the music's good, it's supposed to connect with people...Analog-sourced music does that stuff better than digital"(para. 4). In reality, however this is incorrect. In the video created by PastVid, Analog or Digital (1993) it mentioned that "It takes a good stereo with a good turntable to hear the subtleties that CD's seem to miss"(2:16). The difference between the two are so slight, it doesn't really matter whether or not you are listening to an analog or digital recording since they sound the same. In addition to this, static and hissing background noise is commonly found in analog recordings and they degrade over time. Unlike with analog where the more you listen to an analog recording the worse the quality gets, digital CD's or files sound exactly the same every time you play it. 

     So which one do you think is the better option now? Digital recordings are efficient, cheap, highly distributive, durable, and basically sound as good as analog recordings. Analog recordings can be expensive, consume time and space to make, degrade over time, and more. Not to mention how little people own analog record players nowadays. It is obvious that I should record my music in a digital format because of digital's many pros.

Weekly Blog 3/11/18 - Analog and Digital Sounds

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Summary 

Analog technology is any kind of non digital tool that is used to create an "analogy" of what it is measuring or doing. For example, in a clock the hands are representing time. This doesn't mean that the clock is time but rather that the clock is creating an analogy of time. Digital technology, however, is different. Unlike analog technology, digital technology takes the information, then converts it into numbers to store or display. Digital technology is generally faster and easier to read than analog technology. Also, more information can be stored in less space using numbers and digital technology that with analog. However, this doesn't exactly mean that digital technology is better. While it may be more efficient, many argue that digital technology is sacrificing quality for convienience. In the image above, you can see the difference between an analog and digital recording. In the digital recording, lots of information is lost. However, you can improve the quality of a digital recording by increasing the sampling rate which is basically recording more heights out of more points on the original recording.

SP 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

I analyzed data when I created two graphs of digital recordings based on the same analog recording at different sampling rates. Comparing the graphs side by side showed me the how good the quality of an analog recording is compared to a digital one. However, when analyzing my graphs I found that the more points I collect or the higher the sampling rate, the less information will be lost on the digital recording. This reminded me of how taking a picture on a good camera with higher resolution compares to one on an old, bad camera. Just like digital recordings with more numbers and data, images with higher resolution and more pixels are better quality than ones with less. 

XCC: Struction and Function

Sounds travels differently through different mediums because of their structure. When molecules are closer together, it allows sound to travel faster because the sound vibrations and energy can move without losing and having to use any energy. Sound slowly through the air, faster in liquids, and even faster through solids. On a cold day, molecules will contract and come closer together allowing sound to travel faster. The structure and formation of molecules in all of these different mediums cause  sound vibrations to travel through and function differently when encountered. 

Quizizz! Re-grade

Question:

Correct Answer: Reflection

Explanation: Reflection is the correct answer because the action of a something (like a wave) bouncing off a surface is a form of reflection. The light is being "reflected" making it bounce back, not "refracted". Refraction, however, is something completely different which has to do with a change in angles and direction.

Question:

Correct Answer: Only a small part

Explanation: Though most of it isn't, part of the electromagnetic spectrum like visible light is visible meaning only a small part of it is visible. That part is known as the visible spectrum.

Question:

Correct Answer: False

Explanation:

Light is not a mechanical wave because it doesn't require matter or a medium to be produced and is not the vibration of molecules. It is a electromagnetic wave and can travel through space. 

Question:

Correct Answer: Microwaves

Explanation:
In order to receive and send information with your cellphone, microwave signals are transmitted between the two phones. Cellphones use microwaves.

Question:

Correct Answer: back and forth

Explanation:
In a transverse wave, the motion is moving back and forth or oscillating in a rhythm. This means that in a transverse wave particles move back and forth.

Question:

Correct Answer: solid molecules are packed tightly

Explanation:
Sound is able to move through a solid faster than a gas because solid molecules are packed tightly and closer together meaning less energy is lost between the traveling of molecules. With gas molecules, they are too far spread. When sound has to travels between them, energy is lost and used up resulting in sound traveling slower.


Question









Correct Answer: wavelength, lower

Explanation:
Since the frequency is the amount of waves pass by a certain point in a second, when the wavelengths are longer that means less waves will pass by since they are larger. If less waves pass by it results in a lower frequency. Therefore, the longer the wavelength the lower the frequency.

Weekly Blog 3/4/18 - Sound

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Summary

Sounds are formed by the vibration of molecules in a medium. It carries energy and travels in sound waves. When you hear sounds, the reason why they all sound different is because of wavelength, amplitude, and frequencies. Wavelength is the distance from the top of one wave to another or how wide the waves are. Amplitude is the height of the wave. Frequencies are the number of wavelengths that travel past one point in one second. The frequency of a sound directly affects the pitch of the sound. Lower frequencies have a lower pitch while higher frequencies have a higher pitch.

SP2: Developing and Using Models

I developed models when I experimented with bottles and water to produce sounds of different pitches. By adjusting the amounts of water in each bottle and blowing on them, I was able to learn that bottles with less water have a lower pitch when you blow and bottles with more water have a higher pitch. Using the bottles helped me learn more about sound vibrations and how frequency affects pitch.

XCC: Structure and Function

In order to be able to hear sounds, our ears are specially built and include certain parts. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and travel through the ear canal. Once it reaches the eardrum, the sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate which moves the tiny bones in the middle ear. The purpose of the tiny bones are to help sound travel into the inner ear where they enter the cochlea (a curled tube in the inner ear that is filled with liquid) and produce waves. Along the exterior of the cochlea are tiny cells that are covered in even tinier hairs. The vibrations of the sound cause the hairs to move sending nerve signals to the brain. The brain processes the nerve signals as sound so you can hear it. Without any of these parts, you wouldn't be able to hear. For example, when the hair cells on your cochlea die or are damaged, that's when you begin to experience loss of hearing.