Axis Communications Academy 60 seconds - Analog vs Digital Audio

Analog audio converts sound waves into electrical voltage. This electric signal can then be transported, stored and eventually converted back into sound waves. When this electric signal gets passed through many steps, or over long hauls of wire its voltage level will drop and will need to be amplified. And this process will increase the noise and lower the quality. The output audio will not sound as good anymore. And this is where digital audio differs.

00:41 - Instead of using varying voltage, numerical values are used to describe the waveform. These values can then be stored and transmitted without changing even the slightest, even in areas of electromagnetic disturbance. They will not be corrupted by noise, and when converted back into sound waves they will sound exactly the same. And this is the basis of network audio. All sound is stored and transmitted in digital form. This gives higher quality, greater flexibility and virtually limitless possibilities. .