[71 dB]

We never used “bright shots of light” in production so I’m assuming this must be a metaphor but I can’t work out what it’s a metaphor for?

G

My guess is he means there where some recordings superior to others.

 

[gregorio]

That's a relief. Since my background is in engineering, signals being continuous or not is more relevant for me than whether signals are analogues of something or not.

TBH, there’s not really a difference between my definition and 1a, except maybe a semantic difference: “information is represented” - is more or less the same as “analogous to other information”. This semantic difference is clarified in the given example: “The [speaker] drivers are presenting an analogy of what came from the original source …”

G

 

[odarg64]

“An analog signal is any continuous signal representing some other quantity, i.e., analogous to another quantity.” - Wikipedia.

Isn’t the above obvious?

G

Yep.

 

[gregorio]

For me continuity (or the lack thereof) of signals is a simple way to tell analog and digital signals apart, because quantization breaks continuity that has to be restored by reconstruction filter.

Reading your post again, I understand that your definition works for separating digital from analogue signals, because all analogue signals must be continuous and digital signals are not. While your definition always works in this case, it doesn’t work in a wider scope because although all analogue signals are continuous, not all continuous signals are analogue, in fact most aren’t.

G

 

[SoundAndMotion]

although all analogue signals are continuous, not all continuous signals are analogue, in fact most aren’t.

Hmm... can't think of any right now... Can you name some?
Also how does that jibe with “An analog signal is any continuous signal representing some other quantity, i.e., analogous to another quantity.” - Wikipedia.

 

[gregorio]

Hmm... can't think of any right now... Can you name some?

I’ve already named one, a power signal. Others would be any naturally occurring continuous signal, light waves, sound waves, radio waves, etc.

Also how does that jibe with “An analog signal is any continuous signal representing some other quantity, i.e., analogous to another quantity.” - Wikipedia.

Light from the sun isn’t analogous to something else, it doesn’t represent some other quantity. A say 60Hz power signal doesn’t represent some other information and is not analogous to another quantity. Naturally occurring radio waves are not analogue but certain radio waves can be, for example, we can manufacture a frequency or amplitude modulated carrier radio wave to represent something else, an analogue audio and/or TV signal for instance. This is a good example of where and how it’s important to differentiate between a continuous signal and an analogue signal.

G

 

[raulromanjr]

For those of you with the time or the disposition to offer your expertise in this matter. How do the distinctions (analog vs digital) being depicted here apply to visual signals?

I know this isn’t necessarily the topic in this thread but I commented on that already and I’m now intrigued by the analog vs digital conversion.

 

[71 dB]

I still can't understand why we can't call sound waves analog. They are certainly not digital, because they are continuous, so why not call them analog?

 

[gregorio]

I still can't understand why we can't call sound waves analog.

Because they don’t represent other information, they are not created as an analogy for some other quantity.

They are certainly not digital, because they are continuous, so why not call them analog?

Correct, they cannot be digital but the reason we can’t call them analogue is because they are not analogue/analogous. Sound waves are acoustic signals, not analogue signals.

G

 

[sander99]

By the way, do you all carefully distinguish digital signals (=abstract mathematical information) from continuous representations of them (like voltage eye-patterns)?

 

[Bytor123]

Digital, analogue, nothing is going to make 1980s music bearable. Even in the 1980s it was horrible.

 

[The Jester]

If you don’t like 80’s music that’s fine, everyone has different tastes but some here blaming the messenger makes little sense,
In the views of some the messenger has been getting slowly worse ? .

. :

 

[bigshot]

It isn’t 80s music. There was a lot of great music made in the 80s. I could make a very long list. The problem is “kid music”. As we get older, (hopefully) we get more discerning. Things that were fine to us as a teenager seem dumb today. That’s just natural.

 

[The Jester]

It isn’t 80s music. There was a lot of great music made in the 80s. I could make a very long list. The problem is “kid music”. As we get older, (hopefully) we get more discerning. Things that were fine to us as a teenager seem dumb today. That’s just natural.

When we were “young and stupid” ?
But now we’re older …. Lol
Agreed that there was plenty of good stuff in the 80’s, it probably accounts for 25% of my collection …

 

[Surf Monkey]

Digital, analogue, nothing is going to make 1980s music bearable. Even in the 1980s it was horrible.

There were so many great bands in the ‘80s. The idea that ‘80s music sucks is just hogwash based on the most high profile POP of the era. The place where good ‘80s music happened was first called punk, then new wave, then college radio, then post-punk.