The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Honors Theses Honors College Fall 12-2017 Spectral Analysis and Comparison of Analog and Digital Recordings Hannah N. Frosch University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses Part of the Other Music Commons Recommended Citation Frosch, Hannah N., "Spectral Analysis and Comparison of Analog and Digital Recordings" (2017). Honors Theses. 545. https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/545 This Honors College Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College at The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi A Spectral Analysis and Comparison of Analog and Digital Recordings by Hannah Frosch A Thesis Submitted to the Honors College of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism December 2017 ii A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Approved by Jonathan Pluskota, Ph.D., Thesis Adviser Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism ___________________________________________ David R. Davies, Ph.D., Chair School of Mass Communication and Journalism Ellen Weinauer, Ph. D., Dean of Honors College iii A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Abstract: The music industry is constantly shifting and changing as new developments emerge. The biggest transition still discussed to this day is the shift from analog to digital. The digital world of media has opened many doors and created a simpler way of making and consuming media. However, the desire for a vintage/analog sound environment has grown increasingly popular over the years. The main research question I will be addressing in this thesis is: How do analog and digital recordings compare at a signal level? I will attempt to answer this research question through analyzing different audio signals. To do so, two separate recordings, one digital and one analog, will be obtained simultaneously through the same microphones. Those two recordings will be put through an analyzing program and compared. There is much research on both analog and digital, especially from the consumerism side of the industry. However, not much of that research attempts to discover and discuss the differences at a spectral or signal level. This research will offer a new way of looking at the comparison between analog and digital audio. By doing such research, I will be able to examine and make unique conclusions on the differences between the two. Key Words: analog technology, digital technology, SpectraFoo, analysis, music industry, recording, audio iv A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Dedication Mom, Dad, and Ashley Thank you for pushing me to complete this project. Your constant support has contributed to all of my accomplishments thus far. v A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Acknowledgments I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Jonathan Pluskota, for his constant support. I was quick to think I could not complete this project because he is out of the country. Although this experience has been difficult, Dr. Pluskota has dedicated a lot of time and effort to ensure the success in both my thesis and my academics as a whole. His efforts to support me and answer all of my questions, despite the eight-hour time difference, has allowed for the successful completion of this research. I would also like to thank him for his interest and dedication to my academics throughout my college career. Additionally, I would like to thank my classmate and friend, Helene Tavormina. She served as the sole musician for my project. I would especially like to thank her for her patience and eagerness to help. I have loved getting the opportunity to work with her on multiple projects, and I look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the future. vi A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Table of Contents: Introduction………………………….……...……………………………...……..…1 Figure 1………………………………………………………………….…..1 Literature Review…………………………………………………………...……....4 Method…….…………………………………………………………………….…11 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………....13 Figure 2…………………………………………………………………….15 Figure 3……………………………………………………………….....…15 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………....…16 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….18 vii A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Introduction: The music industry has been greatly transformed by technological advancements. Methods and practices for creating music are regularly shifting to keep up with the newest or trendiest forms of technology. There is a clear divide between digital and analog, but a majority of the time the two are used cohesively to achieve the desired outcome. Analog signals are represented by a continuous waveform, whereas digital audio is represented in a more structured form. This can be seen in the image (Figure 1) from Dave Gans’ (2015) article, Analog vs Digital Audio: An Overview. Figure 1: Image from Analog vs Digital: An Overview by Dave Gans (2015). The ability to use the two together provides an interesting dynamic of merging the old with the new. There is a possibility that an analog signal may be altered or affected by the use of digital technology, which is something that can be analyzed, using modern, digital tools. Analog recording was originally introduced through the inventions of Thomas Edison’s phonograph and Emile Berliner’s gramophone in the late nineteenth century (Rumsey & McCormick, 2009, p. 168), thus beginning an ongoing competition to invent the best machine for capturing sound. Both had their positives and negatives, but the push to create the next best 1 A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings product led to the introduction of more practical means of recording sound. For example, the creation of magnetic tape brought about many advancements such as multitrack recording in the audio field. To successfully record on magnetic tape, one must “convert an electrical audio signal into a magnetic form” (Rumsey & McCormick, 2009, p. 171). Due to the process of analog recording, some believe analog recording to be more “pure” when compared to the methods of capturing sound digitally. Analog technology has had a substantial growth in popularity over the past few years. For example, the resurgence of vinyl has created this desire to explore the technology of the past. Some authors argue that vinyl has given some antiquated technologies new life, stating: “…the revival of vinyl as a format of choice for both young and old music enthusiasts in an era of digital streaming is intriguing as it represents a confounding retro-technology— an old and often displaced technology that regains a new lease of life to become part of nearly invisible everyday-life” (Sarpong, Dong, & Appiah p.109). Technology that was once seen as antiquated or lacking innovation is now seen as trendy and desirable. When CDs hit the market, vinyl sales decreased by 33% and 15% in market share (Sarpong, Dong, & Appiah p. 112). Vinyl was quickly left behind as the CD grew in popularity and eventually became the norm. A similar trend can be seen in the modern music industry as CD sales decline giving way to another technological feat: online streaming and digital music. This presents a never-ending cycle of the new overtaking the old. However, vinyl has made a huge comeback despite that cycle and the rise in popularity of digital technology. In 2013, the industry saw a 101% increase in vinyl sales from the previous year (Sarping, Dong, & Appiah p. 112). This rapid increase in sales has led to the growth of analog technology. Many audiophiles and even just average consumers seek that authentic analog vibe that is just not present with 2 A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings digital technology. Vinyl records are definitely a huge factor in the newfound interest in analog technology. As evidence above, the entertainment industry as a whole is influenced by constant shifts and trends in technology. To remain competitive, one must discover how to utilize these different trends. The reemergence of analog technology, especially in the music industry, is a very interesting trend. This shift has left many unanswered questions, dividing those who advocate for digital and those who want to preserve analog, with little research supporting or comparatively analyzing the opposing forms of technology. There is a clear divide between digital versus analog advocates. This thesis will examine both analog and digital recordings with the hopes of discovering more details about the relationship between the two. 3 A Spectral Analysis of Analog and Digital Recordings Literature Review: The music industry has gone through many changes and progressions over time. The transition from analog to digital audio has forever changed the way music is created and even distributed. The ability to create commercial ready content independently has never been easier. According to John Watkins (2002), digital technology has opened so many different doors that were just not an option with analog technology (p. 1). Similarly, Ken C. Pohlmann (2011) states that “digital audio entails entirely new concepts and techniques, distinct from those employed in analog technology” (p. 16). Digital audio is able to keep up with the ever-changing music industry, making it the industry standard. With that being said, analog audio has had a recent growth in popularity, bringing it back to the forefront of the industry. Digital audio can be described as a “series of numbers to represent analog voltages” (Winer, 2012, p. 233). A digital signal is a set of data that can be represented by actual numbers, which can be stored digitally and accessed later (p. 233). Simply put, digital audio can be seen as a set of numbers that can easily be modified. Also, digital audio is based on the binary number system.