“Consoles: Analog vs. Digital
Last month I talked about different console features and what your needs might be. Well, after having mixed on both analog and digital mixers, I thought it would be good to compare the two. Just like with anything else, there are pros and cons. They are all about to be unveiled.
My first seven and a half years of mixing, I mixed on nothing but analog and didn't know any different. Well, for the last year and a half I have been mixing on a digital console. I'm about to give you my take on analog consoles versus digital ones.
My current digital console is practical and has some cool features. The best feature of my console is that all of my inputs and outputs are on stage. My snake to the front of house position consists of 2 XLR AES/EBU cables. Those are digital microphone cables. Therefore I don't have to carry a huge 24 channel snake. Also, since its digital, all of my compression and effects are built in, which is great! The particular brand I use has a dual 31 band graphic EQ on my main outs, plus a 10 band parametric. In general, most digital consoles only have a 4 to 8 band parametric on its outputs. I have no other rack gear at my FOH which is also great! Other digital consoles in general have gates/compression, 4 band parametric EQ, all built in to each channel in the console. They all usually have some sort of effects available as well. These are all pros to the digital realm.
Now, here are my cons for digital. Every single digital console I've mixed on has this weird digital high frequency distortion sound. All the way from my Roland to the big momma Yamaha PM1D, they all carry some digital noise which bugs the tar out of me. A lot of audiences don't really notice these noises, but they can mess with an engineer with critical listening. Most of the noise I've noticed is produced in higher frequencies and when the channels and board are being pushed relatively hard. I thought I was going nuts or that it was just my particular console until I consulted with some big dog FOH engineers and heard the same conclusion from them. Then I got to hear them myself, and eased my mind.
As convenient as digital may seem I like the “look and grab” style of mixing, which you don't do with digital. Even if you don't do much tweaking during the show, sound check can be frustrating, selecting the channel first and then scrolling through the EQ menu, Aux window and such to route everything. I'm a grab and go kind of guy. I'm just not too hip on having to read my screen to see what's going on instead of glancing at my board and saying, “Yep, that's the problem” or “that's it right there.”
From here let's go on with the pros to analog consoles since they mix in with the cons of digital. As I said before, with analog, you can say I want to change this about vocalist 2, grab it, and change it. With digital, it's not a huge deal, but you find the channel, select it, pick what you want to change about it, then change it. Then you change back to your screen you were at before (for me, my meter screen). I like the sound of the analog pre-amps better too. There's none of that digital noise either. With digital if something “clips” you're done for. It's much more noticeable with digital. On an analog board, if you clip something a little or even for a decent amount of time, the board forgives you and doesn't produce an audio disturbance for hitting that +3 db a couple of times.
Analog consoles to me have a warmer sound than digital consoles. To be really blunt about it, I just like the feel of mixing analog. There's no transfer to digital and back from digital to analog. It's just pure, warm, unaltered, beautiful audio. Sorry, I was having a moment.
Okay, so you have to have more outboard gear in a rack next to your console, but I'll take it. I'll even carry it myself. And I know that leads to more cables and patch cables and more room. I'll trade it all!
I know one day I probably won't have a choice. Everything will be digital, and young engineers will hear old engineers talk about the days when they had more knobs on their consoles than buttons and how sad it was to see the equipment rack companies go out of business because of digital and powered speakers. Just kidding!
KEEP ANOLOG ALIVE!!!!
Josh Hoevelmann
Author: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Written: 06/30/2004
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Category: Monthly ArticlesSound Advice
Comments: 6
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Josh,
I'm like you . . . for live use I prefer analog. I know some companies probably make digital boards that look and operate much like an analog board, but I imagine the more knobs they include, the more it costs. It seems a bit crazy to be digging thru menus when you could just grab a knob and turn it to fix the problem. Sure, you can assign knobs with digital, but then they must be marked and they aren't always laid out in a logical format.
One advantage to digital that you didn't mention is the ability to store "scenes" in memory. To me, that's one of the handiest features of digital. This is probably more important in the recording studio than for live purposes, but I can think of situations where it would be nice in a live setting.
Have you considered the Axiom two way digital systems for the tiny "snake" convenience? That may be the best of both worlds for a live setup. They make a system where you plug all your stage inputs into a box. Each box converts up to 16 inputs to digital and sends it up a CAT5 cable, which goes into a D/A converter at the mixer. You can route as many as four banks of 16 over one wire for a total of 64 channels or you can send 32 one way and 32 the other. It gets expensive, but it looks like it would be a snap to roll in and set up.
“Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more.”—-Mark Twain
YEP, ANALOG IS STILL THE WAY TO GO FOR ME, WHEN MIXING VIOCES AND INSTRMENTS. YOU JUST GOT TO HAVE BETTER EARS THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON TO HEAR / KNOW WHEN TO AND NOT TO DO THIS OR TURN THAT. THANKS
Josh,
I seem to be a little confused on your comparison between analog and digital consoles, claiming that all digital consoles sound inferior to analog consoles. From that, I gather that you can distinguish between any digital console from an analog console, blindfolded? Granted, I have not used a digital console live, but I use one daily in the studio, and beg to differ on your point of view, here.
If you are refering to the sound of the board beyond it's intended gain structure, or into clipping, I may agree, somewhat. Although I know of several older analog consoles that exhibit a far nastier clipping sound than I have ever heard from a digital board.
Or, if you are refering to extremely cheap digital consoles, I may agree, because I haven't actually ever listened to an under-$3000 digital board).
As far as preference, I agree that analog is more "user friendly" and faster for live sound-- my board of choice. Although, if used properly, I challenge most anyone to a blind listening test of a modern digital console with a similar priced analog console, and determine which is which!
Actually, I could tell on the boat without looking! It was a PM1D Yamaha which is supposed to be the best of the best in digital and cost somewhere around $250,000 or more. I can definately hear the difference as well as a seasoned engineer that was there. He has been in the business for over 30 years and heard the same thing. It really has nothing to do with gain structure at all. It just has a "digital" sound when higher frequencies are reproduced at high levels.
As far as studio stuff, there have only been a few projects I could hear this digital sound on, but it's not being amplified nearly as loud either.
I can't give you the answer why, but I know for sure I can hear it. And I know I'm not the only one
Why do a lot of people think that digital is the way to go? This is not just an audio issue. Have you gone to a basketball game lately and watched the scoreboard operator? I used to run the scoreboard at the high school I graduated from. It was very simple: start the clock - flip the rocker switch, stop the clock - flip it the other way, two points scored - push the button twice, etc. The next time you go to a game, watch the person running the clock when points are scored. It looks like they have to push about 10-12 buttons to add them on the board.
I see the same thing when it comes to audio. I thought digital was supposed to make it easier? I'm like Josh. I'd rather reach up and tweak the highs on the channel I'm concerned with than scroll through a bunch of menus.
I just don't see the advantage of digital. And, as to the challenge of being able to tell the difference between the two, I ask this question. If there's no distinguishable difference, why change?
I think there are a lot of GREAT reasons to go toward digital, but, "sound quality" should not be THE only reason-- if at all. Digital offers us the ability to store presets, precise and in-depth automation, smaller consoles, etc. (and the list goes on...). These digital boards are great for broadway shows, theme park shows, and many places where performances are redundant. Many changes and tweeks would normally be needed in a typical show, and the ability to store and recall them on all repeat performances is a plus.
Does the average southern gospel group "need" this ability? Probably not. It would probably be more work than necessary. To operate them live with no sound check and with an unknown band would be a nightmare! You're right! To be able to simply walk back and adjust my monitor send on my mic channel just like...uh...that, is nice.
So, analog boards have their place, and probably gospel music is one of them. But, for my church sanctuary, the Paramount Theater at Carowinds, and on the set of American Idol, you have to agree that stored "preparations" is a big plus!
Remember, most sound techs only have two hands, and can only change a maximum of two things at one time! I have seen the time where many changes needed to be made NOW! Ain't 'gonna happen. Digital has made that possible...
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