Ableton Forum

What exactly is the difference between analog and digital synthesis? I mean, i've used plenty of both but what does that imply exactly? And why is it that so many people say that analog is better?

Analogue has a certain behaviour to it which is ideal it changes and reacts to signals and knobs in a non linear way. Now I don't know about synths but analogue effects saturate making a nice warm sound where digital effects would just clip. This saturating instead of clipping can also be done in software if the programmer knows how Soundtoys effects do this.

Anothing thing is that over time some really great sounding synths have come out and for some reason we don't see new ones made anymore. Only Access seems to be making great modern sounding synths such as the Viruses other companies are making romplers and not much on making a legendary new synth.

Best softsynth today is u-he DIVA which sounds good because it is an accurate emulation of the best synths ever made which most of them are analogue but none of those can do a true supersaw which is why a digital oscillator module has been added to emulate the Roland JP-8000.

There are many differences between analog and digital synthesizers.

If you're talking in terms of the actual signal, in an analog synth there are electronics that turn electricity directly into an analog signal which is then output. In a digital synth, there are electronics that turn electricity into a digital signal, which is then processed by software (in your computer or embedded in a chip), then processed by a digital to analog converter, and output as an analog signal.

People seem to have very strong opinions on the timbre of digital vs analog. Personally, I like both and think that each have their place in the sonic landscape.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, digital synths are a little more flexible/reliable/cheaper than analog synths, while analog synths have a richer timbre. Many companies these days have created hybrid synths, which combine the flexibility/reliability of digital synths with the timbre of analog synths. There are also very high quality digital synths that can closely approximate the timbre of an analog synth.

Timbre aside, one reason that vintage analog synths are so valued is that many of the electronic components that generate/process the signal are rare. WIth digital synths, this isn't a problem since most of the signal generation/processing is done by software.

A preset storage system has nothing to do with analog or digital synthesis. There are analog synths with presets as you could imagine digital synths with no presets.
The difference lies in how the sound is produced : classic electric components or chips which are dedicated synthesis computers.
Analog synths tend to have an extra warmth or whatever due to heating of components, 'slow' responses, slightly drifting pitch, etc.
Nowadays few 100% analog synths are built. Most of the time, some parts (like lfos, adsrs, oscillator drivers or effects) are digital while the oscillators are analog.
(edit : XSIman edited his message !)

the most basic answer is computers. digital synthesizers create audio and control signals via digitally created signals (oscillators, filters, amplifiers, envelopes, etc. from a computer chip), while analog synthesizers use pure electronics to create these signals.

as to why they sound 'better' to some, i think that mostly has to do with different anomalies inherent in analog circuits. in other words, (mostly non-linear) distortion in the signal. also, analog oscillators and filters (and all signals for that matter, but these are probably the biggest difference) are actually creating a continuous waveform, while digital sound sources are using approximations of waves with algorithms used in-between samples to 'fill in' the missing waveforms (usually at frequencies beyond what humans are capable of hearing).

At the core and by definition the difference is basically this.

"Digital" involves some sort of computer or at least chip that "calculates" a waveform and then plays it back. This makes digital very powerful since basically any sound can be generated given enough processing power and the correct algorithms.

True analog is different and doesn't involve any computer or signal processing at any point. It's basically just electric, not electronic. An analogue synth uses a series of modules that are used to generate, filter, amplify and modulate the sound but everything happens on a pretty basic level. Like turning on a lightbulb and setting the brightness by changing the voltage. It's basically like an electric guitar only with keys.

Analog isn't "better" than digital. In fact, digital synthesis is much more powerful and flexible than analog synthesis. Actually its power and flexibility have become basically limitless. Nowadays, you can generate any sound you could possibly imagine using digital synthesis. Either faithful reproductions of existing sounds and instruments or otherworldly new creations. Ironically, this power and flexibility is one of the reasons analog synthesizers are currently making a comeback. Producers are longing for the simplicity and limitations of old hardware. And for stuff to buy that actually makes sense.

If you own Live 9 Suite for instance. You basically already have unlimited sonic capabilities and don't need to buy anything else. EVER. Sure, you can always buy another virtual analogue or modeling software synths that sounds a tiny bit "better" (notice the brackets), a sample that has a couple more features that nobody would ever need or a new sample library that weights 10 times as much as the one included with Live Suite for marginal gains but the truth is that this is overkill and some of the best records of all time have been produced on hardware less powerful than some smartphone apps nowadays.

Analogue synths are cool because they're different.

They don't try to compete on feature, flexibility or raw power. They are cool because they're straightforward and they sound authentic and organic because they are. The stuff that happens inside actually happens, when you turn a knob or press a key, you're actually creating electrical currents to generate and modulate sound. You're not sending a MIDI message that's translated by a computer to calculate a sound wave. Analogue synths are imperfect and that's exactly why they're so popular.

Unlike digital synths, analogue synths are not just MIDI controllers with an integrated computer and sound processor, they're actual musical instruments but unlike most musical instruments they're still awesomely cool because you can create a useable version of any sound you could need. Bass, Leads, Pads, Bass drums, Snares, Hi-Hats, you name it. You're limited but you still have the basic tools to do all of this and create a full track from scratch. How cool is that?

Multi-colored LED spots are cool and all but sometimes what you need is a good old fashioned candle.

The reason why I mentioned the preset storage is because the early and great sounding analogue synths had no preset storage nothing to do with sound of course but times were changing to a more practical and cheaper alternative. The Roland Jupiter 8 is Analouge and can store presets in a chip but Roland never brought out a better synth than that. Chips + software which brought realistic and far more versatile sound far cheaper but not as good sound. Eventually they stopped making analogue synths because of this. I think it also has a lot to do with the best synth engineers retiring and nobody replacing them.

Out of all the synths my favourite is the Korg MS-20 It is incredibly basic and no where near as versatile as many but the tone beats all to my ears. In U-he DIVA I can have a poly version of this and If I want swop it's filter for an Oberheim filter or Jupiter 8. So in the software realm I get the best of both worlds.