How Analog and Digital Recording Works

Print
Email
Cite
Share

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:

Brain, Marshall. "How Analog and Digital Recording Works." 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://communication.howstuffworks.com/analog-digital.htm> 04 July 2008.

Inside this Article

Introduction to How Analog and Digital Recording Works
In the Beginning: Etching Tin
Analog Wave

Digital Data
CD Storage Capacity
Lots More Information
See more »
1. See all Conferencing articles

It's All Geek to Me: Vinyl to Digital

More Electronics Videos »

When CDs were first introduced in the early 1980s, their single purpose in life was to hold music in a digital format. In order to understand how a CD works, you need to first understand how digital recording and playback works and the difference between analog and digital technologies.

In this article, we will examine analog and digital recording so that you have a complete understanding of the difference between the two techniques.