What are the main differences between digital and analog effects?

Do they have different circuitry? Sounds? Features?

  • I wouldn't accept an answer until someone who knows can discuss how analog effects and/or circuitry work. Nothing below here answers it. – Jason P Sallinger Apr 29 '16 at 16:47




  • It's simple to surmise what digital means. But you say little of how analog circuits work. Do you know? – Jason P Sallinger Apr 29 '16 at 16:45
  • @JasonPSallinger I do, but as this is a forum on music practice and theory and not electrical engineering, I feel a detailed explanation of analog circuitry is out of scope. What is it you'd like to know? – Alex Basson Apr 30 '16 at 11:42
  • You explain the mechanism of a digital circuit. Please do the same for an analog circuit. Or remove the explanation for the digital circuit. After all, the OP asked about differences in circuitry. Nowhere on this page does anyone explain how analog circuitry works. Therefore, none of these answers satisfy the question. – Jason P Sallinger May 1 '16 at 0:38







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  • This answer is completely inadequate. You had a lot to say about digital circuits, but it seems you don't know anything about analog circuits. – Jason P Sallinger Apr 29 '16 at 16:43

There are great sounding analog effects and poor sounding ones.

There are great sounding digital effects and poor sounding ones.

One is not better than the other per se.






All answers here forgot about one quite important thing.

Power consumption. The analog effect takes from 10mA to 50mA on the other hand digital ones take from 50mA and highter (most TC Electronic requires above 100mA, Joyo Delay is 70mA). This kills battery quite fast (if you are John5) or requires stronger power supplies.

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