Really Dumb Question

**Burd** · May 4th, 2004, 03:07 PM

Well, here's a really dumb question (but not the first I or others have asked): is streaming audio digital or analog? If I hook my computer up to my stereo system and use a cd recorder to record it, is that digital or analog? And, am I better off using a program that "grabs" a stream and makes it into an mp3? Some streams sound good when I record them via the first method mentioned...others sound like crap. Also, any good programs for grabbing streams? Thanks and please excuse my ignorance. :gj

**WE_DELIVER** · May 4th, 2004, 03:28 PM

Here is what I think....
1. This is not a dumb question.
2. Streaming audio(off the internet) is digital.
3. If you record off of a rca(plug type) out on your stereo system its analog, except when you put it on a cd, it becomes digital media.
4. If you can avoid turning music from digital(streaming) to analog(your stereo) back to digital(CD recorder) do so. In my opinion a stream to mp3 recorder will give you the best option since youre not converting between digital and analog, and vice versa.

Hope that helps.

**vipp** · May 4th, 2004, 04:40 PM

Burd is the word :gj

**MacGyver** · May 4th, 2004, 04:42 PM

its a better post than those stupid music posts...

analog is something that can take an infinite number of points... like the numbers between 1 and 0...think about it..there are infinite numbers between there...there is .1, .2, .3, .4...or you can break it down more .15 or .115 or.1115 whatever.... more and more...you can keep adding decimals to the number forever..digital only has 2 values...1 or 0...thats the difference.

**crackerjacker** · May 4th, 2004, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by MacGyver

its a better post than those stupid music posts...

analog is something that can take an infinite number of points... like the numbers between 1 and 0...think about it..there are infinite numbers between there...there is .1, .2, .3, .4...or you can break it down more .15 or .115 or.1115 whatever.... more and more...you can keep adding decimals to the number forever..digital only has 2 values...1 or 0...thats the difference.

if a is one set a to b if be is three
break it down

**MacGyver** · May 4th, 2004, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by crackerjacker

if a is one set a to b if be is three
break it down

um...yeah, what he said

**Burd** · May 4th, 2004, 07:23 PM

Wha? Who? When? Where? (Remember Barbarino?)Thanks for the info WE DELIVER. O.K., so forget analog. Any one know of a good program then for "grabbing" anything that's streaming through my computer's speakers? I seem to remember something mentioned in some forum, but can't quite remember which one.

**CompuGeek** · May 4th, 2004, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Burd

Wha? Who? When? Where? (Remember Barbarino?)Thanks for the info WE DELIVER. O.K., so forget analog. Any one know of a good program then for "grabbing" anything that's streaming through my computer's speakers? I seem to remember something mentioned in some forum, but can't quite remember which one.

This might be what you're looking for:

http://streamripper.sourceforge.net/

**Burd** · May 5th, 2004, 06:30 PM

Thanks, CompuGeek. I'll give it a go.

**Siskabush** · May 5th, 2004, 11:59 PM

Streamripper
Its like a digital tape recorder
Its orgasmic. :)

**Afn** · May 6th, 2004, 05:12 AM

When you decode a stream, that is digital. When you send the stream to your speakers, that is analog.

Basically, it is very bad to go from DIGITAL to ANALOG and then RE-ENCODE back to DIGITAL.

Use a streamripper or loopback on your pc to get the job done.

**Arch Stanton** · May 6th, 2004, 05:28 AM

in regards to recording a cd, theoretically, you need to look at the cd itself. normally they tell you if the recording is an aad, add or a ddd. the first letter deisginates how the original recording was recorded (analog or digital) while the second letter designates how the music was mixed, and the third letter denotes the final process used in converting the music to cd. if you want to be really anal you could say that coverting anything from other then a ddd source can never be a full digital recording.

**Afn** · May 6th, 2004, 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

in regards to recording a cd, theoretically, you need to look at the cd itself. normally they tell you if the recording is an aad, add or a ddd. the first letter deisginates how the original recording was recorded (analog or digital) while the second letter designates how the music was mixed, and the third letter denotes the final process used in converting the music to cd. if you want to be really anal you could say that coverting anything from other then a ddd source can never be a full digital recording.

A compact disc is a digital medium. It is a general rule that once digital, stay in digital.

Encode anything only once is the golden rule.

**TheBlackSnow** · May 6th, 2004, 07:11 AM

well, dumb question, and there's more dumb answer: 1. it is digital, but also it can be analog 2.it is analog, but also it can be digital :)))

**Induna** · May 6th, 2004, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by MacGyver

its a better post than those stupid music posts...

analog is something that can take an infinite number of points... like the numbers between 1 and 0...think about it..there are infinite numbers between there...there is .1, .2, .3, .4...or you can break it down more .15 or .115 or.1115 whatever.... more and more...you can keep adding decimals to the number forever..digital only has 2 values...1 or 0...thats the difference.

I think what he's trying to say is digital is represented in binary. i.e. 1's or 0's (on or off) whereas analog is decimal, the numbers we use in everyday life like adding up your shopping, eg. 7 or 4, or even 147 (highest break in Snooker).

In binary 147 would be represented as 10010011.

Here's a binary calculator to amuse yourself with.

http://www.mistupid.com/computers/binaryconv.htm