Are you still confused between the term “acoustic”, “analog”, “electric”, ”digital”, and usually use them interchangeably?
“Acoustic” refers to musical instruments that produce sound naturally, without the use of electronics. For example, an acoustic guitar creates sound by the vibration of its strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar.
“Analog”
refers to musical instruments that use analog circuits to produce and process sound. Analog synthesizers, for example, generate sound waves using analog circuits and then process those signals using filters and other components to shape the sound.
“Electric”
refers to musical instruments that use electricity to produce sound, either by amplifying an acoustic instrument or by generating sound directly through the use of electronic components. For example, an electric guitar uses pickups to convert the vibration of the strings into an electrical signal that can be amplified, while an electronic drum set generates sound by triggering electronic samples.
“Digital”
refers to musical instruments that use digital technology to produce and process sound, which is technology that uses binary code (a series of 1s and 0s) to represent and process information, as opposed to analog technology, which uses continuous signals to represent information. Digital pianos, for example, use computer software to generate sound, while digital audio workstations (DAWs) allow musicians to record, edit, and produce music using digital technology.
People usually confuses “acoustic” with “analog” because analog technology was commonly used in the past to amplify and process the sound produced by acoustic instruments, such as in analog amplifiers and analog mixing consoles. In this context, the terms “acoustic” and “analog” were used together, leading to the association of the two terms. Another reason for the confusion is that many analog musical instruments, such as analog synthesizers, can produce sounds that are similar to acoustic instruments, such as piano or strings, making it difficult to differentiate between the two types of instruments based on sound alone.
People also often confuse the terms “electric” and “digital” because both relate to the use of technology in musical instruments, but in different ways. “Electric” refers to musical instruments that use electricity to produce sound, whether by amplifying an acoustic instrument or by generating sound directly through electronic components (analog). “Digital”, on the other hand, refers to musical instruments that use digital technology to produce and process sound. The confusion between the two terms may arise because many electric musical instruments now use digital technology in some way, whether it be in the form of digital signal processing, digital sound synthesis, or in the recording and production of music using digital audio workstations (DAWs). Another factor contributing to the confusion is that many electric instruments now have digital components, such as digital tuners or effects processors, making it difficult to distinguish between electric and digital instruments based solely on their appearance or functionality.
In conclusion, analog is electric. Not acoustic. And “electric” can be analog or digital.