Editing Analog signal (section)

==Noise==
{{See also|Comparison of analog and digital recording}}

An analog signal is subject to [[electronic noise]] and [[distortion]] introduced by [[communication channel]]s, [[Analog recording|recording]] and [[signal processing]] operations, which can progressively degrade the [[signal-to-noise ratio]] (SNR). As the signal is transmitted, copied, or processed, the unavoidable noise introduced in the signal path will accumulate as a [[generation loss]], progressively and irreversibly degrading the SNR, until in extreme cases, the signal can be overwhelmed. Noise can show up as [[Tape hiss|hiss]] and [[intermodulation distortion]] in audio signals, or [[Noise (video)|snow]] in [[Analog video|video signals]]. Generation loss is irreversible as there is no reliable method to distinguish the noise from the signal.{{fact|date=December 2024}}

[[Analog-to-digital converter|Converting an analog signal to digital form]] introduces a low-level [[quantization noise]] into the signal due to finite resolution of digital systems.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is quantization error and how does signal to noise relate to this? |url=https://www.tek.com/en/support/faqs/what-quantization-error-and-how-does-signal-noise-relate |publisher=[[Tektronix]] }}</ref> Once in digital form, the signal can be transmitted, stored, and processed without introducing additional noise or distortion using [[error detection and correction]].

Noise accumulation in analog systems can be minimized by [[electromagnetic shielding]], [[balanced line]]s, [[low-noise amplifier]]s and high-quality electrical components.{{fact|date=December 2024}}