analog: raw, continuous signal directly written down onto some kind of channel which accepts a range of values magnetic tape, with a range of magnetism to write down music film, which is directly sensitive to light phone, the sonic amplitude directly placed onto the phone wire digital: storing whichever signal into bits; using only 0/1 bits to represent the entire signal Analog Communication message to be communicated is one of a continuum of possibilities can never fully remove the effect of noise which the communication channel gives Digital Communication message to be communicated is one of a finite set of choices (0/1) can remove the noise induced by the communication channel by rebinarizing (“on-off keying”)—i.e. small fluctuations between voltages of transmission will not influence on/off measurement