Question:
What's the difference?
Answer:
Digital(in terms of musical equipment) usualy refers to being processed by an electronic device (i.e. a processor). Analog refers to an unlimited amount of adjustment between 2 paramaters.
Example: The gain knob on a Vamp is digital, in that it is only telling a processor that the gain should increase and the chip computes the output.
Example: The gain knob on an all tube Fender twin is analogue, in that it increases the flow of electricity through the amp itself which directley affects the the smile on my face.
Hope that helps.
Answer:
Thanks. I think I understand it. But what about digital chorus and analog chorus? Same thing with delay.
Answer:
errr, this is not my area of expertise...but I'll give a shot.
First off, Chorus and delay stem off of the same principle. A realy short delay (miliseconds)=Chorus, though a lot of pedals play with the delayed signal to make it sound like another instrument(i.e. phasing, micro adjusments in pitch, etc).
Now I've never taken apart an analog delay pedal, but I would guess that it would be composed of: line in-splitter-a resistor(or several, set to varying degrees) and a regular channel-conjuction-line out.
Analogue delay pedals come in a few variatie, but the only one I know the internals of is tape delay. This is a really basic effect, and I've heard of many people making their own tape delay. You have:

Line in-splitter-dirrect line------------------------- conjunction- Line out
+++++++++++\_ Line to tape-recorder-tape-reader/
The speed at which the tape revolves dictates how long the delay is, and you can also have several writers/readers to add several delays.
I'm probably 99% wrong on this, so feel free to correct me anybody.
Answer:
as i understood it, Chorus took the signal, split it into two channels altered the one, and then put them back together before output. (the altering of the one may jsut be delaying it, so then part of the signal comes out a few miliseconds behind the other) a digital chorus can add other sounds as has been said. so a digital chorus, with no other sounds would simply use computer chips to detect the signal, split it, and then send it back out, whereas analog would use creative engineering to do this, i don't know what components an analog chorus has.
note the key difference, in analog your sound is merely being altered by electronics, where as with digital often times it is being reassembled, and recreated to sound like the computer makes it.
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What's better, analog or digital? I'm thinking it's analog from BlessedNinja's response. Thanks!
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Well, a chorus splits the signal into two, then delays it slightly and changes the pitch slightly. I don't know how exactly they work, but analog chorus and delay effects tend to have a more "warbly" tone, while digi effects tend to be cleaner. They both serve their purposes. For example, if I wanted a really atmospheric delay effect, I'd use analog, but if I wanted a exact harmonization effect with my delays, I'd use digital.
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Like rainer said, it's which one you prefer. Digital tends to be cheaper. And some digital effect sound better than analoge.
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Ahh... OK, thanks!
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Originally Posted by Jjesus Freak Like rainer said, it's which one you prefer. Digital tends to be cheaper. And some digital effect sound better than analoge.
quite true. you can get a decent digital delay for like 100-250, but an analogue delay pedal will normally start at 250. and then there's tape delay... don't get me started on how expensive those are.
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So, you might as well have one of each. A DD-6, a Memory Man, and an Echo-Plex...
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OK!! That what, 500 dollars? Sounds good!
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Originally Posted by skilletswitch OK!! That what, 500 dollars? Sounds good!
Ha! Try 949 just for the echoplex.
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Rainer's right. Chorus takes the signal, splits it in two, slightly detunes one of the signals and then remixes them back together. The wet/dry knob controlls how much of the detuned signal is mixed back into the unaltered signal. There's also usually a depth and rate knob, but those are self-explanatory.
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949? Holy crap!
Thanks flyguy!