"Both digital and analog
recording processes distort the shape of the transient, but perhaps one
of them does so in a way that better preserves the relative timing of
neural events.

My *suspicion* is that analog in fact does better preserve the timing of
neural events. However, I would need to know more about neuroscience and
non-linear systems to have a good answer to this, but"

There is a simple test, record an analog source unto a digital one and
using listening alone see if they can be distinguished. We can save
time, it was done and they can not.