hard drive recording and drive speed

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Dennis Herrick" <herrickd@huntingdon.edu> wrote in message
news:10i05mv2nv3d73b@corp.supernews.com...
> I've got a laptop computer iwth a 4200 rpm hard drive. THis seems standard
> for laptops. Digidesign suggests and external firewire drive for use with
> their protools stuff (mbox, etc.)
>
> I've recorded video directly from my camera on to the computer and it
seemed
> OK. I can't imagine just audio needing a faster drive.
>
> If I'm only doing a live 2 track recording, am I taking a chance without
an
> external drive? Is it just ProTools LE that requires the faster drive?

Ignore the bullshit, an internal 4200 drive will be fine for 2 channel
recording even at 24/96.
In fact what you don't want is an external FW drive and an external FW audio
interface.

TonyP.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Laurence Payne" <l@laurenceDELETEpayne.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message
news:l4v0i0hk5p4471d8v6dln8sj72fl4tahjl@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 15:50:08 +1000, "TonyP" <TonyP@optus.net.com.au>
> wrote:
>
> >Ignore the bullshit, an internal 4200 drive will be fine for 2 channel
> >recording even at 24/96.
> >In fact what you don't want is an external FW drive *and* an external FW
audio
> >interface.

> You probably do want the audio interface. Laptop sound systems are
> rarely more than basically adequate, if that

Which is exactly why you don't want to use the same channel for an external
hard drive. Lap tops rarely have two FW channels.

TonyP.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <10i05mv2nv3d73b@corp.supernews.com> herrickd@huntingdon.edu writes:

> I've got a laptop computer iwth a 4200 rpm hard drive.

> If I'm only doing a live 2 track recording, am I taking a chance without an
> external drive? Is it just ProTools LE that requires the faster drive?

Your laptop is fine for 2-track recording, as long as you don't try to
push it beyond 48 kHz 24-bit. You might be able to get away with
96 kHz recording, but if you're going to be making CDs, you might as
well stick with 44.1 kHz.

You'll do well to use something other than the computer's own audio
hardware. The sound cards built into laptop computers are almost
universally ugly. There are plenty of modestly priced USB interfaces,
Firewire interfaces are a little more expensive and probably not of
any tangible benefit at the 2-track level (though the Metric Halo devices
are reported to have particularly nice mic preamps). There's even a
good PCMCIA audio card, the Digigram VX Pocket (I have one of
those) but it's a little more expensive.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

<Peter Kaersaa> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b8c08f2e7ef1c7aab@news.stofanet.dk
> In article <10i05mv2nv3d73b@corp.supernews.com>,
> herrickd@huntingdon.edu says...
>> I've got a laptop computer iwth a 4200 rpm hard drive. THis seems
>> standard for laptops. Digidesign suggests and external firewire
>> drive for use with their protools stuff (mbox, etc.)
>
> (IBM)Hitachi are making 7200rpm laptop drives.

You can also get the effect of a faster drive by simply upgrading to a far
larger drive. This is often more economical. A lot of laptops are out there
with 6-12 GB drives. Upgrade them to 4200 rpm, 60 GB, and with the same data
they will *fly*.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Laurence Payne" <l@laurenceDELETEpayne.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in
message news:bd24i01sr8uiq5u8hkunjvgiug2ndinf9n@4ax.com
> On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 07:30:41 -0400, "Arny Krueger" <arnyk@hotpop.com>
> wrote:
>
>> You can also get the effect of a faster drive by simply upgrading to
>> a far larger drive. This is often more economical. A lot of laptops
>> are out there with 6-12 GB drives. Upgrade them to 4200 rpm, 60 GB,
>> and with the same data they will *fly*.
>
>
> Because they're bigger?

Yep - bits are more dense, given motions get you a lot more data.

> Or because HD technology, even for slower rpm
> drives, has improved since the days of 12GB drives?

yes, but what really improves the fastest? Answer - recording density.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Peter Kaersaa wrote:
> In article <10i05mv2nv3d73b@corp.supernews.com>,
> herrickd@huntingdon.edu says...
>
>>I've got a laptop computer iwth a 4200 rpm hard drive. THis seems standard
>>for laptops. Digidesign suggests and external firewire drive for use with
>>their protools stuff (mbox, etc.)
>
>
> (IBM)Hitachi are making 7200rpm laptop drives.
>
>

Well, that's fast. How is the power consumption?

A few months ago, when I shopped for a replacement drive for my Korg
D1200 (the Maxtor Fireball 3 that it came with gets uncomfortably warm
at times), I came up with this:

<http://www.seagate.com/cda/products/discsales/marketing/detail/0,1081,594,00.html>

I thought that the "Momentus" on an adapter (the Maxtor is not a laptop
drive) would solve all my heat (and noise, the Fireball 3 is quiet, but
still audible) problems. Unfortunately I lost my "day" job before I got
around to making the purchase, so I can't report on how it worked. But
it looks like a nice drive, from the specs.

If it was my laptop, I would compare the Seagate and Hitachi at least,
paying close attention to power consumption and noise.

In case anyone is wondering...
I solved the heat (but not the noise) problem on the Korg by setting a
small fan next to it and directing air underneath.

--
Phil Nelson