Topic: Archive / backup practices?

[Nick Graham]

before anybody else gets excited about http://www.audio-dvd-creator.com/ like i did, please be aware of its limitations:

You can choose the audio format from high quality (up to 6 hours PCM 48kHz/16bits) or high quantity (up to 45 hours AC3 192kbps).

if it can't do 24/96, as hillary duff once wisely noted, "that's so yesterday"

actually not the case, I burn 24/48 and 24/96 discs all the time with Audio DVD Creator, the limitation it has is not a program limitation but rather a format limitation in that DVD-V will not support any sample rates other than 48 and 96

Ditto.

I used exclusively for burning 24/96 discs.

[pfife]

for those of you who backup a recording untracked(in either .wav or .flac.....more especially .wav)

what's your reasoning behind this?

That's a really good question, and one I've never really given much thought.  For me, I think it's a carryover from DAT - gotta have my master recording, untouched.  But now that I think about it - archiving a big file...if any part of the optical media goes bad, I may lose the entire file.  On the other hand, if I do any substantial editing - I want that single, big master file available in case down the road I wish to edit differently.

My sole reasoning is because I'm not confident in the efficacy of my trackings all the time.  So, I store the .wav w/ .cue.

[cyfan]

One really good step in ensuring you have backed up a recording is to send a couple copies of the FLAC or SHN sets to friends. That way, if you disk craps out, your house burns down or somebody breaks in and steals it, you can get a copy back from said friends.

I'm happy to be a friend to anybody here

Tim

[wbrisette]

Well, since I apparently started this thread, here is my take. As most of you know, I've been running tapeless for about a year now. It has been both a joy and challenge. This is my own fault really, because I can't remember the last time I did a simple two track recording. Even before I went tapeless I was using a mixer with 3 or 4 mics. Now I use 3 or 4 mics plus feeds from the board, etc. I can run upto 8 tracks. This means that storage is a bear.

What I do is this:

On my drive I create a folder for the original broadcast wav files. These are mono files a separate file for each channel. I've standardized on certain tracks being certain mics or the board. this simply helps me put things together later. I use a Mac program to put the files into a two track mixdown, so I end up with two masters:
 
*) A 2-track mixdown (24 bit)
*) 4 to 6 BWF files

These go onto a DVD Disc.

Next I mark the tracks and perform any additional EQ or whatever (normalizing usually). This is saved as a 24-bit file,
Next, I change the sampling rate to 44.1, and then dither to 16-bits. This is saved to a 16-bit file.

The 24-bit file is broken up and a DVD-A disc is made from it.
The 16-bit file is broken up and a CD is made from it.

Then another DVD is made with the 16-bit CD image and 24-bit file on it.

The end result is I end up with 2 DVDs and 1 DVD-A and 1 CD.

I haven't decided if this is the best way to do it, but so far it has worked for me. The worst part is now I have more materials to store than when I used DATs because now I'm forced to at least transfer the master files to a DVD, whereas with DAT if I didn't think I would listen to it again, I would leave it alone on the shelf.

Wayne

[Swampy]

I do stuff pretty similar to those here. I take my master files of the JB3 and archive as FLAC encoded at level 8, also the master mixed down/edited FLAC files. Right now Im just burning to HQ DVDs or CDRs as data. If I had the money, I'd archive all the files as the orginal WAVs or on an external HD, but just cant afford to buy HDs or more DVDs to archive the master wavs without converting to FLAC. Also, I think seeding is the biggest failsafe. I've only lost one master wav since I switched to the JB3, RRFB from Pittsburgh last summer, go figure the one I accidently loose Im the only taper at . ALWAYS ARCHIVE FIRST!

Also someone asked why archive the master files, I think this is especially important when recording in higher quality than 16/44.1. I have a ton of files of 16/48 wavs archived, but I recently started taping in 44.1 because Im fairly positive that I will never do anything with the 48kHz files, but its still nice to have them...

[dklein]

[1]  Master WAV backup
I archive the un-touched master WAV from my recording, on a data disc (DVD or CD).  Archiving as WAV data instead of FLAC makes it somewhat more likely I'm able to recover more of the data in the event of a media problem (e.g. scratched disc).  Some may ask:  Why archive as WAV data instead of FLAC?  Here's why.

I'm wondering if that explanation is valid.  If you have a problem with a data file, you generally lose the whole thing whether it be flac or wave.  You'll get a CRC error or something like that and the file won't copy.  I suppose you could always try and extract raw sector data and reassemble it...

On the other hand, if you burned a regular (red book) audio cd, you do still have the ability to extract data and blow through the bad sections.  It's more like a stream that gets interrupted.  Although I don't do it, if you're after something that is more likely to survive physical damage to the disc that would be the way to go.

[eric.B]

good thread..  +t's to all

long overdue..  I bought a seagate 7200 160gig external today to backup the 110gigs on the server  ::whew:: 
I have also been burning either single track flac'd shows or tracked flacs of everything and keep them on spindles..  I also burn most as audio disks.. 

I figure with two hd's full(and maybe more externals as I have 250gig for the server) and optical backups allmost twice..  plus whats on the lma and in others hands, I dont see with my recordings ending up as being completely gone of the face of the earth..   

oh yeah..  and I also have the dats as well..   

[Brian Skalinder]

I'm wondering if that explanation is valid.  If you have a problem with a data file, you generally lose the whole thing whether it be flac or wave.  You'll get a CRC error or something like that and the file won't copy.

The point I was attempting to make:  a scratch of certain size is more likely to impact more data, and more files, in FLAC than in WAV.  I still believe that's true.  Whether it's significant enough to warrant backing up as WAV data v. FLAC...maybe, maybe not.

On the other hand, if you burned a regular (red book) audio cd, you do still have the ability to extract data and blow through the bad sections.  It's more like a stream that gets interrupted.  Although I don't do it, if you're after something that is more likely to survive physical damage to the disc that would be the way to go.

Excellent point, I hadn't thought of it that way.  Though one may decode through errors with FLAC, so...maybe FLAC data is a good archive v. WAV data, after all.  Hmmmmm...