Topic: Sound Devices 7xx recorders and solid state drives (SSDs)

[Brian Skalinder]

Thought this deserved it's own thread up here in a more visible space. 

Anyone running a solid state hard drive in their 7xx?

I was looking around on Sound Device's site and it seems that they have done a little successful testing with them.
http://www.sounddevices.com/notes/recorders/ssd/#more-92

Prices getting close to realistic.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820208317&ATT=20-208-317&CMP=OTC-B1zrat3&cm_mmc=OTC-B1zrat3-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-Transcend-_-20208317

[boojum]

Very interesting.  However, it is expensive and I do not need it.  I have the regular HD and a 4GB CF.  When the HD I have now is ready to give up the ghost I would consider replacing it with the SSD.  That will be a couple of years.  And the prices will have come down.  I will follow the topic as it is going to be a trend in all current small capacity HD devices for sure.

[flintstone]

I agree that SSD drives have a big future in portable recorders.

While we're waiting for SSD prices to decline, a 16GB Compactflash card makes a good substitute.  Recording two channels at 24/96, you can fit about 8 hours of tracks into 16GB.  Lowest price I've seen for a 16GB card is about $115 (A-Data at Newegg).

Flintstone

[flintstone]

Forum member Jaledu reports using the A-Data 16GB compactflash card in his 722 for two months without a problem.  Sounds good!

Flintstone

[guysonic]

This is a hard call to whether installing a SSD into an existing HD deck, or just going with less costly flash card recorder already using this type of memory. 

It does seem that those who need 4 channels of recording ability like with 744T deck have limited choice of installing SSD to replace the HD inside this model as only way to get the advantages of solid state storage. 

Those who find 2 channels sufficient might be better off investing in 2-channel flash card deck models.

Those who find the KORG DSD capable decks as most desirable also have limited choice of replacing internal hard drive with more costly SSD storage, and haven't heard of anyone actually doing this as yet.

Manufacturers of SSD seem mostly preoccupied at getting laptop manufacturers to start using these inside premium priced portable models. 

But if KORG or SD 700 series decks start giving buyers options to buying SSD factory installed 744T models, or having existing customers have this done at SD, I'm sure makers like Transcend and Sandisk will take note to expand their marketing to better satisfy audio only applications, and maybe lower prices to OEMs so deck selling cost, or existing customer service cost will be much lower than deck cost + aftermarket DIY installation costs.

[boojum]

^^^^  Good analysis.  The prices have to come down and the reliability proven before I would leave a technology which works for one I am not sure of and is way more expensive.   

[guysonic]

^^^^  Good analysis.  The prices have to come down and the reliability proven before I would leave a technology which works for one I am not sure of and is way more expensive.   

As it stands now from the tech journals discussing HD to SSD plug-in replacements, the way flash storage works is very different than HD protocol standards now in place, and the translation mechanism for SSD to work consistently into HD sockets is problematic as NO standard protocol for doing this exists. 

This leaves the method of translation to the flash device manufacture and from what I can tell it is a struggle without dedicated proven interface ICs specialized for this task. This means the SSD plug-in equivalent may or may not work so reliably under all conditions now expected of HD standardized products on the market.

So it may be wise at least for the less technically inclined among us with limited budgets to let the engineers and OEM market prove the practicality and reliability of such converted storage devices and see what the market brings.

For tapers having backup decks for doing parallel recordings to fully test a SSD converted deck while not risking the recording, this thread might be read by many with interest to know what does consistently work well with SD-744T/Edirol R-4 PRO 4-channel, and the two KORG DSD models.

So hope to have this discussion continue with more SSD device conversion postings both of woe/triumph from DIY tapers, and the deck makers trying out HD-to-SSD conversions.

[F.O.Bean]

Forum member Jaledu reports using the A-Data 16GB compactflash card in his 722 for two months without a problem.  Sounds good!

Flintstone

I have been eyeing that card too (2) 16GB CF Cards for my 722, or ANYONE for that matter, will get you thru just about ANY festival, unless youre archiving the WHOLE festival, that is I plan on getting (2) 16GB A-Data cards, along with the 8GB RiData Pro 150x card I already have and I will be set for anything. I could prolly actually get by with just (1) 16GB A-Data card+8GB RiData Pro I now have if I recorded to the CF Card in FLAC format. I am running tests right now to see what kind of actual time I can get recording FLAC to my 8GB CF Card. The card reads 16hrs of FLAC when I first start it, but that is false. I would bet it only REALLY records about 12hrs of actual data

Anyway, sorry to highjack the thread.......And yes, those SSD's look yummy..........