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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Recording Media => Topic started by: pdxdanmusic on September 14, 2015, 12:42:02 PM

Title: Sound Devices Audio Record Time Calculator
Post by: pdxdanmusic on September 14, 2015, 12:42:02 PM
I saw this and tried it for my 16 GB card 2496 stereo and got 8:05:07.
On my PMD661 the card gives me 7:43+ a few seconds. Quite a bit of difference.

http://www.sounddevices.com/support/tech-notes/audio-record-time-calculations (http://www.sounddevices.com/support/tech-notes/audio-record-time-calculations)
Title: Re: Sound Devices Audio Record Time Calculator
Post by: jefflester on September 14, 2015, 08:45:57 PM
Probably just comes down to "16 GB" in retailer speak does not equal "16GB actual storage size", more like 16 billion bytes.
If you put the empty card in a computer what does it tell you the capacity is?
Title: Re: Sound Devices Audio Record Time Calculator
Post by: aaronji on September 15, 2015, 03:34:12 AM
^ That's what I thought too.  It's about four or five percent; that could be the difference between 1000 and 1024 plus some root files and whatnot from the recorder...
Title: Re: Sound Devices Audio Record Time Calculator
Post by: pdxdanmusic on September 15, 2015, 02:22:04 PM
Probably just comes down to "16 GB" in retailer speak does not equal "16GB actual storage size", more like 16 billion bytes.
If you put the empty card in a computer what does it tell you the capacity is?

That is it exactly but Sound Devices doesn't mention it. In the PMD661 manual it worked out to 7:28. 15 GB is a little closer 7:38. 64K used by the 661 for overhead.
Title: Re: Sound Devices Audio Record Time Calculator
Post by: nak700s on June 15, 2017, 02:33:41 PM
An SD card, like the hard drive in your computer, needs room to operate.  When it says "16 Gig", you will never get 16 gigs of actual recording space, but if you look at your machine, or put it into a computer, it will tell you how much space is available.  I usually use 16 gig cards myself, and at 42/44.1, have no problem with a 2 day festival.  I would suggest putting your card into your computer if you need to know your actual available space...of using a larger card to be safe.