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Whether analogue or digital, your valuable data must be stored safely. That means regular backups. While this is just a few clicks with USB drives and hard disks, doing the same on tape is more time-consuming and costly.
With modern USB sticks and memory cards, capacity is rarely the bottleneck for audio. Larger projects are typically saved across multiple media (sticks/drives) for backup and easy hand-off between workstations. As a rule of thumb for WAV/AIFF, plan on ~10 MB per minute (44.1 kHz/16-bit/stereo).
Video and photo projects demand far more capacity. If you work in high resolution, use real-world references to size your media so the project doesn’t outgrow the drive. RAW photos are roughly four times larger than JPEG (example: 20 MB/image ⇒ ~800 photos on 16 GB). High-res, multi-camera videos often need multiple terabytes (large SSD/HDD). Faster media and CPUs have significantly shortened render and transfer times.
Beyond capacity, throughput matters. USB 2.0 offers up to 480 Mbit/s (≈ 60 MB/s theoretical), while USB 3.0/3.2 Gen 1 reaches 5 Gbit/s (≈ 625 MB/s theoretical). In practice, write speeds vary by stick/controller. USB 3.x is backward compatible; at USB 2.0 ports the device runs at USB 2.0 speeds.
Differentiate between SD and microSD. SDHC covers up to 32 GB; above that it’s SDXC — common for video/burst photography. When buying, check read/write ratings and device compatibility.
Tape follows different rules: every recorded minute costs money and capacity is precious — in return you get the warm analogue sound many engineers love. It’s no surprise many plug-ins offer tape emulation. If you work with real tape, consider not only tape length but additional parameters:
Tape width is measured in inches. ¼″ tape is common for hi-fi/semi-pro use; professional studios employ up to 2″ depending on track count (24 tracks are typical). Sound quality depends on coating and tape width. In studios the NAB hub is standard, while many ¼″ hi-fi decks use a cine/trident hub.
While cassettes are niche in hi-fi markets, small production runs still serve a dedicated community. With a well-maintained deck and quality tapes you can capture authentic analogue recordings — the distinct cassette character remains popular.
For audio, capacity is rarely critical with today’s media.
Modern media/CPUs have improved workflow speed considerably.
Throughput determines transfer/backup/export times.
Real-world writes vary by device; USB 3.x is backward compatible.
For the warm, organic sound analogue tape imparts.
Yes — a small but active scene still records on cassettes. With a well-serviced deck and quality tape you get genuinely analogue results.
