Whether analogue or digital, your recordings must be stored reliably. Make regular backups. With USB drives and disks, it’s just a few clicks; on tape, the process is more time-consuming and costly.
With modern digital media, capacity is rarely the bottleneck for audio. Large projects are often split across multiple media (sticks/drives) for backup and easy hand-off. Rule of thumb for WAV/AIFF: ~10 MB per minute (44.1 kHz/16-bit/stereo).
Photo and video projects demand far more space. If you work at high resolution, rely on real-world figures to size your media so the project doesn’t become larger than the storage. RAW files are roughly four times the size of JPEG (e.g. 20 MB/image ⇒ ~800 photos on 16 GB). Video at high resolution or multi-cam can require multiple terabytes (fast SSD/HDD). Faster media and modern CPUs markedly reduce render and transfer times.
Beyond capacity, transfer speed matters. USB 2.0 up to 480 Mbit/s (≈ 60 MB/s theoretical); USB 3.0/3.2 Gen 1 up to 5 Gbit/s (≈ 625 MB/s). In practice, write speeds vary by drive/controller. USB 3.x is backwards-compatible; on a 2.0 port it runs at 2.0 speed.
Differentiate between SD and microSD. SDHC up to 32 GB; above that, SDXC — common for video and burst shooting. When buying, check read/write speeds and device compatibility.
Tape follows different rules: every minute costs money and capacity is limited, yet you get that warm, analogue character. No surprise many plug-ins offer tape emulation. If you’re working with real tape, look beyond tape length to additional technical parameters.
Width is specified in inches. ¼″ tape is common in hi-fi/semi-pro, while pro studios use up to 2″ depending on track count (around 24 tracks). Sound quality depends on the magnetic coating and width. In studios, the NAB hub is standard; many ¼″ decks use a three-prong/cine reel.
While a niche, small production runs still serve a dedicated community. With a well-calibrated deck and quality tape you can achieve authentic analogue recordings; the distinctive cassette sound remains popular.
With today’s media, storage is seldom a limiting factor for audio.
Modern media and CPUs significantly speed up workflows.
It determines how quickly you can copy and back up projects.
Real-world writes vary by model; USB 3.x is backwards-compatible.
For the warm, organic sound of magnetic tape.
Yes — a dedicated community still records on cassette. With a well-maintained deck and quality tape you get authentic analogue character.