Hard Drives - 5400 vs. 7200

S

seamus

New member
Hi,

First my relevant PC stats:

PIII 700
ASUS CUBX (440BX chipset, 100/66 fsb, runs up to UDMA 66)
384 PC100 RAM
~35GB IBM Deskstar 75GXP, 7200 RPM (home drive)
~30GB WD Caviar, 5400 RPM (alternate drive)

As you can see I use the older, but revered BX chipset. The motherboard is not upgradeable to current standards, but I think the data rates should be fine. What I was concerned with was the alternate drive, the 5400 rpm WD. Given all of the information above, do you think all my hardware and the WD drive will be up to spec for recording usage?

I'll be using the Omni package w/Delta 66. I also plan on formatting the C drive soon as the computer has not had one in about a year. I will keep all that is stored on the D drive there though, and I do defrag both drives quite often. I want to reformat C and reinstall the o/s and other programs as computers get a but sluggish over time. Will the Wester Digital be fast enough for recording or do I need to use the IBM?

Thanks! :)
 
I believe you will have less problems with the 7200RPM drive.

The rest seems fine...:)
 
Thanks zip-

Is recording to 5400 drives problematic? Do you know what sorts of problems people have encountered?

The thing is, I don't want to partition the o/s drive after I reformat. Is it advisable to use the home drive for recording even though the o/s and other programs are installed there?

I'm also not willing to switch the drives, the home drive must be the IBM, I don't think I trust WD enough to install programs to it.
 
I have heard slower HD's can cause software compatability issues...crashes etc...

I use a 7200 and have no problems. I also have my OS / programs and recorded audio data all on one HD with no problems. I didn't do any partitioning.

You may get more technical answers on the Computer Recording Section of the board if needed...

Personally I would use the IBM for all and maybe dump non-audio data onto the other drive where speed is not an issue.

FYI...went to a Protools seminar last night and they confirmed less than 7200 can be problematic.

Hope this helps...

zip >>
 
k cool thanks

I can probably just use the IBM for any real time recording and use the WD for everything else. I pretty much just use the WD as a data whore anyway lol. :)
 
What youll want to do is use the WD (5400) as your C drive with all your operating systems, all of your applications, recording software, downloaded porn, etc.....the only thing you are going to want on your D drive (the 7200) is the actual .wav files (if thats what your software uses)....that way the only job that the 7200 rpm drive has to do is to sustain your audio files as you are recording/mixing.....as far as the recording software, thats a RAM issue (which you definitely have covered)...plugins fall under CPU (which you should do ok with also).....
 
In case you are wondering;) that Omni will work fine as a replacement for a mixer.....

besides swapping those drives and using the WD 5400 as your C drive, your system seems pretty much setup....

Id use N-Track over the Logic that comes with the Delta mainly because (and Im assuming) that this version is somewhat stripped down and may limit you as far as track count .....but it wouldnt hurt to try both and pick what works best for you.....

a Shure sm57 will work fine for most applications....vocals included.....Marshall makes some lower priced condenser mics that would be better for vocals (a MXLv57 for $99 I think)....but its not necessary to start.....

as far as bass, Id record direct with the Sans amp.....

for guitar, Id record both direct and mic'ed.....send a line out from the amp direct and mic the amp with the sm57 (many pros mic amps with a 57).....pan the 2 tracks hard right and left...if possible record one dry and one with effects......

headphones are ok for recording but for mixing, you perception of the stereo field is distorted making it harder (not impossible) to mix....if you have access to a home stereo system, even a small one, run the output of the soundcard to the aux input of the stereo......

also, as far as outboard effects, use as little as possible....try to keep your chain from the source to the Omni as short as possible....there are tons of free plugins out there so the outboard gear 9 out of 10 times just adds in more noise....a touch of compression on vocals and bass just to control peaks may be in order, but thats about it....


what are u doing for drums?....

Sorry it took so long to answer.....
 
Hey Gidge...

Any reason to separate the OS/programs from the HD used for the .wavs??

I currently only have one HD and don't have issues...I am curious because I will be buying a second HD of larger size (40 or 60 meg) specifically for recording. I currently only have a 10 and it is weekly burn and dump city... :(

Can you tell I'm no PC expert.... :D

zip >>
 
Im not a PC expert or recording expert either....but Ive learned alot from the ones here....

The reason for separating drives is so that all your audio HD has to do is sustain the tracks you are dealing with.... WAV files are large, especially when you start talking 24bit, God forbid 96khz sampling rate....when your track count gets up there, say 16 tracks, each 4 minutes or so, thats a lot of info....if your hard drive decides to hiccup while you are recording, you can hang it up.....

Im not saying you cant do it with one drive.....especially with 16bit/44.1 and lower track counts.....but if you have 2, use the fastest (7200 rpm) and biggest just for audio......

Ive had no problems with my Maxtor Diamond Max 7200 rpm drive.....quite a few people here recommend it also....
 
So let it be written.....

...so let it be done... :D

I'm (very unfortunately) still 16bit. Not for long...

One digi 001 and one Maxtor comin' up! I've also heard very good things about Maxtor compatability. I believe it was an article in Prorec.com.

Thanks Gidge! When you think about it it makes perfect sense.

zip >>
 
Wow, thanks for all the info guys! :)

Gidge you read my mind when you asked about drums, that was going to be my next question when I logged on tonight.

At home here, I'll need tracks I can play to, for laying down ideas and such. I'm thinking drum machine? I would like something versatile, but not overly complex.

I would like it to be easy to use and incorporate, not so complex that I waste time fooling around when I have an idea. I'm not in need of hip hop, dance, or any other beats like that. I'm talking straight up rock plus other real world rhythms and signatures.

Once again, I show my newb-ness here as I have absolutely no experience with drum machines. Is there a reasonably priced solution for doing what I need here? Feel free to throw some low and mid priced items and opinions around, at least that will get me in the ballpark.

Thanks fellas! :)
 
Doh!

Wait, I just saw some posts (including yours) regarding Fruity Loops. Is this more along the lines of what I need?

Feel free to PM me suggestions on using this solution if that would be better.

Thanks! :)
 
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