Multi-track recording

[jnorden]

I want to record up to 8 tracks at a time (e.g. drums) direct to a computer. I know you can buy sound cards with up to 8 inputs but I can't grasp how 8 separate tracks can be laid onto the hard drive simultaneously.
Can someone help explain this?

 

[drstawl]

>I can't grasp how 8 separate tracks can be laid onto the hard drive simultaneously.

It does this by writing separate files to the drive at the same time. The Disc operating system only knows to find an empty spot on the drive and write the data and if there is a discontinuity in the stream of data for a file, a link to the address of the rest of that file is stored.

Basically it boils down to how many bytes can be written or read per second. That is the real ceiling for the # of tracks that can be written or read simultaneously.

Even my old PII could read 36 tracks of 16bit/44.1KHz audio at once.

 

[jnorden]

Thanks for the reply. I still have trouble coming to terms with the idea that the head of the HD is writting multiple tracks at the same time. They would have to be written as one continuous file as I can't imagine the head dancing all over the disc writting to 8 different addresses at the same time.

 

[drstawl]

>They would have to be written as one continuous file

No- one continuous STREAM of data, but as many FILES as will be required to read the data correctly. And as to the dancing around of the head- sometimes that WILL occur if the drive uses a place on the HD that has a few things already stored in various spots.
This is where the utility of a defrag operation comes into play.
The read or write rate for modern HDs is so high relative to the size of audio data that this seemingly mystical magical operation can actually take place. Much in the same way that a forklift can pick stuff up that is so heavy it seems bolted to the ground.