Storage Devices
Field recordings are large files that can quickly fill up available hard drive space.
Even with modest recording settings at 48kHz/24-bit, a one-hour recording is over 1 GB in size.
On this page you’ll find recommendations for external HDD and SSD storage devices.
Hard disk drives (HDD) save data to mechanical spinning platters that can become broken if dropped. Since HDD technology has been around for over 50 years, they are cheaper and available in larger capacities than SDD drives.
Solid state drives (SSD) save data to flash memory with no moving parts and are more durable. Accessing flash memory is much faster than having to read from a platter, so SSD file transfer speeds and post production workflows are faster on SDD.
HDD Storage
WD 4TB Elements Desktop External HDD
The Western Digital 4TB Desktop HDD is a great companion for field recording work stations.
4TB is the smallest capacity and capacities up to 16TB are available.
WD 2TB My Passport Ultra
The Passport Ultra is a portable large capacity HDD perfect for mobile work stations.
Capacities are available up to 5TB.
For Mac users, there is a downloadable NTFS driver for macOS, which enables the reading and writing without any reformatting.
The Passport Ultra also offers password protection with 256-bit encryption.
LaCie Rugged External HDD
If you’re rough on gear or a frequent traveler, the LaCie Rugged will withstand the shocks and drops while keeping your data safe.
It’s available in capacities from 1-5TB.
SSD Storage
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 is the best when it comes to durability and read/write speeds.
IP55 dust and water resistance and 6’ drop protection will keep your data safe while mobile in the field.
With read and write speeds of more than 1GB/second, you’ll hardly have to wait for file transfers.
Available in capacities from 500GB - 4TB.
