RE:Audio Stuff
>>Allen. How true. Considering that what we use to play back an audio CD is by definition 1X, and the Jaz can easily write at 6X , the "music engineer's" statement was so patently false, it was unprofessional. It sounded like it was born of resentment.<<
Ahem...
1x = 2 tracks of CD quality audio. However, in the recording world, you are always dealing with MUCH more than that. Most systems have a bare MINIMUN requirement of 8 tracks simultaneously. (This would be a bare bones system at a home project studio). In this situation, you could probably use Jaz or SyJet, as their access times of <12ms is the performance required. (Last time I tried to use M/O discs, they were too slow, but I bet they have improved since then). Also, in some situations, the higher recording sample rate of 48k is used (CD is only 44.1k). This puts an even greater strain on throughput. It is conceivable that SyJet's greater throughput is what the engineer was alluding to. Especially important is that SyJet's cache is larger than Jaz.
In a real recording studio, we're talking about a minimum of 24 tracks at once. This is why recording tape (whether analog or digital) is still the standard. About the most number of tracks I'm used to seeing trusted to a single hard disc recording is 16. I can't see, nor have I ever encountered where a removable drive like Jaz or SyJet would be trusted with audio that is worth potentially thousands or even millions of dollars. Fast, dependable hard drives are still the way to go.
The engineer at Comdex was probably biased, but not unprofessional, as he is getting paid to promote SyQuest. I'm sure Iomega promoters are telling some whoppers there in Las Vegas as well.
With the performance specs of Jaz and SyJet so close, the deciding factor in my purchase of a SyJet was its 50% greater storage space for the same price.
As for the CPU speed question, I notice that the software (Pro-Tools, Avid, etc.) prioritizes its performance to audio first, and screen re-draws last. You'd be suprised how much CPU effort it takes to draw the graphics on a typical computer screen interface. But your average PowerPC (mac) or Pentium chip is perfectly capable of supplying the necessary speed for multiple tracks of audio. |
