Back-up Recommendations

[Tim1]

What do you guys recommend for backing up projects from the Mbox. How about using the Audio drive and CDs?

Tim

[albee1952]

Copying the session to CD-R is good but it doesn't take much to fill a 700mb disc unless you delete unused audio. I burn the session folder to DVD-R since you can get a DVD burner for under $100. I've heard it said that you aren't really backed up unless you have 3 copies on 3 different media(think 2 DVD-R disc from different manufacturers, plus a spare hard drive). I go for 2 by using DVD-R AND a large external drive. When backing up files, you do not need a Protools-compatible drive. Any external USB2 drive will work fine for backup. If you do streamline so a session fits on a CD-R, back the session on 2 discs of different brands. I try to archive as soon as I think I am done with a session so I don't fill my audio drive and find I am out of space in the middle of a new recording. Its not a bad idea to back up sessions on DVD-RW or CD-RW as you go(like at the end of each day).

[IntelDoc]

Tim,
I think that there are a few approaches to this. I personally require new clients to bring a hard drive at the end of a session to back all their work up. In fact my contract has them having 1 drive to start, otherwise I buy it and add it to the bill. It gets too large space wise to hold all clients data and what happens if te drive craps out? Then you lose their data, etc. So I havebeen tracking the sessions on my audio drive, but also backup after the session to their drive for safety. At the end of the session, I take the data to a drive and use it as a MASTER backup for the studio. Sometimes sessions are 20gigs in size or more, so a 250 gig drive will be filled quick after a few bands, but at least it is backed up and not on your audio session folder. Also, the band has a drive with all their data on it, etc. They can then take it anywhere (rightfully so) and can also bring it back for ease of use.

250 gig external drives are cheap!

Just some thoughts.. CD'd can get scratched. I know, hard drives crash, but I would feel safer with a drive than a CD.

Doc

[daeron80]

Hard disc bu is only for short term - all drives eventually crash. And when put on the shelf for a few weeks, a used hard disc will often freeze up and destroy its contents when powered up next.

Photo-reactive ink works, but CD-R is too small for most audio work. DVD is maddeningly slow.

AIT-2, 3, or 4 seems to be the way to go at present for long-term storage. Which you go with depends on your budget and how badly you need high speed. A decent AIT-2 drive can be had on ebay for about $500, if you're patient. Tapes are under $1/Gig, now, comparable to photo-reactive media.