Q: I’ve been recording for a long time, but I just recently purchased an SD-based recorder for some field work.
Back in the dark ages, everyone made a big fuss about being extra cautious with new equipment when we all went first from analog tape to digital decks, and then to hard disk based machines and computers.
While I’ve always been overly cautious with my equipment, one attractive feature of the SD-based machines is that they lack moving parts to break.
All this having been said, is there anything I should be especially mindful of with my new gear?
A: Thanks for asking, and yes! This should be a no-brainer, but I constantly hear horror stories almost every day of precious data that’s been lost forever.
Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime guitar solo or some truly awesome vacation photos, you want to be able to access your data any time you want, right?
Here’s a few tips to keep your data safe:
• Back up your data. Almost every device that uses memory cards will have some way of connecting to a computer (usually via a USB port) and there are also lots of inexpensive multi-format card readers that plug into your computer’s USB port. Don’t put this off! Back up regularly, and offload data as soon as possible!
• Always buy name brand memory cards, whether they’re CompactFlash, SD, Memory Sticks, and so forth. Yes, they’re a bit more expensive, but it’s impossible to put a dollar value on the data you’re saving on them.
• When not in use, always store the cards in their plastic cases. Even a tiny grain of sand can cause the card to be unreadable. Resist the urge to just drop it into your pocket “just for now.”
• Always leave the card in long enough to make sure all the data is saved. If you yank a card out just a millisecond too soon and the last little bit of data never gets written, odds are good that the card will be unreadable. Even if you think all the data’s been saved, still give it another second or two to be safe.
• Back up your data. Yeah, that one is definitely worth mentioning again.
As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know your thoughts on solid state (or other) data safety. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com