Audio Storage Calculator
Before file-based recording technology was introduced for portable recording, planning storage needs was straight forward—buy enough medium (tape) to cover the recording time. In analog, a 7-inch reel at 7-1/2 ips lasts 33 minutes. A 120 minute DAT tape lasts…120 minutes, whether recorded in mono or stereo.
With file-based digital audio recordering, the calculation of available recording time involves three variables:
- Track count – how many concurrent audio tracks/channels are to be recorded.
- Data rate – the amount of data generated per second. Compressed formats express the data rate directly (Usually in kilobits per second). Data rate for uncompressed formats is a function of sample rate, bit depth, and track count.
- Storage capacity – typically expressed in GB.
Sound Devices has created a calculator to help find the amount of storage required for a given time value.
Video Space Calculator
This tool is intended to give an indication of the amount of space a given video format will take up on disk. The actual space taken up may differ slightly due to embedded audio, differing frame sizes and aspect ratios, and inter-frame compression / pulldown.
