Sound Devices 722 - Manual (Page 49)

722 User Guide and Technical Information
47
If the recorder is used in applications subject to extreme motion, Sound Devices recommends recording to
CF medium only. The hard drive will park its write heads to reduce the chance of failure.
Like all electrical devices, the higher the ambient temperature the shorter the drive’s operational life.
Therefore, take care to observe the specified temperature rating.
There is also a risk from sudden temperature changes, which can create condensation inside the
drive. This condensation can lead to the drive’s read/write heads adhering to the disk surfaces
which will, in turn, stop the hard disk from rotating. Condensation tends to occur when the tempera-
ture inside the drive suddenly falls, for example, just after the unit is moved to a new position, or
after operation is stopped in a cold environment.
Sudden changes in temperature or air pressure can cause disk surface material to evaporate, which
can also cause the head to adhere to the disk surface. This can happen when a hard disk drive is left
unused for a long period of time.
Storage Medium – CompactFlash
CompactFlash (CF) is a practical, portable storage medium for audio recording. Its speed, reliability,
and price continue to evolve to the benefit of portable recorders. The 722 can write to and read from
CF as either its sole recording medium or simultaneously with the internal hard drive.
When to Use CF
The key benefits of CF include:
• wider temperature range capability than hard drives
• increased shock immunity versus hard drives
• convenient media insertion and removal
• established workflow and ubiquitous card readers and transfer tools
Formatting
Upon insertion of an unformatted (or non-FAT32 formatted) CF medium, the 722 will prompt the
user to format the card. If the card is formatted as a FAT32 volume the card will be ready for selec-
tion as a recording volume. To reformat the CF medium, follow the same procedure as formatting
the hard drive, substituting the CF menu selection for the hard drive.
Formatting the CF rebuilds the FAT (file allocation table) and erases any audio or other data files
present on the medium. While some PC utilities can recover files immediately after formatting the
drive, consider that the files have been permanently erased. FAT32 volumes generated by the 722
may not be compatible with numerous consumer electronic devices, including entry-level digital
cameras.
After recording has stopped, it may take several seconds for the 722 to finish “housekeeping” on CF.
When preparing to remove the CF, always observe the amber activity LED for the CF medium. If it is lit,
wait until it goes out before removing the CF. If the CF is removed while the LED is lit, at the very least
the file will be corrupted and there is a possibility of FAT corruption as well.
Testing
CF cards varied widely in their write/read throughput. Later generation “24x” and greater CF cards
can reliably read and write multi-track, high sample rate audio. The 722 includes a drive speed test