Sound Devices 702T - Manual (Page 54)

702T User Guide and Technical Information
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v. 2.67 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.
fragmentation, and other factors. Use the speed test as a general, relative measurement from one
card type to another.
Few CF cards can sustain write speeds for reliable 192 kHz recording. Sound Devices strongly recom-
mends using only the fastest cards to record at sampling rates above 96 kHz.
Storage Medium – External FireWire Drives
The FireWire port on the 702T can function in either “host” mode or “drive” mode (see File Transfer
Using FireWire for additional information on drive mode). In host mode an attached FireWire storage
volume such as a hard drive or DVD-RAM can be used to record and play back audio files. To acti-
vate host mode select EXTERNAL DRIVE via the Setup Menu item FIREWIRE: CONNECTION. Because
the 7-Series can write to all available mediums simultaneously the ability to write to an external
drive reduces the need for post-record copying of sound files.
External hard
drive is attached
and is selected
as the recording
destination
External FireWire drives require 2.0-ready 702T hardware. Only recorders specifically labeled 2.0 ready
are able to connect to external FireWire drives as an available storage medium.
When to Use External FireWire Drives
The key benefits of recording to external drives include:
• the choice of drive types include DVD-RAM optical drive or hard drive
• near limitless recording capacity when a large volume external hard drive is attached (up to 2
TB)
• fast, no-waiting simultaneous record option
• post-record copying to quickly back up CompactFlash medium
Formatting
Identical to the CompactFlash card, attached FireWire drives are formatted as FAT32 volumes. Upon
connection to an unformatted (or non-FAT32 formatted) external drive, the 702T will prompt the
user to format the drive. If the drive is already formatted as a FAT32 volume the drive will be ready
to be selected as a storage medium. The front panel drive LED will illuminate to show which drives
are available for recording. To reformat an attached drive, follow the same procedure as formatting
the CompactFlash, substituting the external drive menu selection for the CF.
After recording to an external drive has stopped, it may take several seconds for the 702T to finish
“housekeeping” on drive. This is especially true when recording to DVD-RAM disks, which generally
have slower throughput than hard drives. When preparing to disconnect a FireWire drive, always observe
the amber activity LED labeled EXT. If it is lit, wait until it is off before disconnecting the drive. If the
drive is disconnected while the LED is on, there is a high likelihood that the file being written will be
unusable and there is a possibility of FAT corruption on the drive.