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Question: How much hard drive space does an audio recording take?
Answer: At 16 bit 44.1 kHz, which is the CD standard, the rate is generally about 10
Mb per minute of audio recorded. Thus, an 800Mb file would be equivalent to 80
minutes of audio. The higher the resolution and sample rate of a recording, the
more hard drive space is required. Here in detail are hard drive space
requirements, depending on bit depth, sample rate and length of recording.
Disk Space Required to Store Digital Audio at Various Recording
Resolutions
| |
| Bit Depth |
Sample Rate in kHz |
MB per track minute |
MB per Stereo Minute |
MB per 8-track minute |
MB per 16-track minute |
MB per 24-track minute |
MB per 32-track minute |
MB to record/master typical 4-minute song |
MB to record/master loaded 4-minute song |
Disk sustain rate MB/sec |
| 16 |
44.1 |
5.0 |
10.1 |
40.4 |
80.7 |
121 |
161 |
363 |
969 |
3.4 |
| 16 |
48 |
5.5 |
11.0 |
43.9 |
87.9 |
132 |
176 |
396 |
1055 |
3.7 |
| 24 |
192 |
33.0 |
65.9 |
264 |
527 |
791 |
1055 |
2373 |
6328 |
22.0 |
| 24 |
48 |
8.2 |
16.5 |
65.9 |
132 |
198 |
264 |
593 |
1582 |
5.5 |
| 24 |
96 |
16.5 |
33.0 |
132 |
264 |
396 |
527 |
1187 |
3164 |
11.0 |
| 24 |
192 |
33.0 |
65.9 |
264 |
527 |
791 |
1055 |
2373 |
6328 |
22.0 |
| 32 |
192 |
43.9 |
87.9 |
352 |
703 |
1055 |
1406 |
3164 |
8438 |
29.3 |
| 24 |
384 |
65.9 |
132 |
527 |
1055 |
1582 |
2109 |
4746 |
12656 |
43.9 |
| 32 |
384 |
87.9 |
176 |
703 |
1406 |
2109 |
2813 |
6328 |
16875 |
58.6 |
Table courtesy of John Broadhead, Edirol Corp.
*Article courtesy of ThinkWare & Edirol Corporation North America.
Topic: Digital Audio Concepts Category: Sound Cards Category: Audio Editing & Mastering Category: Sequencing & Multi-track Recording
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