Selecting PC Hardware for Audio Recording?

[kozikowski]

I usually split the hard disk into different partitions though. It doesn't improve performance, but it helps to keep things tidy up.

It decreases performance. We recommend against it for either video or audio production. Partition file management is not free like it is on physical drives. Getting three different files back from three different partitions takes significantly longer as the actuator buzzes back and forth than getting the same three files back from physical drives.

It also has the overhead of Drive Management, even if they are only partitions. Far better and faster to let the operating system do the work and organize things through folders.

Raid-1

Ever needed it?

Koz

[bgravato]

I usually split the hard disk into different partitions though. It doesn't improve performance, but it helps to keep things tidy up.

It decreases performance. We recommend against it for either video or audio production. Partition file management is not free like it is on physical drives. Getting three different files back from three different partitions takes significantly longer as the actuator buzzes back and forth than getting the same three files back from physical drives.

It also has the overhead of Drive Management, even if they are only partitions. Far better and faster to let the operating system do the work and organize things through folders.

I'm aware of that. But I highly trust the linux efficiency in managing all that... Despite the decrease in performance I believe the performance is still way above the necessary.

Raid-1

Ever needed it?

Yes, when I didn't have it. I already had too many hard disk dying on my hands... I'm not taking any risks again if I can avoid them... I use raid-1 now for all system that have important data (or that recovering from a dead drive would give me too much trouble...). With raid-1 I just have to switch the faulty drive for a new one and I don't have to worry about it again.

[steve]

Getting three different files back from three different partitions takes significantly longer as the actuator buzzes back and forth than getting the same three files back from physical drives.

but getting three sequential files from one unfragmented partition is faster than getting three files that have data scattered across one partition. The pros and cons are dependent on how the partitions are managed, what software is being used and other factors. In some cases splitting disks to multiple partitions wins, in other cases it looses. With Audacity I've not noticed any significant performance difference of using one or multiple partitions.