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Storing Digital Data
Once the waveform has been transformed into digital bits, it must be stored.
When sampling in stereo at 48kHz using a 20-bit word size, the system has
to accommodate 1,920,000 bits per second. Though this is a lot of data, it is
well within the capabilities of personal computers.
Most computer-based digital recording systems record the data directly to
the computer’s hard disk. Today’s hard disks are capable of storing large
amounts of data, though the performance of hard drives can vary
substantially. The Echo Reporter program (included on the Gina CD-ROM)
will give you a general idea what the capabilities of your hard disk are and
how much information it can successfully store and retrieve. The speed and
size of your hard drive will be a major determining factor in how many
tracks of audio you will be able to simultaneously record and playback.
