Turtlerock Forum

I'm curious about how others go about archiving projects once they are complete.

Once I finish a recording project and the mixes have been finalised and approved by everyone, I archive all the multitrack data to dvd and store them, then delete the project from my hard drives. I record and mix in ITB so this makes the most sense to me.

What does everyone else do?

This query is prompted by my experience of a mastering studio who mastered an album and an EP for one of my clients. The client is now looking to put together a single which has two tracks from those releases which have already been mastered. Instead of digging the files back up again, this mastering studio wants me to send thru the original mix files. I would have thought the studio would have these already archived.

Al

Hi Al,

Yeah...I do the same thing...back them up to DVD and keep them for 5 years.
If I have not dealt with client or heard from them in that time....I throw them away(if I clean up !)

I am sure some other people don't employ the same ethics we do !

(BTW Altec looks good in the rack ;-)

Cheers
N
Y
M
O

Thanks to the wonders of digital reproduction your client could very easily rip the songs in question from their cd/s (using perfect-rip enabled software if they're paranoid) burn them to a new cd and send it off to get pressed.

Unless of course they want to get them remastered for the single, in which case they need the original pre-master...

I don't think it has anything to do with ethics, I don't keep archives of sessions unless the band ask me to. Once the job is done it's deleted (I need the space and what right do I have to keep it?)

Same here, I archive my own stuff to DVD but if I mix a track I give the client all the material back and make it their responsibility. Bigger studios I've worked at would store masters, but there would be a storage fee every couple of years (like renting the space to store it) and a retreival fee. The post pro guys here keep masters in a fireproof safe but there is a storage fee involved I believe. Those safes aren't cheap.

Apart from the fact I can't physically bring myself to delete someones data (even if they take copies themselves), dipping into my archive every now and them turns into a small money earner for me anyway.

I had a situation recently where a band I recorded an album for 3 years ago called me up. One of their members had just been signed to a fairly big label in the UK as a solo artist/DJ. The band wanted all the multitrack data so they could send it to him for remixing etc. It took me a good couple of hours to dig it all out and compile it and I charged them accordingly.

I don't charge anyone for my 'archiving services' cause its just on dvds, not tapes (which I understand requires more space and more love), but 3 or 4 times a year I will have requests for digging up old recordings.

I archive to 2 separate DVD's and store one at home and one at the studio. I also use DLT cartridges for larger video projects and more important audio projects.

Anyone use WavPack or FLAC? Wavpack looks superior because it retains metadata but FLAC is more widely supported.

Brent Punshon

I use wavpack when storing projects. Usually get 30-60% size reduction.

Brent wrote:Anyone use WavPack or FLAC? Wavpack looks superior because it retains metadata but FLAC is more widely supported.

Brent Punshon

I archive to DVD once a month or so as my hard drives fill up. Takes a couple of hours.
I do this as a service for my clients and I don't charge for this, however I charge to restore etc. I only archive original stuff that cannot be replaced and I edit out extraneous or superfluous stuff first.
Currently I've got about 400 CDs and approaching 250 DVDs dating back to 1996 which I've catalogued with Disk Tracker for Mac. No trouble really, as long as I remember to input all the data!!!

Interesting. I've got 4 years worth of projects on my hard drives, and couldn't be arsed burning DVD's. It takes too long!

I just did a quick comparo between buying hard drives and DVD's. These are based on current costs (from officeworks)

Hard Drive - $0.18 per GB (based on a 1TB drive)
DVD - $0.13 per GB (based on a spindle of 50 DVD's)
CD - $0.63 per GB (based on 50)

Now the thing is even though DVD's are cheaper, this is assuming you fill up the entire DVD with data. If you don't, then the cost would go up.

I reckon it's better to buy TB drives, chuck stuff on them (it's quicker and easier) then stick it somewhere safe. Plus, a hard drive takes up much less space!

Not sure about reliability though, although if you didn't use it I'm sure it would last much longer than if it were being used.

Just my 2c. I keep everyone's stuff, but make a point to say that I'm ultimately not responsible.

Chris

Hi there,

One of the problems with hd's (as I understand) if they are not being used, is that the lubricant(?) that spins the drive dries up and the drive seizes .

On the other hand , I may be talking out of my arse !!

Cheers
N
Y
M
O

we dont archive anything , past the project "finished date" or maybe a few months after
you will find that is the same for the big houses world over
i give every client several copies and safety copies of the work and leave it up to them .

its mainly because i just do not want be look like i am responsible for client storage .
if we dont have it.. then conversation stops immediatley , if we "might have it , or perhaps they think we should have it , untold unpaid hours are run up and its always for the "flakey clients"
sure one day i might save a clients butt... but .. well we have a lot of clients .

in the name of client service , we hand over lots of copies all marked clearly and ALL FREE !
so three is just no excuse for losing the master except they did not care
and if they dont care .. well

in the case of the original post i would do exactly the same thing as the other mastering house
i would request the client brings in all the masters for the record everytime.
it make each session simple

oh yeah of course there is the major record label problem , were you are not legally allowed to hang on to the masters
if the project gets "leaked" it wont be out of my vaults !