Recording Backup
A take that lives on one drive is not recorded. A backup must restore on its own.
Related
The problem
A take that exists on one drive is not recorded. Drives fail and projects get deleted, so a backup has to restore on its own after the main copy is gone, not sit in another folder on the same disk.
Signal chain
The recorder writes to the working drive; after the session the files are copied to a second drive and one copy goes off-site or to the cloud. Project files, audio, plug-in presets and the session log travel together, because missing one of them can block the restore.
Placement and settings
Use three copies, two kinds of media and one off-site. Label every copy with the date and project name, and only add, never overwrite. Finish the copy before leaving, spot-check that one track plays, and run a full restore test once a month.
What to listen for
Backups are silent, so verify them: open the project from the backup drive, play three random sections and confirm nothing is missing or shifted. Compare level and duration with the original tracks to prove the copy is complete.
Common misconceptions
- A backup is a copied folder → without a restore test it is only a guess.
- RAID replaces backup → it survives a failed drive, not a deletion.
- Cloud sync is enough → sync also copies the mistake.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- IASA TC-04, Guidelines in the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects
- AES Convention paper on audio archive redundancy and checksums
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.