Prior to the 1980s, most recording studios used analog multitrack recorders, typically based on reel-to-reel tape. The first commercial hard disk recording system was the Sample-to-Disk 16-bit, 50 kHz digital recording option for the New England DigitalSynclavier II in 1982. Stereo audio was not immediately available due to data input and output limitations on hard drives of that time. The high cost and limited capacity of these solutions limited their use to large professional audio recording studios, and even then, they were usually reserved for specific applications such as filmpost-production. With the arrival of the compact disc in 1982, digital recording became a major area of development by equipment makers. Several affordable solutions were released during the late 1980s and early 90s; many of these continued to use tape, either in reels, or in more manageable videocassettes. In 1993, iZ Technology Corporation developed RADAR, designed to replace 24-track tape machines. By the mid-1990s, with the steady decline of hard disk prices and the corresponding increases in capacity and portability, the cost of hard disk recording systems had dropped to the point where they became affordable for even smaller studios. Hard disk systems have since become the preferred method for studio recording. On January 14, 2004, Engineers from Fairlight, WaveFrame and AMS were awarded Academy Scientific and Technical Awards for the development of hard disk recording technology
Operation
One major advantage of recording audio to a hard disk is that it allows for non-linear editing. Audio data can be accessed randomly and therefore can be edited non-destructively, that is, the original material is not changed in any way. Non-linear editing is not inherent to every hard-disk recording system, however. Different manufacturers implement different degrees of this facility. Hard disk recorders are often combined with a digital mixing console and are an integral part of a digital audio workstation. In this form, complex tasks can be automated, freeing the audio engineer from performing a final mix in real time. A personal computer can be used as a hard disk recorder with appropriate software; nowadays this solution is often preferred, as it provides a more flexible interface to the studio engineer. Many studio-grade systems provide external hardware, particularly for the analog-to-digital conversion stages, while less expensive software systems can use the sound card included with any modern computer. The major constraints on any hard disk recording system are the storage capacity, transfer rate, and processor speed. Some systems use lossy audio compression to minimize the first two factors. This solution is becoming increasingly rare, thanks to rapid increases in hard disk capacity.
Consumer applications include camcorders to high-end tapeless camcorders, digital video recorder and set top box models like TiVo and personal computer based recorders. More professional applications include non-linear editing systems like Avid Technologyvideo editing systems, recording television productions/filmmaking in the field with professional video cameras in digital cinematography for digital cinema productions. Hard disk recorders are used in professional television studio from small systems able to record 2 hours to large multi port playout systems supporting hundreds of hours of material.
