Rain Recording Debuts New External Hard Drives
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StormDrive
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StormDrive Pocket
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June 7, 2005
Rain Recording has announced two external hard drives designed for audio applications: the StormDrive and the StormDrive Pocket.
Both drives include one USB 2.0 and two FireWire ports, an 8 Meg buffer, and quiet operation with fanless cooling. IEEE 1394 repeater functionality is built into the two FireWire ports for easy daisy chaining. Each model has a lightweight aluminum enclosure that provides heat dissipation, ruggedness, and the ability to stack units. Internal shock mount suspension reduces the risk of hard drive failure during movement and improves noise dampening. "Plug and play" operation offers instant OS recognition for PC and Mac, and compatibility includes 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS 9.x, and Mac OSX.
The StormDrive features a 3.5" 300 GB Seagate drive with SoftSonic technology that eliminates the "whine" sound from the drive for virtually silent operation. Vents on the bottom and sides ensure efficient cooling without the need for a fan, even at 7200 RPM. An 8 Meg buffer allows for sustained track count without the need for higher RPMs and the resultant noise and heat. The rear panel contains two 6-pin 1394a connectors, one USB mini-B connector, power adapter port, and a power switch. Dimensions are 9"(L) x 5.25"(W) x 1.5"(H).
The StormDrive Pocket features a 2.5" 100 GB Seagate drive running at 5400 RPM with an 8 Meg buffer. Extremely compact and quiet, the StormDrive Pocket measures a mere 5.25"(L) x 3"(W) x 0.75"(H). The rear panel contains two 6-pin 1394a connectors, one USB mini-B connector, and a power adapter port. The StormDrive Pocket can be bus-powered via FireWire and ships with a power adapter.
Rain president Bill Paschick commented: "Your average hard drive enclosure or do-it-yourself kit was not designed for the audio professional. While the StormDrives are surely overkill for backing up files, they are designed to stay cool, quiet, and trouble-free during intensive, sustained operation as required by audio applications. Most experts recommend an external hard drive when running demanding audio applications on a laptop or desktop for the combination of performance, reliability, and convenience."
The StormDrive and StormDrive Pocket are now shipping with MSRPs of $599 and $499 respectively. For more information, visit their web site at www.rainrecording.com. |
