USB Stick for SQ Drive

[SQuserParticipant]

In the compatibility table https://www.allen-heath.com/usbdevicelist I find in line 437:
“Samsung Fit Plus USB 3.1 64GB USB flash ‘key’, ‘stick’, or ‘thumb drive’ works perfectly, USB load bar barely moves”
That’s why I want to buy and use it.
But can I also try the same model with 128GB (should be even faster), or is there a risk that I will run into problems?

Thank you!

[nottooloudParticipant]

SQ’s usb stick compatibility is very hit or miss. No way to tell without trying.

[Søren SteinmetzParticipant]

Problem with USB sticks is, you only get their download/read speed 90%+ of the time, as most of them only writes with around 10-15% of the read speed.
(often seen sticks claiming to be 100MB/s, yet when testing the write they only do 8-15MB/s )

I have opted to only use sticks for savng shows and for some playback stereo tracks, never multitrack.
For multitrack I use SSD like Evo870 in an external USB case or similar.
(a cheaper disk is the Kingston A400, been using those with luck several times)

[SQuserParticipant]

Thank you both!

@nottooloud
> SQ’s usb stick compatibility is very hit or miss.
Yes, i know – unfortunately.
But I hoped, the compatibility table could help a little to find a working stick.

@Søren Steinmetz
> For multitrack I use SSD like Evo870
Thats why i hoped, a tested Samsung-stick could be work too.
Maybe it would be the best, to buy it directly from the Samsung-shop.
I think that would reduce the risk of a “fake”.

[tourtelotParticipant]

I too will only record to my SQ on outboard, wall-wart powered external drives. I use both spinning drives and SSDs from One World Computing and they seem to be reliable (although it still makes me nervous recording on my SQ). Only more personal experience will make me feel safe and until then, the JoeCo goes on those jobs as well as using the SQ (and a MBP running Reaper) as backups. Enough solid SQ recordings will mostly cure my paranoia, if not completely. I still don’t understand why there isn’t something A&H can do to make these recordings (mostly) fool-proof. It is perhaps the one thing about my SQ that I don’t love. Is there a fix?

D.

[SQuserParticipant]

@tourtelot

> I still don’t understand why there isn’t something A&H can do to make these recordings (mostly) fool-proof.
I suspect there are certainly limitations due to the operating system used.
And SQ is not a computer with any big expansion options.
There is surely only limited memory space and it will be used for more important things.
But we also should to blame the stick manufacturers if they don’t comply with their parameters.
We should give back every stick that doesn’t keep what they promise us.

[Søren SteinmetzParticipant]

The “problem” as I see it is more.
That most USB stick adds, and manufacturers, only gives the read speeds and choose to “hide” that their products suck at writing.

@esskuh
Just because a SSD disk works fine, does not mean the sticks from the same brand are any good, as we are talking (kinda) different technologies.

[SQuserParticipant]

Yes, of course that’s true.
But my hope is, that a company (like Samsung) that has a good reputation in the storage business will also try to avoid bad sticks.
In addition: The 64 is in the list as “works perfectly” and the 128 writes and reads still faster.
And very nice is: It’s so small that it can keep always connected at the console.
So I’ll try it.

Btw.: I tried also to use a SSD in an external USB case, and it seems it works great too.

[nottooloudParticipant]

I miss my JoeCo. I wish A&H would dupe their recording buffer and display. 24 ch of 2448 to whatever random USB2 drive you had, with a running display of how close you were to running out of buffer. Genius piece of kit.

As it is, I record USB to a DAW, from either my SQ or my Qu.

[tourtelotParticipant]

FWIW. Last night I recorded an orchestral performance using SQ-Drive in anger for the first time. I used a 1TB SSD in a wall-wart powered external enclosure. 17 tracks at 24/48. Every track recorded perfectly.

D.

[SQuserParticipant]

> In the compatibility table https://www.allen-heath.com/usbdevicelist I find in line 437:
> “Samsung Fit Plus USB 3.1 64GB USB flash ‘key’, ‘stick’, or ‘thumb drive’ works perfectly, USB load bar barely moves”
> That’s why I want to buy and use it.
> But can I also try the same model with 128GB (should be even faster), or is there a risk that I will run into problems?

In conclusion, I would like to say that unfortunately it does not work. 🙁
I bought the 128GB originally from Samsung and although it is supposed to be even faster than the 64GB in writing/reading, it brings error after error with the full number of tracks.
At most up to 20 channels at 48kHz seems possible – but I won’t risk it.
It’s also disappointing that you won’t find the writing speed on the packaging.
It may be interesting that the name also has a year attached to it – in my case “(2020)”.
Maybe it’s like with wine that you have to get a good vintage …

[tourtelotParticipant]

I believe that it is, maybe, a matter of the SQ not being able to supply the amount of power (amps not volts) to the USB socket. Is that the reason that outboard powered external drives, even spinning drives, seem to do okay?

I only hope I don’t get bitten if I need to record a large “hi-def” track count. 17 tracks at 24/48 did not seem to stress the SQ, using the SSD, in the least.

I ALWAYS record a backup if the recording is important.

As to the JoeCo. I love my JoeCo BBR64 Dante but there are jobs where I just don’t want to drag all that stuff to the show. Interesting that JoeCo has sorta disappeared from the scene, at least their web presence. If I had it to do over again, I would opt for the Tascam DA6400 I think. But if I bought a redundant recorder, it would be another JoeCo just to keep things “the same”.

D.

[SQuserParticipant]

Now I have found out that A&H itself produces an USB-Stick that should guarantee the promised recording of 32 channels (see picture).
That makes me very happy.
The only question now is where I can buy this stick.
Does anyone know anything about this?
Thank you.

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[tourtelotParticipant]

FWIW, I have never seen anything anywhere where A&H recommend their proprietary USB “stick”. Sound Devices does market and recommend their own CF Card, but they are the only ones I know who does that.

Am I misinformed?

D.

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