Best Ssd for Music Production – Whether you’re a live performer looking for a fast drive to store sample libraries or a recording engineer looking for a reliable drive to capture performances, these three SSDs will help you get your job done.
ROUND UP
1.SAMSUNG
Pros & Cons
- ALWAYS EVOLVING SSD: Faster than the 970 EVO, the 970 EVO Plus is powered by the latest V-NAND technology and firmware optimization; It maximizes the potential of NVMe bandwidth for unbeatable computing; Comes in capacities of up to 2TB, with reliability of up to 1,200 TBW.
- LEVEL UP PERFORMANCE: The 970 EVO Plus reaches sequential read/write speeds up to 3,500/3,300 MB/s,* up to 53%** faster than the 970 EVO; Powered by the latest V-NAND technology—which brings greater NAND performance and higher power efficiency
- DESIGN FLEXIBILITY: The 970 EVO Plus fits up to 2TB onto the compact M.2 (2280) form factor, greatly expanding storage capacity and saving space for other components; Samsung's innovative technology empowers you with the capacity to do more and accomplish more
- EXCEPTIONAL ENDURANCE: Get up to 1,200 TBW*** with a 5-year limited warranty**** for lasting performance; The 970 EVO Plus provides exceptional endurance powered by the latest V-NAND technology and Samsung's reputation for quality
- UNPARALLELED RELIABILITY: Samsung's advanced nickel-coated controller and heat spreader on the 970 EVO Plus enable superior heat dissipation; The Dynamic Thermal Guard automatically monitors and maintains optimal operating temperatures to minimize performance drops
- SAMSUNG MAGICIAN: Keep an eye on your drive with software that provides a suite of user-friendly tools that help you keep your drive up to date, monitor drive health and speed, and even boost performance
2.SanDisk 1TB
Pros & Cons
- Save time storing and transferring data with powerful NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 2000MB/s read/write speeds. (Requires compatible devices capable of reaching such speed. Based on internal testing; Performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
- A forged aluminum chassis acts as a heatsink to deliver higher sustained speeds in a portable drive that’s tough enough to take on any adventure.
- Travel worry-free with a 5-year limited manufacturer warranty(1) and a forged aluminum chassis-silicon shell combo that offers a premium feel and added protection.
- Up to 2-meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance(3), and a handy carabineer loop for securing your drive all deliver extra peace of mind when you’re out in the world.
- Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption.(2)
- Compatible devices: Desktop and Laptop
3.Glyph Atom
Pros & Cons
- 2 x 500GB M.2 SSDs
- USB 3.1 Type-C Connectivity
- Grey
- Rugged Design
- Two Types of USB Cables Included
4.Seagate Backup Plus
Pros & Cons
- Plug-and-play NTFS driver for Mac
- USB 3.0 with data transfer speeds up to 220MB/s
- Quick file transfer with USB 3.0 connectivity.Dimensions(L x W x H mm)-114,5 x 76 x 20,35 mm
- USB powered -no power supply necessary
- Compatible with PlayStation 4 (Requires PS4 System Software Update 4.50 or higher)
5.LaCie Rugged
Pros & Cons
- Harness top Thunderbolt 3 speeds with the 1TB Seagate FireCuda NV Me SSD for playback/recording of up to 2800MB/s on 6K, 8K, and super so-so video
- Tackle any terrain with extreme IP67-rated water resistance, three-meter drop tolerance, two-ton car crush resistance, and dust resistance in a palm-sized external SSD Drive
- Includes a Thunderbolt 3 cable for easy connectivity with USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 on both Mac and Windows computers
- Take advantage of a one-month complimentary membership to Adobe creative cloud all apps plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
- Enjoy long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited product protection plan featuring Rescue Data Recovery services
6.G-Technology 1TB
Pros & Cons
- A durable design with IP67 water/dust resistance, 3M drop tested, and 1000lb crush resistance
- Super fast transfer rates up to 560MB/s
- Latest generation USB C connectivity (USB 3.1 Gen 2)
- Shock and vibration resistant solid state drive
- With capacities up to 2TB in a small, light package (As used for storage capacity, 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes and 1 terabyte (TB) = 1 trillion bytes; Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.)
- Order with your Alexa enabled device; Just ask "Alexa, order G Technology External SSD."
7.TerraMaster D5-300C
Pros & Cons
- 5-bay RAID storage, compatible with 2.5"/3.5" SATA hard drive or SSD, supports 20TB hard drive, total capacity up to 100TB. (Note: users need to purchase their own hard drives. These are not included.
- Unique 2+3 RAID mode: hard drive #1 & #2 can be configured as RAID 0, RAID 1 or Single disk. The remaining drives #3-5 work as single, independent drives.
- Adopts real SUPERSPEED USB3.1 (Gen1) Type-C interface, the read/write speed is up to 410MB/s (SSD in RAID 0).
- Compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux computers, and also works with the computers possessing the Thunderbolt 3 interface. This is a DAS, NOT a NAS.
- D5-300C adopts aluminum enclosure and low-noise fan, which is firm and reliable, of good heat dissipation, and low noise.
8.Atom Portable SSD
Pros & Cons
- 1TB Storage Capacity
- USB 3.1 Type-C Connectivity
- Black
- Rugged Design
- Two Types of USB Cables Included
9.OWC 500 GB
Pros & Cons
- Part No. OWCTB3ENVP05
- 500GB Envoy Pro EX Rugged - Solid State Drive SSD external High-Performance with Thunderbolt 3 interface - self-powered
10.Nekteck Thunderbolt 3
Pros & Cons
- EXTREME DATA TRANSFER AND SPACIOUS STORAGE – This Nekteck Thunderbolt 3 External Drive provides (2300MB/s read speed ; 1400MB/s write speed) No more waiting for many hours on transferring big files because of the NVNE and Thunderbolt 3 technology
- BIGGER STORAGE CAPACITY AND OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE With 480 GB this device is perfect for anyone who needs a reliable and fast data back up or needs an instant storage upgrade. Great for storing HD movies videos, music files and other data
- PLUG and PLAY and EASY to USE: No need for external power or separate Thunderbolt 3 cable. The device has a built in cable that is capable of up to 40Gbps speed (Note: This will NOT work with USB C ports. Note: Some Thunderbolt 3 ports have reduced speed of 20GB only. (2 Lane)
- BUILT TO LAST with HEAT DISSIPATION FEATURE. This Nekteck external hard drive has a temperature reduction technology to avoid overheat and prolong its maximum performance.We also offer 12 month warranty and after-sales support to ensure that you are getting what you’ll pay for.
- NOTE: This product will not be recognized as an external bootable drive if you try to run Bootcamp off it. This will NOT work with Bootcamp.
Best Ssd for Music Production – BUYER’S GUIDE
HDD vs. SDD
When choosing an external drive, the choice often comes down to hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SDDs). The traditional option is HDDs, which are cheaper and come with larger storage capacities. The downside is that HDDs are much more prone to damage when dropped or bumped, which could result in data loss. They are also heavier than SDDs, consume more energy, and have shorter lifespans. Even so, a good HDD from a reputable manufacturer should last for many years if you take good care of it.
SSDs are capable of faster performance, although this usually isn’t a crucial factor for external drives. The best HDDs should be able to stream large audio files and sample libraries just fine for most purposes. In any case, SDDs generally have longer lifespans than HDDs. They are also lighter and run cooler. On the downside, they are more expensive than HDDs, especially when you go for multi-terabyte models.
Size and form factor
HDDs typically come in 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch sizes. Most external drives that come in dedicated enclosures contain 2.5” drives, such as the ones commonly used in laptops. You could, of course, purchase either a 3.5” or a 2.5” drive and place it in a suitable enclosure. This is usually a more cost-effective alternative to buying an external drive that comes in a dedicated enclosure, and you have a wider variety of disk capacities to choose from.
Traditionally, the main difference between the two form factors is that 3.5” HDDs can hold much more data. But this isn’t necessarily the case anymore, as recent advances in technology have made it possible to store close to an equivalent amount of data in a 2.5” drive. One thing that hasn’t changed though is that most 3.5” external drives still require a dedicated power supply, while most 2.5” drives can be powered off a USB port.
Connection type
All external drives connect to your computer via USB cables, whether they are HDDs or SSDs. But even USB connectors come in a few different types. Most older drives use Mini-B USB cables, which only works with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports and devices.
The newer standard is Micro-B, which works with USB 3.0. Keep in mind that this cable isn’t backward compatible with USB 1.1 or 2.0.
There is also a Type-C USB cable, which supports USB 3.0, as well as all earlier USB versions. An added benefit is that you can insert this type of cable in any direction, so you won’t have to keep flipping the connector over to plug your external hard drive in!
Newer Type-C USB connectors work with Thunderbolt technology, which was initially compatible only with Apple devices. Thunderbolt 3 is now compatible with PCs, but keep in mind that while Thunderbolt devices work with all Type-C USB connectors, not all Type-C connectors support Thunderbolt.
If you want to future-proof your storage capabilities, you should, at the very least, go for an external drive that has a Type-C connector. Better still, look into a hard drive that supports Thunderbolt technology.
Storage capacity
The largest capacity HDDs you could get go up to 12TB or more. There are even larger capacity drives that can go up to 15 or 16TB, but these are generally intended for enterprise applications.
SDD drives were initially limited to smaller capacities, but you can now find SSDs capable of multi-terabyte storage. There is even an SSD that stores as much as 16TB of data, but as with HDDs, these are better suited for enterprise applications.
In any case, it is generally a good idea to go for external drives in the 4TB to 8TB range and divide your data between a few of them. This will provide you with enough storage space for all your projects, sample libraries, and backups, without costing you too much money. And with relatively smaller drives, there is less risk of losing all your data to a damaged single drive.
Transfer speed
Transfer speed is an important concern if you plan on streaming audio files, samples, and sample libraries from your external hard drive. A 7200 RPM drive will allow you to stream data much faster and with fewer hiccups than a 5400 RPM drive.
Transfer speed is less of an issue if you are planning on using your external drive only for backing up project files. Even so, it is probably best to go with a 7200 RPM drive as the cost difference over a 5400 RPM drive is marginal.
Failure rate
One other aspect you should look into is failure rate. The best SDD for music production do not have any moving parts, so they would theoretically last longer than HDDs. But if you plan on using your external drive only for backups and archives and don’t run it continuously, you should be able to get many years of use out of it before you have to think about looking for a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an SSD for music production?
For music production an SSD is much more reliable than a HDD. Furthermore, an SSD is much faster – your DAWs, instruments and libraries will load fast. It is highly recommend that you install an SSD for music production.
Is 256gb enough for music production?
It might be enough, but typically we recommend 512gb or more for music production. With the larger size, you won’t have to worry about installing too many plug-ins or increasing the size of your sample library.
Which SSD manufacturer is best?
Samsung arguably make some of the best SSD’s on the market. However, Intel, Toshiba, Adata and other brands are also respectable.
WRAP UP
In 2021 and beyond, there’s really no reason to have a standard hard drive. Purchasing the best SSD for music production is both affordable and important. A slow drive will not only hamper your music production process, but loss of data is a common issue with cheap drives too.
When you run multi-track DAW sessions on your PC or laptop, or have gigabytes of samples you need to import, a fast internal or external SSD (Solid State Drive) is a primary factor. Ditch the regular HDD now!
For music production you will want to consider an SSD size of at least 500GB. This will be sufficient storage to install your OS, DAW software, plug-ins and sample library. If you keep other files on your music production PC, work with video editing, or have a large sample library, consider purchasing a 1TB SSD or larger. Newer NVMe SSDs are becoming increasingly affordable in comparison to their SATA counterparts.
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