This Seagate drive was reviewed and recommended as a very quiet drive. I almost bought one, but it requires a USB>Firewire 800 adapter and the adapter has received mixed reviews from owners, so I didn't proceed.
Showing 8 responses by tvad
From what I've read, there are quiet and noisy external drives manufactured by all the manufacturers mentioned thus far, so I don't think one can make a blanket statement about noisiness of the drives based solely on brand. Size, design and enclosure all make a difference. I'm hoping for some folks to contribute specific makes and models that are quiet: 1TB (or 2TB), Firewire 800, external drives. |
01-25-11: Larry_sYes, I suspect it's the enclosure that's the issue: aluminum, essentially open at the front, and little if any sound deadening material or soft rubber bushings inside. It's this DataTale model. It's the drive supplied by Mach2 Music with their server package. |
I've ordered an Oyen MiniPro 2.5" Firewire 800 portable drive. We'll see how the noise level compares to the DataTale 3.5" FireWire 800/400. The MiniPro spins at 5400rpm versus the 7200rpm of the DataTale. The MiniPro is approved for use with ProTools. Perhaps what's required for my installation is a sound insulated box or cover that can be placed over the drives. It could be open in back. |