When people think of hip-hop, they think of two turntables and a microphone. But instead of checking the record shops to find music for his next track, Free Speech, a Los Angeles-based emcee, checks his instant messenger.

"Whether it is from my in-house producer or a [producer] in France, I always get my beats sent to me over instant messenger," Free Speech says.

Instead of storing his beats on CDs, Speech uses a series of production folders that he keeps on an external hard drive. Once his lyrics are written, Speech stores the folders as data on his iPod before heading to the studio. His recording sessions are then digitally stored on multiple hard drives for increased protection, greater flexibility and better sound quality.

Setting New Recording Standards

Free Speech is not alone in adopting a purely digital production process. Many artists are turning to the latest innovations in digital storage to take their sound further, more efficiently than before. Serial ATA (SATA) technology is the new standard for storage and provides faster data transfer than previous standards. With a SATA hard drive, musicians can now record, layer and play back multiple tracks simultaneously, saving precious time and money.

For an independent artist like Speech, the flexibility of combining external and portable hard drives streamlines the recording process. Digital media solutions make it easier to store, share and transport large amounts of data. "People who are making music know that there are more and more tools that provide creative outlets for the musician—tools that allow you to merge the analogue world of instruments with the digital world of computers," says Seagate Technology industry expert Peter Radsliff.

Portability + Access = More Creative Freedom

DJs, often considered the most progressive of musical artists, use music itself as an instrument to create something new. In the past, a DJ set-up consisted of two turntables, a mixer and a collection of records. Modern DJs are again turning to technology—just like their predecessors did—to revolutionise music. Digital media allow more room for information, and today's artists use that capacity to its fullest advantage.

Club DJ Tina Turnbull ("DJ Special-T") is happy to embrace a digital DJ setup. "Now that I can show up with minimal records and a laptop, it is wonderful," she says. "I store all my songs on hard drives, and I can do everything real-time."

 

"People who are making music know that there are more and more tools that provide creative outlets for the musician—tools that allow you to merge the analogue world of instruments with the digital world of computers," says Seagate Technology industry expert Peter Radsliff.

DJs used to have to carry vinyl records to every event. This limited the number of songs they could access and how quickly those songs could be found. Portable hard drives offer the performance, capacity and flexibility that DJs need. With external hard drives, DJs can bring all their music to a show and access it in real-time to deliver live, innovative performances. 750-GB external hard drives allow musicians to protect and centralise their entire musical library, while 6-GB pocket drives let musicians take their favourite beats, samples and music with them on the road for sharing and collaboration.

The future of music is being determined by digital media. Musicians are using the speed, capacity and mobility of digital storage to maximise their creative potential. In doing so, they are also changing the way music is produced and distributed. Smaller and faster hard drives with more capacity open up new opportunities for inventive collaboration and artistic expression. Digital storage is facilitating creativity for all musicians—in the studio, at home or in the clubs. As DJ Special-T says, "There are no limits now."