What happens if I run out of storage on my Sound Capsule?

In this article, we explain what happens when you run low on local storage on your Sound Capsule and offer tips on how to manage storage before, during, and after recording.

If you’re unfamiliar with our USB File Transfer feature, please refer to our guide for the initial setup, as well as guides for use with Mac, Windows and iOS. These articles contain important details that are not covered here.

Understanding how the Sound Capsule handles files can be helpful for sophisticated users. Learn more about the Sound Capsule’s file management features in our dedicated article.

Managing storage

The Sound Capsule operates in two main modes depending on your settings:

1. Automatic Storage Management
   • Settings: “Create Local Copies” and “Allow USB Transfer” are disabled.
   • How It Works: The Sound Capsule keeps files locally only when there’s no network connection. Once connected, recordings are automatically uploaded to the cloud and local copies are deleted as needed. 

1. Manual Storage Management
   • Settings: “Create Local Copies” and/or “Allow USB Transfer” are enabled.
   • How It Works: The Sound Capsule keeps files stored locally at all times and you are responsible for manually managing storage space. Space can be cleared when needed as shown below or via USB transfer to a third-party device. If the storage becomes full during a recording, the Space Recorder will stop your recording. 

Visual Representation of Remaining Storage

The Space Recorder display shows storage information based on your settings:

• Cloud Storage Mode: If you rely primarily on cloud uploads, the display will show an estimate of how much recording time is available. This is especially useful when planning longer recordings. (See the left image below)
• Local Storage Mode: If local storage or USB transfer is enabled, additional details about the number of recording folders stored on the device will be shown. This is useful for monitoring storage before starting a recording. (See the right image below)

What Happens if Storage Runs Out During a Recording?

Step 1: A warning

If you run low on storage during a recording, a warning will appear on the Space Recorder display approximately 5 minutes before storage is exhausted. It’s essential to act quickly to avoid losing data.

Step 2a: You take immediate action

If you notice the warning in time and choose to stop the recording yourself, the Space Recorder will offer an option to automatically delete previously uploaded recordings.

If you wish to keep your local copies, but need to free up storage space then enable USB Transfer (if not already enabled) and manually move files to a third-party device via USB.

Step 2b: You do not take action

If the recording was forcefully stopped by the Space Recorder, the screen below will appear:

You can start a new recording after clearing up storage space.