Moving samples to another drive

bigblip

New member
I have an external USB drive containing about 20 years worth of samples and other audio, such as stock music tracks I've bought for video productions. The drive is 'hard-wired' to a specific drive letter. I would like to move the samples off the USB drive and onto an internal drive, retaining the same folder structure. If I was to do this, then change the internal drive letter to be the same as the external one (and rename/remove the external drive, obviously) would my projects (mainly in Sonar and Studio One, as well as hundreds of Vegas video projects) still see the files that are now on the new internal drive? What about Kontakt libraries?

I can't see why they wouldn't, but a comforting nod of approval or a cautionary shake of the head would be most welcome!

Thanks.
 
I moved my Kontakt and Reaktor libraries but did not change the drive name so I cant say if that would work. I did have to reinstall Reaktor to get the libraries to show up in the library menu, though I could still open everything through the file menu before reinstallation. I think in Kontakt I just had to show the new path. I would suggest trying it with one library and see if it works if no one else has firmer info on this
 
Sounds like a plan to me :D

Most software won't complain. Licensed stuff might. But it's up to you to find out, I'm afraid.
 
I would suggest trying it with one library and see if it works
Yes, that's a very good idea! Thanks :-)

Licensed stuff might
Do you mean stuff that's specifically licenced to the piece of hardware that it's first installed on?

Most of the samples are things I have just gathered over the years (from cover disks) or created myself. There are a couple of libraries I've bought, though, but I don't think it would be an issue to reinstall them. I also have a large collection of sound effects that I use quite frequently in video productions. These are commercial sound effects (from Sony and BBC). Again, I should be able to reinstall them from the original disks so not a major issue. As for the Kontakt libraries, I only have the Factory Library and two NI libraries. I guess it wouldn't be an issue to reinstall everything if needed - it's more a question of whether my projects would still be able to see them or if I would have to relink everything. The sound effects are used extensively in video projects and having to relink them would be a bit of a pain!

Thanks to both for the feedback. If there's anyone who has successfully been through this operation (or unsuccessfully) it would be good to hear your experience.
 
Can you not simply 'clone' the drive? I dare say you will end up with a load of extra junk you don't need but you can remove that at your leisure later.

I used Macrium Reflect to clone my hard drive the other way, internal to a USB3.0 external but see no reason why the reverse would not work? If you buy a dedicated SSD for the job they usually come with cloning software, least my Samsung did.

Lot of PC experts over at Sound On Sound | The World's Premier Music Recording Technology Magazine

Dave.
 
Excellent idea, Dave. Actually that's one of the drives that I have kept pretty tidy so I suspect everything that's on the external would be wanted on the new internal. I used some cloning software a couple of years ago when I first went SSD for my OS drive. I'll try and dig it out, otherwise I'll look at the Macrium software. Cheers!
 
Do you mean stuff that's specifically licenced to the piece of hardware that it's first installed on?

Anything with heavy-handed licensing, like iLok. Or as you call it "tied to the hardware". That stuff is pretty good at detecting any change in the setup and alarms go off immediately.

I do computer maintenance for a couple of studio's and some simple things like expanding ram are enough to get you in trouble.

I don't hate many things in life, but I do hate iLoks and most copy protection schemes passionately. :rolleyes:
 
^^^ +1 An unfortunate side effect of software cracking I believe.

Yes, and the argument has raged for at least the 12 years I have been interested in PC audio but there is no other area of commerce I know of where the CUSTOMER is SO inconvenienced and often made to feel a criminal as in software protection.

Supermarkets for instance do not of course want to lose ONE SPUD to a shoplifter but if they treated ALL their customers the way some software companies do they would soon HAVE no customers!

Dave.
 
Of course they add the cost of loss to theft and spoilage to the prices, but they can add a half a cent to 10k products so its less noticeable to the consumer. Doesn't mean I don't agree with you though.
 
Of course they add the cost of loss to theft and spoilage to the prices, but they can add a half a cent to 10k products so its less noticeable to the consumer. Doesn't mean I don't agree with you though.

Yes I agree as well but it is the BLOODY MINDED INFLEXIBILITY that I think pisses most people off? I mean, if a bona fide studio owner who has had the software for a number of years has a problem there is surely little danger in giving him/her the benefit of the doubt? And even IF the guy was ripping off another version, how much has the software company really lost in real terms? In many cases they stand to lose more in 'goodwill'.

Dave.
 
^^^ +1 An unfortunate side effect of software cracking I believe.

Sorry, that's plain wrong.

There's nothing to crack if there isn't DRM first. DRM is a challenge. Crackers don't want, or need the stuff they crack. Most of the crackers don't make money from it. The old days of paying for warez are gone. Haven't you heard? Everything is free today...

Most content creators and software devs get along without, until they reach a certain scale. Then, the iLok's sales people will harass them with some impossible-to-check statistic until they decide piracy is hurting them. Piracy isn't hurting them at all. In fact, most software devs have learned to live with it.

And some content creators have understood the mechanism at hand. Recently, a movie was released as a torrent first. That was cheaper than buying the usual advertising and a lot more efficiënt. The press noticed the movie that otherwise would have been ignored because it didn't have a million dollar advertising budget.
 
from it. The old days of paying for warez are gone. Haven't you heard? Everything is free today....

Really...?

Well then...can you please get me a refund for all the new software, plugins and updates I recently bought and paid for from various manufacturers...?
I would much rather spend that money on some hardware...which you actually have to buy in order to use....and then let me know where I can get all that software for free, legally. :)
 
Especially with plugins, there's so much free stuff out there. I wonder why people spend money on plugins.

OK, if you run a pro studio that gets rented by big name engineers, you need ProTools and you need stuff like Waves and such. But this is Home Recording. Nobody forces you to "invest" in ProTools.

And there are special cases, like noise removal. You might want iZotope RX. Tape restoration might need Capstan. Expensive stuff, but no competition.

But for your eq, comp... needs, there's stuff like Tokyo Dawn Labs. And REAPER comes with a bunch of included very capable plugins. Logic too.

And even if you're into weird stuff, say ambisonics, one of the very best out there is ATK (Ambisonic Tool Kit). Free...

REAPER is 60$, unless you make more than 10.000$ per year, then it's 225$. And that's including upgrades 'till next major version. Sif you buy REAPER 5.2, you get upgrades 'till 6.99 for free.

I know some pro's who do voice-overs and commercials professionally, who haven't spent one cent on software. They use Audacity, with what it brings and some home-cooked Nyquist scripting. But they did invest in an RME BF, or an Apogee interface. Mostly for stable drivers...
 
Well...voiceovers don't need a whole lot of FX/processing.

Sure, every DAW app has some including plugs, and there's plenty of freebies on the net...but some plugs are better than others, and some have features sets that the freebies don't.
I mean...I wouldn't just buy a basic EQ plug, when most free ones do the same...but many of the better the ones you buy have proprietary filter designs, and sometimes they are based on specific hardware under license. You won't always find a free version of the same thing...unless is a cracked version.

Anyway...using some freebies and/or using cracked software has nothing to do with... "everything is free today". :)
 
Cyrano does have some credulity IMHO. I bought NEW Nero* burning software (when I was forced to give up my beloved XP!) and that comes with an activation code but, AFAIKCT I can use that software on as many machines as I like? I have it on 3 atmo. The Nero company is still going strong, keeps plying me to spend again! The obvious conclusion here to me is that loss of revenue due to people using multiple instances of software is insignificant compared to the efforts needed to protect it? ESPECIALLY when said protection causes users loss of time, hair and health out of ALL proportion to the (supposed) loss involved.

I also agree that 'crackers' do it 99% of the time for the challenge and do not have a 'factory' churning stuff out making millions.

*I also use ImageBurn. V,v good but not as simple (like me!) to use as Nero.

Dave.
 
Well...voiceovers don't need a whole lot of FX/processing.

True.

Sure, every DAW app has some including plugs, and there's plenty of freebies on the net...but some plugs are better than others, and some have features sets that the freebies don't.
I mean...I wouldn't just buy a basic EQ plug, when most free ones do the same...but many of the better the ones you buy have proprietary filter designs, and sometimes they are based on specific hardware under license. You won't always find a free version of the same thing...unless is a cracked version.

Plugins are software. No licenses needed to "copy" hardware. That kind of case wouldn't even make it to court. What they license, is the use of the trademarked name. Nothing else. There's no copyright on electronic schematics, just like there's no copyright on a cook's recipes. Why? Because the number of ingredients is limited. If there was copyright, every design possible would be someone's intellectual property in a very limited amount of time.

There is, however, copyright on board design. You can't copy printed circuits without a license. And often, more than half the development cost goes into a good printed circuit. Most of the other pieces come from the application notes the chip manufacturer puts out. Especially in this digital age. When it comes to simple circuits, like a mic preamp, only about a dozen basic designs exist. The rest isn't any good, way too expensive, or just not practical.

Trademarks are a skewed game in itself. When Apple tries to sue a diner in Luxembourg, called "Der Apfel", it's because they have to. If they didn't, it could be viewed as a precedence by (mostly) US law. It's ridiculous and costs both parties a ridiculous amount of money, but that's the way it goes.

Anyway...using some freebies and/or using cracked software has nothing to do with... "everything is free today". :)

I never said that.

"Everything is free today" is more of a moniker about how the way things work today. You can't start a SAAS company without offering a free service in most cases. Gmail is free, FB is free, Twitter is free...

That's a BIG problem for companies developing niche software. Medical, engineering, all things not "general public". They need to get venture capital, because sales channels as they used to exist before the net, are gone, or are pushing "free" products.

And when it comes to free VST's, I don't see any general purpose plugins worth buying. Whenever I have the chance to play with the big names, I'm left wondering why people buy these.

I do buy software. REAPER, fi. But I haven't bought any plugins in over ten years and I can't even remember those I've paid for long ago. Most of these are probably gone anyways.

I do support devs like Tokyo Dawn Labs, because their plugins are free, not restricted and you can buy an affordable 'Gentlemen's edition'. It doesn't offer anything extra, except a mention on the plugin and a good feeling.

I don't mind paying for good software either. Filemaker Pro or ARTA, fi. But I wouldn't spend a dime on an atrocity like MS Office, when I can get Open Office, fi.

Lots of these examples of expensive, outdated dinosaurs still survive because people don't know any better. And because the audio market is a very conservative market. The clearest example is Protools. The company behind it is dying. Nobody likes them. Their software is far from being the best on the market. But as long as the big guns (movie studios, fi) keep using it, everybody keeps believing it's the way to go. And these big guns stay with the company because they have invested far too much in Avid tech. Look at how Black Magic Designs is changing that market. Affordable, performant hardware, coupled to new, inventive software. Fast reaction to user's demands. That's how the future looks.

Of course, when the product itself is free, it usually means YOU are the product and the maker wants your data. But not (yet?) in the case of free plugins.
 
I hope this conversation about piracy is not aimed at me!!

Anyway, back to the original discussion for a moment ;-), I have now started the process of transferring everything onto a nice, big, fast internal disk and in 17 hours (!) when the copying has finished I will know if it has worked as hoped. Fingers crossed.
 
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