avtzrovf wroteWondering how yall set up your SSDs for sound library, operating and songs etc.

Every DAW (windows) I have ever built has the same standard layout with 3 Drives:

1. C:\ (System) (in 2022 this will always be an NVMe SSD (usually Samsung EVO Series) minimum 500GB.

This drive is for the OS and apps installs and nothing else. I even do a custom redirect during OS install to ensure all documents, work files, downloads, images etc are on the M:\ drive...which is:

2. M:\ (Media) Like the system drive - this is always an NVMe SSD (usually Samsung EVO Series) minimum 500GB.

This drive is for all songs, voiceover projects, downloads, screencaps, scripts - everything that I use to support my work.

3. S:\ (Samples) Unlike the other two drives - I still do not see the value vs cost in making this one an SSD due to it's size. So I am currently using a Seagate Firecuda HDD - Minimum 2TB. Have not found any reason to think this is liability in terms of load time vs an SSD

This drive stores ALL my sounds, libraries (Like Kontakt, Toontrack, Spectrasonics etc) and every other sample based file I have ranging from old AKAI library images to one shots to Acid Loops to WAV libraries etc.

If you can load it into a sampler, a VSTi or use it in some sound design sort of way - it's here

Works for me!

Cheers

VP

avtzrovf wroteHey Guys. About to pull the trigger.

Wondering how yall set up your SSDs for sound library, operating and songs etc.

Thanks.

Coming from Reaper and hoping that this is as efficient. Very psyched.

1. SSD for OS, DAWS, all app installations, plug ins etc
2. SSD for my AUDIO. I create a folder for each Song so everything for a song is in one location
3. SSD for VST Library Data. SSD library, Piano library, Superior Drummer Libraries etc. ANY audio library goes here.
4. SSD for BKUP of the AUDIO drive

If you're using SSD's it really doesn't matter.

I have two SSD's because it was cheaper at the time to get two 250GB's rather than one 500GB but I wouldn't have a problem using just a single drive.

I just let everything install to it's default locations and have my songs go to my 2nd SSD.

That said, it's easier to backup samples and soundsets if you have them on their own drive that's not a system drive. It always gets difficult to backup and restore specific files and folders from your system drive unless you really know what you are doing.

Win10 PC:
1TB SSD for OS, apps, etc.
500GB SSD for working projects
1TB External SSD for sample libraries
2TB HDD for archiving/backup

Macbook:
1TB SSD for OS, apps, etc
1 TB External SSD for sample libraries

Mac Mini Server with quick-swappable two-drive SATA enclosure for Backup/Archiving

Bub wroteIf you're using SSD's it really doesn't matter.

I have two SSD's because it was cheaper at the time to get two 250GB's rather than one 500GB but I wouldn't have a problem using just a single drive.

I just let everything install to it's default locations and have my songs go to my 2nd SSD.

That said, it's easier to backup samples and soundsets if you have them on their own drive that's not a system drive. It always gets difficult to backup and restore specific files and folders from your system drive unless you really know what you are doing.

True to a point as there isn't really a bottleneck with the SSD itself. However there is a bottleneck with bus it's connected to, especially if it's SATA (but even a PCI bus) so you will get better performance with separate SSD's on separate busses, but the benefits of having separate SSD's are nowhere near the same as having separate hard drives, granted... I totally agree about file/folder housekeeping, it's definitely easier. I've actually got 3 SSD's but they have lots of partitions to make things easier manage (considering I'm running four operating systems on one computer it's essential for me).

Cool. This makes sense.

So this is my first time really thinking about segmenting different things to their own HDs. I've only ever had a HD for Songs and a HD for operating and everything else.

A basic question about this fleshing out more of the process of it....

HD #1 - OS
HD #2 - Song files/audio
HD #3 - Samples

HD #1 - I use Reaper and I am looking hard at S1 (I have S1 Artist which I got with my Quantum). I'll presumably use both for now until Studio One takes over completely. I would install these on this drive along with Win 10,correct? What else goes on this drive? Plugins?

HD #2 - All song files and audio from projects goes here, correct? Just those....

HD #3 - If I was going to use Kontact as my sample platform. Would I install the program on the HD 1 and actual samples on this? Same for stand alone VSTs like from say EZD2 - Samples here, Program on HD1.

Sorry just trying to conceptualize.

As a seperate question, a sphere subscription only gets you notation and the "sharing" stuff?

Is notation a more robust sampler or is it only for writing and charts? I'm not sure sphere is worth it.