Syncing two libraries using dropbox/google drive

[Destro]

I have a desktop and laptop and I'd like to keep the Ableton Live libraries on both computers in sync.

Is this possible using a cloud service like dropbox or google drive?

Has anybody tried this before?

If so, how is it working for you? Have you run into any problems or is it foolproof?

Thanks!

[darkenedsoul]

I don't know if that would be recommended. Dropbox does it automatically when you fire up the other system though as I use it between my Desktop DAW and Laptop. Also you'd need a fair amount of storage in the cloud depending how large your library is and could get. What about Windows Skydrive? Not sure how that'd sync up between two systems. I expect you are only looking to keep any changes sync'd between the systems and not using at the same time?

But I suspect it could be done but not sure on that or other options for this. Other alternative is put it on an external USB drive and you share between them, then again this comes into play that you have the same drive letter for it on both systems so things don't get messed up (may not be that big of a deal but something to consider as well).

Mike

[Evengy]

i use it since several months without any problems. im using skydrive but since im using live 9 beta it´s only neccessary to sync the user library. i like to use cloud services because my projects,default racks, device presets, vst´s (with presets) or something like that are overall available and i have a backup

im using a desktop and a notebook and i don´t wanna waste my time to sync them manually so i can recommend it.

[darkenedsoul]

I don't know how they'd do that other than to probably:

a) copy most current library to DropBox/SkyDrive location and set appropriate accessibility/permissions
b) make copy of same libary locally just as a precaution/good idea
c) point library to new location in Live then restart Live on one system
d) repeat step b (if you want to keep a copy for time being, recommended imho)
e) repeat step c
f) load up a set or two on each system and see if things all jive/work fine, ALL instruments, samples from them (randomly load some for each), hotswap presets, etc...a full test I guess.
g) if happy with it and seems to work well on both systems individually - yay
h) if not happy and things go to hell, repoint to old library and think what may have gone wrong and try again!

Just my take on what I'd probably do in order of steps.

Mike

[fishmonkey]

there are success stories here:

viewtopic.php?p=1396163

[darkenedsoul]

What they are doing is projects not the ableton library which the OP is apparently wanting to do. I do projects like this already and it does seem to work and update fine between systems. Ableton library (and content I am assuming) would be much harder, if not impossible but who knows? In theory it should work but you'd need a fair amount of space to do it. I won't be trying that though, I'll stick with projects.

Mike

[re:dream]

I've been housing working projects in dropbox for a while now.

It works OK, though once in a while I will run into problems when a device / preset does not match.

Also, doing it this way, I have to collect all when I save, otherwise there are always missing media files.

The main problem is space. Even a modest project, if you record your sounds in .wav, will get pretty big.

I have been contemplating porting my library to dropox too (in fact I posted about this about three months ago) but abandoned the idea when I saw how big my library folder is: well over 20 gig.

Let me know what you learn - I am very interested in this issue!

[fishmonkey]

a big limitation of Dropbox is that it doesn't have any file locking features, so if you edit the same file on multiple machines things can get screwy.

[re:dream]

In my experience, working on the same file on two computers produces a 'conflicted version' file and I have generally been able to recover work. But you are right: it is an issue.

[fishmonkey]

it's a far from seamless approach...

[Evengy]

how often do you guys work on the same files with two maschines at the same time? or how many peopple do you know which are working this way? it´s really a rare case imho when you use this like a normal guy: working on one maschine and if you switch to another then it´s possible to continue your work.

on skydrive i recieve a second file with the hostname in the filename if there are problems with syncing. you should wait that all the files are synced before you work on another maschine on this files.

[re:dream]

All the time. I like to work at home on my PC. But work and my girlfriend take me a way from home a lot of the time, and then I still like to be able to tweak some knobs, in a manner of speaking. So I have the project on dropbox and I can do a bit of tinkering on my mac. So when I am doing music, every week I switch back and forth between them several times. And since the macbook is open and can go to 'sleep' with Live open, conflicts can happen.

[beats me]

I've been housing working projects in dropbox for a while now.

It works OK, though once in a while I will run into problems when a device / preset does not match.

Also, doing it this way, I have to collect all when I save, otherwise there are always missing media files.

The main problem is space. Even a modest project, if you record your sounds in .wav, will get pretty big.

I have been contemplating porting my library to dropox too (in fact I posted about this about three months ago) but abandoned the idea when I saw how big my library folder is: well over 20 gig.

Let me know what you learn - I am very interested in this issue!

I know we live in a world where everybody wants everything optimized for their use for free, but $10 a month or $100 a year isn’t too unreasonable for 100G of available storage.


Personally I just save Live and Logic projects on it, not the library. It also works great for sharing projects to work on with other people.

[re:dream]

a big limitation of Dropbox is that it doesn't have any file locking features, so if you edit the same file on multiple machines things can get screwy.

Dropbox pro does have unlimited undo.

[re:dream]

So there are two options

(1) putting both your library and your projects in the cloud drive - which will cost you the Dropbox pro fee.
(2) putting the projects in the cloud and keeping libraries offline but making sure they are synced.

One big question for me: I am working across the PC mac divide. Are there differences for Ableton in the directory structure of the library between mac and PC?

And how will a setup with the library in the cloud be affected by an upgrade to Live 9?

I am going to try (2) for now and perhaps move to (1) after 9 has arrived.