Ableton Forum

I need to install Live Suite on a studio of Mac G5s.

My problem is that the primary HD on most of the machines has only limited space left so I don't want to put the content for Live Suite on the primary HD.

Has anyone used a second internal HD to install the content? I'm guessing this is possible at least?

I've read other threads about problems folk have with USB powered external drives when using laptops but I can't see these problems necessarily relating to using a second internal HD.

Can anyone please confirm that it's at least possible to designate a destination (on another drive) for the Live Suite content? And if anyone has tried it on an internal, have they had any issues?

Many thanks for any help.

You can install the Library wherever you want.
Internal drive - I have done it with Windows
External Drive - I have 1 FW and 1 USB drive with different Libraries on it (Macbook)
You can switch Library by choosing the one I need in Preferences-

- Hope it helps
- Best
- Pasha

Many thanks Pasha,

Great to hear from someone who's done this.

Also, I'll be installing on a Macbook and I'll probably have to put the content on an external HD for that too. No urgency for this yet but I'll scout around for advice on what external HD. I've got an unopened WD 250Gb Go external USB2 drive which I may give a go. I guess that even if it's not up to it, I can reinstall the library at a later date on another drive....

Thanks again.

midiwife wrote:Many thanks Pasha,

Great to hear from someone who's done this.

Also, I'll be installing on a Macbook and I'll probably have to put the content on an external HD for that too. No urgency for this yet but I'll scout around for advice on what external HD. I've got an unopened WD 250Gb Go external USB2 drive which I may give a go. I guess that even if it's not up to it, I can reinstall the library at a later date on another drive....

Thanks again.

'reinstall' is equal to copy the library to the other drive and then change Ableton preferences accordingly. I have done it several times by now. Got a self-powered drive to hook when I'm traveling and a faster desktop drive to use in doors.

- Best
- Pasha

That's very reassuring.

Thanks again Pasha,

All the best.

midiwife wrote:That's very reassuring.

Thanks again Pasha,

All the best.

For you too!

I use a similar setup - my library is on an external drive, and it works wonderfully.

One question for you guys: have any of you found a way to make a global setting for a project to always copy all files to its own directory? I can do it manually, but I have having to remember to do that.

The reason is that, although I don't carry this external drive everywhere, I almost always have my computer with me, and often end up wishing I could tweak part of a track right when it occurs to me, or show someone else what I'm working on, or whatever.

Thanks for any ideas,

Chris

I have Ableton's library in a different HD than my system. This HD also hosts all my samples and VST's.

@three,

Maybe you could try some kind of backup facility?

spkey wrote: @three,

Maybe you could try some kind of backup facility?

The problem is that I only want to carry those samples that are used in my sets around on my laptop's internal hard drive. I have my live sets on that, and the library on an external drive.

What I'm hoping for is a way to globally tell live to *always* collect samples into the sets.

three wrote:

spkey wrote: @three,

Maybe you could try some kind of backup facility?

The problem is that I only want to carry those samples that are used in my sets around on my laptop's internal hard drive. I have my live sets on that, and the library on an external drive.

What I'm hoping for is a way to globally tell live to *always* collect samples into the sets.

... Unless you're using Session Drums or EIC. In that case you'll collect gigabytes of replicated stuff. That's why the concept of File Management comes handy. You can choose whether to collect samples from library or not, just to save you space. Alternatively you can freeze the track with SD or EIC and carry the frozen sample with you.

- Best
- Pasha

Pasha wrote:

three wrote:

spkey wrote: @three,

Maybe you could try some kind of backup facility?

The problem is that I only want to carry those samples that are used in my sets around on my laptop's internal hard drive. I have my live sets on that, and the library on an external drive.

What I'm hoping for is a way to globally tell live to *always* collect samples into the sets.

... Unless you're using Session Drums or EIC. In that case you'll collect gigabytes of replicated stuff. That's why the concept of File Management comes handy. You can choose whether to collect samples from library or not, just to save you space. Alternatively you can freeze the track with SD or EIC and carry the frozen sample with you.

I use almost no samples outside of hihats and whatever I've specifically recorded for the track. I don't like the way synthesized hats sound. So it's not that many gigabytes, less than 100MB per track is my best guesstimate.

three wrote:

Pasha wrote:

three wrote: The problem is that I only want to carry those samples that are used in my sets around on my laptop's internal hard drive. I have my live sets on that, and the library on an external drive.

What I'm hoping for is a way to globally tell live to *always* collect samples into the sets.

... Unless you're using Session Drums or EIC. In that case you'll collect gigabytes of replicated stuff. That's why the concept of File Management comes handy. You can choose whether to collect samples from library or not, just to save you space. Alternatively you can freeze the track with SD or EIC and carry the frozen sample with you.

I use almost no samples outside of hihats and whatever I've specifically recorded for the track. I don't like the way synthesized hats sound. So it's not that many gigabytes, less than 100MB per track is my best guesstimate.

I see...