where to save my samples...

[re:dream]

Decisions, decisions.

Where is the best place to put one's collection of samples?

Back in the days of Live 8, things seemed simple. Inside the Live 8 library there was a folder called samples; inside there, a folder called waveforms. I had a small but growing collection of odd samples of my own, which I put in a subfolder in the waveforms folder, cunningly entitled 'my sample collection'

Now, with Live 9 and the coming of the dread live 9 browser things are more complicated. I want my samples easily available, but Live 9 won't add and index my sample library where it currently is. So I am currently keeping it outside both Live 8 and 9, in a separate folder all of its own. I had to keep a copy of it in the Live 8 library as well, so as not to break my old sets.

But I am also noticing that for reasons I don't quite yet understand, Live is also saving samples I often use, inside my User Directory, in the subdirectory for samples. A peek via explorer confirms that these files are now store inside the Live 9 library.

So now I have three places where samples are stored: my original folder in Live 8 library; my new location outside of the Live library structure, and a new location inside the libe 9 library.

The situation is verging on chaotic, and the Committee on ORder and Rationality in the Organization of my Stuff is lodging a formal complaint.

I want one logical and sensible place where ALL of my non-factory (i.e. not owned by Live) samples are stored. I have consulted the masses, and they are willing to go through the blood sweat and tears involved in relocating samples there & dealing with finding and repairing file links in my older sets, some of which are by now encrusted with bit mould and digital fungus

But where? Should I simply try to plonk everything into the LIve 9 library? Should I stay with my current position, outside the malign influence of Live's prohibition on adding folders in the 8 library? Or should I consider total relocation to yet undreamt of climes?

We seek the guidance of the masters...

[Asymmetricalmusic]

+1

inquiring minds what to know

Also ....is this gonna be changed or can I get to work .....

someday I'll be organized again and I'll be able to make my music .......

Someday........

[Hermanus]

store those on external hdd and point this into places in the live browser

personaly, I have core library as well as factory packs on my external hdd and it's all good.

[Asymmetricalmusic]

Hey Hermanus

I didn't realize you could install the Core Library to an external.

Do you have Push?

if the external is not plugged in what does L9 say?

[patrick.olson86]

This is something I too struggle with. I need to go back and scrub through everything one of these days, but I tend to have my outside sourced samples (meaning not live packs or samples in the Live core library) saved in my own Samples folder on my hard drive. I also use Maschine, which is great for chopping samples, and is a sequencer in its own right. So, having two sequencers (Live and Maschine) really makes this an easy decision for me to have a separate stand-alone sample folder.

I recommend this for everyone in case Live 10 is junk and something new comes and replaces it (shit happens folks). Then you'll have your handy sample folder you can just link up to this new mystery daw. Maybe that won't happen exactly, but for situations like this you can see the advantage of having samples saved outside of the DAW's sample folder.

I too, did not realize you could have the Live Core Library saved on an external. Curious to hear that response. I'm going to eventually migrate all of my samples to one external HD when I have a weekend that I can devote 8+ hours to file organization... sounds like a party to me..

[vanhaze]

Maybe abit offtopic but i find it a hassle too, so overcomplicated and confusing.

For example, i bought a Live pack which contains a Live Set and Sampler presets, including their samples.
Now first, when i install this Live pack, i would think that i easily can point to my Live User Library folder, as where the Pack should be installed, finding it logical that the Sampler presets will go to my User Sampler Presets folder and their relating samples in my User Samples folder.
But no, i first have to point to some other (temporary) folder for the pack installation, cause it won't allow me to install the pack to my User Library.(cause the Pack contains a Live Set file).

Ok, so installed to temporary folder, then i manually drag the Sampler Presets out of the temporary folder to the right folder in my User Library.
Then i manually drag the Samples Folder out of the temporary folder to the Samples folder in my User Library.
Are you still with me?

Now, when i want to open a Sampler Preset from the bought pack : missing samples all over the place
Ok, so i point Live to the folder where the related samples are stored : doesn't work, Live keeps saying missing samples when i open the same Sampler preset.

This sort of things are driving me crazy.

[re:dream]

vanhaze

i am not sure, but from your description you are doing it wrong.

[dazzer]

My MO

Ableton stuff - goes wherever they put it during install process. If it's different from one version to another, I try and learn the new way and get over it

My stuff - as has been said on here before, goes into a folder called 'Samples' which has folders within it

I'm a simple guy.

[re:dream]

Funken's post was really useful - I now understand where the extra samples folders in the Live 9 library comes from.

So it makes seems my current solution is the right thing, and that I should let Live handle its internal samples the way it chooses.

I thank you, kind sirs. And ladies.

[sporkles]

BUMP!

Hermanus: can you elaborate on what you said about keeping the Core Library on an external drive? I was under the impression that this was not possible.

[fishmonkey]

in theory it should be possible, but i'm not sure it's worth the hassle since the Core LIbrary isn't very big.

also, on OS X you would need to mess with the application package every time you update Live.

https://www.ableton.com/en/articles/whe ... ry-stored/

[sporkles]

Yeah, I've come to the same conclusion; it's just that I hate having applications spread their contents all over the place.

[thequizrad]

The most annoying thing about where Live places my imported samples is that they're now in the "Music" folder in OSX. Which is not where my mind associates pro-audio application files! "Music" to me is iTunes, Googlemusic, etc, not work-specific files that I need to keep separate from my "domestic" files...

I have always had a separate samples folder on an ext HD, but that gets tricky when I am travelling and want to work on ideas on the laptop. I am currently going through a massive sample library and recreating a slimmed down collection on my laptop HD for working on when travelling...

Guess there's no quick way around this.

[fishmonkey]

The most annoying thing about where Live places my imported samples is that they're now in the "Music" folder in OSX. Which is not where my mind associates pro-audio application files! "Music" to me is iTunes, Googlemusic, etc, not work-specific files that I need to keep separate from my "domestic" files...

I have always had a separate samples folder on an ext HD, but that gets tricky when I am travelling and want to work on ideas on the laptop. I am currently going through a massive sample library and recreating a slimmed down collection on my laptop HD for working on when travelling...

Guess there's no quick way around this.

erm, you can change the location of your User folder in the Live prefs...

[Hermanus]

Hey Hermanus

I didn't realize you could install the Core Library to an external.

Do you have Push?

if the external is not plugged in what does L9 say?

awesome late reply but anyway.

I don't have push

if the external HD is not plugged live opens as usual but with minimal content [user library on the main partition I guess]

About User library, I also copied it to the external hd and save any custom preset to it rather than the one on my main partition

again sorry for the insanely late answer