Ableton Forum

how do i go about running abelton of my external HD? it it really as simple as dragging the app? the advantages are that it doesn't take up my macs energy? should i still keep the app on my comp? any help on this subject would be great thanks!

its pretty easy for a mac,you don't even have to drag the app, just select your external hard drive on your desktop,boom!! you are now working in your external hard-drive.
make a folder in your external so you can save your projects there.

hmm ok that makes sense, my only question now is, when i run abelton of my ext hd, do i just make a separate folder inside the ext hd that holds my abelton app. or do i go into a previous date in which my comp was backed up on, and proceed to find the icon in that folder?


or does it really not make a difference, i just dont want to have multiple copies of abelton on my ext hd to remain efficient, ty for your help! : )

i know its confusing, because when you click on your external hard drive, it seems like nothing has happened.....try not to over-think it........once you click on that bad boy, you are working on your external hard drive....you don't need to run 2 versions of live or anything like that.
here is how you set it up....buy a new external hard drive(something 7200 rpms)....totally dedicate it to LIVE...plug it in....go to disc utility...it will ask you if you want to partition it, if you are dedicating it to live you only need one partition. name it something dumb like "ABLETON JAMS" ...after you finish setting it up in "disc utility" it should show up on your "desktop" click on it...it should seem as though nothing happened at all(edit* it might open in the finder, but once you close finder, the desktop will be the external HD desktop).... you will then be working from your external hard drive.....it uses the applications and programs from your laptop....so no, you don't have to make a new copy of live or make a new application folder for live.

you should set up a new file folder for ableton projects though, using "finder"...don't save your projects to ableton's library, because that will just stay on your computer, and eliminate some of what you are trying to do using an external HD in the first place...to save space......so yeah just make a file folder for "ableton projects" in the external...and when you "collect and save"(which is important, don't just "save"!!!!! collect and save makes copies of all your samples and audio) it will ask you where you want to save those projects....save them to that folder.....you wont be able to access that folder unless that HD is plugged in.
when you want to check those projects out again....just plug the hd back in open the folder and click on the live project folder then click on the als. BOOM you are there.

i understand why mac does it like this, to make it seem seamless to work from an external.....but it is confusing.....
you think this is bad, you should try running your ITUNES library from an external....i almost poured water on my macbook then threw it out of the second story window.
P.S. A GOOD WAY OF FIGURING OUT WHICH HARD DRIVE YOU ARE IN....GO TO "FINDER" AND SEE HOW MANY GIGABYTES YOU ARE ROCKING.
P.P.S. IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A BACK UP OF YOUR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE EITHER.....I HAVE 3 EXTERNALS....1 FOR ABLETON, ONE FOR MY ITUNES LIBRARY AND A 1 TB HARD DRIVE PARTITIONED 3 WAYS 1 FOR MY OSX, 1 FOR BACK UP OF MY ABLETON HD, ONE FOR BACK UP OF MY ITUNES HD.

wow your set up sounds awesome with three exteranal hd's, its making me rethink everything i never thought about running your itunes off of one. hmm right now i have a 2TB ext hd right now.

http://www.staples.com/Western-Digital- ... AAJ0020HSL

My itunes library is about 20,000 songs.
My samples library of my own personal samples is about 10,000

you said you had a "1 TB HARD DRIVE PARTITIONED 3 WAYS 1 FOR MY OSX, 1 FOR BACK UP OF MY ABLETON HD, ONE FOR BACK UP OF MY ITUNES HD."

for me, would it be possible to partion my ext hd for backing up my comp/my itunes lib/ and running abelton? or would that not be efficent/not work?

Im def considering buying another ext hd, any recommendations, i posted a link to the one i have i couldn't find on the box if it is 7200 rpms or not?

thanks again for your help

i got a hitatchi travelstar 500 GB 7200 rpm.....its pretty decent.....be forewarned before you start dumping your itunes library to an external.....it is not a fun process, and not as easy as dragging and dropping to your harddrive....watch a lot of tutorials on it before you move 20000 songs over...like seriously!!!!!!
yeah i have a sample library folder on my external as well...that is as easy as dragging and dropping
yeah the possibilities are pretty wide open you can do what you suggested in your reply.....i like to separate things up, so that way if i lose one hard drive i don't lose everything.... that is my only deal....but yeah if you don't have the money to buy an hd....partition away....

Anyone running Ableton off an external in Windows?