Question! missing audio files referenced from library (FRUSTRATING!)

[luv]

OK, I have been using this damn software for ages and STILL have not been able to figure this out, I'm sure it's the most obvious thing.

I like to load in sound fonts, and various sounds into playable instruments and save them in my user library for later use. The problem is often when I move to a new computer, start from scratch etc, something breaks and my sounds are gone, or at least some of them. Sucks loading in my fav sounds/synths and realizing their actual referenced audio is gone.

Is there a fool proof way to make sure when I save something to my user library, that it really will save there, for ever? I have mastered the art of collect-and-saving, this is kind of like that but for my actual sound library

Also I really need to work on my phrasing
(word phrasing)

luv,
luv

[[jur]]

Yeah, there's a way and that is to take some time to analyse how Live deals with files and your User Library.
It's crazy how often this is neglected... when you think about it, a DAW is a (fun) files manager.
This isn't quick to detail, though, but I remember someone did sum it up quite well last year... I just need to remember where that was. Stay tuned.

Here's a quick very important one for the time being: make sure that the "collect files on export" option is either set to "ask" or "always" (I'd recommend "ask" to limit duplicates, but then you need to understand correctly the way your User Library works) in the Library Preferences.

[luv]

thanks man, yeah i did a fare bit of focused testing the other day and i may be even more confused than i was when i started?
so if you drag a clip into the actual User Library it creates just an .als clip referencing the sample which has been placed in the Samples/Imported folder. BUT if i drag that SAME clip into one of my own folders in the sidebar it creates an entire project with subfolders of samples and an ableton project with just that clip in it. and then, when i browse my library on my push, suddenly it's grouped differently and i see every drum sound i've ever created, though half won't load. i cannot for the life of me wrap my head around it, i feel like most people just don't care, as i've done for years waiting to get it. shame bc i feel like a good knowledge of how to use it could open up a lot of possibilities and conveniences (as well as not opening up silent projects!)

[[jur]]

BUT if i drag that SAME clip into one of my own folders in the sidebar it creates an entire project with subfolders of samples and an ableton project with just that clip in it.

That's because you can add any folder to your sidebar, even folders that aren't part of your User Library. And adding them to the sidebar doesn't add them to your User Library, it just adds them to Live's Browser sidebar.