# Thinking of future tech questions



## Jacob Fanto (Jun 1, 2021)

Hi all! Just had a few questions that were on my mind, but aren't an issue at this current moment. 

1) I recently got a new computer so I don't think I'll have to worry about this for years but when I do get a new computer at some point down the line, what is the process of transferring all of my libraries? I have them all stored on an external 5TB HDD. Would it be as simple as hooking up the external to the new computer and locating the libraries through Native Access and Spitfire? And then what about other libraries that don't run through any app but are simply installed onto the HDD (such as 8dio or Embertone or MusicalSampling)?

2) Are there any inherent risks to having all my samples stored in one place without having a backup? The worst that could happen would be an HDD failure, right? Let's say the thing just crashes and won't start up. I haven't lost my samples, correct? Just the installs. So yes, immense pain to reinstall everything onto new externals, but not the end of the world?

3) I'm young and entering music technology and composition, so I'll be going through quite a few computers throughout my time in the business. Don't some developers limit the number of times the library you purchase can be used on different computers? Or is that simply to install, meaning because I have an external HDD, I won't need to worry about running out of licenses?

Thanks! I just want to ease my mind...


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## d.healey (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> 2) Are there any inherent risks to having all my samples stored in one place without having a backup? The worst that could happen would be an HDD failure, right? Let's say the thing just crashes and won't start up. I haven't lost my samples, correct? Just the installs. So yes, immense pain to reinstall everything onto new externals, but not the end of the world?


If your one and only copy gets corrupted or beomes unreadable for whatever reason then you're screwed, unless you have a backup or the developer allows you to redownload from their servers. Backup everything, twice if possible.


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> Are there any inherent risks to having all my samples stored in one place without having a backup? The worst that could happen would be an HDD failure, right? Let's say the thing just crashes and won't start up. I haven't lost my samples, correct?


If the disk containing the samples crashes, you will have lost them. Meaning you are looking at downloading potentially terabytes of samples. Provided the vendors still let you download them (and they are still around in let’s say five years time).

So: make sure you have cheap storage (spinning disks) and do backup your samples.


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> Don't some developers limit the number of times the library you purchase can be used on different computers? Or is that simply to install, meaning because I have an external HDD, I won't need to worry about running out of licenses?


It depends on the vendor. Sampletekk downloads have an expiration date for instance, but Per is pretty nice and on occasion extends or renews your download window.

IK Multimedia simply let you re-purchase a “right to re-download”.

Other vendors have really cool policies and downloaders, and fully support redownloads any time. Now. Subject to change. Or they go bankrupt, or they discontinue a library. Haha.

So again: KEEP any and all installers AND the actual downloads (in terms of content, samples, RARs, ZIPs, PKGs - what-have-you)


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

Also: be very reluctant to install OS upgrades to big new versions. What works, works.


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## Jacob Fanto (Jun 1, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> If the disk containing the samples crashes, you will have lost them. Meaning you are looking at downloading potentially terabytes of samples. Provided the vendors still let you download them (and they are still around in let’s say five years time).
> 
> So: make sure you have cheap storage (spinning disks) and do backup your samples.


Thanks a ton! In that case, I'm thinking of immediately picking up an extra copy of the HDD I already use and just labeling it as a backup so I don't confuse the two (pretty cheap for 5TB and I haven't even had frustrating load times! although I'm sure I'll make the swap to SSDs later on...). I'll link it here. Is the backup process as easy as hooking up the two HDDs at the same time and then copy pasting everything from the original onto the backup? Or do I have to reinstall everything onto the backup?


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> Thanks a ton! In that case, I'm thinking of immediately picking up an extra copy of the HDD I already use and just labeling it as a backup so I don't confuse the two (pretty cheap for 5TB and I haven't even had frustrating load times! although I'm sure I'll make the swap to SSDs later on...). I'll link it here. Is the backup process as easy as hooking up the two HDDs at the same time and then copy pasting everything from the original onto the backup? Or do I have to reinstall everything onto the backup?



A crude backup process, yes, but that could totally work. It depends on your own organization and discipline.

At some point you may want to automate your backup process to eliminate the number one reason why even large governmenrs fall prey to ransomware attacks. “Oh damn, we forgot to backup. Ah well, let’s do it next week”.


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## Jacob Fanto (Jun 1, 2021)

doctoremmet said:


> A crude backup process, yes, but that could totally work. It depends on your own organization and discipline.
> 
> At some point you may want to automate your backup process to eliminate the number one reason why even large governmenrs fall prey to ransomware attacks. “Oh damn, we forgot to backup. Ah well, let’s do it next week”.


So it's not a simple copy paste?


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## GNP (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> 3) I'm young and entering music technology and composition, so I'll be going through quite a few computers throughout my time in the business. Don't some developers limit the number of times the library you purchase can be used on different computers? Or is that simply to install, meaning because I have an external HDD, I won't need to worry about running out of licenses?
> 
> Thanks! I just want to ease my mind...


It's good to think about this stuff, but I would advise you that the greater "future" curve ahead of you, is to find value in samples that you think you can still bring to the table 10 years later. At this point, computers are just computers.


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

Jacob Fanto said:


> So it's not a simple copy paste?


It can be. And then you compose for a while. And grab some new stuff on BF. Are you organized enough to backup your new Cubase files, a couple of Kontakt snapshots and your new instrument you just bought?

What happens if the dog looks at you and wants to go for a walk?

Maybe your mum calls.

And then you forget. What then?


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

So when you use scheduled backups you at least get a notification when a scheduled automated copy/paste was delayed two times already.... you catch my drift


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

So at some point maybe a NAS may offer a solution. Automate it and be done?


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

__





Why back-up your libraries? Here's why...


Here's what I saw when i went to the Analogue Drums website: https://www.analoguedrums.com/ One of my favorite developers. I was just checking to see if there was anything new, and was sorry to see this. You can lose access to new downloads of your libraries due to a tragedy in the dev's life...



vi-control.net


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## Theladur (Jun 1, 2021)

Sorry @doctoremmet , but the dog ate my backup.


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## doctoremmet (Jun 1, 2021)

A dingo stole my baby


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## Tralen (Jun 1, 2021)

I programmed a backup system for myself, about 8 years ago, and it is still running strong.

It clones my main drives to a separate drive every day, to another drive every week, and to a third drive every month. The weekly drive is also sync'ed to the cloud every weekend.

The nicest part is that It sends me an e-mail if one of the backups fails.

I'm certain there are commercial programs that do something like this.


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## d.healey (Jun 1, 2021)

I use https://www.duplicati.com/


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## Tralen (Jun 1, 2021)

d.healey said:


> I use https://www.duplicati.com/


I don't know how is the reliability of Duplicati these days, but I had a serious failure with it. I tried to implement it commercially, but had several cases with database corruption, and an infinite cycle of rebuilding it. Everything was running apparently smoothly, but it failed _silently_, which is the worst type of failure with backups. I had to build an ad-hoc system to replace it for the client.

That was back in 2017-2018, last version I used was 2.0.2.1.

The dev is really nice, but I think the project was seriously understaffed (don't know if this is still the case). My advice is to test your backup sometimes, and see if it is recovering properly. As the saying goes:

"Backup is useless, what we need is recovery."


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## d.healey (Jun 1, 2021)

Tralen said:


> but had several cases with database corruption, and an infinite cycle of rebuilding it.


I had exactly the same problems and stopped using it for a few years, but recent versions seem good and more reliable. I use the recovery quite regularly when I delete a file and then think better of it a week later


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## Tralen (Jun 1, 2021)

d.healey said:


> I had exactly the same problems and stopped using it for a few years, but recent versions seem good and more reliable. I use the recovery quite regularly when I delete a file and then think better of it a week later


Good to know, thanks.


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