Best way to be redundant in your setup!?

[mrd777]

Hi guys!

In the case of a critical upcoming project, I would like to ask a few questions.
I'm basically trying to find the most stable setup in case of hardware failure. Nothing worse than crashing on an impt project, and you have only ONE computer doing everything.

1) Aside from having automatic backup of your entire computer and project files + samples, do you have multiple slave computers for hosting the same exact sample libraries? For example, if one slave computer goes down, you can simply keep running off of a second one (redundancy)?

2) That also leads me to ask, if you have a DAW computer, and then 2 slave computers running VEP, will it work quicker, in the sense that it can pull data from 2 servers at the same time?

3) I guess another question would be, if my DAW computer goes down, then what? Can I use a slave computer as a DAW computer then?

How is your setup? How do you handle these issues?

Thank you all!
Dave

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[shomynik]

Hey Dave,

I shared the same paranoia before I made a master+slave setup, but I don't see the reason for doubling things (except backup important data ofc). Hardware failure is such an extreme circumstance, not very likely to happen, but if it does I can mitigate it by simple transfering all the needed drives into one machine... or, in case of the master failure, all I have to do on the slave is install my audio interface (transfer from master) and cubase which can be done in an hour time. Opening the same project on the single machine can consume some more time but nothing too long. Depending how system hungry are your tracks you could just make sure to have enough system power headroom available so that if anything happens you could be able to run the project on the rest of the hardware.

Milos

 

[mrd777]

Hey Dave,

I shared the same paranoia before I made a master+slave setup, but I don't see the reason for doubling things (except backup important data ofc). Hardware failure is such an extreme circumstance, not very likely to happen, but if it does I can mitigate it by simple transfering all the needed drives into one machine... or, in case of the master failure, all I have to do on the slave is install my audio interface (transfer from master) and cubase which can be done in an hour time. Opening the same project on the single machine can consume some more time but nothing too long. Depending how system hungry are your tracks you could just make sure to have enough system power headroom available so that if anything happens you could be able to run the project on the rest of the hardware.

Milos

Thanks for the reply. That is definitely helpful to hear.

That being said, I'm going to start a new thread to build a new slave system and see what people recommend.

Thanks!

 

[shomynik]

My pleasure. Good luck with your build!

 

[Jeremy Spencer]

I also share this paranoia! I only have one slave, but it has all of the "bread and butter" libraries on it as well; I also have all of my libraries on a external drives as an emergency backup. I have never had to use the slave as the DAW computer.....but I keep Cubase up to date on it "just in case", and I have tested it to make sure it would actually work. I primarily use Logic Cubase on the master (Mac Book Pro), but always do the odd project in Cubase so that I'm familiar in the event I ever had to use the slave PC for DAW work; that's the beauty of a cross-platform DAW.

 

[mrd777]

Jesus..... I never even think about this stuff. I've worked on some pretty decent projects too.
I am glad I have a simple set-up.

Not trying to "troll".... just a question: Can't you make a "friend" instead of getting another "slave".

What I mean is, there seems to be an inherent risk (benefit too) to being so customized you are an island.
I mean if shit really hit the fan for me, total computer death crash (or other disaster) while working on a big project (because my file backup is solid) I can just work at a number of studios where I know the people well and the setup.

Yeah, it wouldn't be as comfortable as my own space/gear but it would be fine. Also paying by the hour/day does suck but that would be absolutely the worst possible outcome. But that's a trade off of a simpler set-up.

I often out-source mock-ups and mixing. I have a few people who I trust and respect so much. I just like to focus on the thing I like to focus on, and what I market as my expertise. I don't care if the strings are spitfire/East west, or whatever. Just that the tools are serving the vision of project and not vice versa. The only delay would be in the commute, or in seeing if I can bring in a trusted colleague.

That's a good way to do it, too, but may of us probably don't have the friend near by. I don't live near any of my friends who compose, so I'm all on my own, unfortunately.