- Internal hard drives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Working hard drives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Backup hard drives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Security and RAID drives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Cloud-based storage<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Where to save your DAW projects<\/strong><\/a>
- Archiving projects<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Where to install plug-ins, virtual instruments, and sample libraries<\/strong><\/a>
- Software plug-in directories<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Virtual instruments and sample libraries<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Back up your files<\/strong><\/a>
- Backing up DAW projects<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Hard drives and file management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s first get started by understanding how hard drives work with your music software. Hard drives are used to store all kinds of files for all types of purposes; your computer\u2019s internal hard drive<\/a> stores the operating system, applications, and any data created in the user account or shared folders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also connect external hard drives to store files, so they don\u2019t take up room on the computer\u2019s drive. A dedicated working drive<\/a> is exclusively used for projects you\u2019re actively working on. Having a backup drive<\/a> enables you to recover your saved data in the event it needs restoring. On top of all that, hard drives can always be used for the general storage of miscellaneous files or backups.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nShop All External Hard Drives \ud83d\udcbe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internal hard drives<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your computer\u2019s internal hard drive stores the operating system and user files. Depending on your computer, most won\u2019t run out of storage unless you save a lot of large files to them, like videos, DAW projects, and virtual instrument libraries. Use external drives for storage, so you store less data on the internal drive and don\u2019t compromise performance. For the internal drive, stick to software apps, plug-ins, and the minimal necessary photo and video files. Move anything else to an external storage drive. Laptops often have smaller storage capacity, so having an external hard drive is especially useful if you\u2019re using it for music production.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nWorking hard drives<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAWs read and write high-quality audio files at speeds, which can take up a lot of the internal drive\u2019s bandwidth. Using a separate Working <\/em>hard drive for these files moves the workload off of the computer\u2019s internal drive and improves its read\/write efficiency. A dedicated high-performance drive is ideal for a main working drive, and there are many reliable data storage manufacturers<\/a> on the market. Computers built with internal rotational disk drives can especially take advantage of using a faster disk or solid-state working drive for their projects.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nBackup hard drives<\/p>\n\n\n\n
External hard drives are great for backing up your DAW projects and audio, archiving your work, and can also be used as backup drives to restore your computer. If your PC or Mac were to crash or require reset, the backup drive would restore it to the last backed up state. Disks used for backups are typically used for this one function, but can be reformatted in the event the backup is no longer required. Most people benefit from having at least one backup drive per computer for peace of mind and easy restoration. Learn more about how to back up your system and its files on our knowledge base guides for Windows<\/a> and macOS<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nSecurity and RAID drives<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RAID enabled drives<\/a> can distribute your data across multiple drives, allowing you to access your data even after one of the drives fails. Think of it as combining multiple hard drives and turning them into one massive hard drive. RAID isn\u2019t always necessary but can be a reliable friend, particularly when working with a large amount of studio projects and files.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nCloud-based storage<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can take advantage of cloud-based storage such as OneDrive and iCloud, as well. Using cloud storage is especially useful for archiving, and for those that travel often and can\u2019t carry external hard drives around. One important thing to remember is to turn off your cloud storage\u2019s auto-sync<\/em> feature while working on a project, as it can often reduce system and DAW performance.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Hard](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/Hard-drive-workflow-1024x761.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhere to save your DAW projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Everybody\u2019s workflow is a little different, but saving your DAW projects to the same location and having a consistent naming scheme will always set you up for success. While there isn\u2019t a problem creating a single \u2018storage\u2019 folder (i.e. DAW projects)<\/em>, creating subfolders will help keep things much more organized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using multiple DAW’s: <\/strong>If you use multiple DAW\u2019s, consider creating a folder dedicated to that particular DAW. An example of this is creating this folder hierarchy: Cubase Studio Projects\/Month & Year\/Active Projects\/Album Title\/Song Title<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nArchiving projects<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with an Active Projects <\/em>folder, another thing you should consider creating is an Archive <\/em>folder. Once you\u2019ve completed a project, move that project folder with its containing data, as well as two versions of the final bounce; one pre-fader and one post-fader. This will help clean up the clutter and let you focus on getting other projects done. While you can create it on your working drive, it\u2019s better to place your archived projects on a backup drive for long-term storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"DAW](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/DAW-Project-folder-hierarchy.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDAW Project folder hierarchy.<\/em>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhere to install plug-ins, virtual instruments, and sample libraries <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s always smart to store your virtual instruments, sample libraries, and plug-ins all in one place on a dedicated hard drive or hard drive partition. Moving or deleting just one file from a virtual instrument library or plug-in folder could result in having to uninstall and reinstall the software. That can be a cumbersome task, too, especially with large sound libraries or if you need to redownload and have a slow internet connection.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nCreate folders on a dedicated external hard drive or hard drive partition: Audio samples <\/em>and Virtual instrument libraries<\/em>. The reason being is that during the installation, you\u2019re typically prompted on where you would like to install the file(s) to. Just select one of those folders, and you\u2019ll be all set.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nTIP:<\/strong> Most virtual instrument sample libraries use a proprietary file format. For example, Toontrack library samples use the .obw <\/strong>file extension. This often means you won\u2019t be able to use them unless the correct plug-in is installed. You can, however, install the plug-in file and sample libraries in separate locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSoftware plug-in directories<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DAW\u2019s search specific directories to access effects and virtual instrument plug-ins. There are default folders for Windows and macOS, depending on what plug-in format is being installed. There are a few things to consider when installing plug-ins:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Windows VST plug-in locations<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Pro Tools .AAX plug-in location<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWindows VST plug-in locations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the plug-in manufacturer and the VST format (VST2<\/em>, VST3<\/em>, 32bit<\/em>, and 64bit<\/em>), there are quite a few default installation locations for Windows<\/a>. If you have a lot of plug-ins and they\u2019re all scattered around, it can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. So, creating a parent VST 32bit and VST 64bit folder, then installing to those directories will make it easy to find when scanning them in your DAW. Mac users don\u2019t need to adjust their directory as all are installed in the same location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/Create-custom-Windows-VST-plug-in-folders.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCreate a dedicated VST Plug-in folder on Windows for easy access.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nPro Tools .AAX plug-in location<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro Tools uses the .AAX plug-in format. While virtual instrument sample libraries can be installed to another hard drive, the .AAX plug-ins must <\/em><\/strong>remain in the same location for it to load in Pro Tools.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- Mac: \/Library\/Application Support\/Avid\/Audio\/Plug-Ins<\/strong><\/li>
- Windows: C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Avid\\Audio\\Plug-Ins (AAX)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nVirtual instrument and audio sample libraries<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many virtual instrument plug-ins require separate sample libraries to produce sound. Sample libraries include high-quality audio files that must be synchronized in the plug-in\u2019s settings. These sample libraries are often large, so it\u2019s best to store them on a high performance external hard drive. The same is true for custom audio sample libraries.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor example, if you\u2019ve gathered a plethora of custom drum loops and sound effects, you\u2019ll definitely want to store them all in one place. For even better file management, create parent folders called Virtual Instrument Libraries <\/em>and Audio Samples<\/em>, then create a subfolder with the sample library\u2019s name (i.e. drum loops, Native Instruments libraries)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Windows: C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Avid\\Audio\\Plug-Ins (AAX)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Pro Tools .AAX plug-in location<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Windows VST plug-in locations<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
- Virtual instruments and sample libraries<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Where to install plug-ins, virtual instruments, and sample libraries<\/strong><\/a>
- Working hard drives<\/strong><\/a><\/li>
![\"Virtual](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/Virtual-instrument-folder.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Audio](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/Audio-Samples-folder.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"File](\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/04\/Rule-of-3-1015x1024.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n