Add-on installation questions

I've just installed X1, and I have a few add-ons that I'd like to install.  I started with a Cakewalk product, just to keep things easy (?) - Beat Fetish Volume 1.  I figured that would be a slam dunk.  It isn't.  I have some other stuff as well... NI's B4 II, a CD of Acid loops from Sonic Foundry (Mick Fleetwood Total Drumming), a pack of CDs from M-Audio Pro Sessions loop libraries (rex2/wav/acid wav/aiff formats - not sure which would be most appropriate), and a copy of Sound Forge Pro 10, which has its own effects (VST?) and a Mastering bundle (not sure if that would be useful with X1, or best just used with SF).

So... given my situation with Beat Fetish (which I'll have a question about below), I'm wondering if there is any place to go for guidance about how to properly install and integrate various add-on items.  Perhaps a manual section devoted to such a topic (I didn't see one), or maybe something on CakeTV, or YouTube?  Is there already a thread that provides appropriate guidance (I searched, but didn't turn up anything helpful, but perhaps I used poor search terms)?  If not, then perhaps I could take the lead in consolidating such information into this (or perhaps a more appropriately named) thread, with help from you all.

I started this adventure by simply letting X1 install the way it wanted to.  I have a few partitions on my first drive (C:, D: and E:) and a separate second drive (F:) for audio.  My thought is that C: is for Windows and applications (generally anything with a registry dependency), D: would hold data files - whatever I create such as source code from development in Visual C/C++ projects, Word/Excel files and whatever, and E: holds "temporary" files such as mixes waiting to burn to CD, or bundles waiting to be stored off the machine... basically anything that is easily re-created).  So, I was wondering about how (or whether) to tell X1 to install maybe some of the Dimension Pro data files (and similar files for other features) over on the D: drive, but I didn't, and let it do what it wanted to do, which basically puts pretty much everything under C:\Program Files\Cakewalk somewhere.

So (for starters), I really don't want to copy all these M-Audio drum loops under the C:\Program Files\Cakewalk directory, even though I'd like to be using them with X1.  I'd hope they could end up somewhere on my D: drive, and X1 could either be told, or even search for itself to locate them.  But after installing Beat Fetish (a Cakewalk Product after all) and having to go through gyrations about that, I've kind of lost faith as to how easy or flexible it will be to install and use non-Cakewalk add-on stuff.

With Beat Fetish I again let it install as it thought it should.  I assumed that since it is intended to be used with Dimension Pro, it would discover where the Dimension Pro files were and make the appropriate additions, or perhaps that Dimension Pro would be able to locate and incorporate the files once told they were available.  Apparently neither is the case.  I could not find an option in Dimension Pro to go searching for add-on files outside of its established folders (the F5 seems to just refresh within its own folders).  However Beat Fetish's installation simply dropped its files in its own folder (Beat Fetish Vol 1), which is under the C:\Program Files\Cakewalk folder, and in fact seems to have a slightly different arrangement of sub-folders.

Here is what I think I'm going to have to do for Beat Fetish, and where I'm asking for some guidance from others who may know of another more appropriate way...

Beat Fetish created a folder (under C:\Program Files\Cakewalk - which I think I may have specified in response to some installation question): "Beat Fetish Vol 1\Kits\Dimension Pro Kits\" and under there a Multisamples folder and a Programs folder.  However it seems that Dimension Pro's structure has separate folder branches for Multisamples and Programs (this under the C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Dimension Pro\ folder) and then in each of those has a folder tree for either the "built in" sounds (like "03 - Organs" or "18 - Reeds"), or the various add-ons that come with Dimension Pro (such as "Garritan Pocket Orchestra" or "Pro Sounds" for example).  These add-on folders would then have their own sub-folders for instruments which would contain the .sfz files and folder(s) of sample .wav files.  There is a parallel structure in the Programs folder under the Dimension Pro folder that ultimately lead to the .prog files.

So, what I'm assuming I'll need to do is to create folders called "Beat Fetish Vol 1" in both the Dimension Pro\Multisamples and Dimension Pro\Programs folders, and then copy in the appropriate folder structure and data files from under the "Beat Fetish Vol 1\Kits\Dimension Pro Kits" folders, and then hopefully an F5 from within Dimension Pro will discover these new copies and provide me access to these add-on sounds.

Does that seem a little crazy?  It does to me.  It shouldn't be that hard - especially for a product that is produced by the same company and is intended to be used with its own flagship application (X1 via Dimension Pro).  Thus it seems to me that I must have done or I am doing something wrong, or I'm missing something obvious.  Or if for whatever reason it does need to be so complicated, there should be some more obvious guidance to help people out.

HELP!!!
Thanks,
--
Greg

Hi Thomas (hopefully I'm correct in assuming that from your forum name),

Thank you for your response to my questions!

So, presently my only other drive is my Audio drive F:, as C:, D: and E: are partitions on the first drive. I guess (as your final paragraph suggests) I can for now use my F: drive for that.  Is an external USB drive (a real drive - not a memory stick) suitable for that, or is USB 2.0 insufficient for this task?  Also, I assume when you refer to a "projects" drive, thats the "audio" drive?

You do address my other concerns, except that I've already installed X1.  Is there a way (easy or otherwise) to move the content that should  be on another drive to such a drive after the installation?  Obviously the data can be moved, but how to make the program aware of such moves?  Such as Dimension Pro.  Or should I do an uninstall/reinstall operation?  Not sure how problematic that would be since I still have 8.5, and 7 on my system.  Also, if I subsequently add a 3rd drive, I would hope I could transfer such files to the new drive without a reinstall, so presumably I could transfer now as well?

I can (and likely will) do what I suggested regarding Beat Fetish, but is that how it is intended to be handled, or should I have installed it differently somehow, or have I overlooked some Dimension Pro option to incorporate instruments outside of it's immediate folder structure?

I know there were opportunities to alter directories during the install process, but I allowed the defaulted values on the assumption that the installer would make reasonable choices, and I didn't have any guidelines toward what would be appropriate for a custom alteration of those values.  This is what I was getting at - if there isn't anything provided by Cakewalk like that, and not already a forum thread or something addressing it, perhaps it is something I could contribute to these forums, with help and guidance from others, perhaps such as yourself.

Thanks again,
--
Greg

I have X1 (x64) installed aalong with SONAR 8.5.3 32 & 64 versions. No hassels with any of them cohabiting.

unless Dim Pro 1.5 has changed the Multisample install procedure the only way to change their location after they've been installed is to either delete and reinstall all the Mutisamples or move the whole folder structure to wherever you like and edit the registry.

You can't simply move multisamples and do an F5 with Dim Pro open to find where the Multisamples have gone. Mind you once you've edited the registry you still have to use F5 to refresh the Browser within Dim Pro.

this seems to be a shortcoming in all the Cakewalk synths that use Multisamples. that there is no onternal options screen where you can decide the path for samples. All other Synths I have, KONTAKT, Independence, Play, Superior Drummer, SampleTank. Miroslav etc etc, any of them allow you to move your samples around as your system changes and grows etc.

*double post*

Apparently I have been able to get the Beat Fetish Vol 1 Multisamples to show up in Dimension Pro (by copying them over as above), but the Programs do not seem to be incorporated.  I copied the .prog files into the Dimension Pro Programs folder (under C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Dimension Pro\Programs\Beat Fetish Vol 1) but I need to understand how these might be incorporated into the programs.lst file that is there (or at least thats what I'm currently assuming).

Thanks for any guidance,
--
Greg

I hate to hijack but since I am in basically the same boat I thought I would ask before moving forward.

I installed X1 producer 64 bit with no issues. I also just let everything go the recommended default route. My thinking was let’s get it working then maybe reinstall for more efficiency later. I have a Win7 I7 PC with a SSD drive for windows and apps etc. I also have 4 other separate internal drives two of which are for backup and unusable. So here I am...

I went through the whole process of installing: 64 bit

1. X1
2. Beatscape1.0.2
3. Dimension Pro 1.5
4. Dimension Pro 1.5 Expansion Packs
5. X1 Producer Additional Content
6. Digital Sound Factory Examples Pack
7. X1a Patch
8. X1b Patch
9. X1 b244 quick fix
10. X1 b246 quick fix
11. X1 b255 quick fix

No issues installing and of course as stated by the OP everything was put on the SSD C:\ drive.

So as of now I have :

C:\Cakewalk Content
C:\Cakewalk Projects

C:\Multisamples

C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Dimension Pro
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Rapture LE
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Dxi
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared MIDI Plugins
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Plugins
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Surfaces
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Shared Utilities
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\ SONAR X1 Producer
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\Vstplugins
C:\Program Files\Cakewalk\z3ta+

C:\Program Files\Native Instruments

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Native Instruments

C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Beatscape
C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Studio Instruments
C:\Program Files (x86)\Cakewalk\Vstplugins

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Digidesign

C:\Users\Craig\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\ACT Data
C:\Users\Craig\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\Shared Presets
C:\Users\Craig\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\SONAR X1 Producer
I am sure I missed some and of course I did not tree out the folders.
 
So what is my best bet for redoing this with a C:, D:, and E: drive? Move files around? I know in X1 you can reassign some. Does it take care of everything or will I be fragmenting folders? Should I uninstall and reinstall? If so should I clean the registry as well? I have no previous versions installed.
 
Now with all that said, if I am recommended to uninstall and reinstall I get confused as to the prompts from the various install apps with reference to VST’s, Samples, Plugins etc.
 
Is there a simple template of ideal structures for 2 or 3 drive systems and/or instructions on how to answer the various prompts to make everything play nice together?
 
I am sorry if I have hijacked or taken away from the OP but I felt our issues were fairly similar and didn’t want anyone to duplicate efforts.
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have no doubts I could get this working but I would like to avoid the “I wish I had set it up like that” 6 months from now when it will hurt.
 
Thanks,
 
Craig

Thank you for the prompt reply.

We are in the same boat Greg. Can I borrow that paddle?

I know PC's. I know file structures. I'm an IT guy for 25 years.

I am also fairly new to the recording and Sonar world. I had one previous version loaded on a different machine years ago and had stuff so spread out that it was as you said a spaghetti bowl of files all over the place as different apps did their own thing.

I just want to uninstall X1 (no problem) and do a reinstall for 3 drives for the whole installation path. So when I talked template or example structures, which I cannot believe there are none, I was thinking along the lines of what to answer for the different prompts. As an example, during say the dimension pro install step and it asks where to put samples or plugins do you create a seperate dim pro folder or just create a big samples folder and put all samples from all apps there? I know I am being very basic here, but there is some confusion between thevarious  install steps with me since I am a newbie and not versed in the language of what constitutes samples, plugins, vst's etc between the apps.

I would think someone would have done a step by step instructional on 1, 2, and 3 drive installs along the lines of.

At this point, Dim Pro will ask you where you would like to store Sample content. If you are using a 3 drive system then answer Drive 3 here and create a Folder called "All Samples" that you will create subfolders in for various apps samples.

Click next... Now you will be prompted.... etc

Again, I have only attempted once and have no doubt I can figure out the best way do do this, but with loading 64 bit, beatscape being 32 and the difference in prompting between the various apps in the 11 step install process i described in the above post. I just thought there would be some kind of "best way to install step by step template" to avoid pitfalls months later.

Craig

Sorry for the rambling...