Dropbox transfers and file stability

Good people,
 
I've been using a shared folder in Dropbox on a second drive as my main project folder.  It seems to be working very well.  The way i have it set up we don't need to bundle the project each time the project is passed on to another user. Also, after doing all the promotional things to get more space, I have a total of 53 gig to work with.
 
After moving and syncing an existing project to this folder, Dropbox is using .0% - .5% CPU power while idle. When I ctrl-s a project task manager shows up to 5.0% CPU power being used while it syncs with the internet and I can see the Dropbox icon turn blue for a few seconds.
 
I was playing with my PT 10 abit, (a nightmare btw compared to the seamless setup and use of Sonar), and recall the help files stating that .wav files are better if there is going to be alot of file transfer happening.
 
I'm wondering if any of you use a file sharing utility such as this and what issues can occur with the file being manipulated over and over in such a manner, if any.
 
Thank you in advance for your concern
 
dana

The only thing I use for audio is box and that's strictly for collaborations.  Never a problem with integrity of audio files.  No background auto-anything running.  When I'm ready to share or download, I drag/drop.
 
I use dropbox for sharing pdfs and such between my desktop and tablet, but I keep the desktop application off until I'm ready to sync up again.  I start it up, let it sync, then shut it down.

EmoNation
Doktor, Why would you never use a file sharing utility ever? Wetransfer has to use some sort of software to transfer the file or else it would not transfer.  Also doing it that way you have to send a .cwb which can become cumbersome as the project enlarges.

It just needs a browser. Check it out... Two clicks and you are uploading files
www.wetransfer.com
 
Files will be auto zipped if necessary.
Skip the plus version.
 
Cheers.

Doktor,
I'm not to savvy on the tech part of this stuff but it has to be using some computer resources on the uploader/downloader side to work effectively.

EmoNation
Doktor,
I'm not to savvy on the tech part of this stuff but it has to be using some computer resources on the uploader/downloader side to work effectively.

Only bandwidth whilst uploading and downloading. After you are done close your browser. Nothing running. I don't even after to sign up to an account and log in either... Very efficient
 
Better still when people download the link, they don't ever have to install software on their machine either. I won't have dropbox application on my machine, waste of resources for no reason, and I don't trust an app unnecessarily running in the background all the time.

I use a dropbox share for some business work and had no issues in 2 years. Any resources it uses are a drop in the bucket. I transfer audio, video, text and stills. The tool Alex mentions seems to be pretty good as well. I often move 300+ megs at a time and have used up to 5 gig for video.
 
If you have no trust at all, use sneaker net.

Keni
It is not necessary to run any apps for Dropbox either. It works just fine in any browser...

I've been forced into downloading dropbox many times before I can download a file sent to me. No simple link. Most of the time I reply back and tell them to do wetransfer because I will not install it.

Last time I installed it, it tried to upload the 'my documents' folder by default onto their servers. A tiny little checkbox I could have missed it. So sorry, not a fan.

I also like the idea with wetransfer that the files are deleted after a week or two

I use Dropbox as my main mode of sending files and I prefer to receive them via Dropbox.
 
As Keni said (and I can confirm after probably a hundred or so transfers at this point) there is absolutely NO need to download and install the Dropbox "app". Nor does the recipient. They try to make you THINK that but it is not true.
 
I installed their uploader thingie when I first signed up and removed it immediately because it slowed down my system and just generally creeped me out (it seems to always be hunting for files to upload or doing other weird crap). I have wiped this system multiple times since I removed it so I know it is not just because it is working in the background.
 
All you need to do to upload is sign into your DP account, click the Upload button, use the Choose Files option (which opens a file explorer... usually to your desktop), select any files you want to share and click the Upload button (or whatever they have it labelled).
 
Wait for the upload to finish and then to send it you just hover over the file to expose the "Share" button. Click that and it will give you the option to email directly and will also generate a link that you can copy paste into a message manually. Of course I just copy the link and send it (I would never plug someone else's email into one of those things). I have never had any complaints about the links not working and I've dealt with many non dropbox users. It just downloads normally in their browser as a regular file.
 
I HAVE had issues sometimes when receiving links other than a wave or bundle or compressed file or whatever where sometimes the link will try to open in the dropbox preview window. Not sure what the senders have done to make that occur (and it isn't desired behavior for something like a project file) but most times I just get a downloable file that I can do what I want with.
 
As to the OP... seriously I would NOT use any automagic online syncing options/apps... especially on a DAW. Best bet would be to just back up and upload manually or get a good external drive with a hyper customizable backup/sync program then upload that manually to the online storage site.
 
Also remember if an online storage site goes tits up or their hardware fails and that was your only back up your are shiz outta luck just like a local storage failure. Multiple drives and online storage and whatever else you can conjure up (like discs for more important projects and or storing drives in another physical location like a friends house in case of fire, theft or whatever) is really the way to go for the ultra paranoid/vigilent. Not always practical though so you just gotta do risk assessment based on your own needs.
 
Those consumer auto online backup dealies though (or even the programs for local drives)... not great for a DAW. You don't want anything waking up, hunting around or generally futzing things up while you work. You could look for details on a "Suspend/Disable" type function so it only activates when you aren't working.
 
 
Cheers.
 
Edit: And of course I just jumped to a bunch of assumptions about what the OP was asking based on the thread. It's cool you can set it up as a save option for Sonar but I still personally wouldn't go that route (just because I don't want to take any resource hits and don't mind uploading manually). As for file corruption... I have no idea.

webbs hill studio
"As Keni said (and I can confirm after probably a hundred or so transfers at this point) there is absolutely NO need to download and install the Dropbox "app". Nor does the recipient. They try to make you THINK that but it is not true."
 
good point-I found the app and all it`s hunting around and autosycnching pretty invasive as well but once you strip it back it`s flawless and reliable and seems to be the standard for submitting wavs for mastering etc.
will check out wet transfer though as file sharing/cloud is becoming increasingly efficient and hopefully the developers will be falling over themselves for market share so the upgrades shouldn`t be far away.
 
if you had told me 12 months ago that I could send via the web a 50gb file to someone else I would have been sceptical so who knows what Moore`s Law will bring by Xmas??
 
cheers   
 

It really is impressive. I was initially going to invest in some of those "indestructable" steel shelled flash drives to courier back and forth to my musical counterparts before I found out these sites existed. lulz

BobF
 
BTW, I hear that big, fat, sticky buds cause paranoia ... just sayin'

I gave up the icky ages ago... the paranoia remained.
 
Sometimes they really are out to get you.
 
;-)

Beepster
 
As to the OP... seriously I would NOT use any automagic online syncing options/apps... especially on a DAW. Best bet would be to just back up and upload manually or get a good external drive with a hyper customizable backup/sync program then upload that manually to the online storage site.

+1 
I want complete and active control over what leaves my hard drive to anywhere, and I do not want anything automatically finding its way from the cloud to my computer. The advantage to using synchronization in DropBox for backups is the ability to just do the differential copy, so a slight change in a file does not require the bandwidth to transfer the entire new file. But that is possibly the disadvantage as well. Until the sync is complete it is not clear what you have where. Some of the same issues exist with automated backup programs operating locally. If you just do a manual upload of a complete file and send your collaborator a link, you both know you are on the same page. My primary project file would never be linked to the cloud. Copying the files/folder from the primary folder on your hard drive to your linked folder is the safest way to do it. You can move backups and versions to the cloud for offsite backup in any case. 

Yup acronis and external hard drive backups all the way. Further backups on the cloud should be encrypted where at all possible.

Transferring data from one person to another is a different scenario however.

webbs hill studio
"As Keni said (and I can confirm after probably a hundred or so transfers at this point) there is absolutely NO need to download and install the Dropbox "app". Nor does the recipient. They try to make you THINK that but it is not true."
 
good point-I found the app and all it`s hunting around and autosycnching pretty invasive as well but once you strip it back it`s flawless and reliable and seems to be the standard for submitting wavs for mastering etc.
will check out wet transfer though as file sharing/cloud is becoming increasingly efficient and hopefully the developers will be falling over themselves for market share so the upgrades shouldn`t be far away.
 
if you had told me 12 months ago that I could send via the web a 50gb file to someone else I would have been sceptical so who knows what Moore`s Law will bring by Xmas??
 
cheers   
 

Very true.

I disabled all the invasive stuff immediately upon install. It takes no resources and pretty much acts as a browser if I run it...

I do use the IOS app... It too dies nothing unless I open it and on my iPads I really don't worry...

Sorry, but I still don't like the idea of using online storage as anything more than transfer services...

slartabartfast

Beepster
 
As to the OP... seriously I would NOT use any automagic online syncing options/apps... especially on a DAW. Best bet would be to just back up and upload manually or get a good external drive with a hyper customizable backup/sync program then upload that manually to the online storage site.

+1 
I want complete and active control over what leaves my hard drive to anywhere, and I do not want anything automatically finding its way from the cloud to my computer. The advantage to using synchronization in DropBox for backups is the ability to just do the differential copy, so a slight change in a file does not require the bandwidth to transfer the entire new file. But that is possibly the disadvantage as well. Until the sync is complete it is not clear what you have where. Some of the same issues exist with automated backup programs operating locally. If you just do a manual upload of a complete file and send your collaborator a link, you both know you are on the same page. My primary project file would never be linked to the cloud. Copying the files/folder from the primary folder on your hard drive to your linked folder is the safest way to do it. You can move backups and versions to the cloud for offsite backup in any case. 

 
It would be a problem if two people are working on the same project at the same time.  One of you has just lost all your work.  Communication would be key in that area.  I have tested this sync method with very minute changes and indeed it works.
 
Just to clarify I have my projects backed up on another hard drive and a flash drive just to be sure.
 
It is an awesome thing, the technology of today!
 
My original question about the integrity of the files seems to be answered, in that they are safe from degradation from multiple transfers.
 
Thanks for all your input guys.
 
dana

mudgel
What others are doing with Dropbox I do with Onedrive. Because I have an MS Office 365 account I have 1TB of storage. I don't want to have to run multiple cloud accounts so this suits me. As the office 365 account allows me to share with upto 5 "family" members I have as much as 5TB of storage if needed. But it's certainly cheaper than if I wanted more than 15GIG which seems the maximum free on any other cloud services.

I have the same because of Office 365. In my case, I manually move projects into Onedrive at important milestones. But I'm looking supplementing Onedrive with Dropbox so my files are on more than one provider's servers. Just in case. MS is not going anywhere in the near future, but they could just up and decide not to support Onedrive. Not likely since they have doubled down on cloud services, but I'm getting more paranoid I guess.
 
Others in this thread have mentioned not liking having synch processes running in the background. In my experience they can interfere with audio processing. But now in Windows 10 it is not easy to pause Onedrive synching. I'm not happy about that. I manually synch in Win 10 because of that.