Where to save projects?

It is generally suggested to have one drive for your OS (windows) and programs (Sonar), a second drive for your audio files (point the song's audio folder there), and if you happen to use streaming sample type playback softsynths, a third drive for their libraries. Best, Ed

These guys are good!

sharke


Depends what your projects are. If they contain audio then definitely on a separate drive. However if you're just putting together MIDI clips then there's no harm really in saving to your system drive. 

Yes there is if you ever have to reinstall the OS or upgrade it. Its always best to have all your data, what ever it is, on another disk or more.  This includes documents too. It does matter. 

If one chose to restrict their SONAR use to MIDI only projects that will never freeze or bounce tracks, there may be no benefit from relocating the projects to a second drive. If the OP was only working in MIDI with no intention of freezing or bouncing, it should have been noted in the post.

Thanks for all the info, I hadn't thought about a third drive for sample libraries too. Great idea.

garyed


Thanks for all the info, I hadn't thought about a third drive for sample libraries too. Great idea.

It's just a pity that the kind of external drives that are sold in big box retail stores like Best Buy don't have a guaranteed spin speed. They used to. You used to be able to get a Western Digital external that was rated at 7200 rpm, but now they don't have any rating on them and when you contact the manufacturer they tell you that the spin speed is variable (some green energy saving BS). Not everyone has space for 3 internal hard drives in their computer tower, plus it's nice to have portability where your audio projects or sample libraries are concerned. However there are audio-quality (7200rpm+)  externals out there, can't remember any names but you'll find them if you Google them. 


Another thing to consider if you're going to use an external is the interface - USB 2.0 doesn't really cut it for heavy multitrack streaming, and if you don't have Firewire then your other options are USB 3.0 (not sure how well this works with DAW's yet) or eSATA. Actually an eSATA drive is a pretty good option - I've seen audio quality eSATA externals advertised. 


I have two drives in my tower, the second one which I use for audio is a 2TB Western Digital Black Caviar and it works great. I've heard people say that smaller drives are advisable because they're more reliable, but I don't know how true this is and certainly haven't had any problems. 

One more thing I will say is that the location of where you store things on your HD is important. Spin speeds are faster on the outside of the disk, so if you're going to partition the drive for multiple usage then it's advisable to store anything that's going to be streamed on the first partition (when you work with a partition diagram on screen, the leftmost side of the block is the outside of the disk). For instance, I also use my 2nd drive to store disc image backups. I keep those on the right hand partition (inner disk) because speed isn't as important for saving those. 

Sharke, funny, I just bought a 'green' WD drive for overnight backups of the DAW, and I share your thoughts about having spin speed no longer being fixed! I was surprised. (But since it is a backups drive, I didn't care too much.) for recording, I would definitely insist on 7200 for sure. Best, Ed

ed97643


Sharke, funny, I just bought a 'green' WD drive for overnight backups of the DAW, and I share your thoughts about having spin speed no longer being fixed! I was surprised. (But since it is a backups drive, I didn't care too much.) for recording, I would definitely insist on 7200 for sure. Best, Ed

Yeah WD externals are pretty much all "green" these days although someone told me you still get the occasional one that's 7200. With the internals, the Caviar drives are marked green or black so you know which one is the energy saving hooey. 

Kalle Rantaaho

scook


You should be using per-project folders on a second drive. The second drive for performance, per-project folders for ease of project administration. Per-project folders keep the CW project file and the audio associated with the project in the same project directory. One directory for each project.

Per Project Audio Folder-setting does NOT automatically save the project and audio in one folder, unless that has been changed from 8.5? In < 8.5 Per Project Audio Folder-setting saves only audio in separate folder and the Project file gets still as default saved in C:/Cakewalk Projects. So the project and audio are in different places, where you have to collect them if you want to, say, send the full project to someone. During the first Save as you need to change the default target file for the Project file.

This option never claimed to put audio in the same folder as the project.  


The exact text for the option is: 'Use Per-Project Audio Folders', and that is exactly what Sonar does with that option checked.  It creates an audio folder within the project's folder.


I always use per-project folders, and the audio clips are stored within a folder called Audio, that is a sub-folder to the project folder, so I do not have to search for any audio files, EVER.  

And as far as the notion of having to 'collect' the audio clips to send an entire project to someone, that is not necessary.  Simply copy the contents of your project folder, which will copy both the cwp file and the audio folder, and paste those contents into a newly-created compressed folder and you preserve Cakewalk's folder structure for use by whoever you are sending the compressed folder to.



Bob Bone