X3 Clean install

Maarkr posted a thread last week with a checklist for doing an new installation (very comprehensive list!).
 
FWIW, unless you are replacing a hard drive, a fresh install may not be as easy as:
   1) uninstalling (or install elsewhere) things you never use (free space)
   2) disabling process/programs from automatically starting on boot (trim machine processes)
   3) if you uninstall things, using a utility to verify registry entries are removed (also trimming Win7 overhead)
 
   I have had Win7 installed over 2 1/2 years now and would not even consider a re-install unless I was forced to do so.

The program files for Cake take up very little space. Especially on a 1 TB drive. I have all the versions of Sonar, 32 and 64 bit, from 8.5 up on a couple of computers. It pays off to do that because I have had older projects done on 8.5 that clients would like to now take advantage of the newer options they have in X3.

To get V-Vocal does not require a full install of X2. An advanced instal including the actual SONAR program itself will do. What a full install of X2 does, is get practically all the 64bit plug-ins from pre-X series SONAR through X2 and most of the 32bit plug-ins that work in a 64bit host. The 64bit Lexicon Pantheon does require a pre-X series installer. While not necessary to run the advanced installs oldest first, the order does make sense.

It might be easiest to follow that install order. Especially if historic plug-in coverage is what you are after. You are not going to find much in SONAR 8 or 8.5 after a full X2 install. I believe the only plug-in you will pick up is the Lexicon Pantheon. The only thing you may want after that is the actual 8.5 executable as a fall back for older projects. It also may depend on your past plug-ins use. If you relied on the older 32bit DX plug-ins and need to re-open those projects, you are going to need a 32bit host install too.
 
Bitbridge does work for most 32bit plug-ins. Where it fails, jBridge may be the solution. Ultimately running older projects which rely on 32bit plug-ins in a 32bit host may be the best solution. A while back, Noel mentioned that Cakewalk now owns the Bitbridge code so an improved version may be in the future.
 
I have read a couple of recommendations to increase Bitbridge stability, run Bitbridge as administrator and set compatibility mode to XP. I do not use 32bit plug-ins anymore so I have no direct experience to suggest whether the setup tweaks make any difference or not.

You could it depends on how customized you setup is. I usually start with a clean slate but I have all my tweaks and custom presets, and the like stored in a special directory away from the rest of the installation. If you have performance tweaks, drum map, changes to master.ins, etc. you may want to copy off the user directory located in "your user directory\AppData\Roaming\Cakewalk\your version of SONAR". I am not sure if I would blindly copy that data back though, rather use it as a reference. If you added presets to Cakewalk DX plug-ins, those are stored in the registry and would need to be exported using the plug-in manager.

I have reinstalled windows 7.
 
I have two 7200RPM drives in the laptop. I have no choice but to install Komplete samples on the Audio/Data drive.
 
But in principle is it best to install samples like Spectrasonics RMX and EZDrummer on the OS or the Audio drive?
 
Cheers
M

scook
Can't address Spectrasonics. EZDrummer loads all samples in memory so it's location is not critical. With two drives, I would install all plug-ins on the OS drive and use the second drive for SONAR projects with per project audio folders.

Yep, most will be memory based including all the Kontakt/Komplete Ultimate stuff I presume.
 
I would have thought all modern ones would be the same, no? Unless someone can say that RMX, Dim Pro etc. are streamed then it doesn't matter.
 
I think EZDrummer samples have to be where the program is so if I wanted to clone a backup OS they would have to be there. RMX and Kontakt stuff can have the samples elsewhere and not sure about Dim Pro or Garritan.
 
Cheers
M

Thanks scook...5 days in and still installing stuff :-(
 
Can anyone remember the workaround for registering Rapture and Dimension Pro? The Reg screen is locked and won't allow entry. Have to kill Sonar from the Win tasks - what a joke!
 
M

Thanks again.
 
Rapture 1.22 won't accept the old Reg code and the Cake form won't give me a new one.
 
In Standalone mode Dim Pro won't bring up the Reg form at all. Neither work in X3 at present. Dim Pro won't allow old instances either.
 
Sigh.

OK thanks again, I think I sorted it between the various 32 and 64 bit DXI or VST versions and web or email registrations!
 
Will probably never use them now I've got Komplete Ultimate ;-)