OK-SSD OS drive Sonar X2a. Also have int sata 750GB HD 7200. I was thinking the samples on the 750gb, partioned-I would use half for misc audio and app etc, storage. So where is the best place for my projects? On the SSD with Sonar? And the picture cache?
 
I have a very fast ext I was using for samples-so am I better off using an ext so everything is seperated?
 
I have had the samples on the ext usb 3.0 drive without any issues.
 
But now I have the 22nd int in the laptop.
 
Thanks sorry for the confusing banter :-)

I have a dedicated storage drive (E) which I use for sample libraries and other misc storage. All my programs are on the C drive with the OS....as well as synths (DLL) and VST's/FX. 

Since most synths will load the samples into memory anyway, it doesn't matter where the samples are stored.  And since several of the sample libraries I use are in excess of 40G to 80G.... I didn't want them taking up space on my C drive.

As I create and work on projects, I simply store them in the Cakewalk Projects folder that resides on the C drive.  It just keeps life simple.

Once I finish with a project....and I'm fairly sure I will not be going back to it any time soon, I will create a new folder on the storage drive and move everything associated with that project to that folder. Then I CUT all the files for it,  from the C drive, and drag them over to the storage drive. I then move the new folder into a "master folder" that has a name something like..... Songs_Projects from 2012

If I ever need it, I can find it easily, with all associated files and it's not taking up half a gig or more of valuable C drive real estate. 

Before I built my custom DAW, I used a lappy and an external 500G USB drive and stored the samples on it.... it worked quite well. 


I also have a USB drive (1TB) connected to use as backup on the custom DAW

I wouldn't bother with logical partitioning, just keep the operating system and program files on the SSD (C:), and sounds and projects on your second drive.

You can pick up a 2 TB internal SATA 3 drive now for just under $100, and some 1 TB drives are now down to around $60-$70, so perhaps if you want to keep samples and projects separate an extra hard drive would work for you.

I have all of my projects and sounds on my secondary internal hard drive, and for that matter all of my user libraries as well (my docs, pics, downloads, etc.), and I never have any issues doing it that way.

The nice thing is you can always move things around - but getting rid of a partition is a pain, and I don't see much benefit from it, so I just don't bother with them.

Bob Bone

Yes, keep the OS, SONAR and picture cache on the SSD. Put projects on the 2nd internal. Keep samples on the external. Having everything on separate drives will provide the best performance. Partitioning won't help with performance, it's mainly for organization.

Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://garrigus.com/?SonarX2Power
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
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