I'm not a dummy by any means, but I have a qestion. I've always been familiar with the original PC tower, however I am new to a laptop, my laptop came with 2TB hard drive. I've already expanded it to a 4TB NVME PCIe M.2 SSD, well now I'm running out of space again. Hell one download I have is EastWest Hollywood Strings 2, that shits 360 GB which is freaking nuts. I'm wanting to expand again, but this time I want to go the external route rather than drop 800-1k on an 8TD SSD.

So now on to my question, because I'm not familiar with how this works. If I was to get an external 4TB SSD does that mean I can install files on it and call them up like my internal SSD? If so would this work? If programs are installed on one drive and already installed to specific directories, this would cause an issue correct? I mean those folders and directories being called up aren't shared or written on that external drive, so how would that work?

Like for instance say I have a program installed but I downloaded expansions to the other drive, how would they be recognized and utilized if they aren't installed on the orginal internal storage? Also how would the data be utilized if those orginal parent folders aren't installed to the external?

 

I dont use SSD externals like that - only for storing (my 3 ex SSDs has a bad habit "falling asleep" after some time, but............
Im sure it´s posseble if you run fastest usb technology.
Some others might show up soon and elaborate a bit more.
Good luck.

 

The program itself, when you install it, always goes on the C:/ hard drive. In principle, you can now copy or move all major sound libraries to a 2nd hard drive. You then tell your software in the menu where the new sound library is located. To do this, the external hard drive must be connected to the laptop.

For example, you simply move the Hollywood 360 GB library completely to the external hard drive and then load EastWest - Play into your DAW and do the following:

Next, PLAY must show where the libraries are, which will cause them to be displayed in the favorites window. Now do the following:

1. Start PLAY and go to the browser view.
2. In the favorites window in the browser view, control+click (Mac) or right-click (PC) in the free area of the window, which will then display the "Add Another Product Library" dialog.
3. Select the library you want to add to the favorites.
4. A new window will open and ask you for the library directory. It is important that you select the instrument directory yourself. (This is not the Samples directory or the Library directory above it, but the directory with “Instruments” in the name)

 

Thanks man,I didn't know if it was possible. I've honestly never ran 2 hdd I've always had enough space but some of these libraries are freaking HUGE. So bacially if I install something I have to chance the directory to the other SSD? Is it better to just get a 8TB m.2 nvme pciE and be done with it?

 

In Spectrasonic - Omnisphere 2 the sound library is called STEAM and is around 56 GB in size, you can "cut" it out completely and paste it onto the external hard drive. When you load Omnisphere into your DAW, Omnisphere asks you where the STEAM is now and you then simply search for the STEAM folder on the external hard drive using the file browser, mark it with the mouse and you're off.

You are usually asked during installation where this or that should be installed. Since every software manufacturer cooks its own soup, it is like this for some and like that for others.

The more modern the software, the more the small hard drives or the user's wishes were taken into account.
You really just have to think about how much space you have on the C:/ hard drive!

It would be better and faster to buy an internal NVMe PCIe, anything that is connected directly to the mainboard is always the fastest. In modern mainboards a PCI interface is very fast. Everything external is always slower. USB-C and USB 3.0 are also very fast modern interfaces. PCI should be given priority if you have the opportunity.

A good CPU and fast RAM will then lead to even better performance, speed and low latency.

 

Thanks yea I figured it would probably be best just to get the 8TB interal. Shame they don't make a 6TB thats all I need.
I have both the STEAM libraries for keyscape and trillian I've yet to install them but I have them downloaded. The library for Syntronik is freaking huge too 200+ gb

 

With laptop, the main problem is external POWER SUPPLY.
Internal storage (even conventional HDD) will be a better solution than anything external.

What is your laptop model ?
How many storage slots ?

 

Here are my specs but I have a 4TB SSd now

 

A company name Kreative Devices built my laptop, I havent looked inside.. I was scared of losing the tiny screws haha

 

not stupid question at all,
speed/performance will depend on actual interface bus, so if external drive will be DRAM-less NVME SSD in USB 3.2 gen1 enclosure, it will be capped at around 500 MB/s at best,
in Windows, it will be mapped as external drive, and will receive label/path (D: or E: for ex.),

- one very important here - actual label is saved into the specific Windows system, so for ex. you can change letter of an external drive to something like "L" or "K" or "S" and it will be remembered next time you plug it in - which can be very helpful when using multiple external drives or flash sticks and you want to keep links/bookmarks saved to a specific path/location (because else the letters are always assigned in alphabetical order starting with "D" based on order external drives are plugged/initialized during runtime)

most of the software has some registry stuff written during install, so they can't be simply cut-pasted onto different location, but many libraries and components can be - with some they just need to be reindexed, some others may require symbolic linking from their original default ~C: location, some may simply require reinstall onto the different drive to avoid functional problems,

I have no idea about your specific use case, but I would keep ALL the software on your internal C: drive, and only migrate/reinstall (Kontakt) libraries, sample libraries onto the new external drive (then for ex. in Kontakt, you'd browse for new location of the libraries, and redo full rescan/rebuild)

 

"Like for instance say I have a program installed but I downloaded expansions to the other drive, how would they be recognized and utilized if they aren't installed on the orginal internal storage? Also how would the data be utilized if those orginal parent folders aren't installed to the external?"

Most programs already assume you will probably store expansions in EXTERNAL source.
So, there's option to point the program to the external source. Some programs are easier to set up than others. But they all provide the flexibility to store expansions in external drive. Also, you can have expansions of one program in two locations, eg, hard drive and external drive. Just let the program know the locations. You can also move expansions around, from hard drive to external source. Just let the program know the new location.

 

Thanks, yea for sure indeed that would be my plan, keep the programs on the c:/ drive but put the expansion packs, kontakt libraries etc. on the external. I was wonderign about the reinstallion though honestly because the data is recognized where it was installed intially. I definitely want to avoid that problem at all cost for sure, and regristy keys etc. Hmm I wonder if my activator would be fixed LOL. Fuck that thing, I messed up with the installation and now it keeps saysing an error and wont let me re-register lol

 

Got ya, yea I was concerned about all the regisry keys etc and programs ending up corrupt or missing files. I think thats the best way to go, store the expansions and libraries in a seperate drive

 

The HP zBook Fury 16 laptop has 4 internal NVMe slots, which can each take 4TB. Just in case anyone else is in the same situation and wants to keep it all internal. Obviously that's if the budget permits that.

 

most properly implemented programs DO NOT install to c:\ drive. THEY DEFAULT to c:\ drive if you dont CHOOSE ANOTHER STORAGE place, such as D:\MoreFreakinSpace\Programs.

Usually its a matter of clicking the little checkbox when you do an install, the one that says something like Custom Install. and choosing where you want it installed to.

If you install programs to an external drive, you have to remember to have the drive plugged in when acessing that program or it fails cause guess why??

An external drive is great for archiving copies of your work, and for instrument libraries, manuals, books, videos, tutorials etc.

Often you can install the program to C: and the associated librarys to a differnt drive - if you take custom install option.

you can also use paths/aliases to spoof the operating system into thinking the library etc is installed on c: when you move it to another storage location.

good luck, its not difficult, its just something new to learn...

 

You should ask the manufacturer if it has any extra slot, so you can just put in a seperate 2TB SSD.

 

and I bet all share same PCIe bandwidth since the CPU doesn't have enough lanes for them all at once

 

Check any hardware specs Kreative Devices provided (motherboard is the most important to know the slots).

There is another simple way :
Open Windows device manager (peripherals) menu.
Check how many "storage controllers" you have