I’ve just built a new DAW and have read on many posts that its best to have the program and vst plugins on an SSD drive and it looks like its also best to store the sample content libraries on a separate SSD.
So when I first install Cubase, should I just choose the default install… OR… should I choose “Customize” and then assign to a different SSD the sample content for the VSTi included with Cubase, such as HalionONE, Halion Sonic SE, Groove Agent ONE, Drum Expansion Loop etc?
The application itself should be installed in the default location: *C:\Program Files\Steinberg* You may be able to get away with putting it elsewhere, but I would highly rcommend against it.
Vst plugins and sample content - different story. Those, you would be better off putting on one of your SSD drives. So yes, you can choose to install the sample content for HAL, etc., elsewhere. But install the app in the default location.
Cheers.
p.s. - I am not sure you can install native plugs to a different drive; you may be able to move them later and point Cubase to them via the plug-in mgr.
I am not sure you can install native plugs to a different drive; you may be able to move them later and point Cubase to them via the plug-in mgr.
Has anyone been able to install the native plugin sample content to a different drive- if so, did you do it during initial install…OR…afterward, using the plugin manager as stated above? I havent proceeded yet with my first install, but I’d like to know if the native plugin samples will HAVE to be separated from 3rd party content which I will install to another drive.
Also, I thought the plugin manager was used to point to the location of the DLLs, not the sample content… Please correct me if I’m wrong…
Yes you can install sample content to a different custom location. That’ s why its called custom installation. And as most of the time, you can even choose a cuatom folder for the app itself. You usually can see that at the fact that the installer let’ s you choose…And you can do it both ways with the sample content, obviously during install is the easier way. Go through the installation, and you’ ll see what happens and what can be installled where, and who knows, it might keep you from having to ask unecessary questions, and make everything overly complicated.
Jeff is talking about Plugins , not sample content.
Once the VSTi is properly installed, authorized and registered, if you move the samples, when you load the instrument it will tell you it cannot find the samples and ask you if you want to browse for them … or some other such similar question/ option. As long as you remembered what directory you placed the samples into … no problem.
Therefore I guess I will go ahead and install the samples to default location for now…and move them once I get my second drive.
Why? Until SSD drives get much bigger and cheaper, we’re going to have to run a balancing act between what NEEDS to be on the fast drive and what doesn’t.
I have three drives. C: is a 120GB SSD. There’s also a large, fast mechanical drive (D:), and a large “green” one for storage (E:).
Windows is on C:. Having it boot quickly is fun! After that, it probably makes minimal difference. Some applications that I may want to call up quickly, maybe while working in another program, are in C:/Program Files or C:/Program Files (x86). Most applications are in D:/Program Files or D:/Program Files(x86). My Documents is on E:.
I’m not a terribly heavy-duty user of sample sets. I have some larger ones on C:. If I needed optimum performance in this area I’d probably (on this system) have put system and programs on the fast mechanical drive, reserved the SSD for just samples. Or I’d have saved up for a larger SSD.
A lot of system stuff can be easily moved off the “Windows” drive. I synchronise some saved data with another networked computer using Offline Files. Moving the (quite large) local cache off the system drive is more tricky, but possible.
I will be very interested to see (a) how long the current generation of SSD devices last and (b) how long it takes before SSD sizes go up and prices come down.
That tells us that some components will be installed to system folders, maybe Program Data and the user’s AppData. That’s no reason in itself to put the main program files on the same partition.
Anyway, both of these folders can be relocated, off the default System drive. There are pros and cons. But in the present situation, with fast SSD space is at a premium, it can be worth getting quite fussy over locating stuff.