Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

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buzzsmith
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Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by buzzsmith »

RESOLVED!

For some reason, and on a hunch, when presented with the "Caution STEAM Folder not found. Would you like to locate it?", I tried actually going back to the Macintosh HD path (which is not the startup drive right this minute) and it found it through that path. (Macintosh HD/Users/BuzzySmith/Library/Application Support/Spectrasonics/STEAM (alias))

I have no idea why Spectrasonics wanted to see the path through Drive 1 (SSD) to Drive 2 (Macintosh HD) to Drive 3 (VIs and Plug-ins). But both are now functioning. I'll leave this post up in case it might be of some benefit down the road for others.
**********************************************************************************************

Briefly, I've managed to create a secondary SSD startup drive with Mountain Lion and DP 8.06.

The goal has been to get everything working on the SSD without affecting my very stable primary drive with SL (10.6.8) and DP 8.01.

I'm down to 2 VI manufacturers whose products aren't functioning as they should...Spectrasonics and FXpansion (BFD2).

I have not contacted FXpansion, yet. (BFD2 is showing an ominous "Need to reinstall" dialog.)

However, I have been in contact with Spectrasonics' very friendly Customer Support (Jonathan), but, in spite of his best email efforts and guidance, I still can't get Trilian or Omnisphere to accept the STEAM folder that I know is working with SL and my original drive.
I did manage to reauthorize both VIs. (Stylus is fine.)

I'm pretty sure that I won't hear back from CS until Tuesday with the long weekend.

So, as to not cloud the issue, before I list what I've/we've tried I'm open to any tips as to how to keep the older currently working system intact, but somehow get Trilian and Omnisphere, while running DP 8.06 from the SSD, to use the functioning STEAM folder which is located on a third drive that I simply named "VIs and Plugins".

I'm assuming that there must be some fellow members who have gone through this dual boot scenario that might be of assistance.

Thanks!

Buzzy

(I have not upgraded either VI to the newest version as, if memory serves, they are not compatible with SL. I don't think that this is an issue as it has not come up in the email exchanges with Jonathan.)
Last edited by buzzsmith on Sat May 24, 2014 1:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...can't fin

Post by James Steele »

I can't say I'm going to be of much help, but does this involve having to place an alias of your sounds folder somewhere on your main drive, fooling your plug-in into thinking the sounds are there?

The reason I ask is that I had to reformat my main drive due to some issues, and this ended up causing me to have to deal with Toontrack's convoluted scheme for locating EZ Drummer's (original version) sounds library. I made the alias and it didn't work right, even though it should have. I ended up having to create an "extra" EZ Drummer folder, nested inside ANOTHER EZ Drummer folder for it to find my sounds on my Sample Libraries drive.

Here's my point: All developers should implement a little menu item on their plugs where the user can reset the PATH/PATHS to its sounds. Having to run a Sound Mover utility or not have this be transparent is a pain in the butt!!!
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...can't fin

Post by buzzsmith »

James Steele wrote:I can't say I'm going to be of much help, but does this involve having to place an alias of your sounds folder somewhere on your main drive, fooling your plug-in into thinking the sounds are there?

The reason I ask is that I had to reformat my main drive due to some issues, and this ended up causing me to have to deal with Toontrack's convoluted scheme for locating EZ Drummer's (original version) sounds library. I made the alias and it didn't work right, even though it should have. I ended up having to create an "extra" EZ Drummer folder, nested inside ANOTHER EZ Drummer folder for it to find my sounds on my Sample Libraries drive.

Here's my point: All developers should implement a little menu item on their plugs where the user can reset the PATH/PATHS to its sounds. Having to run a Sound Mover utility or not have this be transparent is a pain in the butt!!!
I agree!

All I can offer is that I must have created the alias(es) years ago when I installed the updates. The email from Jonathan wasn't clear (or I'm obtuse) that the path to the actual STEAM folder was routed through the previous main HD not creating one on the new SSD.

So in my case, the instance of Trilian or Omnisphere ignored the new alias located exactly where I understood it was to go on the SSD (and even defaulted to that exact location when it asked if I'd like to locate it), and instead wanted to see the alias on Macintosh HD.

6 hours or so that I won't get back!

Buzzy
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...can't fin

Post by Shooshie »

James Steele wrote:Here's my point: All developers should implement a little menu item on their plugs where the user can reset the PATH/PATHS to its sounds. Having to run a Sound Mover utility or not have this be transparent is a pain in the butt!!!
+1
That can be the biggest pain in the rumpus. Also, it would be nice if it became common to have a simple chart that shows where the currently used samples are physically located. That should be easy to access, and not require digging through a manual to find out how to do it.

Sometimes I find that one of my VIs is using an old folder of samples on another drive somewhere, and I have no idea how it found that, or why it decided to start using it, but when I install new samples, they aren't anywhere to be found in the interface. That's when I have to do the detective work and figure out where it's all located, what it's seeing, and so forth. What would be so doggone hard about a management page in every VI on planet Earth? It should be a no-brainer. I think the DX-7 was easier to use in that regard than some of these modern sample libraries.

Shooshie
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by James Steele »

This is what happened to me. I launched EZ Drummer and inexplicably it told me that my sounds were not there. I ended up burning up an hour or more trying to straighten it out. I created an alias to the "EZ Drummer" folder on my "Sample Libraries" drive. I verified that it went to the right place. EZ Drummer threw up an error message saying it couldn't find the sounds at "Sample Libraries/Toontrack Sounds/EZ Drummer/EZ Drummer" Note the redundant EZ Drummer there. That's not where the alias went. That second EZ Drummer folder did NOT exist. Logically I tried making an alias that went to "Sample Libraries/Toontrack Sounds" hoping EZ Drummer would then supply the redundant EZ Drummer folder in the path and find them. No luck.

Solution? Going against my anal retentive nature, I acquiesced to EZ Drummer's demand and set the alias how it was before, then created an EZ Drummer folder INSIDE the EZ Drummer folder as it wanted and moved the sounds there. Bingo. I'd been thinking at some point of redoing my system and maybe getting EZ Drummer 2, but this has cooled my jets just a bit. This process needs to be simplified since most users DO store sounds on drivers other than their system drive.

By the way... on a somewhat related note, I'm seriously considering getting a second monitor for my MacPro1,1 machine that I put out to pasture when I got the MacPro4,1 ( :) ) and moving all my email, office, and other chores to that machine and wiping my studio machine completely and setting it up to be a SINGLE PURPOSE CREATIVE MACHINE. Audio production and eventually video editing ONLY. No office software... no web surfing... no emailing. A... DEDICATED... MACHINE. If I want to send an email, I'll need to have the discipline to get up, go to another part of the house and use my "office machine." Period.

I'm becoming a convert to this way of thinking.
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by Shooshie »

James Steele wrote:By the way... on a somewhat related note, I'm seriously considering getting a second monitor for my MacPro1,1 machine that I put out to pasture when I got the MacPro4,1 ( :) ) and moving all my email, office, and other chores to that machine and wiping my studio machine completely and setting it up to be a SINGLE PURPOSE CREATIVE MACHINE. Audio production and eventually video editing ONLY. No office software... no web surfing... no emailing. A... DEDICATED... MACHINE. If I want to send an email, I'll need to have the discipline to get up, go to another part of the house and use my "office machine." Period.

I'm becoming a convert to this way of thinking.
I'd do that, but I'd have to put the office machine in a different state, so that I'd have get up, go to the car, drive to another state, THEN do an email. Knowing me, I'd probably be complaining the whole time of the long drives several times a day just to do emails.

But I used to do that. For 20 years I did that. Well, not exactly that way. But I'd switch "Locations" to do Digital Performer. It wouldn't even load the drivers if I didn't switch locations. And in that location, I couldn't access the internet, printer, or anything else. It made my computer pretty much a single purpose machine when set up for DP.

You know, you could still do something similar by having two user accounts on your computer, and you couldn't access DP in one, and couldn't access the internet in the other. Not as restrictive, but still a mild barrier against interruption.

Shoosh
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by FMiguelez »

Shooshie wrote:
James Steele wrote:. No office software... no web surfing... no emailing. A... DEDICATED... MACHINE. If I want to send an email, I'll need to have the discipline to get up, go to another part of the house and use my "office machine." Period.

I'm becoming a convert to this way of thinking.

You know, you could still do something similar by having two user accounts on your computer, and you couldn't access DP in one, and couldn't access the internet in the other. Not as restrictive, but still a mild barrier against interruption.
Screen sharing works perfect for that, and it's even faster and simpler than different accounts or changing rooms.
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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by frankf »

James Steele wrote: By the way... on a somewhat related note, I'm seriously considering getting a second monitor for my MacPro1,1 machine that I put out to pasture when I got the MacPro4,1 ( :) ) and moving all my email, office, and other chores to that machine and wiping my studio machine completely and setting it up to be a SINGLE PURPOSE CREATIVE MACHINE. Audio production and eventually video editing ONLY. No office software... no web surfing... no emailing. A... DEDICATED... MACHINE. If I want to send an email, I'll need to have the discipline to get up, go to another part of the house and use my "office machine." Period.

I'm becoming a convert to this way of thinking.
I'd go for it James. I've been working this way for years. Music related only on the Mac Pro and everything else on the laptop. I have a unique email address that I use to forward music related email from the laptop to Mail on the MP which is the only active email account there, but I only open Mail when I need this service. I use file sharing also to move files on our LAN. I also use Safari on the MP to download music related files and apps. Safari also remains closed unless I need it. This has worked well for me- my music MP has remained lean and relatively clean. Very little background accessing the Internet. Ive never tried the other solutions mentioned here because I'm happy with the 2 Mac setup.

I DO keep DP8 on the MacBook Pro. I use it for editing when traveling and as part my film music seminar. Neither are heavy loads. Sort of the reverse of what we're talking about. I've thought of a separate user account for this application, but haven't needed it yet.



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Re: Spectrasonics and new SSD drive with DP 8.06...RESOLVED

Post by James Steele »

Thanks for the input guys. I would probably still do email on the studio Mac and also have Safari on it for the occasional download of updates, etc. Also Transmit for FTP as needed. Many of the same general purpose apps would be on it, but the idea is to not load it up with lots of software that isn't necessary to doing creative work on it and thus avoid conflicts, etc.

Just thinking out loud on this one. :)
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