Where to store sample libraries

[Yawnstrosity]

I've read some posts here that say you shouldn't store sample libraries on your main (boot) hard drive. I've been doing exactly that for years, and it has always worked out fine (on an Intel iMac). I'm not doing massive track counts, but I've got projects with six or eight VIs running at once without any problems other than having to be a bit patient about load times and not trying to do too many things at once while the sequence is running.

My question is, if I move the sample libraries to an external Firewire drive, won't that crowd the single iMac Firewire buss that my audio interface and recording drive are using? Or another way to put it: Does keeping the samples on my main drive hurt or help my system's performance, or make no difference? Thanks for any knowledge.

[mhschmieder]

It's a huge improvement over using the system drive.

I had a brief period where I had to store some sample libraries on my system drive, before a new external drive arrived. I could barely get anything done (no surprise there).

I take it you have a newer system than mine though, so it may be equivalent to the compromise that many laptop users face when they go into the studio or on-location without an external drive.

It's never ideal, but if it works for you, it works. Even so, I can't help but feel that you will still do better externally, even though the overall speed is slower, because you won't have complicated negotiations between the app and the sampler fighting for disc access.

Also, it's better for the life of your internal drive.

[Yawnstrosity]

Thanks, mhschmieder!

So you seem to be saying that, yes, it will be slower, but better for my system drive. For my Macbook Pro it's not as simple, since I use it live to play VIs.

best, RO

[mhschmieder]

Actually, I doubt it will be slower, but that is dependent on specific software and how it is programmed. You can easily get into race conditions or locking situations where two or more processes are "negotiating" back and forth for the same resources, when everything is on the system drive. Thus you resulting speed is way slower even than external connections will ever be. But it is non-deterministic.