Beginners guide to file management?

Endvogue · 2025-03-24T19:05:07+00:00

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Hi all!

I'm just setting up Komplete 15 on a new MacbookPro with 1TB storage. I clicked 'Install All' and went to sleep. My entire drive filled up with lots more in the queue!

What NI components should I always keep local and what can be offloaded to an external SSD drive?
- What is the best practice here?
- Where do I find the stuff I already downloaded that is clogging my CPU (to move it to my external drive)?

How should I set up Native Access file management preferences?

How should I organize all my Plugin and Sound Packs files?

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Vocalpoint

This is my setup (I am on Windows - but the same general layout applies for the Mac):

1 - Set your downloads folder on the Mac

2 - Leave the App folder as default

3 - This is the big one - content needs to go on the biggest (with most space free) drive you can muster. In your case - I would strongly recommend getting an external drive to pair up with your new Komplete purchase.

Now - there is no requirement to install every single product from your Komplete bundle - you can pick and choose - but for long term planning and least amount of hassle factor - due to Apple's (generally) tiny internal system drives - most serious folks do not install content to the internal. As you already found out - Komplete can easily take all the space very quickly.

Important secondary note - each product requires 3x the advertised disk space to install.

EX: If a Komplete item is 7GB in size:

You need 7GB in the Downloads folder to get it in the first place

7GB more to unpack it and then another 7GB (presumably on the Content drive) to actually install it.

The prior 14GB will be autocleaned following a successful install - but you can see where this is going.

Endvogue

Thanks so much VP!!!

These are my current Native Access install locations:

I have a Samsung T7 4TB SSD coming today. I'm going to:

move everything NI out of /users/shared/ into folders on this new SSD drive

is there anything I should NOT move that is NI-related from this location?
is there a file structure on the external drive I should be following?

then I will change my Access default location for Content only and continue my downloads/installs

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/218081#Comment_218081

I would use the Created Date filestamps as my guide. You will quickly see when the NI stuff started to hit the drive. That Adobe stuff looks like hands off. Same with AvidVideo Engine and who knows what else.

On your new external - do like I did - Create a first level folder called Native Instruments and MOVE all your NI stuff here.

Then fire up Native Access - you will most likely encounter a host of red alerts, flags and other scary stuff saying your content is missing. Use the Locate function in Native Access to "point" to each missing item to its (now moved) matching folder (now in the new location on the new T7) and let Native Access update that new location.

Depending on how many things are missing - this could take a while. And then of course - before leaving NA - make sure to update that content location.

Jojo123

Hope you see this before you install your libraries to the T7. AFAIK these Samsung T series drives still come with an ExFat filesystem. You want to reformat to APFS. Do not use ExFat or you will be in for a world of trouble.

Also its wise to keep a sizable portion of your system drive free. I don't know how full yours actually got but I'd make it a priority to get stuff off there ASAP. The OS needs plenty of space to "move" and installs is just one example. Id recommend leaving at least 250 GB free on that 1 TB system drive. Mines a 500 GB drive and I leave more, like 30% to facilitate installs like NIs bigger libraries.

Endvogue

You guys absolutely rock - ty ty ty

Jojo great catch! I stopped my downloads and moved what I could back to the system drive temporarily. Lost like 300GB but was able to erase + reformat my T7 to APFS. Everything’s back on track now.

Questions…

What should I NOT keep on my external drive (music prod wise)?
Are Expansions, Sample Packs, and backups/archives really the only safe bet?
Do people keep all their VSTs on an external drive as well? Is there read/write speed or latency to consider?

Endvogue

I hear people talk about keeping the “actual programs” on your system but all the “libraries” on your external. Just want to make sure I get the separation and workflow down correctly.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/218218#Comment_218218

Correct. Executable programs , plugins etc belong on the system drive with the OS.

Anything that is static in nature - like Expansions, huge Kontakt libraries, samples, loops etc go on the “content” drive

Jojo123

Glad you only got to 300GB so good job on you checking in. Not sure what DAW you're using, Im on Logic. I think your thread title is good and learning file systems is probably the most important thing to kickstart you off in the right direction. Never move anything once installed until you have a grasp of whats involved. That can come a bit later. You also have a decent sized Samsung 4TB.. That should give you lots of elbow room. One other thing I'd strongly recommend is getting another drive for a backup. Especially for own stuff and your projects. One version is not enough and should disaster strike, if thats all you have, the implications are unthinkable if you value your projects.

Another tip is never store Logic files in the cloud, unless you zip them first. A lot of people have ended up with corrupt files doing this.

Endvogue

thanks again jojo and vp!

Endvogue

I decided to go with

Session files on my local system drive
T7 SSD Time Machine drive for daily backups of system
T7 SSD Content drive for sample libraries and expansions

I know they say that a separate drive for session files is ideal but three externals on a laptop is hard. There are only three ports and I dont want to go through a hub for read/write operations. When my session files start getting too big I’ll archive what’s finished. At least this way I’ll be reading off the SSD and writing to the system drive in many instances.

Got a really cool T7 pocket for the back of the Retina display: https://a.co/d/8kRii8G

I also got a powered usb c hub for the remaining kit: https://a.co/d/4hNXw5V

Endvogue

I also have chosen to NOT go cloud at this point in time. Syncing my computers to cloud has given me pains (accidentally deleting content files, aliases deleting source folders). Plus the syncing has to be paused when you’re writing music. It’s just messy af. Thoughts on this?

Jojo123

I wouldn't do cloud and any realtime music. Too many issues as you've seen.

Powered hub? wise choice.

From what I understand you've said, you will still only have 1 copy for your projects. Which ever way you slice it, (the point you move your session files off the internal to archive them) one copy is still only one copy no matter where it resides, which as Ive said is not enough if you value your work and don't want to play russian roulette. Of course its up to you, but disaster never strikes - until it does.

Assuming you do care about your work, Id either put your backups as data at rest on one of those 4TB content drives (you wont be reading and writing to them) or get another drive, which you'd only need to plug in to back up your work . Even a good working spinner if you have one lying around would do. I use one for a 3rd backup. It doesnt need to be fast as its data at rest. Another consideration is to have another backup offsite in case some disaster strikes.

Bear in mind there are some limits with TM. For one thing NI warns against using TM to restore any apps should your OS go bellyup for any reason. They need to be re-installed fresh. Some time ago you could restore your OS from TM, but not now. For a clean install you either have to use an installer placed on an external/thumb drive which you boot from, or do it online though Apple and the first option is more difficult on silicon computers. That said I certainly wouldn't discourage people from using TM. Outside of a few preference/settings files I personally find theres little use for it for what I do. I like to handle my own backup operations and my Mac is only used for music, so I have more of a narrow field to look at.

Endvogue

Thanks Jojo.

Since I’m writing sessions to my system drive and backing up once a day via TM there will be another copy. Will increasing that frequency have any negative effects on active sessions? Like what I ran into with cloud syncing?

Also TM does appear to be outdated and lacks options. Can you offer up your alternative perhaps? It would be cool to backup across different source/targets and even go to the cloud (for data at rest). And have better scheduling. I just figured this was my only option but saying that out loud makes me laugh at myself.

Endvogue

Also I’m trying to decide what should go directly into 2 of the 3 usb c ports on the MacBook. 1 must be reserved for the usb c powered hub.

Config 1:

Samples SSD and Backup SSD

(Audio interface will go through powered hub)

Config 2:

Samples SSD and Audio Interface

(backup SSD will go through powered hub which claims to have 10Gbps data-only xfer speeds - but I will test)

I’m tempted to go with Config 2 to rule out any latency introduced by the hub going to/from the audio interface.

Then the hub will connect the backup SSD plus midi controllers and dongles etc.

Jojo123

Its always helpful if you state your full spec list so people are better able to answer you. ie Computer, year, OS version, soundcard, DAW, what NI products you run, what other 3rd party libs, how heavy is your usage etc etc.

When you said " TM drive for daily backups of system" I took that to mean the OS not sessions/projects.

Anyway, AFAIK TM can be activated manually to run backups. I wouldn't want it running while Im working. Its a long time since I used it. What put me off was that over time there were a steady flow of comments about glitchy behaviour which in my view you cant afford for your own personal files. Doesn't matter about the OS that can be replaced. Not your own stuff if theres only one version.

As for manually backup my projects, I have it organized so I know what to get in the quickest most efficient way, and where to copy it. It involves a heavy reliance on date/timestamps and utilizing sorting options Finder offers. For this use case, largely what it comes down to is finding a workable tradeoff between how often you want to backup vs how much does it matter if you lose a few minutes work vs a few hours vs a few days.

Only you can answer that if you take that route. Manual backups do require you to have your wits about you. Mistakes can easily happen, but I still trust my own backups more than I trust the OS or any 3rd party app for that matter.

For various setup configs, a lot of it will come down to how much of a heavy user you are ie what type of libraries and how much of a resource hog they are, typical track count, how many FXs etc.

So yeah, dont get ahead of yourself and give yourself time to consider and learn the ropes of file work and keeping it healthy. That and local backups are top priorities.

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