Moving Files To External SSD Drive

Antonio B · 2025-04-14T17:18:57+00:00

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Hi - I want to move my NI project, sound, sample files to an external ssd drive (that is backed up) to create more HD space on my Mac Mini. Is this going to be a huge headach? Should I just store future files on the SSD External or is is there a way to do this without getting a migrain? Thanks

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rephazed

I currently do this on my MacBook. I've got an external SSD drive where I store most of my heavy content, including many of the Maschine expansions that take 1GB+. The process is relatively straight forward, but could be easier. My Content Location is set to my MacBook and that's where I typically install stuff (i.e. /Users/Shared/NI). So what I do is: 1. Install expansion, 2. Move the folder off that location to my SD drive, then inside Native Access hit "Repair" button and then relocate option and point at the new location. This has worked fine for me as I don't really install all that frequently and the updates will reflect the new path structure.

victorp.sg

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/221797#Comment_221797

Never, never mess with Komplete Kontrol, Kontakt, Maschine, and other NI apps that can run standalone (such as Battery) "Library → Factory" content location settings unless you absolutely know what you are doing. Native Access (NA) does the writing and updating of factory content location paths across all the above apps setting files.

D-One

Apps & plugins go on the internal storage, intrument libraries (what actually takes a lot of space) goes all into external.

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Antonio B

* Note - I would mainly like to move most of the expansions in the shared folder (Mac) because thats the biggest share of sample libraries other than Lunaris. Thx

rephazed

Antonio B

Thanks! Ya, I tried repairing in Maschine and it was a mess. I didn't think about using access. I'll give it a try 😁🤞

victorp.sg

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/221797#Comment_221797

Antonio B

Thanks for the tip. I only moved my Lunaris samples off (lrgest sample library) and fixed through kontact menu which worked good - including the user Lunaris sound patches I created in Maschine (which surprised me). I think I'll leave it at that and simply save me future project files (saved with samples) onto ssd drive. The most important thing I've done though is use my Mac mini strictly for music only, cleaning everything else off, and iMac/laptop for design work. My brain feels much better now!

rephazed

If you have a good, fast SSD drive, having content on it feels like having it on your main HD. I have a MBP M2 with a 2TB SSD built in, but because I do Audio & Video, I need to keep about a TB empty. I added 2 x SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO Portable SSDs as an expansion, one dedicated to music and one to video and loading times are identical to internal NVME drive. It's a little pricey, but it's rugged, durable, and so far zero problems even with bigger libraries like Fables, Lores.

Antonio B

Thanks, really good to know - that really is my main concern. I'm wondering if I should just put it all on the SSD? Or should I have the actual apps running on the Mac mini and everything else on the external drive? 🤔 Mac charges ridiculous for their storage ($200 more for the 500gb) so I bought the 250gb Mac Mini (on sale for 500) and bought a 1TB external SSD for 100.00. seemed a way better way to go.

D-One

Apps & plugins go on the internal storage, intrument libraries (what actually takes a lot of space) goes all into external.

Antonio B

Yes, that's what I've decided on doing. Thanks.

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