how do you organize your sample library?

[ceremony74]

I was wondering what is the best way to organize a sample library. today i have an external lacie disk (250gb) plugged in the firewire interface of my imac g5. there i have sub-folders for each sample library i have. i like to copy the cd-roms because i can have faster and easire access to them.

any other methods or advices?

[MoreGuitars]

I have many, but I must admit my library is a disorganized mess. I would also love to hear some organizational tips.

[MitchG]

My sample and loop library was out of control -- to the point where it was faster trying to find the CD-ROMs than to try to find something on hard disk.

 

Recently, I went through and took the time to really focus and dedicate, removing things that served duplicate functions. So BFD is now my drummer, and I have a dedicated 200GB drive for it. Ivory is my acoustic piano, and it's on another 200GB drive with my Kontakt library. The Kontakt library has been cleaned out, as I don't need electric piano (AAS Lounge Lizard handles that), organ (handled by B4), ethnic percussion (RA), I play bass and guitar, so no need for those samples, and so on. Kontakt library now just contains things I don't have available elsewhere.

 

I have a third 200GB drive that houses large East-West libraries/instruments -- Symphonic Orchestra Platinum, Symphonic Choirs, Colossus, RA, Sounds of Polynesia.

 

I have a lot of loop libraries, and I'm still working through those. My plan is to standardize on a format, then dedicate a drive to loops as well.

 

I added KORE a week or two ago, and I expect that to really help with cataloging and managing everything.

 

Having some sort of management system in place was key for enhancing my productivity in my studio -- option anxiety can be paralizing! And there's nothing worse than losing inspiration because you're forced to weed through mountains of "stuff" to find the sound you want....

[Anderton]

>

 

Hey Mitch, I would be REALLY interested to hear your opinions on this.

 

As to organization, I think you pretty much have it nailed. For loop CDs, let me recommend NOT putting them on your hard drive, but having a really good CD storage option. I find that most sample CDs are "themed" so if I can find the CD easily, I can find the loops I want. When I save the project, the loops get saved with it so I don't have to put the CD in on subsequent edits.

 

The HC newsletter that goes out on Sunday (you are signed up, right?) has a review of the Atlantic Inc. "Oskar 1080" storage unit, which I've found to be a godsend! You'd dig it too.

[amplayer]

 

Originally posted by Anderton > Hey Mitch, I would be REALLY interested to hear your opinions on this. As to organization, I think you pretty much have it nailed. For loop CDs, let me recommend NOT putting them on your hard drive, but having a really good CD storage option.

 

 

I can certainly understand this option, but for me, it is too inconvenient to use CDs. I store them on the hard drives, and I don't mind the extra costs/hassle of all the extra storage (including backup).

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

My ones are organized by instrument names:

 

Bass

Brass - Horn Sections

Choir

Drum - Percussion

Drum - Sets

Guitars

Keyboards

Orchestra

Selfmade

Synthesizer

 

The patches and the samples are stored in folders with exact the same name. Each sampling software has it's own HD, and are named after that software.

I made a little screenshot from the EXS-24 HD, see below.

 

New libraries like VSL, Artist Drums etc., i leave as they where at installation. There was a day i had to come up with a very simple organisation for fast access

 

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