Logic - Files to back up?

Though I heard some complaints on stability when Snow Leopard was first released, I've been using Logic 9 on my Macbook with Snow Leopard and 2GB RAM for a number of months now - everything works great. No issues at all.

I would use Carbon Copy Cloner to make an exact duplicate of your drive, that way you can go back if you need to but if you're using Logic like I am and (by default I think) copying any audio into the project files then assuming you've not done anything different, all you need to do is copy your Logic folder under music.

Do you work with mainly midi / softsynths? If so, your project folder will probably be fairly small. If you're using actual audio then it'll probably be big.

Personally I'd Carbon Copy Clone the entire drive onto an external HDD, setup your computer with Snow Leopard as you want, then with the external drive plugged in, copy and paste your Logic folder (in the music folder) straight back into the new music folder.

You can also then just copy your itunes folder and documents etc if required.

That's one way of doing it anyway...

It is a good idea to backup your data. You should always have multiple redundant backups with one copy off-site. Set that up first and make sure it's working then do the upgrade.

The upgrade to Snow Leopard should not touch any of your files. You should be able to re-boot and continue right where you left off.

Logic files are not very large. The only ones that would be are if you made so long .wav files.

go to hardrive/library/application support and back up both the Logic and Garageband files

also hardrive/library/audio and back up apple loops

plus, your Logic project files must be saved somewhere yeah?

SFXsource said:

go to hardrive/library/application support and back up both the Logic and Garageband files

also hardrive/library/audio and back up apple loops

plus, your Logic project files must be saved somewhere yeah?

Click to expand...

Hi, I'm just wondering.

I'm going to back up the system drive, which the Logic files and apple loops are on, under application support on to a backup drive. Basically a clone of the system drive.

Then get another internal drive just for projects and audio and back that up to its own back hard drive.

How not to backup Logic files

Hi folks,

I have the method NOT TO USE to back up Logic files. I had weeks worth of my very best music I ever made under my Logic / project sub folder, and was worried about something happening to them. For each file I had bkup file so named in case the original file got corrupted, but had no protection against a boot drive failure...

So, I went to Finder and tried to copy the logic files. I got an error message that said, essentially, that the files had open and running cello and instrument files and could not be copied. Rather than take that as a warning not to proceed further (at all), I doubled down, went to my logic files, and made sure all my cello and instrument files were not running (not what Apple was telling me), continued and was shocked to find every Logic song I had done for 2 weeks, my most complete and meticulously made music ever, gone. Called Apple and they said I had fractured all my Logic files and they were not recoverable.

Turns out the logic files are multi-dimensional and cannot be copied like a one dimensional document file. Apple said also not to use Timeline, because of the same reason. Where in the user PDF files do they discuss that? I have read hundreds of pages of Logic manuals and darned if I remember any of this. I think this should be disclosed way up front. My music is not replaceable. When I create, I do it with riffs, by the seat of my pants. Hence what inspired me one day will not work two weeks later. My themes are very transitory. If I don't record it when it's happening, I cannot put it back together days or weeks later.

Please don't do what I did. It is catastrophic. Call Apple to get them to walk you through it unless you know exactly what you are doing...

Al

Whatever you do, don't use Finder.