How do you manage your sample collection
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 15 posts since 2 Jul, 2009 from Belgium
Hi everyone
I make music from several years now, mainly electronic music, using Ableton Live. Since that time, I collected a huge amount of audio samples : drums, fx, movies samples, field recordings… I have more than 20 Gb of audio sample on my hard drive.
How do you guys manage your sample library ? Mine is such a mess, it takes ages to find the right sound.
Do you use sample manager applications, or do you sort carefully the files in directories, or you just accept that mess ?
I tried some sample manager app (on mac) but it was not really convincing.
I make music from several years now, mainly electronic music, using Ableton Live. Since that time, I collected a huge amount of audio samples : drums, fx, movies samples, field recordings… I have more than 20 Gb of audio sample on my hard drive.
How do you guys manage your sample library ? Mine is such a mess, it takes ages to find the right sound.
Do you use sample manager applications, or do you sort carefully the files in directories, or you just accept that mess ?
I tried some sample manager app (on mac) but it was not really convincing.
- KVRAF
- 4764 posts since 25 Jan, 2014 from The End of The World as We Knowit
Did you try AudioFinder? I find its most important to remember what I have! (a combination of topical directories, keywords, and making the right sound from something close)
d o n 't
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- KVRAF
- 40138 posts since 11 Aug, 2008 from clown world
20GB would be like a drop in the ocean of my collection. You wouldn't even notice it going in.
Question: What does 'sort out' mean to you?
If you're just looking for say 'kick drum', can't you just do a search for 'kick''? Do you really need a sample manager to do that?
How you go about things depends on your workflow.
I just put all the stuff I purchase from BigFishAudio in a BFA folder, everything from Zero-G in a Zero-G folder etc (along with purchase information. This is all backed up on a 2nd drive of course.).
Question: What does 'sort out' mean to you?
If you're just looking for say 'kick drum', can't you just do a search for 'kick''? Do you really need a sample manager to do that?
How you go about things depends on your workflow.
I just put all the stuff I purchase from BigFishAudio in a BFA folder, everything from Zero-G in a Zero-G folder etc (along with purchase information. This is all backed up on a 2nd drive of course.).
Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
- KVRAF
- 1645 posts since 12 Dec, 2012 from Switzerland
I somehow fear that getting a tool like AudioFinder will need a lot of initial work. My sample library is more than 300GB (or even more, don't remembter) big... more than 400k files... Somehow I don't want to tag them all manually, I believe you get the idea
I manage them by folder-coloring them. Plus over time I somehow got the database in my head. I find samples fast enough when they are of a often used type (e.g. kick). The only thing I need more time, when I look for types that I don't use often.
My question would be then, how does an app like AudioFinder handle this? I guess not at all, until I tagged all 400k files manually
I manage them by folder-coloring them. Plus over time I somehow got the database in my head. I find samples fast enough when they are of a often used type (e.g. kick). The only thing I need more time, when I look for types that I don't use often.
My question would be then, how does an app like AudioFinder handle this? I guess not at all, until I tagged all 400k files manually
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- KVRAF
- 4285 posts since 31 Oct, 2004
I manage my sample packs by developers, I've always found it easier to work that way.
- KVRAF
- 6113 posts since 7 Jan, 2005 from Corporate States of America
I keep things organized by descriptive file names, in folders and subfolders that have meaningful category names. I use no tool other than the file system itself. I also don't keep lots of stuff and I've stopped collecting stuff. It just builds up to where I'd have a ton of stuff I'll likely never use. I don't download freebies or buy magazines with sample discs anymore.
Most of my "new" samples are sounds I've created myself in one tool or the other. Even then I don't save things unless they're really interesting or took a lot of effort to create. These are the samples I tend to use most later on, though I sometimes use other sourced content in samplers (instrument notes, drum hits, almost never loops).
Most of my "new" samples are sounds I've created myself in one tool or the other. Even then I don't save things unless they're really interesting or took a lot of effort to create. These are the samples I tend to use most later on, though I sometimes use other sourced content in samplers (instrument notes, drum hits, almost never loops).
- dysamoria.com
my music @ SoundCloud
my music @ SoundCloud
- KVRAF
- 2909 posts since 13 Apr, 2008 from Charleston, SC
By type and then by developer. For libraries with multiple types I tend to put them in the "type" that I use them the most. That is my Library order on Kontakt, as well as my Quick folders there.
On my SSDs that is a different story. Not super organized though I tend to keep all of similar libraries together.
On my SSDs that is a different story. Not super organized though I tend to keep all of similar libraries together.