KVR Audio

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Mon Jul 29, 2019 7:30 pm

I was hoping for some recommendations. I'm looking to move from a desktop to fully working on a laptop. I'm spoiled with the desktop because I have several internal drives.

I was wondering what everybody is using for their large sample libraries when working on a laptop.

Thanks!

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 5:04 am

I've been using Seagate USB drives for several years, and have had good luck with them. I currently have this 2TB model connected to my notebook computer:

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-model-st ... 6822178438

It transfers data up to 120MB/s. It's not the very fastest external HDD money can buy, but it works for me, and the price was nice. If you need the absolute most speed in an external drive, there are always external SSD drives, but they are pricey.

Last week, the internal SSD died on my notebook computer. It was a small, 160GB Intel drive. I replaced it with this roomy Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD:

https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/me ... 6e1t0b-am/

I used to use my external USB HDD drive to hold all my sample libraries, and that worked ok, especially for smaller libraries, but I just finished moving NI Komplete to my new internal SSD. So far, everything is working great! This drive is not only much faster than a regular HDD, either internal or external, it's even much faster than the old Intel SSD it replaced!

Distorted Horizon · Post by **Distorted Horizon** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 6:15 am

128gb sd card

dentnile · Post by **dentnile** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:15 am

Samsung T5, 2 TB, attached to laptop lid with velcro. Super light, plenty of space. I am super happy with this setup as I move between machines.

myoss · Post by **myoss** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:54 am

dentnile wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:15 am Samsung T5, 2 TB, attached to laptop lid with velcro. Super light, plenty of space. I am super happy with this setup as I move between machines.

In my case it’s ADATA SD700 1TB for NI Komplete 12U. I’ve also attached it to macbook plastic lid case with hanging strips. Works quite well, the only disadvantage is that it’s draining battery power when macbook is in sleep, not turned off.

jackson881 · Post by **jackson881** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 12:49 pm

McLilith wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 5:04 am I've been using Seagate USB drives for several years, and have had good luck with them. I currently have this 2TB model connected to my notebook computer:

https://www.newegg.com/seagate-model-st ... 6822178438

It transfers data up to 120MB/s. It's not the very fastest external HDD money can buy, but it works for me, and the price was nice. If you need the absolute most speed in an external drive, there are always external SSD drives, but they are pricey.

Last week, the internal SSD died on my notebook computer. It was a small, 160GB Intel drive. I replaced it with this roomy Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD:

https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/me ... 6e1t0b-am/

I used to use my external USB HDD drive to hold all my sample libraries, and that worked ok, especially for smaller libraries, but I just finished moving NI Komplete to my new internal SSD. So far, everything is working great! This drive is not only much faster than a regular HDD, either internal or external, it's even much faster than the old Intel SSD it replaced!

Thanks for the reply! Are you only using a few of the NI Komplete libraries? I would love to only buy a 1TB drive, but I didn't think 1TB would be enough for the OS, Apps, and Komplete as well.

I've been thinking about pairing down my libraries to only necessities, so I can buy a smaller drive.

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:48 pm

A 1TB drive will easily hold NI Komplete 12, plus OS, plus all my apps, with most of the space left over. Keep in mind, that's just regular Komplete 12, not Komplete 12 Ultimate, nor Komplete 12 Ultimate Collector's edition. Here are the sizes of each version's library, according to the NI website:

Komplete 12: over 220 GB

Komplete 12 Ultimate: over 600 GB

Komplete 12 Ultimate Collector's Edition: over 900 GB

I wouldn't recommend installing Komplete Ultimate on my 1TB internal SSD. It would fit, and I'm sure it would run ok, but that one piece of software alone would take up most of the drive. It's bad for an SSD to be overly full. They start slowing down after they're half-filled. They also tend to fail sooner if they're very full. The fuller they get, the more of a factor this is. I plan to conservatively limit my SSD to a maximum of somewhere between 50% and 75% full. Hopefully, that will maximize its lifespan and performance. If I had either Komplete Ultimate, or the Collector's edition, I'd want at least a 2TB internal drive. That, or not store everything on the internal SSD.

I don't own any huge libraries by other developers. If I owned a few of those, I'd either need a larger internal SSD, or I'd need to store them externally.

I hope you find some of this helpful.

redlester · Post by **redlester** » Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:31 pm

McLilith wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:48 pm It's bad for an SSD to be overly full. They start slowing down after they're half-filled. They also tend to fail sooner if they're very full. The fuller they get, the more of a factor this is. I plan to conservatively limit my SSD to a maximum of somewhere between 50% and 75% full.

Is this not more applicable for drives which are being written to regularly? I was under the impression that if a drive is used almost exclusively for read-only uses (sample libraries) that it was less of an issue?

What external HD are you using for samples when working on a laptop?