What's the best way to (re)install Logic Studio? Need Help.

There's been a lot of confusion about the Jam Packs and how much content they actually contain. A lot of the content is in EXS sampler files, so the actual loop content is smaller. I just checked my Apple Loops folder which has all the Logic Studio jam packs, as well as the Garageband ones and iLife sound effects, and it's about 7.5 gigs.

In order to get Loop Browser to reference files on an external you have to delete the Apple Loops Index files (Drive->Library->Audio->Apple Loops Index, also might be some in User->Library->Audio->Apple Loops Index, dump content of both). Then open loop browser from within Logic and drag each jam pack folder from your external to the loop browser window. It should give you an option to index them and leave them in their original folder, and you should be good to go with that.

There is about 20gb of content that came with Soundtrack Pro, several folders worth of sound effects. I installed them directly to an external, so I'm not sure where to find them, but I THINK they're in Library->Application Support->Soundtrack Pro. (Or perhaps the same path from your user folder) The folder is called Content, or Soundtrack Pro Content, or something like that. Move that to your external and you'll have 20 more gigs.

You should have all programs, and I think sampler files, impulse responses, plug in settings, etc, on your internal drive. You can put Apple Loops and STP content on an external. Perhaps you can put actual sampler sounds on an external, but I don't know how to tell EXS to access them from your external. You could try setting up alias' and see if that works. I run everything from my internal (5400RPM) and it does fine.

I recommend a program called Grand Perspective ( http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/) Drag any folder in, or your entire HD, and it will show you a graphic of every file based on size. Then you can find if there are any folders taking up a ton of space.


Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Hey Blue,

Let me see if I can help you a bit.

Logic Studio has 28+ gb of loops. Almost 23 for STP and 6 for the Jam Packs, etc. They should be located in /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple (that's the default install loc.). Copy them to an external drive and then delete them from your main drive. Go to /Library/Audio/Apple Loops Indexes and delete those text files. Now go to /Library/Preferences/Soundtrack Pro and delete those text files, too (more Loop Indexes).

Now open Logic Pro and it will say 'No Apple Loops found'. Click 'OK' and then open your Loop Browser. Drag all the Jam Pack folders, STP folder, etc. that you want to use onto the Loop Browser. Logic will ask you if you want to 'Copy to Loops Folder' or 'Current Location'. Choose 'Current Location'. Logic will now index the loop folders.

NOTE: You can change the names of the folders to suit your liking. For example: I added the 2, 3, 4, 5 after the Jam Pack names to make it look smoother on the popup menu and changed iLife Sound Effects to Sound Effects - iLife and Apple Loops for STP to STP. Now the Jam Packs 1-5 come up first on the popup menu and the FX stay at the bottom. I likee!!

Now, if you like you can take your EXS Factory Samples and Ultrabeat Samples, 3.35 & .889 gb respectively, and copy them to an external drive. I have mine in the same place as my Jam Packs, etc. You can find these files in /Library/Application Support/Logic. Toss out the originals and put ALIASES from the external drive back into the /Lib/App Sup/Logic folder.

Also, if you open STP and click the Search tab in the right pane you will see a button that says 'Setup' next to it. Click that and you can use the checkboxes in the window to activate/deactivate any of the loop folders available.

A clean install is the best IMO if you have a little time because a) you DO NOT have to install GB at all (that saves the .aif file size - Logic Studio uses .caf files at half the size of the originals) b) Logic Studio will install the extra GB or Logic 7 content if you need it at it's reduced size. It will basically get rid of all the old clutter that you do not need. Only install what JP's you want and move the bigger stuff to an external.

Rock up Logic and it should all be in place. That procedure saved me 32.5 gb on my main drive.

NOTE #2: You have another 12 gb (if you installed all Jam Packs) that reside in the /Library/Application Support/GarageBand/Instrument Library/Sampler. These are the Jam Pack Instruments & Sampler files for World, Symphony, etc. They cannot be moved from the startup HD (as far as I can tell). So keep that in mind if you don't want a certain JP.

Hope that helps,

Dave

#1. I'm referring to the Macintosh HD/Library. Not the users/Library. Logic's default install goes into the Mac HD/Lib. Your users/Library/App Sup/Logic folder should contain many similar but mostly empty folders. This is for your presets and settings. Logic always defaults the Save commands to your User Folders i.e. User/music/logic or user/lib/app sup/logic/presets, ch. strip settings, etc. folders. Basically, the Mac HD/Lib has the Logic application settings/files and your Users/Lib folder keeps YOUR settings, preferences, etc.

#2. A clean install would be best if you bought your MBP already loaded. The Apple install puts 1 gb of printer drivers alone + Demo software, etc. My basic OS X Tiger install is about 6.5 gb. Then I load Logic Studio. However, if you are not comfortable with Erasing your hard drive don't do it.

If you just want to re-install Logic, I found that you should go to Mac HD/Library/Receipts and trash all receipts related to the Logic Studio install. If you try to re-install Logic without removing some receipts then the option to install some things will be grayed out. Rock up the Logic Sudio Install cd and see which ones are grayed out; then go throw those receipts out and re-rock up the LS Install cd again. It should re-search and show all items installable. This means any Logic, Jam Pack Symphony, World, Remix, etc. & Extreme Analog/Dig Lib & all GB, & Audio content for STP A, B, C+etc. At this time you can tell the install cd where to put your loops. Mac HD path or external HD path (this saves you the step of moving and re-indexing them later but you cannot rename them).

NOTE: I do not use GargageBand and my older GB 2 would not play any of the .caf files anyway. If you never care to use GB again then throw out the Mac HD/Library/Application Support/GarageBand folder and let Logic create a new one. Remember, the Jam Pack Instruments and Sampler Files will go in here and the Logic Studio EXS Sampler, etc. files will be in Mac HD/Lib/App Sup/Logic so you need both folders.

Hope I didn't confuse you with all this,

Dave

I've looked in the Soundtrack Pro folders that came up when I searched "Soundtrack Pro" in the Finder (including the App Support folders) and only got a couple small files totaling about 6 or 7 Mb (mostly Plug-in Settings). So those sound effects must be located elsewhere. I tried searching "sound effects" but found nothing relevant. Same for "STP Content". Any more suggestions?

Do a spotlight search for a folder called 'apple loops for soundtrack pro' and you should find that 20gb of loops. Check out this thread for a little more info about this content.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5566272&#5566272

Hey Blue,

I just got your question about the .caf files.

My GUESS is that they are in the Apple Losseless Format which does not alter the quality. Apple Lossless cuts file sizes by about half +/- while mp3's are destructive at a 10:1 ratio.

Here's a link to another discussion about .caf files. Hopefully someone can expound on this more:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6034121&#6034121

Dave

Hey Blue. CAF actually stands for Core Audio File. It's what they call a 'wrapper' format, and for the Apple Loops they use Apple Lossless Format 'wrapped' as a CAF file.

Check out this article for much more information on this format.


http://developer.apple.com/documentation/MusicAudio/Reference/CAFSpec/CAFoverview/chapter_2_section2.html

Hey Dave,

Is there and option before you install Logic Studio, that allows you to chose a directory for your Audio Content and Jam Packs?

Or is your previous mentioned method the only way of having your loops and samples in an external hard drive?

I just bought a Western Digital 500gb Studio Edition External. I bought for it 7200RPM, 16mb buffer and it firewire capabilities. My MB just on't be able to handle a lot of tracks at once.

Yes.

When running the installer use Custom Install. Click the triangle next to Logic Studio Content and it will show all the Jam Packs and Soundtrack Pro content. Click those triangles and you will see your Loops/Instruments Location folder defaulted to Apple/Apple Loops/Library/Mac HD. Click that pop-up menu and choose any location you want.

Hope that helps,

Dave

It did thank you Dave.

Is that a better alternative than just moving it?

Thanks again!