Where To Put What - Logic, Etc. Options

[rcross73]

Hello everyone. I will be receiving my new Mac in a couple of days, and I want to know where to put what files to optimize performance of my audio software. Here are the details:

System:
15.4" MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 120 GB 5400rpm HD
External HD: 250 GB 7200rpm via Firewire 800 (WD MyBookPro - also brand new)

Running:
Logic Express 7.2
Reason 3.0.5 (usually via ReWire as a slave to Logic)
Reason Drum Kits 2.0 (big, and and with various other refills as well)
GarageBand Jam Packs 1 and 4 (a big one)
Line6 GearBox (and I think I might buy the plug-in upgrade)
Amplitube 2.0 (and I might also buy NI Guitar Rig 2.0)

So I assume that all of my programs themselves should be installed on the internal hard drive, and that I should record all of my audio files to the external hard drive. But what about the plug-ins, samples, etc. (Reason Drum Kits, refills, Jam Packs, Amplitube, et. al.)? Do these go on the external? Or will that be bad for performance? Simply put, what goes where?

Thanks in advance.

[fishboisfo]

Hello --

I understand the confusion as well as the enigma. Here was my solution ( in fact, I still use this method ). I load all my samples onto my peripheral. Before I start a project, I will use a simple and relatively inexpensive program I have called audio finder. Here is the website URL: http://www.icedaudio.com/

I will go through and select out all the loops i think are relative and groovy to my composition. Audio finder is also an editor, so I can change and/ or pitch-time shift and save as i want. I will then drop all of my selected files into my sequencer -- I use Pro Tools and Ableton Live 6. Drop 'em all in to my new track and save them as a project. That way all the samples I'm going to use are on my desktop and saved to my hard drive -- so my processor isn't constantly trying to access files from my other hard drive. I will then open a new project, and use this file as my source audio. It saves a TON on my CPU as well as keeps everything where I want it to be. I will save all files to this file - such as my analog and vocal recordings and synth recordings. When everything is finished, I will drop that folder and my sequencing master track folder onto my peripheral for backup, and save the space on my harddrive.

I hope that helps -- Its just a solution I've used with relative success when I had really limited RAM and CPU power -- My system is much better now, but this procedure still is how I will do things.