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Sharing Logic projects between two Macs???


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I suppose you could work with a project in iCloud, but I haven't personally tried it and would assume there may be issues associated with it, especially with streaming the audio files, unless you can keep a local copy of the audio files. You would still have to save the project in order for the file to be updated on iCloud, so the workflow wouldn't be much faster from working with a project saved locally, saving it then backing it up on iCloud.
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I suppose you could work with a project in iCloud, but I haven't personally tried it and would assume there may be issues associated with it, especially with streaming the audio files, unless you can keep a local copy of the audio files. You would still have to save the project in order for the file to be updated on iCloud, so the workflow wouldn't be much faster from working with a project saved locally, saving it then backing it up on iCloud.

 

Thanks, David. Yes...what you said at the very end. That's what I want to do. How would I back up a Logic Project on iCloud after saving it locally?

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I have tried working on a project in iCloud. It was an total train wreck, wouldn't recommend.

 

What happens is this:

You create a project in your iCloud folder on computer A and record into it. All closed files (finished recordings, closed project files) are uploaded to the Apple server. On computer B these files will download eventually (as quick as network bandwidth permits) and you can use them there. So all files are copied twice, through the internet. This can be quite slow, depending on your connection.

 

Also, file locations in iCloud aren't what they seem. There is no visible folder 'iCloud' on your computer with your stuff in it. Instead, it's a hidden folder with cryptic names inside Library/Application Support. Now, MacOS normally handles this for you in the background so you don't even notice, but if you are building and saving Sampler instruments to iCloud, the paths to the samples, which are written into the instrument, will end up pointing to invisible audio files in a hidden location on computer A. These Sampler instruments may work on computer A, but certainly won't on computer B. And trying to salvage these on computer A will be difficult since the used audio files are invisible (with a dot in front of the file names) so you either can't see them or break the Sampler instrument. In any case, much of the work you put into these Sampler instruments will be destroyed.

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I have tried working on a project in iCloud. It was an total train wreck, wouldn't recommend.

 

What happens is this:

You create a project in your iCloud folder on computer A and record into it. All closed files (finished recordings, closed project files) are uploaded to the Apple server. On computer B these files will download eventually (as quick as network bandwidth permits) and you can use them there. So all files are copied twice, through the internet. This can be quite slow, depending on your connection.

 

Also, file locations in iCloud aren't what they seem. There is no visible folder 'iCloud' on your computer with your stuff in it. Instead, it's a hidden folder with cryptic names inside Library/Application Support. Now, MacOS normally handles this for you in the background so you don't even notice, but if you are building and saving Sampler instruments to iCloud, the paths to the samples, which are written into the instrument, will end up pointing to invisible audio files in a hidden location on computer A. These Sampler instruments may work on computer A, but certainly won't on computer B. And trying to salvage these on computer A will be difficult since the used audio files are invisible (with a dot in front of the file names) so you either can't see them or break the Sampler instrument. In any case, much of the work you put into these Sampler instruments will be destroyed.

 

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello,

All that I have read about sharing a Logic Pro project between two Macs seems to me uselessly complicated.

I do it with my daughter since around ten years easily.

Just subscribe a free account on Dropbox and share a folder with your friend, or, if you’re the owner of the two (or more) Macs, set the same account on both.

The file must be saved in this folder in local, but it will be synchronized in the cloud, so, when you start the other Mac, the project will appear exactly the same.

The one thing you can’t do is to work simultaneously on the same file. You’ll get a conflict which will create two versions of the project.

As far as I know, Dropbox is the only system which combines local and distant files, letting the choice to the user. So, your workflow isn’t impacted like it is with all other clouds.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hello,

All that I have read about sharing a Logic Pro project between two Macs seems to me uselessly complicated.

I do it with my daughter since around ten years easily.

Just subscribe a free account on Dropbox and share a folder with your friend, or, if you’re the owner of the two (or more) Macs, set the same account on both.

The file must be saved in this folder in local, but it will be synchronized in the cloud, so, when you start the other Mac, the project will appear exactly the same.

The one thing you can’t do is to work simultaneously on the same file. You’ll get a conflict which will create two versions of the project.

As far as I know, Dropbox is the only system which combines local and distant files, letting the choice to the user. So, your workflow isn’t impacted like it is with all other clouds.

 

I was going to mention Dropbox as well, especially if you are working with others on your project. iCloud is simpler if coordinating between your own computers.

 

I don't know if working directly on the file in iCloud would have issues. You may want to look into that. For documents that require lots of content and processing power personally I would copy the document to my desktop, work on it, then copy it back to iCloud after the session. Seems safer that way; someone correct me if I am wrong. Making a copy before working would also keep a backup of the project on iCloud until you replace it with the current editing.

 

And as I and others mentioned in another thread, it is recommended you backup your project files to an external disk. There is a recent thread about a project file becoming corrupt. Having a previous session to go back to is easier to accept than having to completely start over.

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