Move the Additional Content to an external disk?

Since the Additional content for Logic Pro X is quite large I wonder if it's possible to move this to an external hard drive?

I tried to find info online, but couldn't...

 

My internal is pretty full, since I work with other things, like Adobe CS6 and things that take up a lot of space.

Would be great if this is possible... Anyone have an idea or info about this?

Yes, you can do it. Be sure you've downloaded all of the additional content before you do this, because I got burned by not paying attention and moving some of it before I downloaded other parts and accidentally overwriting some things I needed. It was easy to recover, but a PITA. Once ALL of your content is downloaded, it's pretty simple.

 

The big folders are here:

/Library/Application Support/Logic/EXS Factory Samples (this is also where the new drum kit designer samples reside)

/Library/Application Support/Logic/Ultrabeat Samples

/Library/Audio/Apple Loops

/Library/Audio/Impulse Responses

 

You may want to move others, but these are the ones I moved. Here's the process:

 

1. Copy the above folders to your external drive.

2. Throw the original copies in the trash. Before you do this, all the usual warnings about making backups apply!

3. Drag an alias of the copied folders to the original containing folder. In other words, if you moved the Impulse Responses folder to the root of your External Drive, you would drag an alias from External Drive /Impulse Responses to Internal Drive /Library/Audio. The Apple Loops folder would go in the same place. You make an alias by simply dragging the folder while holding down the Command and Option keys. You'll see a little black arrow in the bottom left corner of the folder when you've successfully created the alias. Your folder should look something like this:

 

 

4. Do the same thing for the External Drive EXS Factory Samples and Ultrabeat Samples folders, but put the aliases in the /Library/Application Support/Logic folder on your Internal Drive.

 

5. Relaunch Logic X. Everything should work, but I've sometimes had problems with Apple Loops. If they don't show up correctly, open up the Loops Library by going to the View menu and selecting Show Apple Loops. This may start the indexing right away, but if that doesn't work, drag your Apple Loops folder from you External Drive over to the Loops browser in Logic X and the indexing should begin.

 

6. Check that your EXS, Ultrabeat, Drum Kit Designer and Space Designer presets are available and working by randomly loading some of them.

 

7. Once you're satisfied that everything is working correctly, go to the Finder and select Empty Trash from the Finder menu. This will give you back lots of space on your internal drive.

 

I'm sure other people in this forum may have other (probably better) ways to do this, but this is how I did it.

 

Good luck...

Thanx for a very informative explanation here.

Just one thing. Whatif I install a new plug-in. Where will that end up? Or if an update is installed?

Will those parts end up at my ordinary hard drive and delete the alias folder, so I will have to move the new parts to the external drive and then make a new alias?

Since this is sample content, it doesn't normally get updated much. I think this transition to LPX is the first time I've updated my aliases since LP9. Plug ins go in a different folder, so you don't need to worry about that. In fact, you bring up a good reason why I don't make aliases of the other folders. They don't take up much room and they're more likely to be updated with a logic update, so I don't want to worry about them.

 

If the sample content is updated, it will overwrite your alias and you'll have a new, for instance, EXS Factory Sample folder with just the new things in it. You'll have to move those new things to your external folder, taking care to put them where they belong, and then delete the new EXS Factory Sample folder and drag your alias back in from your external drive. But, like I said before, I don't think I've had to do this since LP9.

Yes, you can do it. (...) The big folders are here: (...)

I followed this post however my folders aren’t the same as yours. I have a folder called Apple and then within Apple Loops. No matter what I do, it still says I can download additional content of loops and reverbs even though I already did. I re-indexed too and restart. I tried renaming the folder and re aliasing it too.

 

Any ideas?

I didn't find them either, but then I looked in the other library. There is one library for the whole computer and one for every user account installed. I think the folders were in the main library.

Yes, the folders I'm referring to in the post above are in the Library folder in the root of your hard drive, not in your user Library. So, if your hard drive is named Macintosh HD, the location would be Macintosh HD/Library.

 

Elvtnedge, where is the Apple folder located? It should be inside the Apple Loops folder, but it sounds like yours is outside the Apple Loops folder? If the structure is changed in any way, Logic won't be able to find what it needs and will therefore think that you still need to download it. I need more info about what you're doing to help you troubleshoot.

 

Wait a minute, I just went to the additional content menu and it's telling me that my legacy content is incomplete. I downloaded Jam Pack 1 again, just to see what happens. LPX indexed it, but if I go back to the additional content menu, it still says the install is incomplete. Yet, if I randomly search for any of the loops in Jam Pack 1 in the loop browser, it immediately shows up and plays fine. I'm not sure if this is a bug or what's going on. Is the legacy content folder where you're seeing the incomplete status in the additional content menu?

sorry I was away and havent been online. I have the same issue as you however now when I goto my loops browser it lists them all ..example.. Altered state beat 02.caf, ambitionbeat .caf etc etc...

Thanks splunk! I just moved apple loops and this worked for me.

 

Previously I'd lost my esx instruments by deleting garageband content to save space (not realising logic uses 'garageband' folders for the root audio in the esx instruments) and it was not simple to get them back at all - i have most of them back from a custom install now but there are still some random ones missing. Wish I'd done this method earlier!

Since the Additional content for Logic Pro X is quite large I wonder if it's possible to move this to an external hard drive?

I tried to find info online, but couldn't...

 

Prior to going to the AppStore to install Logic Pro X, create symbolic links on your system drive to folders on your external hard drive to these Logic Pro X folders

 

/Library/Audio/Apple Loops

/Library/Audio/Apple Loops Index

/Library/Audio/Impulse Responses

/Library/Application Support/Logic

/Library/Application Support/GarageBand

/Users/[userloginnamehere]/Music/Audio Music Apps

/Users/[userloginnamehere]/Library/Application Support/Logic

/Users/[userloginnamehere]/Library/Audio/Apple Loops

 

Then go to the App Store and install Logic Pro X and let the Logic Pro X installer put the files on your external hard drive for you.

If the installer doesn't find the folders it needs to put it's contents in, it creates them but if the folders already exist it just uses them and it doesn't care if it's symbolic links to a another folder on an external hard drive.

 

I know you said "move" but to be honest, this is just plain easier to do.

I tried everything with the alias folders, but Logic Pro X did not see any loops nor re-index.

Symbolic links was the way to go for me!! Thanks.

Hi Guys,

 

From everything I've researched, symbolic links ARE the way to go. I'm in the process of doing this now, having update to Logic 10.1 (which has a bit more content to download) recently. I'm going to create the links with SymLinker, which you can download here:

 

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/41493/symlinker

 

As well, though a bit long, and somewhat disjointed, here is a YouTube link with a walkthrough:

 

 

I'll keep you posted for sure...

 

Pen

After using the symbolic links method for a few weeks I've encountered a rather annoying problem.

Once in a while Logic will not see my sample and loops file placed on the external disk referenced with symbolic links (used SymLinker.app). When I go to check my original locations where the link files should be, they have been reset to i.e. Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple/ with only a Final Cut Pro Sound Effects folder in it, so of course it doesn't link to the external drive with all the loops and samples.

 

My external drive is not connected to my Mac all the time – only when I use Logic Pro X (or Final Cut Pro). But I can't figure out why Mac OS X replaces the link with the Apple/Final Cut Pro Sound Effects folder...? As far as I remember I have not launched Final Cut Pro for a long time.

Anyone known to this?

I experienced the same thing with aliases and Logic Pro X, just a few days after I installed Logic with content on an external drive, then allowed the App Store to install a Final Cut Pro "Supplemental Content" update (of Sound Effects and Audio Effect Presets).

 

I'm hoping it was related to the FCP update and will not happen again.

I think I've figured out why the symbolic links did not work properly on my Mac. I did not lock the link in Finder after creating it. Now (after locking) I do not have to relink the files overtime I connect my external hard drive.

 

If anyone is in doubt of how locking Finder items is done here's a quick guide: