[ Tips & Tricks ] Music, Computer, Backup ... EtCaetera

Anfim · January 12, 2017, 1:52am

Yeah it looks like the SSD in the new MBPs benches at around 1200 MB/s write speed which is pretty crazy and around double the limit of USB3. Thunderbolt has higher bandwidth though so you can expect those sorts of speeds from thunderbolt externals within the next year or two, this tech is advancing really quick now.

Although now that I read your question properly, I’d say it’s not worth it to get an external SSD just for backing up projects because the speed is unnecessary there. Just grab a cheap 1TB USB external and call it a day.

HotLoveDrama · January 12, 2017, 8:07am

Thanks! I don’t know really know yet how I’m going to work. Thunderbolt and SSDs are still too expensive for me. I grabbed a 1 TB LaCie rugged USB 3.0 Type-C on which I’ll store my projects and I’ll certainly work on it too. (once I move my projects from my SSD to it). I also ordered a 3TB desktop drive which will be my backup of everything, including movies, itunes. (I also have two other HDDs to backup my future project drive and samples drive). I’ll backup my system drive on the 3TB.

William_WiLD · January 12, 2017, 8:20am

Safe decision. From this list i recommend Carbon Copy, Superduper, Data Backup… All in this list is nice but it’s more synchronisation backup between 2 harddrive. (which is recommended) BUT, i prefer to keep empty space for saving. So i backup macintosh HD to an image disc in the form of “studioJan17packages.dmg” i put it on “Read only image” and no compression. I restore it with the boot recovery method CMD + R and then by the Disk Utility. If interested i can make a whole PDF explaining the procedure. (i use SuperDuper, principle is the same on the other one)

HotLoveDrama · January 12, 2017, 3:14pm

Only if it doesn’t take too much of your time! Would be really great;)
Do you backup your system to an image disc after you installed your DAW and plugins or do you prepare a folder with the important DMG’s ready to be installed on the clean system and then backup this ?

William_WiLD · January 12, 2017, 3:40pm

Start from 0, when receive the computer. Nothing done on it, no internet or such a thing. If already things are used, made. Nice to start from a clean state by reinstalling OS. Then, you activate MacOS Firewall. Make system updates. Install very important Software you use (DAW, Audio Editing, Batch software, Zip/Rar software etc…), install very important VST you use everytime you make a session (exclude all warez things if you use) with their libraries on an external drive (Komplete from NI take huge amount of disc for instance)

In a folder in Documents you can put your Hardware drivers. Make you backup THEN.

So if you restore your backup and need to work. But the place have no internet connection you can still working. But, i like to usually go on internet and check the availability of updated version of this folder just then the restored backup is accomplish, first time the computer reboot. I then, install all drivers to work

I include in the backup, only things i trust, only things i really need. I exclude everything which is regularly updated (like drivers)

Make sense to you @HotLoveDrama ?

Also i keep important computer relative life in iClouds (mail, contact, calendar, bookmarks etc…) and website password in 1password. So i rely on those when it’s time to restore everything. it’s updated automatically when you connect to them.
(of course i keep a backup from each part as well on my data HD but icloud is reliable i never loose something)

HotLoveDrama · January 12, 2017, 5:54pm

Yes thanks a lot! I’ll have a nice week-end configuring my new setup and then I’ll be set!

William_WiLD · May 19, 2017, 1:06pm

William_WiLD · September 26, 2017, 6:10pm

Just to people know that my favorite Mac-Pc-iOS-Android Backup software is now : Acronis True Image 2018, it’s compatible with MacOS and Windows (That’s the one i use after to switch from Norton Ghost to Acronis on PC back in the days when i was student in Art-School)

Now i can tell this is simply the best Backup Software for Mac and PC, on Mac it’s backup everything as well as hidden partition like Recovery HD and restore everything very FAST.

i use the ADVANCED with 250go in the Cloud so i have 2 full Computer backup with increments password protected and 2 full Computer backup with increments on a external Samsung T3 SSD 256go
And it’s by far the most reliable solution for hybrid configuration and Mobile Backup as well. For a reasonably fair price tag.

PC : Microsoft Windows Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 SP, Windows Home Server Windows XP SP3 (32-bit)

MAC : High Sierra 10.13, Sierra 10.12, El Capitan 10.11, Yosemite 10.10

Oh also let me tell you there’s no affiliate links in everything i share, wrote here and elesewhere. Just to let you know i have nothing to win… i just try to make “advises” : the Best i can suggest.

William_WiLD · January 26, 2018, 3:35pm

OK so macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 is there. As i generally say the considered stable version will be 10.13.5 But as Overbridge comes in February, it should be a good started point until 10.13.5 is ready to make a fresh install based on 10.13.3 + Next Overbridge.

So what about the new file system APFS
Firstly from my test it’s very good I’m glad they done that because copy/paste/move huge files like audio library and whatnot take now less time. All seem to be more reactive (that’s how I feel) I was pretty sold on the new file system until i read better High Sierra review and discover HPFS is still beta for this OS version it will be not beta anymore on 10.14 but I must admit it’s work very nice the problem is not really with macOS but more with ImageDisc Software.

The Backup restore will end up with very different results regarding the backup software you use (I didn’t like Time Machine but I will give it a try even if I don’t like Time Machine because I only need a proper backup point and I don’t have a apple time capsule.)

For instance Acronis True Image 2018 end up with a Startup Disc who become messy with all hidden system revealed when you reboot. (And I really don’t like that and more installer.failurerequests well I don’t like see failure logs when restoring a backup disc)

As I had no problem what so ever before with Acronis True Image 2017 and macOS Sierra, I’m assuming this is coming from the beta HPFS file system and how Backup Software are able to handle it

So I contacted Acronis and I will report here what they said.

i will try Carbon Copy Cloner and see how the restore is clean or not with HPFS
Edit : for now with HPFS file system CCC seem to handle it the best
i will try how TimeMachine restore the first and main backup point with HPFS
Edit : So far so good work nice with HPFS but very long to Backup your disc, more fast to restore though but still don’t like Time Machine as I never use the increment back in time feature and never need it ever it more than 6 years
i will not give a try to SuperDuper as I dropped this one (before that was my favorite) but SD is not able to restore the apple recovery partition which is for me a problem and I didn’t want to reinstall the OS a second time on top of it to recreate that recovery partition on the main hard drive.
(This one is a buy buy …)

IF I come up with something CLEAN after restoring I will let you know if it is possible to keep the file system HPFS with this macOS High Sierra or if it’s better to drop it until 10.14 is released and Backup software handle it the way it should be : CLEAN handled …

KIII · January 26, 2018, 11:01am

Regarding PC - Ever heard of this?
http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon
Oh right, you’re a MAC user (walks out of the room with a cheeky smile)

William_WiLD · January 26, 2018, 11:04am

Yes but I was a PC user back then and I’m not married to apple… as long as it’s working fro me

KIII · January 26, 2018, 11:19am

I can’t blame you for switching to MAC, Windows is a terrible platform when it comes to working with audio and LatencyMon keeps reminding me of this fact every time I turn it on

William_WiLD · January 26, 2018, 1:46pm

OK Carbon Copy Cloner succeed but you need to have a dedicated hard drive for the Backup (what i like with Acronis True Image 2018 it’s a cloud backup as well as image file backup .TIB so it can be on a data storage or USB key with an emergency boot system on the USB key… it keeps things tidy and uncluttered)

So if you’re looking fo CLEAN Solution and using APFS file system CCC 5 seem to be a better job at restoring MacOS High Sierra 10.13.3 and all the hidden things are correctly hidden. The startup volume is proper with the main 4 folders.

When the procedure start we see all hidden folders… looks like a bunch of those in my True Image 2018 screenshot…

Backup for 14,33GO takes only 5 minutes

So far so good CCC hidden directly the folders so it smell good for the restoration process…

Process done all is fine on Macintosh HD with HPFS file system

SO WE HAVE A WINNER HERE :
https://bombich.com

William_WiLD · January 26, 2018, 3:41pm

Yeah that’s why I didn’t like Time Machine… it is incredibly slow ! yes it’s free… but it’s damn slow !
for only 12gig… when Acronis True Image or Carbon Copy Cloner would have done it in 5 minutes.

And i backup on a Samsung T3 SSD… That’s not what the average user would use as a Backup Drive… More a USB2 or USB3 Hard Drive so… (I use a SSD to restore faster… I don’t like to wait more than 30mn for restoring generally it took less on a SSD for a full Music computer Restoring task to be complete, mine is Graphic and Music Computer so there’s a lot of software and VST library… I don’t use NI Komplete anymore but before the libraries was on an dedicated libraries HD if you use Logic, Spectrasonics… you know what I mean … you have to symlink everything)

Long to Backup ! Better at restore speed 7-10 minutes from a SSD… but I’m sure CCC version 5 with a full backup will be faster than Time Machine if the amount to restore is like 50 to 150GO as well as Acorns True Image ! As I want to keep my Mac in HPFS for me it will be Carbon Copy Cloner version 5

Apple Time Machine work as expected… They usually not fixed the missing icons on the hard drive set as a time machine you have to launch a save to get back the icon. The restore process is not that long. But I do not tested on a FULL Backup image disc so I don’t know (for now) regarding speed which one is the best.

But Time Machine is ok regarding HPFS too after restoring everything is CLEAN, but I expected no less from apple that’s why I try Time Machine the last.

I waiting for a support reply from ACRONIS True Image and I will post a fix if there’s a terminal fix to hidden the files and folder from the main volume after restoring from TI with HPFS file system. If not, you should probably don’t use HPFS with Acronis True Image 2018…

Personnel i will probably move to Carbon Copy Cloner version 5

William_WiLD · February 10, 2018, 8:22am

Best MAC Backup Software with the new HPFS file system

cc52d593c1fa40c8930dcb08cb2236467190eccc

A fix are still waited from Acronis to hide things after the restore process otherwise it still one of the best.

Both of these Software handle the Recovery HD (hidden that’s coming handy when need to repair, format things offline… as well as reinstall macOS with CMD + R when booting. And handle also the HPFS container disk and all hidden gems like VM folder etc… SuperDuper handle Snapshots with HPFS and it’s very cool to see SuperDuper come back again !

Carbon copy cloner is the fastest but require a dedicated hard drive to perform as well as time machine (which one i find not very well with non time capsule solution) true image is file .TIB backup is very convenient as well as cloud backup plan affordable and encrypted + password protected

HotLoveDrama · February 9, 2018, 8:17pm

@William_WiLD

I’m making my annual system refresh. Would you recommend installing a clean state of High Sierra or go back the clean state I backed up a year ago ? As I read you seem quite pleased with the new file system.

William_WiLD · February 10, 2018, 8:12am

Do you rely / want to use Overbridge ?

HotLoveDrama · February 10, 2018, 9:45am

No I don’t use it anymore.

William_WiLD · February 10, 2018, 10:31am

If everything is fine regarding drivers for whatever you need to plug to your computer go for a clean High Sierra install (10.13.3) and backup that one then (or wait a bit more for 10.13.4 it should come soon as developer have it already… it’s in beta 2)

HPFS work fine but it still in beta until next macOS 10.14

William_WiLD · July 10, 2018, 9:23am

macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra is available ! (and it’s the final stable release before Mojave apparently)
That’s a very good time to reinstall a Mac with everything you need for music, until OB2 beta and public release come ! Then forget MacOS Mojave and make as many track as you can !!!