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Old 11-06-2019, 09:50 AM   #1
ChrisBlue
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Default Backing up Projects (sorry to ask)

Hi I've been using Reaper a while but have never saved any projects to a memory stick as I just don't understand how it works. A non-DAW using friend has told me some stuff and said that once I've saved stuff to the memory stick I would have to load the project from there (?). I find computer based stuff very hard to grasp because the language used to describe things always creates confusion in my mind. Would anyone be willing to explain the process in simple to follow steps please? Thanks
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Old 11-06-2019, 10:31 AM   #2
nait
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Someone will probably give you a more concise answer than what I give, but here's what I started doing with my projects a little while ago... save them in their own folder, and have all associated media moved in there too. I believe there is a preference for that. I'm not at my Reaper computer right now to tell you though. Also, when you save, there are some checkboxes there for saving stuff in the project folder. Then you can move that whole project folder around anywhere, and it won't break.

You can back it up to memory stick. You could open it up there if you really want (which I wouldn't recommend, cause they aren't known for being fast.. it's fine to back them up to one, but there are better alternatives though), or you could copy it from there to an internal drive.. you could even run it on another PC if you wanted. The only dependency for that, per se, would be VSTs that you use (they'd need to be installed on the other computer too).

You can also consider backing it up to some sort of cloud storage, and/or spread it across multiple drives on your PC.

What I would maybe suggest doing is get the process down. Save a whole test project in its own folder, and ensure all the media goes there to. Then, move it to a memory stick.. and then try opening it there and make sure you did things right. Then when satisfied, copy it back over to the original location, and open it there. That should work though. I have pretty limited Reaper experience, but I've shuffled projects around in the past.
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Last edited by nait; 11-06-2019 at 10:55 AM.
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Old 11-06-2019, 10:41 AM   #3
uncleswede
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Chris,

If you organise your projects well, all of the project's files will be stored in one, single folder. Then, to backup your project, all you have to do is copy that folder to another storage medium (e.g. a USB stick or external hard drive).


Have a look at this very clearly explained Youtube video about how to organise your Reaper project folders on your computer and then ask your friend to explain how to copy those folders to your backup storage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjey57lAp1k
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Old 11-06-2019, 10:54 AM   #4
serr
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Computer 101:

Your hard drive is like a little file cabinet with your stuff in it.
The 'pros' of this technology: You can make exact copies. (No blurring, generational loss. No "almost" the same. Exact clone copies.)
The 'cons': Hard drives get worn out and fail - like brakes on your car - and any stuff on them disappears in an instant. Gone forever.

What you do:
Always keep a second "file cabinet" with copies of the same stuff.
An external hard drive that is.
At least a 2nd copy!! (At least 3 copies if you're serious.)
USB sticks are external hard drives. They're just more fragile. Good for quick file transfers. Bad choice for backup volumes.

There are cloning apps that clone your entire hard drive (including your OS install if it's a system drive). That's like making a copy of your whole resume instead of copying it one word at a time.

Finally, Reaper project files and any audio files you find or create yourself are standard files that you can just copy. You can either copy your project folder to another drive "manually" or run a clone app to backup everything nightly.

I recommend being just a little bit organized with your file system. Don't just throw everything into a drawer! (Like the users that keep all their files on the Desktop.) Organize your stuff just a little with folders like you might with a file cabinet. You CAN just throw everything in one spot willy nilly and use search features to find it later. Good way to lose stuff though.
Cloning is a good tool. "Manually" making backup copies of your stuff one thing at a time is a good way to miss something.
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Old 11-06-2019, 11:02 AM   #5
ChrisBlue
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Great thanks for the help folks. The cloning tool sounds good, will look into that. Cheers
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Old 11-06-2019, 11:07 AM   #6
nait
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Also, I will stress a very important point in the thread mentioned by me and one other.. put your projects in their own folders, along with the media associated with them!! I wish I did this from the start.

So for example, you start a new song.. it goes in it's own folder. The youtube link that the other poster after me linked probably shows that whole process (I didn't open it).
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Old 11-13-2019, 07:33 AM   #7
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ok thanks
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Old 11-14-2019, 08:05 AM   #8
Larry Kriz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nait View Post
Someone will probably give you a more concise answer than what I give, but here's what I started doing with my projects a little while ago... save them in their own folder, and have all associated media moved in there too. I believe there is a preference for that. I'm not at my Reaper computer right now to tell you though. Also, when you save, there are some checkboxes there for saving stuff in the project folder. Then you can move that whole project folder around anywhere, and it won't break.

You can back it up to memory stick. You could open it up there if you really want (which I wouldn't recommend, cause they aren't known for being fast.. it's fine to back them up to one, but there are better alternatives though), or you could copy it from there to an internal drive.. you could even run it on another PC if you wanted. The only dependency for that, per se, would be VSTs that you use (they'd need to be installed on the other computer too).

You can also consider backing it up to some sort of cloud storage, and/or spread it across multiple drives on your PC.

What I would maybe suggest doing is get the process down. Save a whole test project in its own folder, and ensure all the media goes there to. Then, move it to a memory stick.. and then try opening it there and make sure you did things right. Then when satisfied, copy it back over to the original location, and open it there. That should work though. I have pretty limited Reaper experience, but I've shuffled projects around in the past.
Perfect response.
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