Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
After reading the "Can u run BIAB from a flash drive?" thread on the main BIAB forum I started looking at external non-SSD hard drives that are USB 3.0 compatible. Looks like prices are very nice for 500 gig 5400 RPM drives (it's a slower drive). Prices are now down in the $40-$50 range.

What I see these kind of drives being useful for is for backing up your main PC/laptop periodically. It would be good for offsite backup of your music. The slower speed is not a factor if you're just using this to backup important files.

A couple of the low-cost PC hardware suppliers I use:

Micro Center Search Results

New Egg Search Results

The lowest price drive I see on both sites is the Matsunichi Inc. 500GB Portable SuperSpeed USB 3.0 External Hard Drive. It's cheaper at Micro Center, about $5 less.

I'll let you guys know if I pick one up. For saving your data, these prices are very affordable.

Thoughts, comments?




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,358
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,358
Agreed. I was just looking at these 3.0 drives last night (and 3.0 flash drives). I would also need a PCIe USB 3.0 card to run one at full speed. Or maybe an SATA adapter? Haven't looked at this part yet.

Always had great service from NewEgg.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Yeah, the PCI card would do it. These should work on PCs that are USB 2.0. It will just run at the USB 2.0 speed if that's what your PC is. In my case I am still on USB 2.0 but wanted an upgraded external drive so that it will be ready whenever I upgrade the PC.




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Also for the computer geeks here, I use my own .BAT scripts to do backups to my other hard drives. I don't like re-copying an entire music directory or drive from one to another, it takes too long. I use xcopy commands that just look for changes to the files in the directories and it only copies those over to the backup.

To create your own, simply copy and paste the text between the lines into Notepad and name it YourFile.bat. Of course you'll need to change the directories to make it relevant to your PC. To find out what the commands mean, type xcopy /? in a command prompt window and you can also run each line of the file in a command window.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D:
cd "\ADataFolders\Documents"
xcopy *.* "F:\Documents" /y /r /e /d

pause

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The D: command is there since the window usually opens to a C:\ drive folder. If your source is the C: drive, just use C:. So the F:\ is my external drive and I'm copying everything from the folders I 'cd' into. The *.* after xcopy means to copy everything that's in the 'cd' command. Once those files are copied to F:\, the next time I run this .BAT file, it will only copy the files that have changed. The one thing this doesn't do however is remove old files if you delete or rename them on the source drive. The pause command simply holds the command prompt window open for you to see the summary of the copy process. It will display "Press any key to continue". So after you read the files copied, hitting enter will close the window.

If you have more than one folder you want to copy, simply repeat the 'cd' and 'xcopy' lines in your .bat file for each extra copy process you want to add.

For anyone that wants to mess with this on their own PCs, feel free to ask me any questions if you need help.




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,358
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,358
That was fun. I taught DOS batch files back in the 80s.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Yeah, it's nice to know we can still use our old skills in these modern times of Windows 8.1 and beyond. grin




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,869
wd 2tb my passport red


http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wd+2tb+my+passport+red&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Awd+2tb+my+passport+red

Sexy little beast fits in the palm of my hand


Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Yeah, prices on the larger sizes aren't too bad either. Thanks!




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
R
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
R
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
I dusted off my dos batch skills about 6 months ago for the first time in probably 10 years.

I do trade shows for my employer a few times a year and instead of handing out paper brochures that are sure to be tossed, for those that seem truly interested in our products, I hand out 2GB USB flash drives with show-appropriate materials loaded. Since I don't know how many I'll be giving out, I bring the unused sticks back with me and reformat and reload using a DOS batch routine.

-Scott

Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Just cut loose money on the 1 TB Matsunichi. Now that its been a few months since I posted the original thread for the 500 GB, the 1 TB was down to $59 at Micro Center.




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
After the 3TB was full I use a 4TB drive now for backup. Both are a Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive USB 3.0. They come with a backup softare installed. I do an incremental backup each week that takes usually less than 10 minutes, a full backup takes several hours. The advantage of the new backup software generation is that files are no more compressed. Each file is directly accessable. So if you destroy one of your files -- or even an entire drectory -- it is quite simple to restore that one.

I also have a portable USB 3.0 drive Toshiba "S-3600 - A" that was given to me. I use this one as a backup for my laptop. All the necessary softare is installed to run my installations using another laptop if mine fails. (I know some people who do have a second laptop for backup purposes. I'm not there, yet.)

Especially for backup purposes I do not recommend cheap drives. I prefer to use reliable drives from manufactureres with a good reputation. There are tests and reviews out there. And often it takes a while until a manufacturer with a bad reputation builds up a good reputation.

Guido


Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Thanks for the info Guido. I do incremental backups as well to save a little time.


Originally Posted By: GHinCH
Especially for backup purposes I do not recommend cheap drives.


I feel differently on this one. As long as my main PC drives are from a reliable manufacturer, I don't want to spend 4 times the money on a backup drive. Odds are that backup drive will run just as long as an expensive one. In the unlikely event that it does fail, I go out and grab another, it's a backup. Although Matsunichi drives do not have a long history like some of the others, they are gaining market share in the external drive world.




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
I've had that. The drive on my laptop, the computer I used to work with, -- some 12 years back -- quit. After I had a new drive and all software was back I went to my backup drive with all files copied to that drive and that one quit that very moment when I needed it. Some of the files I already had printed out, some I could recreate by doing the work again, some are lost forever.

Backups are a waste in time and other ressources -- until you need the access to a backup.

To me backups are way to valuable to trust sources without a history of reliability.

Guido


Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Off-Topic
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 825
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 825
If you open up the external drives you will probably find the drive itself is from one of the well known manufacturers despite what it says on the outside. I've had good drives fail from firmware probs, and cheapos that run for ever. It is a game of luck, so don't depend too much on one backup drive if it is important.


Chris
Off-Topic
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,608
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,608
I've used a Seagate external drive to backup files. Can an external drive hold everything that's on your PC, including the OS? Can the info then be downloaded to a new blank PC? Later, Ray


Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
Off-Topic
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,492
Yes. A lot of companies rely on that mechanism. When you start a new job, you'll be given a new pc with all the necessary software installed. That is done via "image copy".

A very quick internet search "image copy" and taking the fist link:

http://www.acronis.com/en-eu/personal/pc-backup/?adpos=1t1&creative=37604271414&device=c&matchtype=b&network=g&gclid=CJ2OyaH0xr4CFfQQtAodNVIAPQ

There are many more. If you have a stable running system that is free of malware, an image copy on an external disk freezes that system for later use.

Another possibility is to have two hard disks in your system connected via RAID. There is an option to constantly mirror your working disk on a backup disk.

Guido


Desktop; i7-2600k, 8 GB mem., Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Laptop: i5-2410M, 4 GB mem, Win 10 Pro, BIAB 2017; RB 2017 - latest build
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Originally Posted By: sslechta
Just cut loose money on the 1 TB Matsunichi. Now that its been a few months since I posted the original thread for the 500 GB, the 1 TB was down to $59 at Micro Center.



Wow, it's been 3 1/2 years since this post and the prices for the 1 TB drives are still about the same. What gives? I guess we're in a holding pattern on the technologies here since then.

I've maxed out my 1 TB drive and it still runs great every week for backups.

I'll start shopping for a 2 TB replacement external USB 3 drive. Looking like good drives in the $65 - $80 price range....


EDIT: Ooh, found a deal here but it expires at MIDNIGHT tonight. 2 TB drive listed for $69 but when today's promo code is entered, $59. So I guess I spent about the same as I did on the 1 TB a few years ago.

Seagate 2TB Expansion Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0

Last edited by sslechta; 11/16/17 08:23 AM.



Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
E
eddie1261
Unregistered
eddie1261
Unregistered
E
Steve, does the 3.0 standard run appreciably faster than 2.0? I hate using USB externals because they spin so slow. Are the newer drives that run on the 3.0 bus much faster?

Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 2,732
My machines are still on USB 2.0 so I couldn't tell you on 3.0 performance.

I do incremental backups so each week when I backup it doesn't take too long. Typically less than 1 Gig of copy each time and it only seems to less than a couple of minutes on that.




Steve

BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics.
PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
Off-Topic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,060
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,060
Originally Posted By: eddie1261
Steve, does the 3.0 standard run appreciably faster than 2.0? I hate using USB externals because they spin so slow. Are the newer drives that run on the 3.0 bus much faster?


Yes. USB 3.0 is 10 times faster than USB 2 see here:

https://www.diffen.com/difference/USB_2.0_vs_USB_3.0


I'm in a fitness protection program. I'm been hiding from exercise.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window

In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®

With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
  • Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)

Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:


  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Video: New User Interface (GUI)

Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!

We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!

Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!

In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.

Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!

We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!

Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.

Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!

Special offers until December 31st, 2025!

All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!

Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.

Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!

XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,390
Posts791,560
Members39,874
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
herbavery, Erik713, Michael70, Womyner, vewc
39,873 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
jpettit 259
MarioD 210
DrDan 151
DC Ron 151
Noel96 122
Today's Birthdays
David Latham, DebMurphy
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5