I guess this is sort of a dumb question. Here I am with past years' ext hdd's, cd's, etc. I've never had any reason to go back and use any of this stuff--even from the bonus paks. My question is, What do I do with this stuff? I can't legally sell it or even give it away. I guess I could turn the drives in for electronic disposal to be green? (whatever that means in reality). What's everybody else doing? thanks.
I know of no laws here in the states that prevent a citizen from selling any hardware that they own. Not yet, anyway.
A good thing that we can do with old hardware is to donate to thrift stores, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc. and you can also ask for a receipt to be used for income tax deduction purposes as well. There may be someone in need of that stuff that is older, never know.
With hard drives, though, I won't let one get out of my hands that hasn't been erased in full and run a program that rewrites all to zeros. Otherwise, I just drill a couple of 1/4" holes through the entire drive and through the platters, and dispose of it. This is to protect things like passwords, credit card numbers, personal info, etc. Don't let that get away from you, the baddies that will take advantage of such are everywhere, unfortunately.
Not so long ago I had to get rid of nearly a dozen dead or obsolete PCs. I hated the thought of putting them in the trash. I was fortunate to run across a Native-American-owned recycler in my area (Federal Recyclers, Marietta, Georgia) who specializes in computers and hardware. They reclaim the metals and as much else as possible. NOTHING goes into a landfill. He is also supremely ethical in the matter of hard drives, cell phones, and the like; he makes sure that no personal information gets loose. Look around for someone equally green--they're out there. And take Mac's advice on destroying the drives. You'd be amazed at what can be recovered, even from a notionally formatted HD.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
Whenever I've trashed hard drives, which has been somewhat rare - I keep them on a shelf, I've used it as a lesson to my kids as to how they work (if I can get the case open in a reasonable time).
There is a bit of magic for them seeing the platters and the tiny little read/write heads on the arms - and telling them that all of the music, photos, school assignments, etc. actually exist as little magnetic deviations on the platters and the little arms are what put them there and read them off.
Then we take it out to the driveway and get the 2 lb sledge and I tell them to have fun beating the living daylights out of it! I tell them to make sure that each of the platters is bent all to pieces. I've done this with 2 of my 4 kids. They learn and then they have fun (hopefully the learning was fun also).
Scott, you can also use this as an opportunity to teach your kids how to use an electric drill. Just punch a few holes right through the platters and that should do it.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
Rather than drilling holes in a used HD or smashing it with a hammer, use a program that writes 'random' zeros and ones over and over again.
There is an open source Windows app called "eraser": Eraser is an advanced security tool for Windows that allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. The patterns used for overwriting are based on Peter Guttmann's paper Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory and are selected to effectively remove magnetic remnants from the hard drive. Other methods include the one defined in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual of the U.S. Department of Defense, and overwriting with pseudorandom data. You can also define your own overwriting methods.
There is another I used for Mac, but I forget it's name.
After running a program like this, I can give the drive away to someone who can use it without fear of having my personal data revealed.
But I wouldn't give away or sell the drive with BiaB data on it unless I got written permission from Peter Gannon. It's a "do unto others" thing as well as a copyright thing.
Whenever I've trashed hard drives, which has been somewhat rare - I keep them on a shelf, I've used it as a lesson to my kids as to how they work (if I can get the case open in a reasonable time).
There is a bit of magic for them seeing the platters and the tiny little read/write heads on the arms - and telling them that all of the music, photos, school assignments, etc. actually exist as little magnetic deviations on the platters and the little arms are what put them there and read them off.
There is a rather popular hack that I have used with kids in the summer school program. All you need is an old hard drive, platter does not even have to be able to spin, because all that is used is the headarm and its magnetic motor movement. And a low level and cheap laser pen pointer.
Locate the two connections to one of the two coils that move the head arm, found at the end of the flexy, disconnect from the drive's electronics and connect to the + and - speaker terminals of any small audio amplifier.
Now the headarm will move in response to any audio or music played through the amplifier.
Attach a small piece of glass mirror to the head end of the headarm using superglue.
Figure out a way to mount the laser pointer such that it is pointing at the headarm mirror. I use rubber bands to do that.
And, with the lights dimmed, you have a laser lightshow:
More than just watching the pattern that music makes, if you hook up a small mixer and microphone to the amplifier, the kids juswt love to see the patterns they can generate with their own voice.
The one thing that they sometimes can't wrap around is that this is an ANALOG situation and not Digital. Great time to show the difference and explain. At my summer school classes, that's when we get to delve off into an old record turntable, a few old records, and our tone arm and amplifier becomes a sewing needle taped to the corner of a piece of printer paper handheld above the spinning record. And they hear the sound of the record. Then I use one of my laptops and SP/DIF output to let them hear the digital sound of an mp3 file using a song the kids love at the time, and let them hear the digital nasty instead of the actual sound. That leads off into their first delvings into the 1's and zeros thang.
ADULT SUPERVISION on this one at all times, you must ot let them ever try to shine laser light directly into their own or other children's eyes. I pocket the little laser pointer and also disconnect the leads from coil to speaker, taking the alligator leads with me. That way, they can't start it up without resorting to a rather lot of procurement and learning first, avoids that happening when I'm not around.
Thanks for all the input. I don't think that I made myself clear. I'm only referring to my outdated PG Music drives and cds. I was hopefully thinking that maybe someone was recycling them. I don't think that I have any personal info on them. I run the main pgm from the pc and have all the styles, rd's, and rt's on the little ext. hds. I also have some small ext. hds and one large one. I'm not getting rid of any of those. If I wipe the drives, I don't think that PG Music would care how they are disposed of. I'll look into wiping them though. There are some places that buy used electronic stuff. I could probably just give them away to friends and family.
For outdated pgmusic issued hard drives, I think you could safely just reformat and then sell or give away.
I have wiped a couple and use them for backups, transfers, etc.
--Mac
Thanks Mac. That sounds like the most practical solution. For the disks, a couple of times I bought some top kits and turned some parts on my lathe for tops. They actually spin pretty good, too.
I believe that if you purchased the FULL version of BIAB on a HD you can indeed sell it to someone.
I recently asked PG Support and was told that there is an IMPLIED license with the purchase of PG software, so selling the product(s) terminates your relationship with PG. I use the old drives for specific archival storage such as OTR (Old Time Radio) and mp3 music archives..
I believe that if you purchased the FULL version of BIAB on a HD you can indeed sell it to someone.
I recently asked PG Support and was told that there is an IMPLIED license with the purchase of PG software, so selling the product(s) terminates your relationship with PG. I use the old drives for specific archival storage such as OTR (Old Time Radio) and mp3 music archives..
Agreed. Just having a hyperthetical discussion here. let's say I bought 2012 EP for Full price $569 and I sold it for $400. Yes indeed my relationship with PG is over. I no longer have the software. I then take my $400 & add another $169 to it and again buy a full 2013 version for $569. The new version in essence only would cost me the $169 and I do not believe I'd be in violation of anything.It costs $399 to upgrade from 2012 to 2013 if you don't get in on the early sale.The sale is $199. I wouldn't want to bother with this but I think you legally could.
Agreed. Just having a hyperthetical discussion here. let's say I bought 2012 EP for Full price $569 and I sold it for $400. Yes indeed my relationship with PG is over. I no longer have the software. I then take my $400 & add another $169 to it and again buy a full 2013 version for $569. The new version in essence only would cost me the $169 and I do not believe I'd be in violation of anything.It costs $399 to upgrade from 2012 to 2013 if you don't get in on the early sale.The sale is $199. I wouldn't want to bother with this but I think you legally could.
I agree with this scenario as you are essentially buying a NEW full system/version and not upgrading your (now sold and no longer your's) license .....
Last edited by CountryTrash; 08/19/1302:23 AM.
I'm doing allright for Country Trash ....
I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)
User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
The Bob Doyle Media YouTube channel is known for demonstrating how you can creatively incorporate AI into your projects - from your song projects to avatar building to face swapping, and more!
His latest video, Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box, he explains in detail how you can use the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box with ACE Studio. Follow along as he goes from "nothing" to "something" with his Band-in-a-Box MIDI Melodist track, using ACE Studio to turn it into a vocal track (or tracks, you'll see) by adding lyrics for those notes that will trigger some amazing AI vocals!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
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Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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