What's the best way to update Usine?

[Thomas Helzle]

Hi,

it is great that there are so many updates for Usine!
I really appreciate that.

But I wonder, how you guys deal with installing them?

- Do you simply extract the update in the same folder, overwriting the old version or do you extract to a new folder each time?

- Do you transfer your settings to the new version or do you always configure everything from scratch to prevent problems with old setting that may have changed etc.?

- Since there is only one patch library path and one sound/midi folder path in the preferences: how you you organize your own stuff so you have the latest patches and modules but also your personal collection and neither overwrite existing stuff you may need nor keep old stuff hanging around that may be superfluous?

The docs don't contain any info on that that I could find, so I would be thankful for some tips (or if it was discussed before and I missed it, a link (search didn't come up with anything)).

I'm looking for "Best practices" so to say

Another semi-related question: if I have any of my audio or midi gear off when starting Usine, the configuration for that device is removed from the global setup and I have to reconfigure it again after a restart of Usine.
Also, sometimes devices get confused in that process, for instance I have my BCF2000 off by accident, it is removed from the Setup, I turn it on and restart Usine, now the BCF is gone from Midi In, but for Midi Out it's replaced by another device...

How are you guys dealing with this?
Saving Setup files for each configuration and loading them back each time?
Or is there a way to have a persistent setup (a "system default") that doesn't rely as much on currently connected devices (like in Ableton Live for instance, where it doesn't matter if something is on or off, it remembers the configuration anyway).
I guess I could make the config file read-only, but that would be a bit of a pain for other reasons...
Any other options?

Thanks a ton!

Thomas Helzle

[nay-seven]

- Do you simply extract the update in the same folder, overwriting the old version or do you extract to a new folder each time?

you can extract to a new folder.

- Do you transfer your settings to the new version or do you always configure everything from scratch to prevent problems with old setting that may have changed etc.?

yes, and you can copy from you old install/files/ :

Default-settings.ini
WorkSpace.wkp
WorkSpace.wkp-old

if needed :
Default-Master.master
Default-Remote.remote

- Since there is only one patch library path and one sound/midi folder path in the preferences: how you you organize your own stuff so you have the latest patches and modules but also your personal collection and neither overwrite existing stuff you may need nor keep old stuff hanging around that may be superfluous?

-the default usine library is installed with your new fresh install

-you must have create your own personal library. inside you can put :
your own patches, workspaces, Usine Packs , users modules ,scripts, personal setup ( global, master )

Another semi-related question: if I have any of my audio or midi gear off when starting Usine, the configuration for that device is removed from the global setup and I have to reconfigure it again after a restart of Usine.
Also, sometimes devices get confused in that process, for instance I have my BCF2000 off by accident, it is removed from the Setup, I turn it on and restart Usine, now the BCF is gone from Midi In, but for Midi Out it's replaced by another device...

this is a windows issue

How are you guys dealing with this?

For midi , i'm using copperlan manager, could be a solution for some of you

Saving Setup files for each configuration and loading them back each time?

yep,

now, i've suppose i've to make a wiki tips with this...

[capitan mission]

now, i've suppose i've to make a wiki tips with this...

Thats a good idea
I think that a text file in the ZIP of the new Usine versions with upgrading instruction would be helpful, a lot of new users (like me) make this same questions.

README-if-Upgrading.txt

[Thomas Helzle]

Nay-Seven: thanks for the answers!

- I'm not convinced that the devices problem is a windows fault. Other software handles it much better so I guess it needs more work to get it more elegant. But hey, I can live with it (like with the non-working single-click folder-triangles in the browser ).

- Could you elaborate on how you have your library folders layed out and how you deal with them on updates? Do you copy your user content inside each Usine.xxxxFilesModulesUser folder or do you have a library somewhere else. And if the latter, how do you deal with updated factory modules?
Or did I get it all wrong?

ATM it looks to me as if it would be much better to have a separate User Library path in the Usine Preferences so the software folder would contain all factory modules and content and the user folder all additional stuff, but maybe I don't understand it correctly
Wouldn't be the first time

Thanks a lot!

Thomas

[nay-seven]

- Could you elaborate on how you have your library folders layed out and how you deal with them on updates? Do you copy your user content inside each Usine.xxxxFilesModulesUser folder or do you have a library somewhere else. And if the latter, how do you deal with updated factory modules?
Or did I get it all wrong?

you don't have to deal with factory modules..?
as I've said before when you install your new version, they are installed and of course updated..
and all others files are in your personal library and the only thing you have to do is to load your global setup file .

[Thomas Helzle]

Ok, so I REALLY didn't understand it

Now I see:
- "Modules" in the Usine Browser shows what's in "Usine Pro StandAlone 5.50.55FilesModules"
- "Usine" in the Usine Browser is the factory library in "Usine Pro StandAlone 5.50.55FilesUsine Library"
- "VST" is showing what's in your two "vst" + "vst II" folder.
- "Library" in the Browser is the "personal library" you are refering to that is called "patch library" in the Preferences.
- "Sound/Midi" by default points to the demo folder of Usine, but I guess it's non-critical to point it to my main Audio Library folder.

Did I get it right this time?

I guess you long time users are used to this, but for a newcomer it's rather messy
The confusion comes from different names in different places, the - at the beginning - not-so-clear difference between the Modules, the Library and the Usine Tab which all contain .pat files (together with other stuff).
This combined with the fact that there are two paths for VSTs that land in the same tab but three tabs for modules/patches/scripts but those are mixed...
Well, I guess it has grown over time like an Italian village
At one point it may be a good idea to rethink this and clean the structures up for a version 6.0 or 7.0
But for now I think I understand it.

Thanks and cheers!

Thomas

[bsork]

About the setup files, you could also do as I do and keep them in a separate directory. After each install (sometimes overwriting sometimes a new folder), I go into the different setup windows (global, remote and master) and open the old file and re-save it - possibly with a new name.