Have many doubts URGENT

[anilnc]

[Mod note - moved to appropriate forum]

Hi,

I'm sorry I know I must ask doubts via support channel. But I'm waiting for the support representative to reply each doubt for 2 days, and he is not answering my exact doubts, and takes another 2 days to clarify that. Now I have many doubts and it is urgent. I would highly appreciate if can any of the moderators clear it for me as it is general doubts that are not found in FAQ. The FAQ also is very complicated to find complete answer.

1. How to uninstall Sounds of an instrument. Some how MP2 was installed in the ST3 Folder instead of ST4. I want a fresh uninstall and install of MP2.

2. Somehow MP2 CE has also been installed, maybe it was on queue at the time I was waiting for the support to reply and later overnight it installed. How do I uninstall it alone completely? I see separate folders and it has same files as in the other full version. During ST2 time, it was all in one folder so deleting that folder was like uninstalling, but now things are spread in various folders and its complicated to manually delete.

3. In future, when I re-install windows 10 and do clean install of everything (in case of hard disk crash), I will copy the backed up downloaded zip folders into the download location set in Product Manager (PM). Then when I press install, will PM re-downloads everything again erasing the existing ones or it will scan and verify if the existing ones are complete and installs?

4. I want to be clear in organizing my folders so at the time of backups I am clear. In the content location, there are ST3 as well as ST4 folders separate. I wanted all the latest ones go to ST4. Since ST3 sounds are already in ST4, Can I delete the ST3 content folder and relocate the content location from ST3 setting to the folder of ST4 content? So I can save Hard disk space?

Much appreciate if you can answer and clear my doubts. I tried my best searching in the faq search bar but didn't get results.

Thanks in advance.
Anil

[garfy]

Hi Anil

Sorry to hear there is some confusion with some of these processes. Please be aware that Official IK Support are not available on weekends, so your ticket will be replied to as soon as it can be during business hours.

However, I'll give you some of the answers that I can.

1. How to uninstall Sounds of an instrument. Some how MP2 was installed in the ST3 Folder instead of ST4. I want a fresh uninstall and install of MP2.

This is normal behaviour. MP2 sounds are part of the ST3 generation and should be left if that folder. ST4 accesses MP2 via the ST3 folder once you have put that pathway in the Settings>Sound Content section of ST4.

2. Somehow MP2 CE has also been installed, maybe it was on queue at the time I was waiting for the support to reply and later overnight it installed. How do I uninstall it alone completely? I see separate folders and it has same files as in the other full version. During ST2 time, it was all in one folder so deleting that folder was like uninstalling, but now things are spread in various folders and its complicated to manually delete.

I'm afraid I have no experience of this so would not like to advise you. Another user may chime in soon, or you will have to wait for contact from IK Support.

3. In future, when I re-install windows 10 and do clean install of everything (in case of hard disk crash), I will copy the backed up downloaded zip folders into the download location set in Product Manager (PM). Then when I press install, will PM re-downloads everything again erasing the existing ones or it will scan and verify if the existing ones are complete and installs?

Again, no experience of this using the PM, but I prefer to make my back up of the installed content to keep the integrity of the file structure. Although this takes up more back up space, it means that should anything happen to my hard drives it is quicker and easier to copy/paste the content to a new drive and re-install the app by itself. Another user may be able to tell you more about the process with the PM as you describe.

4. I want to be clear in organizing my folders so at the time of backups I am clear. In the content location, there are ST3 as well as ST4 folders separate. I wanted all the latest ones go to ST4. Since ST3 sounds are already in ST4, Can I delete the ST3 content folder and relocate the content location from ST3 setting to the folder of ST4 content? So I can save Hard disk space?

As mentioned in the answer to (1) even though you may want all of your sounds in ST4, the content from the ST3 generation should not reside in the ST4 folder - these should always be separate and the pathways set in Setttings>Sound Content. You should not relocate ST3 content into the ST4 folder as this will cause conflicts in the way that ST4 addresses your sounds. ST3 content is not duplicated in the ST4 content folders by default, so you will not save space by relocating and deleting.

Hope that helps. Sorry I can't be of more use when it comes to the Product Manager but I have not needed to use it extensively yet.

[anilnc]

Hi Garfy,

Thanks for taking time to help me. Much appreciate. I mean even during the week one reply I get once in 2 days. I know its weekend so will have to wait for Monday or Tuesday for next reply and probably thursday for next. Maybe I'll copy and paste these questions in one go.

ST3 content is not duplicated in the ST4 content folders by default, so you will not save space by relocating and deleting.

Okay. I just went to search each folders and compared, it appears to me that while installing ST4 Max, it did downloaded only 182GB instead of 187.7GB (PM 187.7GB but in ST4 Max page it says 260GB) and the installed ST4 folder shows only 174.97GB. Guess its because it installed overwriting the ST3 instruments into the ST3 folder itself. But why downloaded ST4 folder total size is only 182GB?

[DarkStar]

2. Somehow MP2 CE has also been installed, maybe it was on queue at the time I was waiting for the support to reply and later overnight it installed. How do I uninstall it alone completely? I see separate folders and it has same files as in the other full version.

What leads you to see that MP2 CE was installed (after MP2)? Also, why do you wish to uninstall it?

3. In future, when I re-install windows 10 and do clean install of everything (in case of hard disk crash), I will copy the backed up downloaded zip folders into the download location set in Product Manager (PM). Then when I press install, will PM re-downloads everything again erasing the existing ones or it will scan and verify if the existing ones are complete and installs?

I do not know how IKPM will perform in those circumstances, it might detect the downloaded installer files and just run them. For the sounds libraries, I would just copy the installed libraries from the old disk (or from a back-up).

4. I want to be clear in organizing my folders so at the time of backups I am clear. In the content location, there are ST3 as well as ST4 folders separate. I wanted all the latest ones go to ST4. Since ST3 sounds are already in ST4, Can I delete the ST3 content folder and relocate the content location from ST3 setting to the folder of ST4 content? So I can save Hard disk space?

NO!
The ST4 and ST3 libraries are completely separate. ST4 expects to find ST4 instruments (file extension .st4i) in the ST4 Instruments sub-folders and ST3 instruments (file extension .st43i) in the ST3 Instruments sub-folders. These two class of instrument use different code modules in ST4 so must not be mixed or renamed.

I missed the part where the ST3 sounds were installed into the ST4 folder. Do you know when / how that happened?

If you have all the ST3 content installed into its own folder, then, if you understand exactly what you are doing, you can probably remove the ST3 duplicates that are within the ST4 library. Proceed at your own risk.

This FAQ describes the sounds library hierarchies:
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/faq/index.php?id=1239

[DarkStar]

Okay. I just went to search each folders and compared, it appears to me that while installing ST4 Max, it did downloaded only 182GB instead of 187.7GB (PM 187.7GB but in ST4 Max page it says 260GB) and the installed ST4 folder shows only 174.97GB.

Guess its because it installed overwriting the ST3 instruments into the ST3 folder itself. But why downloaded ST4 folder total size is only 182GB?

You can check the contents using the PDFs on links at the bottom of this page:
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/st4/?pkey=sampletank-4-max#sounds

[anilnc]

What leads you to see that MP2 CE was installed (after MP2)? Also, why do you wish to uninstall it?

In Product Manager, it shows MP2 CE as well as MP2 being installed. I see inside ST3 instruments folder one folder named Miroslav Philharmonik 2 as well as MP 2 CE. Similarly in the Samples folder of ST3 these 2 folders exist. What to uninstall to save some space in HDD.

I missed the part where the ST3 sounds were installed into the ST4 folder. Do you know when / how that happened?

What I was meaning is in the hierarchy of ST4 instruments list in the website, its mentioned ST3 sounds 30+ GB from ST3 and 3+GB from ST2. This confused me, but later I understood ST3 sounds that Product manager installed were installed directly inside ST3 folder.

Proceed at your own risk.

No I don't want to take risk hence I'm asking. Anyways. thank you. I will wait for Support anyways.

Regards
Anil

[anilnc]

Still waiting for support reply.

Meanwhile, I authorized ST4, MP2, Syntronik etc in Product Manager. But when I launch MP2 standalone it didn't ask for authorization, but when open in DAW inside ST3 and ST4, it has lock icon and says need to authorize. But didn't it authorize via PM? Should I again authorize looking for serial number for each product again? Will it reduce the available authorization limit?

How to attach some screenshots here?

[DarkStar]

Support is not generally in the office over the week-ends, please be patient.

And, for posting images, please see: https://cgi.ikmultimedia.com/ikforum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=432

I do not know why both the MP2 and MP2 CE libraries got installed. As far as I know the MP2 CE library is all in the the MP2 library, so they are duplicates. Support will advise you what to do.

What I was meaning is in the hierarchy of ST4 instruments list in the website, its mentioned ST3 sounds 30+ GB from ST3 and 3+GB from ST2. This confused me, but later I understood ST3 sounds that Product manager installed were installed directly inside ST3 folder.

Ah, that becomes clearer. As I understand it that web page is saying that the ST4 library includes 30+ GB from the ST3 library and 3+ GB from the ST2 library. These instruments are in the ST4 format (with a .st4i file extension) and should be in the ST4 library hierarchy.

The instruments in MP2 and Syntronik are in ST3 format (with a .st3i file extension). They should be in an ST3 library hierarchy, separate from the ST4 library.

As for the Authorizations, if the standalone programs (ST4, MP2, Syntronik) open and load their instruments OK, then the plug-ins should be OK too. Support will be able to advise you.

You mentioned ST3 in your last post. Do you have that program and library installed too? I do not recall that being mentioned before. If you do, then you may have some duplicate instruments in both ST3 and ST4. But any removal would need some close examination.

PS Once you have got all your libraries installed and sorted out, make a complete back-up onto an archive disk so that you will not have to download/ install them again.

[anilnc]

Thanks Darkstar,

Yes I already have ST3 full version upgraded from ST2 few years back. So they are already installed.

[DarkStar]

Thank you, that make things a bit clearer.

Looking at the Comparison PDF on this page: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/st4/?pkey=sampletank-4-max#sounds

SampleTank 4
6,000 instruments. Over 100 GB of samples.
Including:
70 GB of all-new SampleTank 4 samples.
33 GB of legacy SampleTank 3 samples (the full SampleTank 3 legacy product).

SampleTank 4 MAX
8,000 instruments. Over 260 GB of samples.
Including:
200 GB of all-new SampleTank 4 samples.
33 GB of legacy SampleTank 3 samples (the full SampleTank 3 legacy product).
30 GB of additional content in 25 Instrument Collections:

(my underlining)

All of those instruments are in ST4 format and should be in the ST4 library.

As you already have ST3 Full, then you will have some duplicates. If your old projects do not use those ST3 instruments AND you do not need them, then you should be able to remove them from the ST3 library. But back them up first, just in case. Support will advise you on the best way to proceed.

[anilnc]

Ah, Sorry I should have mentioned I have ST3 before itself.

SampleTank 4 MAX
8,000 instruments. Over 260 GB of samples.
Including:
200 GB of all-new SampleTank 4 samples.

But my ST4 Max download folder shows only 182.19GB and Installed ST4 Max content folder shows only 174.97GB. Should it be showing 200GB or if it should included ST3 and 25 instruments total as 266GB?

[anilnc]

Here are the screenshots.

Both MP2 and MP2 CE shown inside ST3.

https://i.imgur.com/KVd69rw.jpg

PM showing ST4 authorized

https://i.imgur.com/6A0tI4S.jpg

ST4 showing not authorized while loading an instrument. And it is also showing the library name as ST4 CS and not MAX or ST4 normal.

https://i.imgur.com/B5g8Lop.jpg

[DarkStar]

Ah, Sorry I should have mentioned I have ST3 before itself.

SampleTank 4 MAX
8,000 instruments. Over 260 GB of samples.
Including:
200 GB of all-new SampleTank 4 samples.

But my ST4 Max download folder shows only 182.19GB and Installed ST4 Max content folder shows only 174.97GB. Should it be showing 200GB or if it should included ST3 and 25 instruments total as 266GB?

Sorry I do not know.

And I cannot think why the authorizations differ.

[anilnc]

Hi,

The support representative didn't answer my single question asked clearly. I sent reply asking him again. But after 3 days of waiting I got reply not clear again. I'm loosing my patience and temper. Please tell me if my question below is not clear?

"Sorry you didn't answer my question. Reinstalling from product manager will redownload everything 50+GB from start or it will see the existing zip folder that was already downloaded and will just perform installation? In this way maybe it will redownload any missing files I guess."

His reply was:

"The IK Product Manager will install all of the sound content from start. If you are not experiencing any errors when loading sounds it is not necessary to re-install the sound content."

Does he mean redownloads from start or reinstall? I didn't get my answer yet. Should wait another 2 days just to get answer for one question. Now can't imagine if asking other doubts how much complicated it will be if not understood.

Please correct me if I'm wrong so that I can correct my English accordingly.

[anilnc]

Guess I'll have to experiment it by myself and learn.