Hi Guys,
I do my backups via 2 different methods using an sd card reader. I tried doing it via USB Cable and Song Manager ONCE. It took forever.
I've actually got 2 sd card readers. The one that came with the Panasonic SD Audio Writing Kit, which I require for saving Audio files to sd card, the other one is a generic brand sd card reader that I bought off ebay for the princely sum of $14USD plus postage.
I actually have 2 computers, one is used for the internet and downloding files, the other ( a laptop) I use for music.
Having the 2 card readers is a real bonus as it allows me to copy files that I download from the net, to a spare sd. I then use that sd card to transfer the files to my laptop. In short, I'm using an sd card as a giant floppy for transferring all sorts of files.

As for backups.
I do one lot of backs using the Song Manager and an sd card reader.

The other back up, I just copy the folder called "private" from the sd card (inclusive of contents) to a folder I've created in my computer. I usually put a date on that folder so that I can identify the date I backed up. After awhile these folders can end up taking up a fair bit of memory ( if you keep to or 3 backups), I then burn them to a cd rom and remove them from the computer. In short, I could restore a card from any point in time.
One advantage I did find is that, unlike the song manager back up, your file doesn't neccesarily have to go back onto the same size sd card.
I for instance have all my styles on one card. My songs ( from Cee's site & midifiles ) on another. My audio files on another and my personal music work files on another.
I've also ended up with a variety of card sizes ie 8mb, 32mb 64 mb up to 256mb. As I out grew them and they got cheaper, I replaced with larger cards.
If for instance I started putting all my songs onto a 256 mb card and I realized I'd never be able to fill it up to full memory capacity( there's a max of 99 folders x 20 songs per sd card) ie all those songs were on going to use up 50 mb max ( waste of a large card) , then I would copy the " private" folder ( only 1 private folder & contents, allowed per sd card) to my computer, then copy that 50 mb private folder of songs to a 64 mb card instead.

I'm probably a bit paranoid about backing up, but when I look at the hours, days, months, I spend downloading songs, sorting styles, creating the odd style etc, I couldn't think of anything worse than losing all these files. The keyboard is replaceable if something went wrong, an sd card is replaceable, all the hard work we put into these files to my mind, ISN'T.

best wishes
Rikki

Rikki,

I do not have the collection to manage that you have. I do have quite a bit and I use the same approach. No large SD's and final backup to CD.
You are a wealth of information.

Fran in Florida

I finally brought my Laptop home and connected the USB cable to the PR54 and tried sending both midi and Technic files to the PR and I got nothing but transmission errors. I do here sound from the computer on the PR but no transfer of songs.

Does this thing work! And if so do I have to set the PR to the composer or do anything special. The manual doesn't seen to say anything about it and the help file only tell how to use it and not how to set it up.

Any help I can get would be great.

Heather

Hi Heather,
not quite sure what you mean by " you hear sound from the computer".

You're not trying to send the songs across as if you were using a sequencer? ie trying to play them across.

Are you using the song manager software? that I assume came with your pr.

I would tend to think that what you'd be sending across would be the songs in file format, not in midi format.

Unfortunately the pr's are different to the kn7, so I'm really not much help to you.

best wishes
Rikki

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shcox:
[B]I finally brought my Laptop home and connected the USB cable to the PR54 and tried sending both midi and Technic files to the PR and I got nothing but transmission errors. I do here sound from the computer on the PR but no transfer of songs.

Hi Rikki,

The sounds I hear are the beeps that the computer itself makes when the error occurs and any other computer sounds as if the PR was just a big set of computer speakers.

Alec sent me some thing to try next weekend when I have the time to take the laptop home again.

But thanks for trying to help.

Heather