ICloud Backup...Some explanation?

LinearLineman

Hi, I am not sure how iCloud backup works. Particularly how one retrieves info if lost on an iPad. I am nearing the 50gb point (95%Cubasis) and will need a larger storage plan, but how does it all work? Are other storage plans better?Thanks!

icsleepers

I’m no expert, but here’s my experience. iCloud backup for backing up your device basically will just take your settings (if a phone, contacts - emails, apps, wallpaper, etc) so that when you buy a new device (or replace a broken one etc) you can restore from that backup and ideally, your device is the same as it was before. Apps will re-download as part of this restore, they aren’t backed up with the backup itself. I feel like I recall data stored IN the apps sandbox do get backed up though (so old school Nanostudio 1 for example, anything I had imported into the apps folder sets would come back down with the restore (tried this moving from iPhone 4 to 5 - worked great, all projects intact).

Apps that are able to load things from files... are a different story. I haven’t tested, but I suspect that if I restored an app like Gadget that any locally stored samples/loops I can see in the Files app would not come back down to the app. Anything in the cloud though would be ok (ie, I copy all my projects and audio to a folder on Files/iCloud drive - it would still be there).

That all said, the more expensive plans aren’t really any better, just bigger. If you were comfortable making backups to external media (a computer drive, USB) you would save some cash doing it that way over shelling out for a larger tier storage plan. If you need all the data available at any time though, or just don’t want to be arsed with using a computer or whatever to get at your stuff to back it up elsewhere then your only option is to use a bigger storage plan or some other provider with an app (drop box, google drive etc).

Hope this helps some.

espiegel123

Have you considered offloading tracks that you aren't actively working on to an external storage device (i.e. a hard drive)? If you ever do have to restore from a backup, 50 GB may take a very long time to retrieve.

LinearLineman

Thank you @icsleepers , that did clarify that the backup will not save the projects and audio I have in Cubasis, which is all I care about. I do have all my stuff on SoundCloud, but I guess if you download you get an MP4 format. Any idea about that?

@espiegel123 , that indeed seems the best way. I will consider it. Thanks

icsleepers

@LinearLineman I’m not entirely sure how Cubasis arranges the projects, I think there’s an option to export the project with samples but I’d test it before doing anything and relying on it.

I do know that when I tried to cut up an amen break inside the sampler instrument I could NOT figure out how the heck to export the “instrument”. I have no idea how that stuff is backed up lol..

LinearLineman

Thanks for your candor @icsleepers !

StudioES

Does Cubasis 2 support iTunes File Sharing? Says so on their website (Files app too). So theoretically, you should be able to install iTunes on your Mac or Windows computer, connect iPad to computer, open iTunes and back up only Cubasis' data. There's 'better' 3rd-party software like iMazing and CopyTrans Apps for backing up an individual app's data if it exposes it via iTunes File Sharing. Beatmaker 3 exposes everything and is super-easy to back up its data. Easy to restore data too.

Full iOS backups should be encrypted, which makes it much more difficult if you later need to restore a DAW Project or just a single audio file.

royor

Great advice from icsleepers, espiegel123 + ocelot.

Cubasis 2 definitely supports iTunes File Sharing. That's what I use to back up ALL my Cubasis projects etc... I'm still using OS X Yosemite (10.10.5) and iTunes version 12.6.1 to do this. Newer versions of iTunes might not work. You can use this older version just in case. Transferring 50+ GB from your iPad to a Mac/PC connected to an external hard drive, would be pretty quick compared to iCloud. I would do this with or without a cloud service just to make sure I've got an easily restorable backup. Here's what it looks like in iTunes with your iPad connected:

LinearLineman

Thanks @ocelot and @royor for the info!

Aud_iOS

A bit on iCloud & iTunes backups

The App itself (the bundle) isn't included in an iTunes or iCloud backup. There will be an initial sync, such that you can restore the App, but the idea here is the App itself, and any content of the App that can be re-downloaded from the Store doesn't need included in a backup. This is to save iCloud storage space and ongoing network traffic for you.

Data and Documents that aren't easily recreated from the bundle download can be included in either the Documents/ Folder or the Library/ Folder -

The Documents/ folder - . "Documents" are file types that are meant to be accessible to us.
Any data in this folder is included with iTunes and iCloud backups - these are the files we see and can work directly with.

The Library/ folder is where data files are stored that us users don't need to access directly, but are important to back up - like our Preferences. It's not visible to us.

• The Library directory contains (I think) 3 subdirectories; Application Support, Caches, and Preferences. Everything in the Library/ folder and is included in iTunes and iCloud backups. Only the Caches/ subdirectory isn't restored with a backup.

• Application Support/ contains data files, templates and the like - this is how Angry Birds knows what level you last passed when you reinstall it.

The Preferences/ subdirectory contains preferences specific to the App and its contents are included in iTunes and iCloud backups.

• Lastly the Caches/ subdirectory contains app-specific files that are "easily recreated" - This is the subdirectory (I think) responsible for blowing up the "System Storage" of our devices. For example - Netflix may place a Cache of the next episode in a series you are watching. The Caches subdirectory is not included in iTunes or iCloud backups.

If you select the Encrypted backup option - your passwords, Wi-Fi settings, Website history and Health data are included in the backup. iCloud backups are always encrypted, iTunes backups have encryption off by default.

There are some other differences between an iTunes and an iCloud backup - differences aside iTunes backups are more comprehensive than iCloud backups, they are also much faster since they don't need to use Wi-Fi: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204136

Rock on!

excesseye

I recently upgraded from my 10.5" iPad Pro to a 2018 12.9" and, although I made a manual backup of my old device through iTunes, I thought I would see how the iCloud backup that I had enabled would do as far as restoring to the new iPad. In short, it worked perfectly. As mentioned above, all apps are re-downloaded from the store (and IAPs have to be manually restored from within the respective apps), but all my files from Auria, Audioshare, Documents, etc., were restored without any issue.

I will say that my backup data was fairly large, with BM3 alone being nearly 50 Gb, so the restore process was slow! I didn't time it, but it was in the region of 12 hours or more. That includes restoring backup data, and reinstalling all apps. I think my total backup size was roughly 120 Gb, and I've lost count of how many apps

LinearLineman

Thank you @Aud_iOS your knowledge is deep... and confusing from someone born the year the State of Israel was declared! But I understood some.
@excesseye, that is very interesting. Please clarify, your projects in Auria were restored as listed in the app project and mixdown windows, or did you save your projects and mixdowns some other way? That is the crux of my question. Thanks!

As always, Audiob.us collectively know everything.

excesseye

@LinearLineman

Yes, all projects were restored automatically from my iCloud backup. In fact I couldn't open the first one I tried as it used some Auria Pro features and I hadn't yet restored my Pro upgrade. iCloud really did seem to get everything; it even restored the Trash folder contents in Cubasis! I would recommend checking the last iCloud backup date in settings before restoring to make sure it is current.

Also, the first iCloud backup on the new device failed because the backup of my old device was still there which did not leave enough space for the new one (I have the 200 Gb plan), so make sure you delete any backups that are no longer required after restoring.

mungbeans

Something to bear in mind about using iCloud - suppose you have a copy of an old app such as Z3TA+ or Alchemy installed on your iPad and its working nicely (you might have an old version of iOS installed).
If you do a backup of your iPad to iCloud and then reset your iPad and restore from iCloud then you will have lost Z3TA+ and Alchemy forever because they are longer in the app store.

When a restore occurs, iOS will automatically update the version of iOS to the latest, and install the latest versions of all apps from the App Store. Its definatly not like making a backup image of your computer for example. You do not get restored a carbon copy of what you backed up with iCloud.

excesseye

@mungbeans makes a good point about apps removed from the store. Personally I got tired of jumping through the various hoops to keep those synths alive on my iPad. I'm still mad about Alchemy though, especially as I had spent a lot of time converting all my desktop libraries to the mobile version! At least I have it in Logic on desktop now though.

LinearLineman

Thank you @excesseye, I will expand to the 200gb plan and rest assured. That and SoundCloud is more than sufficient to protect my "masterpieces"!

Barbara

@espiegel123 said:
Have you considered offloading tracks that you aren't actively working on to an external storage device (i.e. a hard drive)? If you ever do have to restore from a backup, 50 GB may take a very long time to retrieve.

agree. I would recommend using a computer as a backup method for storage devices, such as transferring data from the iPad to a computer with the FoneCope phone manager. This saves the iPad's storage space and saves data files.