Tip: Back up with Fractal-Bot

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This is a public service announcement reminding you to back up your custom presets, cabs, and settings. It's easy: just connect to Fractal-Bot, change to the RECEIVE tab, and make a complete backup on your computer. Then, zip it up and email it to yourself. It should go without saying that backups are a much easier way to recover from a mishap than scrambling to program emergency presets during a soundcheck.
 
I have Bot put all my backups in my Dropbox-connected folder. That automatically makes them available to me on all my computers and keeps revisions of files. It also gives me 30 days to recover a file if I accidentally delete it.

And that folder is also pushed to BackBlaze.

You can never have too many backups. :)
 
I have Bot put all my backups in my Dropbox-connected folder. That automatically makes them available to me on all my computers and keeps revisions of files. It also gives me 30 days to recover a file if I accidentally delete it.

And that folder is also pushed to BackBlaze.

You can never have too many backups. :)
same. i do that for my computer clients too. time machine (yuck) or superduper backup on site, they work out of dropbox and i symlink other folders, and backblaze does it all for remote. :O
 
Just backed mine up the other day. They're saved on my primary drive, automatically on my back-up drive and I also uploaded them to Dropbox. I don't gig though, so according to Murphy's Law...I'm good!
 
I backup always before a firmware update and periodically in between if it feels like it’s been awhile. Once the backup is complete I select the .syx files and then run an AppleScript I wrote that zips up the selected items (after prompting for a name based on the base name of the selected files, and lets me add additional text — ususally I include a short hand of the firmware version number that i was in when I did the backup), then places that zip in an archive folder on my local computer and a copy on my Dropbox, and then removes the individual backup files after. I tend to only keep the most recent zip archive on Dropbox so I can access it from another computer if need be.
 
I've had trouble with backups completing in the past on my II, but this one works like it should for my III. It takes longer, but, I the files are larger. Very pleased it works well as I always make backups and save them to my server.
 
I'm backing up bank 1 and my system settings at the end of a programming session. I have BOT save them to the "odrive" folder of my computer, which is tied to several of my free google drive accounts and my Amazon 1TB cloud account. I can access them from the web. If I needed to, I could download and install FRACTAL BOT onto any computer on hand (although I normally bring my MacBook Pro with me) and restore my stuff.
 
You don't have a backup plan if you don't keep your files stored in 3 separate locations. Also, when saving your sysx, save your current firmware version and other support apps (AxeEdit, FractalBot etc...) as well. You need the ability to rebuild your rig from the ground up as quickly as possible without being online and downloading files.
 
Don’t back up the factory presets? Things that haven’t changed?

I have a question. I have backed up my axe fx iii and updated. I believe I have missed another update or two for the axe fx iii and was wondering do I need to keep the old back up or just write over it nothing but stock presets so far... I have not been able to keep up the every update because of our situation. I have had my new axe Fx III mostly in storage because of Hurricane Michael I am unable to get my main computer online.
Also if there has been two updates do I need to load both or just the latest update.
Appreciate any response I’m sure this has been asked but I haven’t seen it Thanks
 
I have a question. I have backed up my axe fx iii and updated. I believe I have missed another update or two for the axe fx iii and was wondering do I need to keep the old back up or just write over it nothing but stock presets so far... I have not been able to keep up the every update because of our situation. I have had my new axe Fx III mostly in storage because of Hurricane Michael I am unable to get my main computer online.
I keep all old backups. Occassionally I'll zip up a year's worth of them into a single bundle to save on disk space. If you're not sure what's in the unit, do a complete backup and keep it all. Disk, as they say, is cheap these days. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and wish you had it.
Also if there has been two updates do I need to load both or just the latest update.
Just the latest. You can always go straight to the latest update, no need to install updates in between what you're on and current.
 
I have a question. I have backed up my axe fx iii and updated. I believe I have missed another update or two for the axe fx iii and was wondering do I need to keep the old back up or just write over it nothing but stock presets so far... I have not been able to keep up the every update because of our situation. I have had my new axe Fx III mostly in storage because of Hurricane Michael I am unable to get my main computer online.
Also if there has been two updates do I need to load both or just the latest update.
Appreciate any response I’m sure this has been asked but I haven’t seen it Thanks
If you haven't changed anything, no need to make another backup.

Take a backup any time you think you have made changes you don't want to lose.

I personally keep them all. And name them with a date as part of the file name.

Any firmware update is a standalone, so load whatever version you want to be on.
 
I keep all old backups. Occassionally I'll zip up a year's worth of them into a single bundle to save on disk space. If you're not sure what's in the unit, do a complete backup and keep it all. Disk, as they say, is cheap these days. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and wish you had it.

Just the latest. You can always go straight to the latest update, no need to install updates in between what you're on and current.
Thank you so much I wasn’t sure I have not used my axe iii as much as I wish but I’m trying to keep up with what is going on with my iPad best I can do for now.

Ok so I should just us what ever the current update is and That will be good. And backup before every update and save all the new updates before updating it got it. Sure don’t want to mess up now takes me to long to get my computer set up.
It would be cool if I could use my iPad
Thanks
 
If you haven't changed anything, no need to make another backup.

Take a backup any time you think you have made changes you don't want to lose.

I personally keep them all. And name them with a date as part of the file name.

Any firmware update is a standalone, so load whatever version you want to be on.
Thank you for the information so your saying in the firmware updates there may be changes and you may want to go back to an older firmware?

I’ll definitely backup every time I make changes. That’s why I wasn’t sure if I needed to load a missed firmware versions before the latest version. I have not been able to plug my Axe Fx III into my computer since October 2018. But I had backed up and then updated before that.
 
Thank you for the information so your saying in the firmware updates there may be changes and you may want to go back to an older firmware?

I’ll definitely backup every time I make changes. That’s why I wasn’t sure if I needed to load a missed firmware versions before the latest version. I have not been able to plug my Axe Fx III into my computer since October 2018. But I had backed up and then updated before that.
Yes. Sometimes people are not thrilled with a particular FW and want to revert. You can do that easily (although note that any preset saved in a newer FW may show up as blank under an older FW).

The backup utility backs up everything, or individual components.

For example, if you have no 3rd party IRs, don't do a cab backup as you have nothing to lose.

For me, I backup up system settings and presets I have created before a FW update.

I can always reload IRs and I am not concerned about factory presets (because I don't rely on any)... That is my method. Works for my use case. ;)
 
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