Hi all,
A .bup Backup file contains the following:
- Content of the internal User drive (on some models you can specify whether Audio files stored in the User drive should also be backed up)
- User-defined System settings
- User-defined MIDI settings
- User-defined Effect settings
Important: You cannot extract any data from .bup files, you can only (if necessary) read in the complete .bup file again (Restore). It should be noted that this will overwrite the current content of the User drive with the content stored in the .bup file (!)
In my opinion, the regular saving of .bup files can be dispensed with. Instead, the so-called "Setup Files" (System, MIDI and User Effect) and your own data should be backed up manually on a regular basis. (Older models also have a "Music Finder" Setup file.) Information on this can be found in the Reference Manual in the "Utility > Factory Reset/Backup > Backup/Restore" section.
With the Genos, it is best to back up the User drive directly to the computer in USB Storage Mode, similar to the contents of the internal hard drive on Tyros models. If you make a manual backup of the User drive data from the keyboard to the USB stick, this must be done separately for each file type, i.e. in the respective File Selection display (Styles, MIDI files, Registration Bank files, User Voice files, Audio files, text files and the already mentioned setup files).
Alternatively, one could use the Yamaha "MusicSoft Downloader" program (MSD) for backups (only available for Windows computers). This allows you to see/access all files in the User drive from the PC and copy data regardless of the file type. However, the MSD is more intended/suitable for smaller files, since the file transfer takes place here via the USB-MIDI protocol.
P.S.
In some cases it is not possible to save a .bup file with the internal Backup function (e.g. if there are too many files in the User drive or too many files in individual folders, or if the maximum allowed size of the .bup file would be exceeded). However, since, as already mentioned, you can/should save the Setup Files separately, this is not a major problem. It is important that you back up your data manually on a regular basis. The easiest way to do this is to work primarily with USB sticks and back them up regularly on the computer.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Chris