Help! Vanished Recording

[JR1]

I've just returned home from recording a concert. to find there's no trace of a sound file or session with the name I gave to the recording, in the session list or sound file list in SAWStudio Basic, on my laptop.

I know I had given the session a name, in setting it up before starting the recording. Time display was running during the whole recording (just under 2 hours). I was using 4 mics, and all 4 SAWStudio input meters were displaying, and sound heard through headphones on the Fireface 400.

I'm convinced I used the normal save routine at the end of the recording, but on looking for the file now on returning home there is, as I say, no trace of a file of the name I had given it, or one resembling that name, on the hard drive sound file list, or the session file list.

I have done no more recording since the one in question.

So please, any thoughts/ideas about what has happened, and about how, if at all, I can hope to rescue the recording - which, unfortunately, is very important.


John

[Gary Ray]

Are you sure the file was saved where you think it was saved?
Try a complete search of the hard drive.

[soundchicken]

I had this happen to me one time when some idiot musician decides to pull my plug before I saved off the project. (Yeah, I know...UPS)

[UpTilDawn]

As Gary suggested.........

My guess is that you may have saved it into another project's folder....
You don't mention that you created a specific project folder for the session. Did you do that?

[JR1]

Panic over. I searched the hard drive and found an edl title that related to nothing at all that I could think of - and certainly not to the concert in question.

And of course, that turned out to be the missing file! Thanks for the early responses which, between them, pointed me in the right direction.

John

[Microstudio]

Have you taken the time to setup your "File Paths" and then once done Save Defaults? If you do this everything will be right were it should be. It's best to setup the File Paths and always record to the same place.

[Ian Alexander]

Have you taken the time to setup your "File Paths" and then once done Save Defaults? If you do this everything will be right were it should be. It's best to setup the File Paths and always record to the same place.
IMHO, this is asking for trouble. If you happen to use the same name and, when in a hurry, click yes when prompted to overwrite, you could lose an entire project.

Instead, always record to a different place.

When you Ctrl-S to save the project (before recording anything!) use or create a folder for the client (band, whatever), create or use a subfolder for the project, a new folder for the concert or song, and then name the EDL for the concert or song.

I'm glad JR1 found his files. :cool:

[RBIngraham]

IMHO, this is asking for trouble. If you happen to use the same name and, when in a hurry, click yes when prompted to overwrite, you could lose an entire project.

Instead, always record to a different place.

When you Ctrl-S to save the project (before recording anything!) use or create a folder for the client (band, whatever), create or use a subfolder for the project, a new folder for the concert or song, and then name the EDL for the concert or song.

I'm glad JR1 found his files. :cool:

+1

I would also add, I always run a test recording in these kind of situations.

Record a minute or two of audio. Stop... make sure it plays back smoothly, etc...

Sometimes I then start a new edl... sometimes not.

[Microstudio]

+1

I would also add, I always run a test recording in these kind of situations.

Record a minute or two of audio. Stop... make sure it plays back smoothly, etc...

Sometimes I then start a new edl... sometimes not.

Isn't the "Setup File Paths" purpose to record everything to the same place so you know where everything is recording too and then it's just Name the session and record?

The test as you say +100 on that.

[RBIngraham]

Isn't the "Setup File Paths" purpose to record everything to the same place so you know where everything is recording too and then it's just Name the session and record?

The test as you say +100 on that.

Would you really want every audio file you ever recorded all in a single folder?

That sounds like a logistics and back-up nightmare if you ask me.

I leave the sound file record path blank, so that way SAW just automatically puts all the audio files in the folder where I save the edl file. Or sometimes I think will just use \Audio\ and that way it puts the files into a subfolder of wherever I save the edl file.

Make a new folder for each project, save all your files in that folder. Then when it's time to back-up, export, clear away, etc... all you need to do is copy everything in that one folder. Done.

[PhaseShifter]

I hear that storing all your files in the same folder helps inspire the audio since the files are near their buddies and can really feel the groove when jamming. Of course, this is not the case with every DAW. Some DAWs may spoil the audio if there are too many files in one folder, so you need to be careful :D

[Microstudio]

Would you really want every audio file you ever recorded all in a single folder?

That sounds like a logistics and back-up nightmare if you ask me.

You must be kidding right? 1 folder, choose to back it up is a back-up nightmare... Sorry had too :D

In setting up your File Paths in the manual it tells you how to do it and that is all I was saying...one should set there File Paths up, I did not ever say what choices they should make in doing so. The Help File clearly tells you about all options. Geewizz people too often do not read and understand before replying or quoting...I am guilty but I am trying ;)

How anyone could disagree with the statement "You should setup your file paths" is down right silly.

[DominicPerry]

Just one folder makes no sense to me, unless it has sub-folders. If you have 10 songs in a single folder, and name something "funky guitar riff", how do you know which song it belongs to?

One folder per song, or per session or per recording.

If you're worried about backups, have a top level folder called
"ALLSAWSESSIONS" or something similar, and put sub-folders underneath. Then you can back up individual sub-folders, or the whole lot.

I can't believe I'm even joining in with this stupid debate. If someone can't work out how to organise their session folders, they're in the wrong job.

Dominic

[RBIngraham]

Just to be clear, I'm not talking about saving files all over the place. I think we are mostly all saying the same thing, except maybe Micro?

Make a folder for each project or song, however you like to do it. Keep everything in there, audio, edl files, etc... To back it all up, just back up those folders.

I guess I was thinking that Micro wants to put all audio data from every session ever all in a single folder. That is how I read it anyway. :) If that is the case I would shy away from that.

If you want SAW to automatically allow you to save the edl file into it's own folder and then save all the audio recorded in that same folder, you really don't have to set up anything. SAW does this by default as far as I know. I know it does on my system and I don't remember setting up any paths except for the default folder of where to go to grab previously recorded audio.

[Microstudio]

I think we should get Bob to clear this up, I am for what is in the Help Manual but maybe Bob can clear this up?

[tomasino]

I think we should get Bob to clear this up, I am for what is in the Help Manual but maybe Bob can clear this up?
Forum SEARCH and the spanish novel "Manual", are your friends.
This question has been answered soo many times.. by Bob and everyone else.

Micro, Why are you here?
I clearly remember you dumping SawStudio years ago.. cuz' MWS wasn't feature rich enough for you. You signed off n' said "So Long".

That's a Retro state I think deserves more in-depth analysis and personal contemplation/meditation on your part.

[Microstudio]

Forum SEARCH and the spanish novel "Manual", are your friends.
This question has been answered soo many times.. by Bob and everyone else.

Micro, Why are you here?
I clearly remember you dumping SawStudio years ago.. cuz' MWS wasn't feature rich enough for you. You signed off n' said "So Long".

That's a Retro state I think deserves more in-depth analysis and personal contemplation/meditation on your part.

Dude I am just wondering why "Setting up File Paths" is not a good thing as some have said that's all. As for me I am updating the new site and will be making new Tutorial videos to help out Bob so the more I understand the better the Tutorials will be.

[RBIngraham]

So I can't open the help file because I'm on a Win 7 system and never took the time to install that tool. But if you open the pdf manual, which is just the help file, and look at bottom of page 28, it shows just what I was talking about.

The Sound File Record Path is blank by default. If you leave it blank, SAW will store all recorded files in the same file path (folder) you have stored your edl file. So if you create your edl, save it to it's own folder, SAW will automatically store all recorded data into that same folder.

If you want to change this, then yes you can put in your own file path of your choosing. But then SAW is going to always put all recorded audio data in the folder, unless you change it by hand as you create new projects.

No there is nothing wrong with doing this, if that is what you want. But if you just save your edl file, to it's own folder, before you start recording anything, SAW will automatically just put all the audio data in the same folder you just saved the edl file to. You don't have to "set up" anything.

To me, setting up a file path for recorded data so all your audio gets recorded to the same folder for all your projects is a mistake. That would mean all your audio files from every project would be in the same place. What happens if I have more than one project with same edl file name and the same track names? What happens when I want to back up a single edl file. All the audio files would be in this folder and it could have hundreds or thousands of audio files in it... that is a backup nightmare if you ask me. If it works for you.. great. Go on with your bad self and cool computer. :)

[Microstudio]

So I can't open the help file because I'm on a Win 7 system and never took the time to install that tool. But if you open the pdf manual, which is just the help file, and look at bottom of page 28, it shows just what I was talking about.

The Sound File Record Path is blank by default. If you leave it blank, SAW will store all recorded files in the same file path (folder) you have stored your edl file. So if you create your edl, save it to it's own folder, SAW will automatically store all recorded data into that same folder.

If you want to change this, then yes you can put in your own file path of your choosing. But then SAW is going to always put all recorded audio data in the folder, unless you change it by hand as you create new projects.

No there is nothing wrong with doing this, if that is what you want. But if you just save your edl file, to it's own folder, before you start recording anything, SAW will automatically just put all the audio data in the same folder you just saved the edl file to. You don't have to "set up" anything.

To me, setting up a file path for recorded data so all your audio gets recorded to the same folder for all your projects is a mistake. That would mean all your audio files from every project would be in the same place. What happens if I have more than one project with same edl file name and the same track names? What happens when I want to back up a single edl file. All the audio files would be in this folder and it could have hundreds or thousands of audio files in it... that is a backup nightmare if you ask me. If it works for you.. great. Go on with your bad self and cool computer. :)

Thanks and I was never saying anything other then you should setup your file paths and what you just posted is doing so and what I was saying the @op should do. Don't understand how anyone thought I was saying anything other then "You should Setup Your File Paths". Anyway that was a nice post dude and please don't be jealous of my bad ass P4 build ;)

[Ian Alexander]

Thanks and I was never saying anything other then you should setup your file paths and what you just posted is doing so and what I was saying the @op should do. Don't understand how anyone thought I was saying anything other then "You should Setup Your File Paths". Anyway that was a nice post dude and please don't be jealous of my bad ass P4 build ;)
I guess I understand "setup your file paths" and "leave them blank" as two different approaches. One is doing something. The other is not. It seems the manual recommends the latter in this case.

On the other hand, if you mean to set up the path/folder/subfolder for each session beforehand, I'd agree. Maybe this is too detail-oriented for a music studio used by one person, but I am often asked to provide revisions to voiceover jobs recorded weeks, months, and sometimes years ago. Spending the few seconds to set up the path for each session saves me hours searching the archives and backups for old files. [shrug]

[Dave Labrecque]

Just one folder makes no sense to me, unless it has sub-folders. If you have 10 songs in a single folder, and name something "funky guitar riff", how do you know which song it belongs to?

One folder per song, or per session or per recording.

If you're worried about backups, have a top level folder called
"ALLSAWSESSIONS" or something similar, and put sub-folders underneath. Then you can back up individual sub-folders, or the whole lot.

I can't believe I'm even joining in with this stupid debate. If someone can't work out how to organise their session folders, they're in the wrong job.

Dominic

My practice is to record each track/sound file for a project to a different drive, preferably pausing during tracking every 60 seconds to change each track/file to a new drive, adding drives to the system as needed so that no drive ever contains more than a single audio file, while keeping the max file size to no more than about 10 MB. The object is to be certain that my project is spread out as much as possible, to minimize the amount of data loss should a drive go bad. It's a bit of a PITA, but well worth the effort, I think. The low fragmentation rate alone makes it the smart way to go.

[Mike Bizanovich]

My practice is to record each track/sound file for a project to a different drive, preferably pausing during tracking every 60 seconds to change each track/file to a new drive, adding drives to the system as needed so that no drive ever contains more than a single audio file, while keeping the max file size to no more than about 10 MB. The object is to be certain that my project is spread out as much as possible, to minimize the amount of data loss should a drive go bad. It's a bit of a PITA, but well worth the effort, I think. The low fragmentation rate alone makes it the smart way to go.

Now, that's funny! :)

[UpTilDawn]

Dave, have you considered a flash drive server for your needs?.... or maybe that's what you're already using?
You could get boxes of 2GB flash drives for cheap, I bet.

[RBIngraham]

My practice is to record each track/sound file for a project to a different drive, preferably pausing during tracking every 60 seconds to change each track/file to a new drive, adding drives to the system as needed so that no drive ever contains more than a single audio file, while keeping the max file size to no more than about 10 MB. The object is to be certain that my project is spread out as much as possible, to minimize the amount of data loss should a drive go bad. It's a bit of a PITA, but well worth the effort, I think. The low fragmentation rate alone makes it the smart way to go.

Thank you

[Dave Labrecque]

Dave, have you considered a flash drive server for your needs?.... or maybe that's what you're already using?
You could get boxes of 2GB flash drives for cheap, I bet.

I don't trust 'em. Not enough moving parts. Magical thinking and all that. Humbug.

[bcorkery]

:D Well ... it has been stated that memory is cheap now-a-days! :p

[DominicPerry]

I think the advent of Cloud Computing means that we need a SAW add-on which allows each soundfile to be located with a different service provider.

Drums on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Vocals can be recorded to local wax-cylinder and kept in a warm oven.

Dominic

[UpTilDawn]

I think the advent of Cloud Computing means that we need a SAW add-on which allows each soundfile to be located with a different service provider.

Drums on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Vocals can be recorded to local wax-cylinder and kept in a warm oven.

Dominic

Now there you go, mixing new and old technologies again!

[Butch Bos]

I think the advent of Cloud Computing means that we need a SAW add-on which allows each soundfile to be located with a different service provider.

Drums on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Vocals can be recorded to local wax-cylinder and kept in a warm oven.

Dominic
Correction
Vocals on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Bagpipes on wax cylinder in hot room then used as candles :D
Banjo recorded on Webster wire recorder

Butch

[PhaseShifter]

I think the advent of Cloud Computing means that we need a SAW add-on which allows each soundfile to be located with a different service provider.

Drums on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Vocals can be recorded to local wax-cylinder and kept in a warm oven.

Dominic

You don't need a SAW add-on, you can do it all with local API tools if you wanted to :) Yay cloud!

Wonder how those SAW and SAC APIs are coming along...

[Grekim]

Correction
Vocals on SoundCloud
Bass on Dropbox
Guitars on AmazonEC2
Bagpipes on wax cylinder in hot room then used as candles :D
Banjo recorded on Webster wire recorder

Butch


Ah, but the real concern here is what are ya cooking up with banjo and bagpipes...

[Butch Bos]

Ah, but the real concern here is what are ya cooking up with banjo and bagpipes...

Just BAD memories from days gone by:D

I did sound for a 15 piece group banjo group a few times and only 1 or 2 could actually play:eek:
Can't get that sound out of my head
And do I really have to explain the Bagpipes thing:rolleyes:

Butch

[Richard Rupert]

I wasn't going to chime in here on this one, but a couple of years ago I was stuck in the studio re-recording, re-recording, re-recording and re-recording (did I say "re-recording"?) a highland bagpipe player who was "fixing his part" on a Celtic CD I had recorded. An hour and a half I spent at it.

Suffice it to say, if I NEVER hear another bagpipe for the rest of my life, it will be too soon. :eek:

And I'll admit it; about the tenth time through the piece, I turned the control room monitors down all the way and just watched him play. When he looked finished, I put the volume back up, hit the talkback button and asked "How'd you feel about that take?" Maybe that makes me a "bad" engineer, but I'm alive today to tell about it. :D:D:D

[Dave Labrecque]

I wasn't going to chime in here on this one, but a couple of years ago I was stuck in the studio re-recording, re-recording, re-recording and re-recording (did I say "re-recording"?) a highland bagpipe player who was "fixing his part" on a Celtic CD I had recorded. An hour and a half I spent at it.

Suffice it to say, if I NEVER hear another bagpipe for the rest of my life, it will be too soon. :eek:

And I'll admit it; about the tenth time through the piece, I turned the control room monitors down all the way and just watched him play. When he looked finished, I put the volume back up, hit the talkback button and asked "How'd you feel about that take?" Maybe that makes me a "bad" engineer, but I'm alive today to tell about it. :D:D:D

Bagpipers are underrated. This past weekend I and my party arrived late to a wedding. There was a piper playing at the front door to the church; all the guests were inside, seated. When we reached for the door to open it, he shook us off, apparently not wanting us to spoil the ambiance of distant pipes being heard inside. Mind you, he shook his head "no" WHILE fingering the pipey thing with the holes AND squeezing the bladder deal AND inhaling (AND chewing gum, I think). Upon completion of his bit, he nodded for us to go ahead in. This guy was playing all facets of his instrument -- and us -- simultaneously. A true master of reality.

[Dan Hauck]

In days past I kept a big block of marble next to the console to pound my head on to distract me from the pain in my psyche.

[studio-c]

My practice is to record each track/sound file for a project to a different drive, preferably pausing during tracking every 60 seconds to change each track/file to a new drive, adding drives to the system as needed so that no drive ever contains more than a single audio file, while keeping the max file size to no more than about 10 MB. The object is to be certain that my project is spread out as much as possible, to minimize the amount of data loss should a drive go bad. It's a bit of a PITA, but well worth the effort, I think. The low fragmentation rate alone makes it the smart way to go.

i just record everything to the cloud. in real time. i trust the cloud...

;)

[Richard Rupert]

Bagpipers are underrated. This past weekend I and my party arrived late to a wedding. There was a piper playing at the front door to the church; all the guests were inside, seated. When we reached for the door to open it, he shook us off, apparently not wanting us to spoil the ambiance of distant pipes being heard inside. Mind you, he shook his head "no" WHILE fingering the pipey thing with the holes AND squeezing the bladder deal AND inhaling (AND chewing gum, I think). Upon completion of his bit, he nodded for us to go ahead in. This guy was playing all facets of his instrument -- and us -- simultaneously. A true master of reality.
Oh, don't misunderstand me; I wasn't saying that it's not a difficult instrument. I would just rather be separated from it as far as possible, even AFTER the musician has learned to play it. Can you imagine living in a house with a wannabe bagpiper???? I thought I drove my parents nuts when I learned the trumpet, and now my wife with my fiddle... but... bagpipes? They're the undisputed winner of that category I'm afraid. :);):)

[Mike Bizanovich]

In days past I kept a big block of marble next to the console to pound my head on to distract me from the pain in my psyche.

I thought you were going to say that was your banjo mute:D

[Dan Hauck]

A gentleman is defined as a man who knows how to play bagpipes & refrains from it. Or who moves the dishes out of the sink before he pees in it.

[Dave Labrecque]

Oh, don't misunderstand me; I wasn't saying that it's not a difficult instrument. I would just rather be separated from it as far as possible, even AFTER the musician has learned to play it. Can you imagine living in a house with a wannabe bagpiper???? I thought I drove my parents nuts when I learned the trumpet, and now my wife with my fiddle... but... bagpipes? They're the undisputed winner of that category I'm afraid. :);):)

Hey, I'm not sayin' after five minutes of bagpipes last weekend, I wasn't sated for the foreseeable future. :p

[Richard Rupert]

I thought you were going to say that was your banjo mute:D
And of course, the difference between a banjo and a hand grenade is what?

Wait for it....











Nothing! By the time you've heard either one, it's too late! :D:D:D

(Hey, I hope my bluegrass clients aren't visiting the forum. If so, it's just a joke, guys. :o)

[bcorkery]

HA! :D:D:D