Files organization etc. ???

[mikebuzz]

Ok so I really got things screwed up with my files ( one song we have done with 3 different drummers etc. ) so I have several version s of the same song ( and of course I put them all in the same folder DUHHHHHH )

So how do I extract/separate and version with all of it's wav's and Undo's and WPD's and etc. for 1 version into a new folder ?????

I don't just want to copy them ( eats drive space and I have to erase the old files which can lead to LOST files !!) and I can LOOSE FILES trust me !!

Any help would be appreciated

Later
Buzz

PS: probably in the help file somewhere ???? HUH

[Dave Labrecque]

Ok so I really got things screwed up with my files ( one song we have done with 3 different drummers etc. ) so I have several version s of the same song ( and of course I put them all in the same folder DUHHHHHH )

So how do I extract/separate and version with all of it's wav's and Undo's and WPD's and etc. for 1 version into a new folder ?????

I don't just want to copy them ( eats drive space and I have to erase the old files which can lead to LOST files !!) and I can LOOSE FILES trust me !!

Any help would be appreciated

Later
Buzz

PS: probably in the help file somewhere ???? HUH

Buzz,

I think the safest way to go would be to create new EDLs of each version that you want to keep, then delete unused regions in each one of those, then either use Rail's Investigator's Move feature to create three independent version folders (with EDL, sound files, etc., for each version) OR use SAW's Trim feature (or Rail's Session Packer) to create more-compact independent version folders of each. If there are any other files that you want to keep (not part of the session EDL, per se), then manually copy or move those to the independent version folders.

Whichever of these methods you choose, you can delete all the original files afterward (after checking to be sure you have what you want in the new versions!).

RE-reading your post, it looks like you only need one version. That's easy. Just do as I said above, but do it for one version instead of several.

Does that handle your needs?

[Bob L]

Open a session and mark from beg to end and simply use the extract session option...

It will cleanly create brand new wav files in the new folder location and a new linked edl of the marked section.

When you are happy with all the separations... then you can freely delete the original source files.

Bob L

[Arco]

IF you have any notions about comping a drum track from the 3 drummers than skip this idea. If you have different EDL's already then just Save and Trim the EDL you like to a new folder..delete the rest.

In the future one way to keep things clean is to create a new folder for each drummer or use dates:

"06-25-2006 Song Title" or "Drummer #1 Song Title"
Then in that folder save the EDL as the same name as the folder.
Do all your recording.

When the next drummer comes, back out one level in your directory and create a new folder for drummer #2. Save the EDL..etc.

So your directory structure:

FOLDER-Song Title/date/etc.
--EDL file
--WAV files
--WPD files
--other files
--FOLDER1-drummer1
----Drum WAV/WPD files
----New EDL
--FOLDER2-drummer2
----Drum WAV/WPD files
----New EDL

Then you can go to any of the drummers or even go back to before the first drummer showed up..in case three drummers didn't do the trick;).

When you're done and have chosen which drummer you can Save And Trim the session to another new folder to clean out all the unused sound files.





Ok so I really got things screwed up with my files ( one song we have done with 3 different drummers etc. ) so I have several version s of the same song ( and of course I put them all in the same folder DUHHHHHH )

So how do I extract/separate and version with all of it's wav's and Undo's and WPD's and etc. for 1 version into a new folder ?????

I don't just want to copy them ( eats drive space and I have to erase the old files which can lead to LOST files !!) and I can LOOSE FILES trust me !!

Any help would be appreciated

Later
Buzz

PS: probably in the help file somewhere ???? HUH

[mikebuzz]

When I first started using Saw I really did'nt pay attention to file organization DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I like the extract session idea , this will give me clean working files in new folders I can then delete/move the old files to my external backup drive Just in CASE of explosion !!.

Thanks for the ideas guys on getting organized

Later
Buzz

PS: See I knew it was in th help file , just could'nt find it ???? Thats me again

[Dave Labrecque]

Open a session and mark from beg to end and simply use the extract session option...

It will cleanly create brand new wav files in the new folder location and a new linked edl of the marked section.

When you are happy with all the separations... then you can freely delete the original source files.

Bob L
Oh, yeah... then there's the extract session option... :)

Hey, Bob... I just noticed that during an extract session operation, orphan automation entries (and automation entries on SoftEdge boundaries) outside of the marked area get extracted to the new session along with everything inside the marked area. Did you know this?

[Bob L]

Yes... the session MT data is kept the same and passed on... the region data is transferred to nice new labeled wav files in the new folder.

Bob L

[mikebuzz]

Bob are the UNDO files also transfered ???

Buzz

[Bob L]

There are no undo files yet for the new session created... therefore NO.

The old session is left intact, so you can keep that as an archive if you are concerned.... but the old undo files will still point to the original wav files and links... the new extracted session is BRAND NEW... no undos until you start editing.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

Yes... the session MT data is kept the same and passed on... the region data is transferred to nice new labeled wav files in the new folder.

Bob L

Hmmm...

(so, for extractions...) What's the thinking behind leaving orphan automation and softedge boundary automation that is outide the marked area intact, while ignoring region-bound automation in the same space?

Isn't softedge boundary automation considered part of the region nowadays?

Just trying to get a handle on your intent here.

[Bob L]

Dave... the Extract Session is a very powerful feature... it was originally designed mainly for extracting certain songs from a 2 hour recording performance into seoarate song folders... the edl mixer and automation settings are left intact... in fact the new region data is left in place down the timeline, in case Smpte positioning went along with the recording... as in a video shoot.

So, after the extraction, I generally simply delete what else I don't need or want in the new session, and slide the remaining down to the start of the timeline, if position info is not important...

In fact, in general, its best used after setting up a basic mix configuration with starting eq, comps, plugins and so forth... then this data gets carried over into each song extracted as a starting mix setup... very useful indeed.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

Bob,

I'm not denying the usefulness of the extract feature. I started using it yesterday for the first time (pulling clusters of layered sound effects tracks out of prior projects for reuse without having to re-invent the wheel putting 'em together). Very handy indeed. I'd never thought of using it in ways outside of the original intent (breaking out individual songs from a live recording, for example) till now. :)

I'm just curious why some automation info outside the marked area is extracted, while other such info is not. I can't think of any reason to keep it -- it seems to just get in the way. :confused:

If the intent is to allow the various initial parameters to be correct for the extacted region stuff, then this doesn't really accomplish that, since the non-extracted region stuff may have automation info of it's own, and it's not included in the extraction.

Perhaps an alternative would be to create a single position on each track at the start of the extracted data that has all the "current" parameter settings -- like the blend feature does.

[Bob L]

I'll have to look at it... in general... I simply left the edl alone... that included all automation and anything else that was there.

To be truthful... I very rarely, if ever, use orphan automation... things behave much better when all automation is within region boundaries... so I never noticed the issue...

In general... I also am extracting long before any automation is part of the session... I very rarely work on long combined songs in one project... so I extract first with just a basic starting mix and then work on each song in its own edl and folder... then I assemble the final project with mix files from each indiviual session into a new fnal session.

Bob L

[Dave Labrecque]

I'll have to look at it... in general... I simply left the edl alone... that included all automation and anything else that was there.

To be truthful... I very rarely, if ever, use orphan automation... things behave much better when all automation is within region boundaries... so I never noticed the issue...

In general... I also am extracting long before any automation is part of the session... I very rarely work on long combined songs in one project... so I extract first with just a basic starting mix and then work on each song in its own edl and folder... then I assemble the final project with mix files from each indiviual session into a new fnal session.

Bob L

Bob,

Agreed on all counts. In fact I didn't know Extract session extracted anything but regions; I didn't know it extracted automation info at all -- so there were plenty of surprises for me. :)