Subject:Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Posted by: lofreequency

Date:11/21/2008 11:06:31 AM

Think I've created a bit of a mess and perhaps Acid isn't running as efficiently as it could.

Some background. Last January I purchased AP6 to record the band I'm in. At the time I only had one internal harddrive in my PC. We started recording multitracks. A few weeks later I purchased a USB external drive to record to and changed the default recording folder setting to record to that. I copied the files from the original "C" drive to the USB drive and we recorded several more tracks.

Now, I have a newer second internal SATA drive and AP7 and I'm wanting to use that as the default recording drive (put the recording folder there). Won't that be faster and more efficient that recording to the USB drive? However, in the past when I've changed default recording folders and open a project you have to point the project and each recorded track or bit at the new location. Problem is one the song we are still working on we have dozens of tracks and takes within the tracks and I'm not sure how to efficiently go about telling the project to look for the newly copied versions on the new drive without telling AP7 to look for each individual recorded bit one at a time.

Am I a making any sense? lol

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/21/2008 11:17:23 AM

No. <jk> :D

What you might want to try is create an entirely new project folder and then save the project along with any related media by using the "copy all media with project" option under the File > Save As dialog.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: lofreequency

Date:11/21/2008 11:37:00 AM

Thanks! I'll give that a try. So that will save new copies of the WAV's to that new folder and all that?

While we're on the subject. Curious how some of you set up your project folders. I started out using the default AP settings, then changed to the "save all projects and files into one folder" option. Of course that folder now has tons and tons of files in it. Now I'm thinking perhaps it'd be best to have a separate project folder for each song/project instead of throwing everything into one folder ?

Iacobus said: "create an entirely new project folder"

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/21/2008 11:50:15 AM

Yes, it will make any copies of any related media that's being used in the project in that particular folder where the project is saved.

It would definitely be best to put everything related to a project in its own specific project folder, at least for your sanity's sake. You can use the "<Project>" option under the Folders tab under Options > Preferences to specifically tell ACID to place that media where the project is saved. (Be sure to save the project in its own folder first.)


Iacobus

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: lofreequency

Date:11/21/2008 12:18:07 PM

Thanks for your help. So I understand fully. Not sure I understand "(Be sure to save the project in its own folder first.)" sentence or where that fits in the sequence of things.

1-make new folder on new internal harddrive drive, "my project"
2-open the existing project
3-set "project preference" settings to save to new "my project" folder
4-save project
5-then "copy all media with project."

(Sorry, I'm feeling like a ditz today) lol

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: lofreequency

Date:11/22/2008 8:22:38 AM

Thanks again, I got it sorted out and happy to say AP7 is running much smoother.

Just to verify I'm doing this the best way.

In the Options>Preferences tab. I've set-up the "default project folder" as my new "my project" folder on the new internal hard drive.

Then I chose the "Use seperate defaults for each type of project media save" button. Then for all those separate options (Record, Extract from CD, Render to project, Render to new,Chop to new, New Midi) I've selected "<Project>".

What about the "Default groove folder" and the "Temporary files folder"? Those are still set at the default settings (pointed at the original "C" drive folders. Should I change those too?

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: lofreequency

Date:11/22/2008 9:39:26 AM

There's another odd thing happening.

I've saved and copied the content of all my projects to the new drive and folders, but for some reason the "Record Time" in the lower right corner of the AP7 display still reflects the space on the original drive on two of the projects. As far as I can tell the project settings are the same as for the projects where the Record Time is correctly reflected after the changes.

When I go to "Save as" the projects are indeed pointed at the newly assigned folders.

Any ideas?

<EDIT> I figured it out. After restarting the computer I went back and opened one of those projects where the Record Time wasn't reflected correctly and checked the folder preferences and they were not saved as I had saved them. So I reset the folders and restarted AP7 and now the Record Time is correct. I had to do the same with the other project. Reset the folders, restart AP7 for the changes to register correctly. Seems odd to have to do that.

Subject:RE: Changing default recording folder mid-project?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/24/2008 11:22:26 AM

You only want to use the "save media with project" option for existing projects you want to save elsewhere in its own folder to begin the process of keeping them organized.

Otherwise, it's a case of simply saving a project in its own folder with the <Project> option selected for recordings under the Folders tab; any future recordings will automatically be saved into the same folder the project resides.

You can leave the default groove folder and temp files folder alone (unless you go crazy with your own custom grooves).

The problem with your folder preferences not sticking after you set them has been a longtime bug that gets squished from time to time but somehow rears its ugly head sometime down the line. Just ensure that the changes were saved by going into the "Folders" tab once more in the future.