Re-linking Audio Files

[DonaldM]

Need some help understanding why it is on some sessions I get the pop window telling me PT is trying to re-link certain audio files. In one case, it says there are missing audio files, and wants to re-link them, but as far as I can tell, all the audio files for the session are right there just fine.

In another case, it said audio files were missing and went to re-link them, but they aren't there.

In all cases, the files were transferred to my new Dell XPS Win-7 system from my Seagate USB back-up drive. They got there when I ran back-ups off my old Dell 520 XPS system. Whenever I create a new session, I ALWAYS create file first for that session in whatever directory I need it to be on on the hard drive for my PT sessions, and then I name the session. That way, I can do "save as" and re-name the session on later versions, while preserving the older versions, in case I want to go back. But ALL of them reside in the session folder I originally created. I've always just assumed that when I did my hard drive back-up to the Seagate USB drive, that everything was saved and stored and backed up exactly the way it was on my PT session hard drive.

So, when I set up the new Dell XPS system, I simply plugged the Seagate into it, and then just dragged over my entire main PT session folder to the new D: drive on my new system. So I bit mystified as to why audio files turn up missing and can't be re-linked etc etc.

Is it not the case that PT stores all the session files in whatever folder you put the session in in the first place? And if that is the case, why would they just disappear?

And once I get them re-linked, and I've saved everything onto the new hard drive, will they all be together in that session's folder, or scattered about like confetti on the hard drive?

[albee1952]

I've had the same issue pop up here and there. Sometimes it seems to relate to tracks or audio that was imported into the session. I think that I may have forgotten to select the preference for "copy files on import"(or something to that effect). Other times, I am flat out confused. Just the other day I opened a session that has been run a dozen times in the last week and the lead vocal track was missing. I was able to retrieve it by going to the tracks bin, revealing a hidden track that was holding the same file, so I got lucky on that one. I used to get bit by this with Melodyne Studio as it always wanted to save audio in its own folder, so swapping a drive might make that folder unavailable.

[DonaldM]

Well...okay. But that doesn't leave any good options on guarding against it!! I mean, if its just random like that....geesh! I suppose I need to plug the backup drive into the Dell and hope the relink search will work.

To me this is something that ought to be really simple and straightforward...if you create a file for a session, the ALL files for that session..no exceptions...remain in that folder ALWAYS! When you back up...they're together. When you restore from backup...they're together.

That's how virtually all other programs work. :eek:

[albee1952]

Well, just imagine if you had Round Robin recording selected:eek:. One thing I forgot to mention, if you get to a point where you have the audio you need, but still get the message(maybe the missing files are from bad takes you don't want) if you go to the regions bin, the missing files will be in italics. You can select and clear them and not get the message again.

[DonaldM]

Well, just imagine if you had Round Robin recording selected:eek:. One thing I forgot to mention, if you get to a point where you have the audio you need, but still get the message(maybe the missing files are from bad takes you don't want) if you go to the regions bin, the missing files will be in italics. You can select and clear them and not get the message again.

Did not know about that...great tip...thanks!;)

[Top Jimmy]

This file missing/re-linking issue began in PT8. Just last week I was printing a mix to a new track. At the end of the particular region I was printing, PT threw an error and the source file went offline/missing. I searched for the file and found it where it was supposed to be, but now the Unique ID was completely different from the file that PT was looking for.:confused:

[DonaldM]

This file missing/re-linking issue began in PT8. Just last week I was printing a mix to a new track. At the end of the particular region I was printing, PT threw an error and the source file went offline/missing. I searched for the file and found it where it was supposed to be, but now the Unique ID was completely different from the file that PT was looking for.:confused:

Too me....that's a bug in the software code. That should just not be.

[DonaldM]

Okay, this issue keeps cropping up, and randomly, so I need to rant....and hope someone from Avid is listening!
If I create a folder for a session, which I always do, then every single file imported into, or created within that session, should ALWAYS be in that folder...PERIOD! This should be the case when I back up that folder and/or when I retrieve that folder from back-up. Files should not simply go missing at random for no reason. I don't have a single other program that loses files this way. As far as I'm concerned THIS IS A BUG in PT and needs to be fixed, NOW! I'm tired of trying to bring up a session and getting the "missing file" window when I know I created a folder for that session BEFORE doing anything else, and I know I back-up the session IN THAT FOLDER, as I do everything else. This just should not be!!!! AVID, are you listening??!!!??

Okay, its out of my system now! We now return you to your normally scheduled sessions!! Thanks for listening. :eek::eek:

[Top Jimmy]

One issue that has always plagued Pro Tools is what happens when you copy a session in the finder/explorer, and then open the copy in Pro Tools. If the original session is still present when the copy is opened, Pro Tools will still allocate to the original location instead of the copied location.

The way around this is to change the path to the original, rename it, or dismount the drive it is on.

[albee1952]

I still bet its operator error about 97% of the time:rolleyes:

[Jimibrix]

I just went to re-mix a track that was just worked on last week and all of the files are gone. The system can not relink them either. I'm amazed that an entire song can simply vanish like this! The tracks are there, but no waves in the edit window... The plugins are all assigned in the mix window... The regions list is all in italics and even when I try to reload from my backup disc drive, I get the same result. It appears the song has gone to heaven for no particular reason! Any clues why the system can not relink these? Running ProTools LE 8.0.3 on Digidesign 003, with a windows 7/64 bit system. My other songs are fine. Surprised I can't pull the tracks in from my external drive either. It suggests to me that something was wrong with the files before they were sent into the backup file. Do I need to back up everything on DVD-R's as well as an external harddrive? How many backups should one need? That really was a sucky discovery! A lot of work went into that song, now it's all simply gone!:confused:

[Top Jimmy]

Have you tried relinking just by the name instead of both name and unique ID?

[DonaldM]

There needs to be an instructional video for just this topic showing exactly how all this re-linking stuff is done. Still, I agree, it makes no sense at all that an entire sessions audio files would just vanish.
I've had it happen to me too, and for no reason that I've ever been able to fathom! :confused:

[scenicrecords]

Read through Chapter 14: DigiBase in the Reference Guide; especially the Linking and Relinking Files section. I've been able to get all my linking issues sorted out after reading through that chapter.

[DonaldM]

Read through Chapter 14: DigiBase in the Reference Guide; especially the Linking and Relinking Files section. I've been able to get all my linking issues sorted out after reading through that chapter.

I did...but I still don't understand how it all works. This is one where a good vid SHOWING how its all done would be really helpful...especially for us visual learners!;)

[gighive]

I still use version 7.3 on and older computer setup... which always works out fine when opening a session. It is when I started using version 8 on a different setup, is where the relinking and missing file issues started to nag me.:mad:

[DonaldM]

I still use version 7.3 on and older computer setup... which always works out fine when opening a session. It is when I started using version 8 on a different setup, is where the relinking and missing file issues started to nag me.:mad:

Hmmm...until you said that, I didn't make that connection...but, yes, that is true for me too. I don't ever recall having this problem until I upgraded to 8.0. Perhaps it will go away with 9??? :rolleyes:

[garyschoenberger]

HEEELP! I open my sessions & get the "Missing Files" message & asks if I want to "Automatically relink" I click yes & nothing happens. It looks like the tracks are there but empty. I get this message upon opening every session but on some sessions the tracks appear to be ok. Up top, I have 2 red indicators "Timeline Data Online Status" & "Session Data Online Status". I have years of work here & have never had this issue. Step by step please what do I do to fix this?

[scenicrecords]

See this thread:

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=272030

You can search by file size too if there are multiple audio files on the drive with the same name, or if the files are missing the ID.

[DonaldM]

I'm going to weigh in here an say again, this type of issue just should NEVER happen! Every other kind of program I work with at least gives you an alert window before it deletes or moves a file. The default should ALWAYS be that audio files created within a session remain in that session's folder no matter what. If a file is imported into a session from another session, then when saved to the new session that file should ALSO be copied into the new session's folder and remain there. This linking and pointing stuff going on behind the scenes simply makes things way too complicated than need be the case. As far as I'm concerned, this is a programming error if intentional, and a bug if not. Either way, it needs to be changed!

[Top Jimmy]

Don, are you really still on 8.0.4? If you are, you should update to 8.0.5. The update solved a couple of issues, one being audio getting spotted earlier than it should, and the other was this audio files disappearing issue.

[DonaldM]

Thanks, Jimmy! Actually, I'm getting 9.0 here any day.