I need help/advice on how to open old Protools MAC sessions

[SepiaSiren]

I worked with an Atlanta studio (no longer in service) that used the MAC version of ProTools to record an album in 2006.

I recently received interest in some of these old songs [SOUNDCLOUD https://soundcloud.com/alicia-norman-877879466][/SOUNDCLOUD]and was informed I may have to remove or remix the vocals.

The problem is that none of the new studios have the old ProTools set up, and I do not have the money to make an entirely new album based on these songs.

Can the old files be accessed for vocal removal and mixing? We contacted various area studios, and not one of them has access to a setup where they could do this.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Alicia

[Darryl Ramm]

Telling us it was a Mac is not useful. What actual version of Pro tools was it? If you know. Like Pro Tools 7 HD? Pro Tools 7 LE? ... that's more what matters than having used a Mac or PC.

Failing that what format is the session in? Is the file session file extension .ptf, .ptx, .pts?

Modern Pro Tools is pretty good at opening older versions. And most folks who are competent with Pro Tools should be able to look at your sessions and tell you exactly what it would take (time and $$, and possible need to rerecord anything) to do what you want. Practical issues might include things like needing licenses for plugins that were used in the session. But it depends greatly on exactly how that session was put together, so somebody knowledgeable has to look at this. Many competent Pro Tools mixing engineers should be able to help remix those sessions, converting formats or old audio file formats if needed and before doing that they should be able to look at them and tell you how much work this will involve. And that assumes you have access to the session files and the legal right to use the session.

So something is not quite making sense here with it sounding like you are begin told folks can't work with these old sessions.

Folks are going to want to look at the sessions, make sure they are reasonable to work with, understand why the files need to be changed/what exactly you/others want done.

Be careful of folks jerking your chain asking for changes, or directing you to folks who they want you to pay to make changes, or make changes in return for you giving up significant rights. If they want changes maybe you can negotiate them paying for them, but be careful you are not ultimately on the hook for all those payments with no real upside.

[BScout]

2 things:

Don't put your email address in a forum (hit the edit button and delete that.) Bots will mine the forum for email addresses and use them for spam, etc.

Current Pro Tools can open ptf extension files. So any Mac running (current or any version since 2006) Pro Tools will be able to open it. If there are any plugins in the session, they may no longer be available but all the audio tracks/files (if also saved) will be accessible. Anything Pro Tools 5 version and later should be openable today (that includes pts extension files.) You do have to go to the "open file" dialogue in Pro Tools to open it (not double-click on a file.) 2006 should be Pro Tools 7 or, at worse, Pro Tools 6.

There's a good chance your audio is in SDII file format. When opening in a modern Pro Tools version, it should convert it to a standard WAV file that can be used anywhere. If having difficulty on the conversion, then Import Session data from your original Pro Tools file should make it easier. (Pretty much anyone who uses Pro Tools today should be able to do this for you -- whether a studio or a home user.)

[SepiaSiren]

[QUOTE=Darryl Ramm;2693341]Telling us it was a Mac is not useful. What actual version of Pro tools was it? If you know. Like Pro Tools 7 HD? Pro Tools 7 LE? ... that's more what matters than having used a Mac or PC.

I do not know--I paid over 40 K -- (a chunk for me back then) for the masters and the files, but I am uncertain as to what the format outside of that was.

Failing that what format is the session in? Is the file session file extension .ptf, .ptx, .pts?

There don't seem to be any file extensions--I looked. Maybe there is something I am missing.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qr9y6...KohJkLsio&dl=0



So something is not quite making sense here with it sounding like you are being told folks can't work with these old sessions.

I was told by two major studios--one used Ableton, and one used ProTools that they cannot be opened. I am pissed because I paid for a hard drive with those files working various freelance jobs for years and they are useless.

Folks are going to want to look at the sessions, make sure they are reasonable to work with, understand why the files need to be changed/what exactly you/others want done.

I need first to have the vocals removed and go from there.

Be careful of folks jerking your chain asking for changes, or directing you to folks who they want you to pay to make changes, or make changes in return for you giving up significant rights. If they want changes maybe you can negotiate them paying for them, but be careful you are not ultimately on the hook for all those payments with no real upside.[/QUOTE]

I thank you most sincerely for your time.

[SepiaSiren]

I see. Well, I am being told I may have to redo the songs from scratch--is it possible they are just yanking my chain to make more money?

I mean, I don't think so--both offered to see if they could open one track for free. The one with the Ableton studio was upfront about maybe not being able to do it--the other sent the attachment (at least I hope it is attached) showing me the error reading.

He also said he would take a look for free.

[Darryl Ramm]

I would be careful posting source content online. But looking at this for on a minute or two... I cannot tell exactly what you have, just don't have time to do that, but you do have a bunch of audio files and in other folders at least some autosaved backup session files.

You might have mostly stems... i.e. partially mixed drums or other instruments etc. if so then could potentially lay them back together in a session and record new vocals. Or maybe there are enough session files there, or everything is on one big file, Somebody needs to pick though this, with you helping them. Ideally the person who is going to give you a quote for finishing off stuff, and they may need to charge to just spend time working out what you have here. And they'll likely want to look at the actual drives you have not copies on dropbox etc. (and make backups of that drive).

Be super careful not to open Pro tools or do anything else on the session drive, only work on copies of stuff there.

[Top Jimmy]

The Pro Tools sessions are listed as created by "Pro Tools TDM" making them .pts files. All of your files have had their resource forks stripped in the move between storage media. They are likely recoverable, but it takes some effort to rebuild everything.

It looks like Truth or Lies is the only session file of a completely produced and mixed song. TEMP RAE is the only other session file and it looks to be a temporary session that didn't do much at all. I would expect you have all the other songs still on your drive?

[smurfyou]

Honestly for experienced users 'opening' the sessions should not be difficult.

The hard part is actually getting the mix back. Notwithstanding TDM plugins that no longer exist - in 2006 depending on the studio it could have been a hybrid PT / console mix or at least used a decent amount of outboard gear that may or may not have been printed in the session.

Hopefully you wouldn't have to re-record and redo the songs entirely - provided all the recorded material is there in the session. BUT you will most likely have to remix from scratch.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by BScout

Current Pro Tools can open ptf extension files.

Umm, actually yes and no.

Current session file is .ptx since PT10, and as soon as you open you need to save as current format and work weith it without backwards compatibility.

The PT7-9 session file was .ptf, and PT6 and earlier used .pts file (and if you have ever worked on Mac OS9 you should also know about resource forks and why PC-standard CDROM is a bad idea).

But the good news here is, I have heard rumors SDII support (among others?) are being introduced soon. This however is only a rumor.

[Ru_C]

Originally Posted by SepiaSiren

I see. Well, I am being told I may have to redo the songs from scratch--is it possible they are just yanking my chain to make more money?

I mean, I don't think so--both offered to see if they could open one track for free. The one with the Ableton studio was upfront about maybe not being able to do it--the other sent the attachment (at least I hope it is attached) showing me the error reading.

He also said he would take a look for free.

Hi Alicia, I just had a quick looks at your files, & can only echo what others have said.

It looks to me as if you have the 'full Pro Tools Multitrack' for one song (Truth or Lies), which not only was recorded in a vintage version of Pro Tools, but also the names of the component-audio-files for that session (technically what's called their 'header' information) have been accidentally altered along the way.

The good news, is with some messing around, someone may be able to resurrect that song, if you can find someone who has a 20yr old Pro Tools rig to try & open it on. I've got a fairly old setup still at my studio, so I'll be able to have a look some point next week.

The bad news is, it looks like its just the one song you have uploaded the multitrack for.

There are stereo mixes for 12 songs, but not the Multitrack/Pro Tools sessions that would allow someone to remix them.

Is this the only folder of archive data you have? Or might there be anything else you have in your possession from that era?

Cheers & good luck!

Ru