Ghost Audio Files

[Kenshiro]

I have Ghosts audio files inside my session in ProTools!
This is what happens:

1) I record several takes of e.g a drum and takes all the best part of each one
2) Then I join all the parts in only on file
3) I "select unused" and "delete files"
4) The files disappears from list BUT are not deleted from the HD!
5) I have ALL the files in the "Audio files" folder BUT , the most funny things, if I try to remove manually the not needed files ProTools still looks for them when I repone the session!

For Exemple: I have a file named "snare_34" that has been removed from the list (and should have been deleted from the HD) that ProTools still thinks is in the files list!

If I make a search, ProTools ends the search correctly and report an empty list! So It thinks it's still there! Of course, if I try to search a files that I'm sure it's not there ProTools reports "No matching items".

I tried also to save the session to another file and collect the associated audio fiels BUT ProTools wants to copy also the "invisible" files.

Do I have "ghosts" in my ProTools?

My system:

9600/XLR8 G3/300
Mix3 system
DSP Farm
Magma 13slot expansion chassis
ProTools 5.1.1
ADAT Bridge 24
888 16 bit

[img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[Kenshiro]

Any Help?

[Philthy]

Hey-

the details depend on the ProTools version of the software that you're running-

but I think your main problems are-

1. There are 2 different forms of taking files out of ProTools- 1 is "delete", 1 is "remove". Remove will only take the files out of your session, but will leave them on your hard drive.

Now, even if you are doing that correctly, using "delete," there's another step-

"Delete" will not delete any file that is being used in any way in your edit window. So if you have a 5-second region in your timeline out of a 10-minute take, when you select unused and delete, the whole file will remain on your hard drive. Pro Tools doesn't create a new audio file for every region- only the bold faced regions in the audio list are actual files, and if you remove those bold faced files while smaller regions from that file remain, the file remains on your disk unchanged. That's because ProTools is still using that file for the audio smaller regions.

The solution is this- here is the full process for cleaning out the extra space...

1."Select Unused"
2. "Clear Selected-->Delete"
now-
3. "Select ALL"
4. "Compact selected regions"

Ok. Before you do this, make sure you know what compacting all your audio will do. Any audio that is not being used in your edit window will be cleaned off the hard drive. Files that are only being partly used will be shortened, and you will get back the extra disk space.

BTW, this stuff is in your manual somewhere too- now that you have something to look for, it might explain it better than me... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Philthy]

oh yeah, and the bad news is that the audio that you threw out by hand is gone for good... I hope that you really didn't need any part of it! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

[Kenshiro]

Philthy,

I do the "delete" procedure correctly, I know how ProTools manage regions and files (and it always scares me) BUT this is not the point!

The point is that I removed and delete correctly the uneeded files from the list and made also the "compact" BUT ProTools doesn't removed them from the HD.

I mean:
1) I have several files named e.g."Snare_01, Snare_02, Snare_04, Snare_05" and so on.... I consolidate those files in one file named "Snare_06"
2) I select the unused files so ProTools select ALL the files except, of course, the consolidated one appearing in the session (Snare_06 in my case)
3) I delete ALL those files except Snare_06
4) The files disappear from the files list (and are supposed deleted from the HD)
5) The files REMAIN on the HD! If I open the Audio Files folder ALL the files are still there!
6) I try to manually remove the files from the Audio Files folder
7) I reopen the session and ProTools still ask me to find those files BUT they DO NOT appear in the files list window on the left (and of course are not offline)
8) If I try to "save session copy in" with related files, ProTools copies ALL the files EVEN the ones (invisible) that should have been deleted and that DO NOT appear in the list on the left (not like offline nor like Bold and not bold)

It sounds me like a strange bug...I showed what's happening to a friend and he thinks it's really a serious bug!

That's why I talk about "ghost files"....
Do I have Gremlins in my Mac?? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Kenshiro]

Any News? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[DigiTechSupt]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Kenshiro:
1) I have several files named e.g."Snare_01, Snare_02, Snare_04, Snare_05" and so on.... I consolidate those files in one file named "Snare_06"<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

-Is "Snare_06" listed in bold type in the Audio Regions List?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>2) I select the unused files so ProTools select ALL the files except, of course, the consolidated one appearing in the session (Snare_06 in my case)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

-Did you remove all the regions from the Edit window first? if not, then they will be considered used and will not be deleted.

-If you know exactly which audio files they are (in bold), then manually highlight them in the list and choose "Clear Selected" from the Audio Regions List menu and then choose "Delete".

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>I reopen the session and ProTools still ask me to find those files BUT they DO NOT appear in the files list window on the left (and of course are not offline)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

-This suggests that they have not been successfully removed. If you have performed everything correctly, then you may be dealing with a corrupt session. Use the File>Import Tracks function to move the tracks into a new session file.

Brent

[Kenshiro]

Thanks a lot Brent,

About your questions:

1) Yes "Snare_06" is in bold (actually is a new file that has not been edited at all, it's just the result of the consolidate process)

2) I think (please correct me if I'm wrong) that after you consolidate some adiacent files in one track, they no longer appear in that track. Unless, of course, they are used elsewhere in the session, but this is not my case; I don't have even alternate playlists that can contain the files.

3) I trashed the Prefs and even reinstalled ProTools and guess what happened? When I reopened my session the deleted files appeared as offline region! I tried to select all offline regions (with the menu command and manually) but the regions did not get highlited). I closed and reopened the session and the files disappeared again!

Almost surely I have a corrupted session, but the most dangerous think is that I discovered the same behaviour with at least other3-4 sessions (different songs).

I thought it was a new bug or something else...but maybe is a problem inherent my system.

btw, my new Mix3 is really great! I've benn working for a lot of time with just a D24 and 2 Dsp Farm and there was really no room for the plug-ins! But now with 3 mix card...great I have really plenty of space. I'm waiting for the new plug-ins that I'll receive (hope soon!) [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Harvester5]

just so you know that you're not alone.
I am noticing the same problem. None of the solutions offered here seem to work. I think the only way is to rename all the files you are definitely using with an * or something like that and then carefully delete all the unused ones with Finder.
I wish PT would work more like Logic which has far superior file management.
good luck.
Mitch