A Super Thorough Project Archive Procedure

[SigFriedChicken]

I've been working on a procedure to prepare a project for permanent archival. This is intended to be as thorough and "future-proof" as possible and takes just about every situation into account.

It archives the following:

• 32-bit float: This format is used, internally, by the Pro Tools audio engine. It should be preferred for mixing or stem mastering if the DAW supports it.
• 24-bit: for long-term archival purposes. It can also be used for mixing or stem mastering if the 32-bit float files are not usable (in the distant figure). [Note: I'm on the fence about the need for this one. Is 32-bit FL an acceptable "archive format"?]
• "Dry," 24-bit: for major remixing projects, where the original, dry, tracks are preferred. It also includes dry commits of MIDI instrument tracks, in case those plugins are obsolete in the future.
• MIDI: Separate MIDI files for each MIDI/instrument track
• Bounces: Both in 24-bit and in MP3
• Session Info as Text: With the tempo added manually.

Section 1 - Initial Preparation

1. Click File > Save copy in to copy the project into an archive location. This should probably be a different folder from the original project.
2. Close the current session and open the copied session that you just created.
3. Delete any unused tracks, including hidden tracks that you don’t need anymore.
4. Update the names for all of the tracks, clips and underlying files.
5. Ensure that all of the audio tracks have crossfades set up correctly.
6. If you plan to consolidate your original audio tracks, this is the best time to do so.
7. Ensure that there are at least 8 bars of silence before the song begins.
8. Ensure that the markers (for song sections) are correct.
9. Ensure that tracks are not muted or soloed, unless they are supposed to be.
10. From Preferences > Processing > Commit, ensure "Always use 32-bit" is selected.
11. Disable any sends on the Master fader, except, possibly, a limiter.
12. Unfreeze any tracks that you will be committing.
13. Take screenshots of the Mix and Edit windows and save them under the project folder. They may come in handy if you ever need to figure out what the effect sends were when are no longer able to open the project far into the future. You can also show them to your grandchildren.

Section 2 - Wet, 32-bit, Float

This format is used, internally, by the Pro Tools audio engine. It should be preferred for mixing or stem mastering if the DAW supports it.

1. Add all of the tracks that you want to commit to a group.
2. Ensure that all of the desired tracks are selected, from the beginning of the session all the way past the end of the longest track. You should leave some extra space at the end for lagging effects trails.
3. Right-click on any track, and select Commit.
4. From Commit, select Edit Selection. You must do this or it won’t start the bounce from the session start. Keep everything selected except "Copy > Sends" (they will have their own tracks). You should do a real-time commit, if possible.
5. Color-code all of the new tracks, using the same color to keep them visually grouped.
6. Rename the committed tracks, clips, and underlying files with “Wet.32bitFL.” as a prefix.
7. From the filesystem, outside of Pro Tools. perform a quick “sanity-check” to ensure that there is a set of new audio files that are named correctly and are the correct format.

Section 3 - Wet, 24-bit

This format is primarily used for long-term archival purposes. It can also be used for mixing or stem mastering.

1. Duplicate all of the "Wet.32bitFL” tracks. From the Duplicate dialog box, ensure only “Active Playlists” is selected.
2. Select all of the duplicated tracks and use Consolidate to quickly convert them to 24-bit.
3. Color-code all of the new tracks, using the new color to keep them visually grouped.
4. Rename the consolidate tracks, clips, and underlying files, and add “Wet.24bitFL” as a prefix.
5. From the filesystem, outside of Pro Tools. perform a quick “sanity-check” to ensure that there is a set of new audio files that are named correctly and are the correct format.

Section 4 - Dry, 24-bit

The format contains an easy-to-use archive of the original performance, sans effects. It can be used for remixing projects, where the original, dry, tracks are preferred.

1. Disable all inserts for audio tracks. Only leave the basic instrument inserts enabled for MIDI/instrument tracks (basically, disable all effects).
2. Select only the original audio and instrument tracks (ignoring effects sends) and create a new group.
3. From Preferences > Processing > Commit, switch to Follow Session Settings. This will tell it to use 24-bit.
4. Right-click on any track, and select Commit.
5. From Commit, select Edit Selection. Keep everything selected except "Copy > Sends" (they will have their own tracks). You should do a real-time commit, if possible.
6. Re-enable any effects that you previously disabled.
7. From Preferences > Processing > Commit, re-select 32-bit before you forget.
8. Rename the committed tracks, clips, and underlying files, add “Dry.24bit” as a prefix.
9. From the filesystem, outside of Pro Tools. perform a quick “sanity-check” to ensure that there is a set of new audio files that are named correctly and are the correct format.

Section 5 - MIDI

1. For each MIDI track, right-click on the track and select Export MIDI. Don’t use File > Export > MIDI. This will export all tracks for the entire session (unless you want that).
2. From the Export MIDI Settings window, select "Type 1" (multitrack). From Location Reference, select “Session Start.” Check Apply Real-Time Properties.
3. Repeat this for each, separate MIDI (or instrument) track. You may want to store them under a “MIDI” folder under your project.

Section 6 - Bounce

1. Add a limiter to the Master fader with -0.1 dB of ceiling (or whatever you like). Don’t reduce the headroom or do anything beyond basic peak limiting.
2. Solo only the Wet 32-bit files.
3. Select the portion of the files that you want to bounce, usually slightly before and after the clips begin and end.
4. Click File > Bounce to > Disk.
5. Bounce as both a 24-bit WAV and an mp3. You can do this offline since you are using committed clips as a source.

Section 7 - Unused File Removal

Don’t do this unless you are certain that you want to delete any alternate takes and unused clips. This will affect all sessions that are using these files.

1. Right-click on any audio track and delete all of the un-used playlists.
2. Close the session.
3. Re-open the session..
4. From Clips, select All Unused and then click Clear.

Section 8 - Clean-up

This section should make it easier for someone (possibly you) who opens the project up years in the future. They will see the entire project and be able to just start playing it without having to figure out which tracks are active and without having to sort through plugin issues.

1. Rename the session and project to include the date.
2. Hit [CTRL]-[OPT]-[CMD]-[Up] (on MacOS) to make all of the tracks fit vertically.
3. Select all and hit [OPT]-F (on MacOS) to make all of the tracks fit horizontally.
4. Make the original tracks inactive.
5. Solo all of the Wet, 32-bit float tracks that should be playing.
6. Set the playhead to wherever the start of the song is.

Section 9 - Session info

1. Go to File > Export > Session Info as Text.
2. For File Format, select "UFT-8 ‘TEXT’" which should be readable in any modern computer.
3. Save the file under your project as “README.txt” (or whatever you like).
4. You may want to add the song tempo to the new file. It doesn’t do this automatically.

Session 10 - Test

1. After everything is done, close the session and re-open it. Ensure that it is not complaining about missing anything
2. Play the song. Ensure it sounds correct.

What do you think?

[EGS]

Wow - cool, but it looks like a lot of work. I just copy my session folder (including bounces) to 2 ext hard drives and call it a day.

[SigFriedChicken]

I found a relevant article from SoundOnSound about the 32-bit FL vs 24-bit archiving formats. Their position is that you should always keep a 24-bit version around, as this is the most universally accepted format.

https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-a...nt-audio-files

[zedhed]

I just archive my old computers and build a new one about every 5 years or when major changes happen such as 32Bit>64Bit to 'futureproof' being able to use old formats.

Other than that I'm with EGS.

[john1192]

Originally Posted by SigFriedChicken

I found a relevant article from SoundOnSound about the 32-bit FL vs 24-bit archiving formats. Their position is that you should always keep a 24-bit version around, as this is the most universally accepted format.

https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-a...nt-audio-files

1) save session copy in .. 32bit
2) save session copy in .. 24bit

would this work ?? i am all about simple !!! yours is truly thorough !!!

[SigFriedChicken]

As far as I can tell, those save session copies just make a copy of your project, without committing anything.

I guess I could commit everything and then do a "save session copy" to 24bit, but that creates a whole separate project folder, right? It seems easier just to duplicate all of the committed tracks, which are at 32-bit FL, set the Rendered Bit Depth to "follow session settings," and re-consolidate them, which instantly converts them to 24-bit. The trickiest part is getting all of the dry commits. That's for the hardcore archivists, and probably more for composers than full-time post guys.

For archival, I prefer to have each track, including MIDI instruments and effect aux tracks committed to audio, from the very beginning of the session all the way to a bit past the end. I don't entirely trust that those "broadcast wave" timecodes will work in every DAW, including into the distant future.

I had a nightmare in the past where WAVs didn't have the timecodes, or the DAW was unable to read them and ended up with a jumbled mess. If you start everything from Beat 0, you don't have to worry about them not lining up in some other DAW. In fact, this procedure is probably a symptom of post-traumatic stress. I'm like those old people who grew up during the great depression and never trusted banks after that, so they stuffed money in their couches and mattresses instead of using a checking account.

[wwittman]

I Remove unused files FIRST (Remove, not Delete) and THEN do the Save Copy In.
This avoids the time and space it takes to copy unused files that you're only about to delete in the next step anyway.
If you close the original sessions without saving, it's still intact there.

[john1192]

Originally Posted by SigFriedChicken

As far as I can tell, those save session copies just make a copy of your project, without committing anything.

I guess I could commit everything and then do a "save session copy" to 24bit, but that creates a whole separate project folder, right? It seems easier just to duplicate all of the committed tracks, which are at 32-bit FL, set the Rendered Bit Depth to "follow session settings," and re-consolidate them, which instantly converts them to 24-bit. The trickiest part is getting all of the dry commits. That's for the hardcore archivists, and probably more for composers than full-time post guys.

For archival, I prefer to have each track, including MIDI instruments and effect aux tracks committed to audio, from the very beginning of the session all the way to a bit past the end. I don't entirely trust that those "broadcast wave" timecodes will work in every DAW, including into the distant future.

I had a nightmare in the past where WAVs didn't have the timecodes, or the DAW was unable to read them and ended up with a jumbled mess. If you start everything from Beat 0, you don't have to worry about them not lining up in some other DAW. In fact, this procedure is probably a symptom of post-traumatic stress. I'm like those old people who grew up during the great depression and never trusted banks after that, so they stuffed money in their couches and mattresses instead of using a checking account.

the creating of stems / commits .. would be needed if you have not already created them .. understood ..

but if you have already created them for Delivery then no they would not be automatically added .. we have to do some work, and we have to have some billable hours .. right !!!