Changing Computers-Pro Tools drops tracks

[Brightbelt]

Hello,
I am on an iMac Pro 2017 and am using Pro Tools 19. This is a difficult problem to explain but here goes.....

I am switching from an iMac 2015 to an iMac Pro 2017 and I had my Pro Tools Session files on an external Samsung Flash Drive and was using that on the old iMac. .

So this seemed very straight forward. I'd simply install Pro Tools on my new computer and attach my Samsung flash drive and open my project files, Right?

When I did, [and this has happened for 2 Separate projects so far], Pro Tools popped up a window saying 25 (+or-) tracks were missing. and there were the tracks, named and with volume automations, but NO wave data at all. And it gave me options about how to retrieve them, which it could not do.

What helped and almost solved the issue was to also copy folders in which I had the individual tracks (as exported from Logic) to the new computer desktop. THEN, Pro Tools would populate MOST of the tracks. But not all.

The rest I've had to do manually one by one.

This is a mystery. Obviously something basic has been amiss because this has happened on 2 separate, unrelated projects so far. I am posting this ahead of time instead of blindly jumping into project number 3.

I hope I explained this well enough. Many Thanks for any help,
Frank B.

[JFreak]

Next time when your files are here and there you can try Save Copy In

[Brightbelt]

I am not sure what you are driving at....

[Darryl Ramm]

What Janne is driving at is use File>"Save Copy In" to make sure you have a session saved with all audio content *in* the session folder on your original computer, and then open that new session on your second computer.

Every case of the type of problem you are describing is caused simply by the user not having all audio files in the session folder. While you are working on one computer some content you are recording is going elsewhere. But it works on that computer in that session. Even if it is actually on that drive, when you move it that extra content not in the session folder may or may not be findable on the new computer because you have the drive the session folder is mounted on at a different mount point that on the original computer, so the full path name to those audio files is different.


You can try mounting the drive with the same name as on the original computer if that happens to be different. It's also (more?) possible that you have content that was not every actually on that drive, say you accidentally recorded some content to the system drive, in which case be very careful, can you boot back to the original iMac and do a Save Copy In there? That will fix that issue as well. Do not reformat or mess with that original iMac until you sort out what you have done wrong here.

If the difference between Save Copy In and Save Copy As is not clear to you look it up in the Pro Tools Reference Guide. Save Copy In should be a key part of your workflow. e.g. in copying sessions to archive/backup drives.

[Brightbelt]

Thanks Darryl and JFreak. The old iMac is still unchanged-I'm keeping it close because of so many things you remember you need etc etc.

I'll try the 'Save A Copy In' on the old iMac and go from there. Thanks Again.

[TOM@METRO]

Please keep us informed as to how this works out for you.

[Rich Breen]

There are so many posts about this subject - you really do need to understand Disk Allocation - it's not hard, just read the appropriate section in the manual. Doing a "Save Copy In..." to move the session folders over will guarantee everything's where it should be in the future, but from this thread, and to avoid these problems in the future, here's my advice:

1) Check your Disk Allocation!!
1b) CHECK YOUR DISK ALLOCATION!!

2) A visit to the session browser (option-'o') will show you all the audio files used in the session, and sorting on "Path" will make clear any file that's NOT in the session folder. You can also see the same thing in the clip bin if you show full path, though it's much easier and clearer from the session browser.

3) The Relink window will tell you where those files were before they disappeared.

4) Have a sensible daily backup strategy.
5) Did I say check your Disk Allocation?

[The Weed]

And when you do a Save Copy In be sure to CHECK AUDIO under Items To Copy.