The best way to delete unused tracks in the edit window?

[Trash Man]

Someone posted on this a couple of weeks ago but I cant seem to find that post...

In the EDIT window I usually >select unused tracks>clear selected> and delete the tracks from the disk....

Now I'm pretty sure this is why I lost 4 of my songs....Though I dont know why....I thought I was selecting unused tracks!!! And why did tracks from other songs that weren't even open get erased?

So from now on how should I delete unused tracks???

Someone Anyone....

Sorry if I sound so aggitated...It's just that I recently lost 2 and a half months of work....

The Trash Man thanks you....

[rat1016]

Hey Trashman,
Are you trying to delete unused tracks or
regions? If you choose "delete SELECTED tracks from the edit menu, you could be in a world of hurt. If it's regions your trying to get rid of, select unused from the region bin title bar. Then you can see whats about to go. Hope this helps.
hasta, rat1016

[Trash Man]

I'm sorry...

I meant to say used region, not track....Anyway, I'm scared to do this anymore because last time I deleted 4 songs....Who posted on this topic a couple of weeks ago?

Trash Man

[soundboy*]

I have been doing this for years on sessions and the only time it as let me down was because of operator error. One of the errors from my past was two songs sharing the same audio files folder. Don't ask me how I did this, because I was a beginner and I didn't know how the system worked. Maybe you are experiencing a similar situation.

[tld]

I used to be very careful prior to doing the 'Select Unused' to deselect anything that was selected. I since noticed that the Select Unused is safe as far as this goes and does not leave anything selected (in 5.0 anyway). I've found this to be process to be safe...use it all the time.

Tom

[Taja13]

Did you "select unused > regions" or "select unused > regions exept whole files"?
If you have used the second option maybe is this the problem.
For example: you are using only a region of this file, not the entire file, so the file seems to be unused. So if you select it and delete it, the region also dissappears.
If you use the first option, it won't let you select delete, only remove.

[jasbart]

Bingo, Mssr Volpin!

I use 5.0.1 LE, and I've done the same thing with voiceover sessions...saving a previous session under a new name, because I was too lazy to learn to use templates.

All of those regions you see on the right are the same ones as the ones in the original session. Not copies. They are merely being used in two sessions.

So when we deleted them in session 2, poof! they're deleted from session 1 as well.

Now I select the option "remove" rather than "delete" when I'm cleaning up a session which originated as a "save as."

Jim Barton www.bartonvoice.com

[This message has been edited by jasbart (edited September 06, 2000).]

[daniele volpin]

hello trash man!

i've recently lost three songs in the same way you described using the select unused>clear function.

i think the reason of this damage is because i started new sessions duplicating an old session file, renaming it and putting it into a new folder.
i've done this because i didn't know how to use the template function.

for this reason pro tools selected and cleared all the files that were really unused in the new session, but unfortunately it deleted the files from the old session, even though they were in another folder.

just my 2 cents,
daniele

p.s.: sorry for my bad english...

[CCash]

Just a few tips, hope it helps...

1) Read up making a template. Very good thing.

2) Be extremely diligent with organizing/ cleaning up your sessions. This will seem like a lot of work, but it keeps your head from spinning.

a) Name the tracks something meaningful, so that when you record, say, guitar, the file is called "guitar-01". If you change instruments on the same track, change the track name before recording.

b) And/or immediately name the region. Double click on the region with the hand grabber and name the region. Stereo tracks will both need to be named. You can highlight your new name in the dialogue box, hit Command-C (or Edit>Copy from the menu) to copy the name to the clipboard. Command-V (paste) anytime after that will paste the same name. Then modify to the new name. Make sure you have the radio-button checked for "Name Region AND Disk File. Now it will have that name in the Audio Files Folder.

c) If you have a region that you recorded recently, haven't edited yet, and know you don't want, get rid of it. Highlight this region only, and from the region list Clear Selected.

d) Select Unused Regions Except Whole Files is safe. At the worst you'll have to create some new regions, but the File - the original raw audio segment - will still exist.

e) Set some time aside very often to scan through your Region List. Try Select Unsused (including whole file) from the region list, just to see what's what. From there go through and deal with them individually. I get nervous with the idea of a "bulk, batched delete" of files.

f) Any time you make changes to your session, update it with a Save As. Date them or call them 2,3,4 etc. The session files are tiny, so make a gazillion if you have to. That way you can always go back. It won't recover Whole Files that were deleted ("Gone Forever") but it will get some regions and your previous great mix back.

All this will make you feel like a librian, but it seems to go with the territory and makes life so much easier when you really need it to be. Sorry to bore experienced folks...

Curt