How do YOU manage your files/sessions?

[Ross H]

I was wondering if anyone could offer some insight on how you manage your session SAVE files? I find myself being quite a packrat. I will create a new session folder and save the session as a the name of the song. Lets say...NEW IDEA. For starters it isn't unusual for me to to sing the melody to a click track. Then add a drum machine on top of it, etc. From there I usually will save the song as the name plus the date...NEW IDEA 10205 (1-2-05) If I work on that song 10 times over the course of 4 weeks I might have 10 song names...NEW IDEA DRUM EDIT 11505...NEW IDEA VOX 11605...etc.

I find myself going back six months later and wondering what the hell I have??? Usually I select which track was the last in the date sequence.

How are you documenting your sessions and files for easy recall at a later date? It would be cool if there was general notes section or link to a word pad or something to write quick comments...or is there?

Also...I have DVD R and DVD RW. What habits do you excercise backing up sessions to keep your system lean?

Ross

[albee1952]

I'm sure the more experienced users will have better insight, but here is what I do that seems decent. I like your idea of dating as you go. I do that now when I get to the mixing stage. You can open a simple Windows Notepad page and save it right in your session folder for notes. I tend to dump un-used audio as I go(I know if something sucks so why save it). I like to consolidate tracks often(as soon as I am happy with my edits). When it comes to DVD backups-select un-used regions and remove them>save session copy with everything selected(I save it to my desktop) and burn that folder to a DVD. I like to double-check by copying the DVD to hard drive and opening the saved session and play it to verify it works. Only after it works, do I delete the original session as well as the copied DVD session that I just verified. That may be overkill, but I like feeling warm and fuzzy. I also do all my sessions on a 160gb internal drive that is partitioned in half. That way I can format or defrag either half by moving files to the other partition. I use firewire drives strictly for moving a session to another studio(I had 2 firewire drive crashes so I am gun shy). Don't let your drives get too full as defrag needs 15-20% free space to work.

[drmmrboy]

How are you documenting your sessions and files for easy recall at a later date? It would be cool if there was general notes section or link to a word pad or something to write quick comments...or is there?



I have a detailed tracking sheet PDF...
I'l put up a link later today...

[AfricanCaneKing]

i have a question about something that bothers me

i use alot of templates that i create on my own for different kinds of projects. when i open a template and save it in its own folder PT will create a new folder inside the song folder and save the file there. so i try to save the file to the root project directory thinking PT will create a folder for the project, but it doesnt. instead it creates and audio folder right there in the root and saves the project file there as well. this sucks coz i either loose data in the audio directory or have to constantly navigate thru several folders just to find y work. any ideas...?

[albee1952]

Instead of opening the template session when you start a new song, Create a new session and go to "import session data" and point to the template.

[yOkO]

save session copy in,
and you choose what you want to copy and where to send it
even reinforse pc mac comp. type of files and resolution.