Opening old Pro Tools files (What type are they?)

[benwplj]

In a nutshell, I want to remix an album from 2006, but am unable to open the files, (Pro Tools sessions or Audio Files).

Here's the lowdown:
1. The album was presumably recorded on Pro Tools 6 (this was early 2006), but I'm not sure and can't find any documentation on it. All I know at this point is that the album was cut on some version of Pro Tools.

2. The album was cut on a Mac. I don't remember what type of Mac, I only played on the record (I had no tech input) and have no real recollection of how we cut it.

3. I am trying to open these files on a PC running Pro Tools LE 8.0.5.

4. The discs (DVD-R) containing the sessions make no note of what edition of Pro Tools it was recorded on. I copied these to the desktop first and have made no attempt to open anything directly from the discs.

5. The discs only list the audio types as "L" & "R".

Questions:
1. What type of audio files would these be?

2. How can I convert them?


I don't mind losing the plug-ins and fades (the intent was to remix anyway), but I'd really like to at least salvage the audio tracks.

Thanks in advance.


Note: If this isn't the right forum for this, any admin, please feel free to reassign it.

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by benwplj

Questions:
1. What type of audio files would these be?

2. How can I convert them?

1. SD2
2. With Pro Tools

I assume that the session files were not saved on the Mac as Mac/PC compatible. You could try appending .pts to the session file and see if PT will open them. If so, it may automatically recognize and ask to convert the SD2 audio files to your choice (choose wav).

[benwplj]

Ok, I was able to open the session files by adding .pts to the file name (turns out it was cut on Pro Tools 6.9). However, I can't seem to get the audio files relinked--Pro Tools refuses to acknowledge them.

[The Weed]

If they are SD2 files, try searching for Rail Jon Rogut's SD2-to-Wave converter app. Convert them and then import them into a Pro Tools session. Alternatively, have the session opened up on a Mac and resaved to be compatible with a PC.

Cheers,

[Top Jimmy]

Now you could try adding the .sd2 suffix to each audio file and see if PT will recognize and convert them.

Perhaps your success may be determined by whether or not the resource fork is still available for the files. You might try referencing the audio files directly from the DVD in case that works.

If you can't get them to be seen and converted by Pro Tools, you can use Rail Jon Rogut's sdTwoWav to convert them.

EDIT: Gosh I type slow.

[benwplj]

I've tried adding the .sd2 suffix to the file names, it does finally come up as a Sound Designer II file, but Pro Tools still refuses to acknowledge it.

I've also tried the SdTwoWav software and all I wind up with is white noise (regardless of the setting I'm using).

The Preferences were also deleted (and computer restarted), but no change.

How do I find out if the resource fork(?) is still available?

[Top Jimmy]

I don't remember when aif support was added, but I think it was there with the 001 so I think it is possible that these are aif files instead of sd2. You can try adding the .aif suffix instead and see if this works.

When you open the session, you should get a find and relink window. Try to relink manually by name only. You may also be able to tell what type of audio files were used in the session if you look in the session setup (Setup Menu>Session).

[sunburst79]

Originally Posted by benwplj

In a nutshell, I want to remix an album from 2006, but am unable to open the files, (Pro Tools sessions or Audio Files).

Here's the lowdown:
1. The album was presumably recorded on Pro Tools 6 (this was early 2006), but I'm not sure and can't find any documentation on it. All I know at this point is that the album was cut on some version of Pro Tools.

2. The album was cut on a Mac. I don't remember what type of Mac, I only played on the record (I had no tech input) and have no real recollection of how we cut it.

3. I am trying to open these files on a PC running Pro Tools LE 8.0.5.

4. The discs (DVD-R) containing the sessions make no note of what edition of Pro Tools it was recorded on. I copied these to the desktop first and have made no attempt to open anything directly from the discs.

5. The discs only list the audio types as "L" & "R".

Questions:
1. What type of audio files would these be?

2. How can I convert them?


I don't mind losing the plug-ins and fades (the intent was to remix anyway), but I'd really like to at least salvage the audio tracks.

Thanks in advance.


Note: If this isn't the right forum for this, any admin, please feel free to reassign it.

This is really sounding like it might be easiest to have a forum member with an older mac open, convert and resave the session as one that PC/Intel Mac compatible.

Not that any advice in the thread is wrong. All of its good.

[albee1952]

Yup, the sessions were likely created/saved WITHOUT checking the box for enforcing PC/Mac compatibility. I agree that the best bet is to find someone with a Mac system to open and re-save for you.(probably ANY Mac system could open the session). I would take along an external drive that can be addressed by a Mac. Once each session is opened on a Mac, then I would immediately consolidate each and every track, and export audio as wav or aiff to a folder, and drag that folder to your drive(in addition to saving the session on your drive). That way, worst case scenario is you could just create brand new sessions and import the audio. Since it was all consolidated back to time zero, all tracks would line up.

[sunburst79]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Yup, the sessions were likely created/saved WITHOUT checking the box for enforcing PC/Mac compatibility. I agree that the best bet is to find someone with a Mac system to open and re-save for you.(probably ANY Mac system could open the session). I would take along an external drive that can be addressed by a Mac. Once each session is opened on a Mac, then I would immediately consolidate each and every track, and export audio as wav or aiff to a folder, and drag that folder to your drive(in addition to saving the session on your drive). That way, worst case scenario is you could just create brand new sessions and import the audio. Since it was all consolidated back to time zero, all tracks would line up.

This sounds like some excellent advice.