Moving a sesssion between two computers

[originalscottyg]

Originally Posted by justinhill

I should co-co. Recently I had an issue with this big audio drama I'm working on where the music beds (which were in a common 'external assets' folder) kept making Pro Tools stall on chapter after chapter. I looked at everything and even replaced the SSD, before realising that Pro Tools had decided at some point to start referencing the music audio from the backup drive(!), which is an HD and spins down when not accessed, instead of the work volume. Since then I try to remember to make sure the backup volumes are dismounted when I'm working...

The best way I've found to deal with this is to set all drives other than your Pro Tools session drive to Transfer status in the workspace. Then Pro Tools will never try to play files off of those drives and instead notify you that the files it's referencing are on a drive set to Transfer. This is how I make sure that any time I import any audio or video files, I'm certain PT is moving them into my session folder. I download everything to my Downloads folder on my os drive and them import to PT using the Import Audio or Import Video menu commands.

[justinhill]

Originally Posted by originalscottyg

The best way I've found to deal with this is to set all drives other than your Pro Tools session drive to Transfer status in the workspace. Then Pro Tools will never try to play files off of those drives and instead notify you that the files it's referencing are on a drive set to Transfer. This is how I make sure that any time I import any audio or video files, I'm certain PT is moving them into my session folder. I download everything to my Downloads folder on my os drive and them import to PT using the Import Audio or Import Video menu commands.

Good point. TBH I kind of enjoyed having the backup drives playable; amongst the volumes are a mirrored pair which are my archive. So on rare occasions I bring up a session off one of those when I need to look at something which is no longer on my work drive and which I can't be bothered to restore. You're right though - I should set transfer status on at least the backup of the work drive if nothing else.

But... I've recently been getting better using Carbon Copy Cloner and I've got it mounting the drives at the start of a backup and dismounting at the end (and also to run 'dark' without turning the displays on) so in theory the backups should never be on the desktop during the working day.

[Eric Lambert]

With a folder copy you'd be assuming that every necessary audio file is contained in that folder. My company has seen quite a few sessions (that we're aware of -- it's certainly an even higher number) which referenced audio *outside* the session folder, such that manually-copied session folders didn't include that audio. This audio was typically imported from Soundminer or via the Import Audio window, withOUT the "copy" box checked. A minor detail but an easy mistake to make during a heated session. It's also a potential issue when dragging a file from the desktop into ProTools, something people do often.

Save Session Copy (and checking Audio) is the proper way to remove the possibility of such unintentional issues. I can tell you it's a bad feeling when reviving a session and seeing "4 audio files can't be found" and noticing that it's looking for a drive that you no longer have access to.

If I were doing what you're doing, I'd keep the original session on your work computer as it is, as a safety (perhaps add "backup" to the title), then you can edit and arrange at home as you wish, migrating between computers via whichever method you choose, without risk.

[smurfyou]

I might have to disagree with the chorus. I du exactly what you're describing and it works as expected.

For the initial copy you do the Save Session Copy dance and check all audio. Don't convert to session fornat (which I usually prefer but it will break this workflow). Open up on the second computer and work away. Just be sure nothing you do creates new media. When you're finished copy just the PTX session file to the first computer. Ideally if everything was already in the session Audio Files folder it will open right up. If not you might have to tell it to relink.

And yes if you use any sort of file transfer pack it into a zip archive. If you're using a local drive no need.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

Just be sure nothing you do creates new media.

That's the issue. We often create new media unintentionally. No reason to create this risk -- tying your hands when you might decide to make edits at home -- when there's a solution which allows for it.

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by Eric Lambert

That's the issue. We often create new media unintentionally. No reason to create this risk -- tying your hands when you might decide to make edits at home -- when there's a solution which allows for it.

Works great for prepping and organizing a large session. I do it regularly with no issues.

The obvious solution would be some sort of official Avid cloud project. One that actually works I mean.

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

The obvious solution would be some sort of official Avid cloud project. One that actually works I mean.

I've been dreaming of that day for quite a long time.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by smurfyou

The obvious solution would be some sort of official Avid cloud project. One that actually works I mean.