Resetting the clip numbering in PT

[[email protected]]

Hi - I produce a podcast that's recorded at a commercial post facility. I then take the files home for editing and mastering. The commercial facility is running Pro Tools 2020 (not sure of the version #). I'm doing my post on PT Studio 2022.4.0.


Here's my question. I want every new podcast session I record to number the clips ("George", "Tom" etc) starting with [track name]_01, then [track name]_02, etc.


However, even though there's no previous clips in the session, PT numbers them starting at a number in the teens, so the first track is [track name]_16, and up.


Is there a way to reset the system to start at [track name]_01? I know I could change the track names, say use "TomVO" instead of "Tom", but is there something I'm missing?


I do use a template when I create the sessions, but again, each session starts with no clips. This has actually puzzled me for years, but searching in the forums brings me nothing similar to this issue.

[cwsand]

Hi, It's supposed to start numbering with the first available clip number, so that if a clip with that name already exists, it goes with the next higher one and so on. Not sure what's going on in your sessions without seeing it.

I use Batch File Rename to rename a series of clips. It can be tricky depending on whether you're renaming actual wave files or auto-generated clips. After renaming the clips, then I think the shortcut is Shift+Option+R to finalize the name. You can read more about it in the Reference Manual.

[TCX]

"Hi, It's supposed to start numbering with the first available clip number..."


Right. But it doesn't. Same thing here, if I make a template out of a recording session, sessions created from that template start indexing from where those tracks left off. No media is saved when making the template.
There's nothing special about the session. It's a bug. Workarounds are not satisfactory. The point of a template session is ease of re-use.

[devinemke]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

However, even though there's no previous clips in the session, PT numbers them starting at a number in the teens, so the first track is [track name]_16, and up...

...I do use a template when I create the sessions, but again, each session starts with no clips...

This suggests that the template you are using is based upon a PT session that at one point had media recorded into it. Even if that media was deleted, the file numbers will still advance from the last recorded number.

I suggest that you create a new blank template, then create/name all of the tracks the way you want, thus every track will start with _01 (_02, _03, _04, etc...).

Hope this helps.

[TCX]

I get that there are workarounds, that's already established, but the indexing issue was apparently overlooked during PT template development.



What's needed is the option to reset indexes when creating the template.


A complex mix session that prints stems, built from a template is going to evolve, possibly every time it's used. Nice to simply create a new updated template based on the original one. And so on. A chain of evolving, superseding templates. Standard operating procedure.



Maybe you WANT the record indexes to propagate to the next session.
Maybe you don't. Both use cases are valid (I personally need both).



Having to go back and re-create or rename (or whatever) the record tracks (or record-file names) to reset indexes is a workaround for what should be an "export template" option. Intuitively, template elements that invisibly propagate but visibly manifest in output media should be mutable (as in changeable, not audio mute). Of course it can be worked-around, but the point of a template is...



Thanks for the workarounds, however.

[take77]

Update to my first reply:

OK I now see that you want the files to be named during *recording*. Sorry, I overlooked that.
But maybe my initial comment below might help in a different context:

One way to achieve the end result of the final clips being named sequentially is to create your a template with a starter name that's different from the final clip name(s) you intend to use.
Then change the name of the track(s) AFTER editing and just before consolidating (to rename the clips) as a final task.

I've created a one-handed custom shortcut to quickly consolidate each individual clip down the line; creating the names sequentially as the final task in my session.
Because new clips are created when consolidating, I can select all unused clips and safely remove or delete the consolidated clips that were merged during editing.
So I'm left with noting but an organized list of clips in sequential order.

A one-handed, two-finger shortcut allows me to use my index & middle finger to consolidate clips quickly & consecutively while scrolling down the timeline or across tracks.

Really appreciate having the batch fade feature for smoothing the ends of every clip in the timeline before consolidating everything (individually or as a whole).
Then I use the space clips feature to space the remaining clips evenly on the timeline.

It would be nice if the batch rename had the option to change the name of the file on disk instead of just the name in the clip list.
Now that I mentioned it, I think I'll make that my next request.

[[email protected]]

You know, that's what I finally settled on. Just after creating the new session from template, I change the track names to something different. It can even just be the initials of the name, or some other similar slight change. Then I usually get new sequentially numbered takes.


But with all the whiz-bang stuffed into Pro Tools that I'll never need, the ability to avoid this would be a nice update from Avid.

[JFreak]

Don't hold your breath. PT does not care about clip names so long as each are unique (and even that requirement comes from OS). PT is only interested in spot time like you were still using analog tape.

[take77]

Also, if clips were removed (not deleted) from the clips list but still exist in the session audio folder, those clip #'s will get skipped when creating new clips (via consolidation) until deleted from the session audio folder. That's the behavior I've noticed on Windows anyways. But it's good that PT is keeping track in that way.

[nednednerb]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Don't hold your breath. PT does not care about clip names so long as each are unique (and even that requirement comes from OS). PT is only interested in spot time like you were still using analog tape.

Exactly... I breathed a lot easier suddenly when I stopped caring about "clip names" when I was doing so much editing, audiosuite, consolidation, etc.

In fact, all I care about while editing is what I "see," so I name it "something" if I need to see something specific.

Batch Rename works perfectly to name things sequentially, regardless of any visual conflicts. After that, an actual "export" to a clean folder or storage in a clean, empty session is the best practice for me. I realized I just have to fall in line with what it's supposed to do, then it was easier to grok.

Spot time is SUPER necessary; -a -b -c-01 -F02A or -002 is getting very peculiar. Guitar_03 and Bass_13 are not grooving with the brain when editing; does it matter?

Literally, using batch rename does reset the clip numbering; it just (secretly) doesn't mess up the file system. The user still has control of the exports, just not every automatic generation along the way.

Someone might say, "I want the option to reset all the tracks, but not the numbering of a few of them, my choice, because user choice." But I do not want them to code that when I have real bugs and OS update compatibility to wait for.