Cutting up audio?

[TripleJ]

Hey guys,

I recently recorded a 2 hour long multi-track session (5 separate tracks) of our band jamming. Now I want to cut this big clip into several smaller clips which I want to put in new projects.

I thought it would be as simple as selecting the regions I want to copy and pasting them into a new project.

This works however every time I do this it copies the ENTIRE audio files (ie. the 2 hour long audio files) which takes ages and it means each new project takes up the same space as the big 2 hour long project.

So basically what cubase is doing is copying the original audio files to a new project folder and then just referencing the short clip I actually want to listen to.

Obviously this is horribly inefficient. Is there a way to actually cut the big project into several smaller projects without actually having the huge audio files in every new project?

Cheers,
-Dan

[legionserial]

Yeah, what you can do is select all your tracks (not your audio files, the tracks themselves), goto export>selected tracks, and save them in a folder. It will ask you at some point if you want to copy or reference the files. Choose reference. Then, when you import the files to a new project, via import>track archive, it might ask you if you want to copy or reference again. Go reference all the way.

This will import the tracks and audio files into your project, and use the original files, rather than creating new ones. Then it's just a matter of cutting out what you don't want in that particular project.

[RezN8]

Originally Posted by legionserial

Yeah, what you can do is select all your tracks (not your audio files, the tracks themselves), goto export>selected tracks, and save them in a folder. It will ask you at some point if you want to copy or reference the files. Choose reference. Then, when you import the files to a new project, via import>track archive, it might ask you if you want to copy or reference again. Go reference all the way.

This will import the tracks and audio files into your project, and use the original files, rather than creating new ones. Then it's just a matter of cutting out what you don't want in that particular project.

Great info!!! The only thing I say is why not make a copy if you can? It wouldn't hurt to have back ups - ESPECIALLY if you save them on a separate drive.

You guys are saving your cherished audio files to back ups, I hope!!!

[TripleJ]

Originally Posted by legionserial

Yeah, what you can do is select all your tracks (not your audio files, the tracks themselves), goto export>selected tracks, and save them in a folder. It will ask you at some point if you want to copy or reference the files. Choose reference. Then, when you import the files to a new project, via import>track archive, it might ask you if you want to copy or reference again. Go reference all the way.

This will import the tracks and audio files into your project, and use the original files, rather than creating new ones. Then it's just a matter of cutting out what you don't want in that particular project.

Thanks. I did try that originally but it's still not really what I want. If I do it that way I still have to have huge audio files sitting somewhere, I really want to be able to have several smaller projects with smaller audio files in them rather than several projects referencing the same big audio file.

[legionserial]

Originally Posted by TripleJ

Thanks. I did try that originally but it's still not really what I want. If I do it that way I still have to have huge audio files sitting somewhere, I really want to be able to have several smaller projects with smaller audio files in them rather than several projects referencing the same big audio file.

I suppose what you could do (as ardous as it sounds) is once you have done what i have descrived above. Mixdown each track to a new file, while checking 'send to audio pool' and 'sent to new track', Then delete the big files from the project.

Of course this would mean you would still have your original audio files. But as they are your original audio files anyway, I wouldn't recommend deleting them.

Sometimes aswell, when you cut up audio files like that, it will as you if you want to create a new version of the audio file. I'm not entirely sure how to trigger that though. It seems to only ask when it feels like it.

Originally Posted by RezN8

Great info!!! The only thing I say is why not make a copy if you can? It wouldn't hurt to have back ups - ESPECIALLY if you save them on a separate drive.

You guys are saving your cherished audio files to back ups, I hope!!!

At the moment all my projects are backed up onto DVD regularly. I need to get an external HD for it at some point. I have far too much stuff to be putting it all on DVD's all the time now.

[TripleJ]

Just in case anybody is wondering how to solve the problem I found out how.

Basically the easiest way is to:
a) Set your L-R markers
b) Right click on the audio somewhere, click Export-OMF
c) In that screen select the tracks to output as well as choosing NOT to reference the original audio files (check the option to mix/bounce)
d) Select a folder and name.

This exports an .omf file with copies of just the audio regions you wanted (and only the audio from the marker bounds).

You can then go to import->omf and import the tracks into your new project, all synced and ready. Then just save your project to a new folder (This option is in file menu) and it's done.

Easy!

[J.D.Min]

yup. thats exactly what I would do

[TripleJ]

Haha where the bloody hell were you when I originally asked? :P

[J.D.Min]

haha sorry