Sending daw (Sony) files via email for collaboration

SGWP90S

New member
I posted this under the Sony software area and thought I would give this area a shot as well.

I was sent Acid Studio 9 .acd files via email and want to open it, add a track and send it back.
We both use Acid studio 9. When opening it, dialog box says it cannot find file for path location specified (the path is that of the file location on the senders pc).

An option is to find the file on my pc in another location, which I do and open it.
It appears that the file is being opened and the progress bar is green at 100%, but in a split second, the dialog box about not finding the file comes back.
What's up with that?

Sender's pc is win7 64 bit. Mine is Vista :eek: and 32 bit. Just adding that in case it is a factor.

Anyone experience this? Thanks, all.
 
How are you opening the file?

Wouldn't you open up your DAW first and then File / Open? Or is that what you're doing?

What exactly is an .acd file? Is it audio, or just a project file that assembles your audio? The two are usually separate things... and if it's just a project file, then the concept of "opening it up and adding a track" probably won't work, as it's probably just instructions, not audio.

I know nothing about Sony Acid, just basing this on observations of similar programs....
 
I haven't used Acid in many years, but if memory serves me correct, the .acd is just an extension (acid's project file extension). You still need the audio files. If Armistice and I are right in our assumption, then I would advise transferring those files through Drobox as wav files can become quite large in file size.
 
I opened the daw and then selected the .acd file and opened it.
No audio.
So we are saying save as a wav file (Sony calls it 'rendering' some others call it 'bouncing a track)?
Send it by email and open it and add a track?
I am not familiar with Dobrox, but if I am understanding you guys correctly, the file sent must be some sort of
audio file, be it mp3, wma or wav? I find wavs sound best but the file sizes get a tad unruly.
 
So my understanding on the way DAW and video programs work, based on Reaper and Sony Vegas, is that there's a project file and a bunch of resource files that make up any individual project.

Forget about saving, rendering, bouncing... all the files you need should already exist.

The project file basically is in a proprietary format (like .acd) and is the instructions to the program as to how the project is set up... so: use the following audio / video files at these locations and apply various parameters etc... it's not audio, it's just instructions. And as a result it's quite small.

If you want to reconstitute a complete project (ie. a recording involving several tracks) on another machine, so that you can "add a track" you'll need all the component files - the project file and the audio files, which will be .wav files - whatever you're doing won't be "a" file, it will be a whole bunch of them.

And it will be .wav files because that's what audio uses, forget MP3s etc. Yes, they're big. That's just the way it is. Get them all together, zip them up, and get a Dropbox account going and post them there, and your buddy can then download the whole thing at the other end...

If all you want to do is have a stereo render of a mixed song, and use that as backing so you can record a new additional track you can get a single stereo wav track from the first system (rendering) and import it into the second system, and "add a track" that way - this would only work if you're going to send the new recorded track back to the original system where the project file lives, so it can be properly mixed in with the other tracks, as you won't be able to that on the second system as you don't have the necessary files..

Is that clearer?
 
All, first of all apologies for the late reply.
Greg and Armistice, thanks for your food for thought and the explanation of how the daw 's work file-wise. Very enlightening.
I am new to home recording by computer and trying to get the concepts lined up. Last time we tried home recording it was 2 mikes into a 1/4" portable reel to reel in a garage for natural reverb!
With your input and my exploring my daw more we have solved the sharing issue. Save to a zipped file (inside the daw) and send it.
I put ezdrummer on and love the sound of ezd's drums!
 
Back
Top