Trouble getting .wav files off external drive...?

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Nate74

Nate74

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The Overview:
I just got my band's external hard drive back from the studio where we tracked some guitar stuff over the weekend. I was able to access it before giving it to them, and now it shows up as "Not Initialized" on the Computer Management screen. Though it is showing that it is a 186Gb drive, rather than 200, so I'm fairly sure the data is there.

Some details (that may not matter at all):
The files were all wavs that had been recorded in ProTools, but I had been able to import them into Cakewalk prior to the most recent session.

I know if I "initialize" the disk, the data will be gone and unfortunetly, this currently is the only copy of them... thus my desire to back them up.

I have to be careful since this is the only copy, so I'm hoping it's something simple.

I'm running Windows XP if that matters... :confused:
 
Maybe it's been formatted with a different file system. Was the studio using Macs?
 
Holy crap! They were... can I do something to get it off to my pc?
 
not really (and all those Mac to PC conversion programs suck for audio stuff). trouble is your PC will only recognize it if you reformat the drive. you need to find someone with a mac, and copy all the audio files onto a CD or something. THOSE can transfer over to a PC easily. however, any Cubase or Pro Tools session files won't convert over to the PC (unless the studio enforced Mac/PC compatibility in Pro Tools....only way to find out if they did is to try and open it in PT on a PC).
 
Is there a way, he could have (or can) save them as PC accessable files? Seems to me if he could read them as PC files, he could save them that way...sometimes I miss 2"
 
If all you want is the .wav files and not the PT sessions, he should be able to export them from the sessions as individual .wav files.
 
Gettings .wavs Files

You Better Plug It Where The Last Time It Works

Or Like They Said Reopen Your Protools Session

And Export Your Single Tracks The Best Way You Can ( Samples + Bits ) Or Keep It The Way You Record It.....

And Then Burn It To Datacd.....

After That You Will Be Able To Do What You Want With Your Tracks

Write Down The Tempo, Position Of The Tracks, Names...
 
AlexW said:
If all you want is the .wav files and not the PT sessions, he should be able to export them from the sessions as individual .wav files.
Click to expand...

this is true...however, we're talking about a hard disk....and the computer needs to format and read from it's own file system. did you ever use the hard drive BEFORE the session?? or did you buy it strictly for that session or did the studio give you the hard drive?

the way you need to get them for your PC is have him burn it to CD or DVD. however, like I said...only the audio files will be recognizable by your computer unless they saved it with Mac/PC enforced. AND unless the individual .wav files were time stamped you're going to have a hell of a time reorganizing them in a new session (if that's what you plan on doing at home).
 
OK,
I realize I didn't go into to much detail in the original post so here's a slightly longer history of the project.

1) I bought a 200Gb HD and used it for some file backup in my own HD24XR based studio. I use Cakewalk to edit and mix sometimes and always try to remember to back up to an external.

2) We tracked drums and bass at a studio in Hollywood and gave them the drive to put the files on. That was in a Mac based Protools studio. He was able to save the files in such a way, I could import the individual wavs into cakewalk. We then put the files on my Alesis HD24XR and added accoustic guitars and some backing vocals. At that point, I had removed all my previously stored files. When I imported the wavs into Cakewalk, they had names like KICK_01 and SNARE_01, etc. Easy enough to work with.

3) We put the wav files back on the external drive and found a studio where we wanted to do the electric guitars and lead vocals and took them the drive.

4) That studio was able to import the wav files into protools on their mac and record the stuff we wanted.

5) We want to add some B3 and/or Rhodes at my studio so I went and picked up the external today and am now unable to access the drive, although it does show that there is about 14Gb of info on there...

Does that somewhat long-winded account change anything? I'm hoping that since the first studio, which used Macs exclusivley was able to save the wavs in such a way that I could import them onto my PC, this other guy can do the same... sure wish there was someway I could do it on my PC though... :(
 
Got up this morning and had a message from the engineer/owner at the studio. He says he can put the files back on his hard drive, reformat our external to PC, then put the files back on to it so that my PC can read them... mystery solved. Still wonder why there isn't a better way for PCs and Macs to co-exist.

Can't we all just get along?
 
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