Saving the same session, keeping each previous saved one?

Well, I may have mispoke. I don't normally apply destructive reverb to the files. I do use destructive level and EQ on the files but not reverb. And my fallback is that I have other iterations of the session saved that allow me to revert back to previous versions if the client wants it.

I never claimed my way is the "right" way, it's just how I have done things for years.

Don't get me wrong I'm sure there's better ways to do some things that I currently do but thats just the way I've also been doing it

But seriously try the non-destructive way - Eq & all you may be surprised

Just a thought.

Boyd, Phil, and others all have good points to make about organization, and Mark, it sounds like you've already chosen wisely on your procedures so losses are not possible.

Is it really important to do destructive EQ and levels so you can send the work to other DAWs?  How often do you do that?  I never have to, so I'm curious if all this track printing would be better when the request actually comes up.

I don't do large CD projects often, but just finished one a few weeks ago.  AA3's improved multitrack editing has allowed me to take it places I'd never dreamed of (or feared would be necessary!).  Your method wouldn't work for me because each song I mix usually has too many source tracks.  I'd fill a DVD per song every day.  But the "Mark Method," with a new folder and all tracks and annotations saved daily, appears to be the safest thing possible.

My latest project was organized differently than any previous one, and I think I'll be sticking with this procedure in the future.  Each song had its own folder within the main project folder.  If the audio was recorded all at once, the first subfolder would simply be "audio," which also contained the tracking session file(s).  Or "audio tracking 1" and "...2" and so forth.  Once all audio was in hand and organized, I batch processed it via a lossless codec (wavepac, shorten, Monkey's Audio, etc) to a "backup" subfolder.  That audio would never be changed thereafter, enabling the occasional revert if an edit backfired.  (Note: I never ever revert a whole file, but just copy in a fix for the bad spot.)  If re-recording of anything was necessary, there would be an "overdubs" or "retakes" subfolder.  Finally, the session files went into (you get it) a "sessions" subfolder; every new day of work on a song would result in a new session file (my preference is by song title then date code; today's would be 090806).  If the pressure was really intense, and many hours of editing hinged on one day's work, I'd have two or more fresh session files per day.  It's good to report that no corrupt sessions occurred during this entire latest project, but if one had, the losses would have been hours, not days or weeks.

Nothing goes into the root of each song's folder (excepting annotations, or a copy of a musical score, if one is available) until mixdowns are ready to be made.  Once they're there, the most recent ones are easily identified by the session's date code carried over into the mixdown file name, to which I add a sample rate and bit depth number to show which are ready for video or CD or neither (4832, 4416, etc).

I do edit the source audio extensively to remove intrusive noises, musical errors, and to make the occasional pitch correction.  Probably the most destructive thing in the process is when it is necessary to de-noise air rumble, which I try to save for last and then save to a new file name (usually "[filename] DENOISED.wav").  Almost all EQ and other editing is done in multitrack.  Sometimes I'll add a track for some 100% wet effects, particulary if it's a chorus, but never print it destructively to the source.

For what it's worth.

That's pretty interesting.

It is kinda interesting to see how others accomplish the finished product.

One cool thing about the internet is that I get to learn all the things I learned wrong. When I started my first stuido (in 1972) there was no internet to ask..it was all trial and error.  Starting with Cool Edit 96 was kind of the same thing.. I have kept the habits I developed through all the upgrades until I am where I am.

Maybe I'll play around with doing my mixing "smarter" and see how it works.  I rarely have more than 25 tracks to work with and usually it's under 15, so I'll try working smarter.

Thanks everyone.

Really its all about what works for you.
Ask the questions, get a range of answers that work best for those giving the answers, absorb the info and take the course of action (if any) that works for you.

I think most visitors (including myself) have learnt and continue to learn in this forum.

Truly.  Word.

Wow, 1972...  I was a little kid playing with my parent's old Webcor open reel machine in those days, and more than a decade from ever being near anything resembling a studio!   Cool, Mark.

Thanks...actually that was the first studio I built.

I was in multiple recording studio sessions starting in 1965. My band had a big regional hit..  I started doing it myself after being disappointed with the results from "professional" local studio's in the early 70's. From mono tape through four track tape through eight track tape to ADAT and ultimately to computer..it's been a fun learning process. 

Thanks...actually that was the first studio I built.

I was in multiple recording studio sessions starting in 1965. My band had a big regional hit..  I started doing it myself after being disappointed with the results from "professional" local studio's in the early 70's. From mono tape through four track tape through eight track tape to ADAT and ultimately to computer..it's been a fun learning process. 

Cool - Good to see that your still at it 

Would simply numbering the sessions save all the files of each session when I "save as"? Including all altered and unaltered files in the session?

Thanks for the help..



Thank you for your information


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Whenever you save a session it saves whatever the current status of the session and its media.  If you give it a number thats fine but if you save it in the same folder referencing the same media then if you alter that media destructively it will also be reflected in other sessions which use that media.

You could "save session as" a different name and location  and select 'save copies of all associated files' - that might be an option

I save it with an incremental date code because my organization doesn't typically change much and then I'm assured of multiple backups that all appear in order.  So the best way to do this is, of course, what fits your habits best!  Saving all associated files does take up a lot more space and requires a different kind of organization, but certainly has some advantages depending on your objectives.