How do you merge 2 separate projects with their own tracks?

[MikeInBoston]

Or copy the tracks from one project into another that already has its own tracks?

Is this even possible?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[FMiguelez]

Clippings work great for this.

You can also createa new project and use the Load command from there to load as many chunks from different projects as you need. After this, you just drag the loaded chunks into a TO window (from the Chunks window) and you're ready to rock.

[MikeInBoston]

Thanks, FMiguelez. Okay, I followed your advice and got them both to work, although I'm not crazy about the work flow. I was hoping there would be a real project merge, but I can deal with it, and now I know what to do.

Hey, how do you work with that clippings window constantly falling behind the main window?
What a pain!

Thanks,

Mike

[Shooshie]

One way is to stack them vertically in a Song window, then create a new chunk from the Song. That's a fairly quick way. You can also drag one chunk into another (even faster) in the Tracks Overview Window. It will drag to the point in the Tracks Overview Window where you drop it. The Song window arguably offers greater control over the precise point where you line it up, but requires a few extra steps.

Of course, if the two projects are genuinely merged, not appended, then you can only use the conductor track from one of them. This is consistent in the Song Window or drag and drop.

If they share the same exact tracks in the same order, you can append them without adding any new tracks.

As Fernando pointed out, Clippings is another way to do this. Copy/Paste is yet another. There are plenty of ways to do this, and they all are valid, intentional methods. "Real" project merges. These things don't happen by accident, but are programmed to do this. (you will note that it asks you how you want to handle the tracks in most cases) Many operations in DP are accomplished with tools that aren't necessarily dedicated to one particular operation. That's what gives DP its great flexibility.

My method of preference these days is dragging chunks directly into other chunks. You can also do the reverse: drag a selection to the chunks window and make a new chunk. That only works when a track has data in it. Empty tracks are not included in the new chunk. You can add data to all tracks by making an automation snapshot of all empty tracks. It's easy to delete the automation later if you wish, and there are multiple ways to do that, too.

If you are new to DP, I recommend learning about the Tracks Overview Window. It's tempting to learn the Sequence Editor and MIDI Graphic Edit Window, and to gloss over the Tracks Overview Window without learning its strengths. There was a time when it was the only graphic editor in Performer, the predecessor of DP. It was a fast way of working, and very powerful. When you know all you can do in the Tracks Overview Window, it makes it easier to work in the other windows. Also, I recommend the MIDI Graphic Editor (set for one window for all tracks) for MIDI, rather than the Sequence Editor. The SE is good for MIDI edits that must line up with audio, or vice versa, but pure MIDI work is simply a LOT faster and easier in the MIDI Graphic Edit window. Of course, there is QuickScribe if you prefer notation, or the Notation Window (separate from QS), but in time you may find the piano roll (MIDI GE Window) easier and faster.

Anyway, chunk merging can be accomplished in multiple ways, and it's good to know them all.

Shooshie

[MikeInBoston]

Thanks, Shooshie, I'm grateful. I will give your suggestions a try. Perhaps one day I'll feel confident using chunks. Hopefully sooner than later.

Mike

[magicd]

You can drag a chunk from the Chunks window to the left side of the Tracks window. That will copy all the tracks and data from Chunk A to chunk B.

Dave

[Kubi]

You can drag a chunk from the Chunks window to the left side of the Tracks window. That will copy all the tracks and data from Chunk A to chunk B.

Dave

What Dave said! I do this all the time: Open one project, import a sequence from another using the Load command, then drag the imported sequence from Chunks window to the left side of the tracks window of the first project. Easy, fast, and super-intuitive.

[MikeInBoston]

Thank you, Dave and Kubi. This sounds exactly like what I need to do.

Mike