Opening DP5 Sessions

[NovaLynn]

I am desperately trying to figure out how to open old DP5 sessions recorded 20 years ago. When I left the studio, I was given all my files on discs, but now the studio is gone and I can't find anyone running DP5, nor can I find DP5 for sale anywhere.

Can anyone give me hope of opening these sentimentally priceless sessions?

[HCMarkus]

DP improved the opening of old projects recently, maybe it was DP9.5. You might download and install the current version of DP (30 Day Trial free) and see if it works with your old projects.

PS: It run on Windows now, too.

[James Steele]

Was DP5 before there was a Windows version? Were these initially created on a Mac? What kind of discs were they given to you on? CD-R? If so, were they burned with a Mac file format or a Windows/DOS readable format. Only concern I would have is if these were Mac files that were put on a Windows formatted media, you might have some issues opening the project and/or audio files.

[NovaLynn]

DP improved the opening of old projects recently, maybe it was DP9.5. You might download and install the current version of DP (30 Day Trial free) and see if it works with your old projects.

PS: It run on Windows now, too.

Thanks, good to know!

[NovaLynn]

Was DP5 before there was a Windows version? Were these initially created on a Mac? What kind of discs were they given to you on? CD-R? If so, were they burned with a Mac file format or a Windows/DOS readable format. Only concern I would have is if these were Mac files that were put on a Windows formatted media, you might have some issues opening the project and/or audio files.

Hi James, yes I believe DP5 was pre-windows version. Yes, the sessions were originally created on Mac. Yes, I have the sessions burned on CD-Rs. I will try to download the 9.5 demo on a Mac and see if that works. Thanks!

[HCMarkus]

Was DP5 before there was a Windows version? Were these initially created on a Mac? What kind of discs were they given to you on? CD-R? If so, were they burned with a Mac file format or a Windows/DOS readable format. Only concern I would have is if these were Mac files that were put on a Windows formatted media, you might have some issues opening the project and/or audio files.

Hi James, yes I believe DP5 was pre-windows version. Yes, the sessions were originally created on Mac. Yes, I have the sessions burned on CD-Rs. I will try to download the 9.5 demo on a Mac and see if that works. Thanks!

Get the DP11.21 Demo. You'll be amazed at the functionality DP now offers!

[mikehalloran]

DP 8 was the first version that ran over Windows.

Why do I remember this?

[James Steele]

Was DP5 before there was a Windows version? Were these initially created on a Mac? What kind of discs were they given to you on? CD-R? If so, were they burned with a Mac file format or a Windows/DOS readable format. Only concern I would have is if these were Mac files that were put on a Windows formatted media, you might have some issues opening the project and/or audio files.

Hi James, yes I believe DP5 was pre-windows version. Yes, the sessions were originally created on Mac. Yes, I have the sessions burned on CD-Rs. I will try to download the 9.5 demo on a Mac and see if that works. Thanks!

Did you have any success and if so, what did you do? I don't know if you posted in another thread, but it would be helpful if you came back and told us what happened. If you found a solution, it would definitely benefit the community to share it. Thanks.

[mrgkeys]

I recently had to revisit an albums worth of DP5 files from 2007 done in OS 9. I was finally able to get them to open on an old Mac with a version of DP8.07 running in 32 bit mode in OS 10.13.5. All AIFF files which apparently no program will open in 2023. With the OS9 resource fork hanging out and being a proble . I eventually had to use the LOAD function just to get some of the plugins back (most gone though) and thankfully I had the forethought to bounce/merge audio all the files sound they could be imported back in. More trouble than I wanted but I'm keeping this setup with the hopes it will do DP2.7 and 3,4 too.

[mikehalloran]

I recently had to revisit an albums worth of DP5 files from 2007 done in OS 9. I was finally able to get them to open on an old Mac with a version of DP8.07 running in 32 bit mode in OS 10.13.5. All AIFF files which apparently no program will open in 2023. With the OS9 resource fork hanging out and being a proble . I eventually had to use the LOAD function just to get some of the plugins back (most gone though) and thankfully I had the forethought to bounce/merge audio all the files sound they could be imported back in. More trouble than I wanted but I'm keeping this setup with the hopes it will do DP2.7 and 3,4 too.

Huh?

DP is sensitive to corrupt audio file headers. Certain builds are worse than others with DP 7.1, 7.2, 9,51 and 9.52 especially. It’s really easy to fix this and can be done with SD2, sdII, AIFF-C, .wav etc, in QuickTime. Convert to .wav or .aif. You don’t have to change the file type, .wav to .wav or .aif to .aif works, too. This strips the headers and rewrites new ones. The raw audio is unchanged. There used to be a studio that sent me .wav files that never loaded into DP until I learned this trick.

QuickTime works fine but DSP-Q and TwistedWave have additional batch conversion features that are faster and can convert many projects at once leaving the audio in their original folders.

[mrgkeys]

my apologies, they were SD2 files. I couldn't find anything to open them up.

[mikehalloran]

my apologies, they were SD2 files. I couldn't find anything to open them up.

DP did for a long time — then didn’t — then did again in 10.something. MOTU also resolved the SD2, sd2, SDII, sdII issues at that time.

QuickTime never had a problem with any of that which is why converting them in QT always worked.

Corrupted headers are still an occasional headache for me depending on which studio sends me the files. The worst are AIFF-C from stand alone CD recorders but I still get corrupted .wav now and then.

BTW, AIFF-C is a supported format (you have to run GetInfo to see it) but this recorder was so bad, I bought it to throw it away. It was these files that not only screwed up DP 9.51 and 9.52 (in different ways!) but took out System Audio in a way that only a Time Machine Restore could fix. That was how I discovered APFS Snapshots and the ability to restore my System completely to a prior state in a few minutes.
https://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=64689

Again, once I figured out the culprit, stripping and rewriting the headers repaired the files and DP 9.52 was able to load and process the audio.