Bringing multiple audio files into DP?

[edwinh]

Hello DP peeps,
I've got a workflow issue I've been trying to get around for a while and I let it go a while back and now that I've got bright and shiny DP8 in my hot little hands, I thought I'd give it another go. So, here's my situation. I do location recording with Metric Halo interfaces. I end up with folders of tracks and what I want to do is bring them into DP to edit and mix. However, after I've dragged and dropped the first set into my tracks window, which works perfectly, I can't figure out how to get the second and subsequent sets to drop in on the right tracks. Every other DAW I've used can manage this, but I seem to be missing something. I can't be the only guy who uses this workflow. Any ideas?

Thanks much,
Edwin

[Radiogal]

Hmm, not really sure if I truly understand your problem, but let me try.

I usually use import audio in the Soundbite window.

From there I drag the imported audio (Soundbites) into the Sequenser Editor or Track Editor window.

Drag and hold them over the track names on the left side of the Sequence/Tracks Editor window so the track name area gets selected, and drop the soundbites there.

By doing this, DP will import and create new tracks with the audio file names for you.

This way there is no need you create any tracks yourself before importing.

[edwinh]

Hi Radiogal,
You've got the first part of it, but then the second part is when I want to bring in the second set, which is a different set of files, and add it to the first set. Given that I do up to 32 tracks at a time, placing them one at a time onto the existing tracks gets very tedious, so it would be advantageous to be able to do all 32 at once.

Also, while I'm at it, how do I select multiple channels in the mixer so I can, for instance, insert a send to bus one to all my vocals for reverb at once? Again, it would seem to be more efficient to be able to do it many channels at a time rather than one at a time.

Thanks for thinking about my issue!
Edwin

[Radiogal]

I suggest you create a new sequence (sequence 2) for the second set.

You can select all the imported soundbites from the Soundbite Window and drag and drop them there (sequence 2) in the same way as I described before.

After that you can drag them all at once from seq 2 to seq 1. (drag them to the left side and DP will make new tracks/names for you).

You can select what you want to be grouped in the EDIT/MIX/ EDIT&MIX/ and CUSTOM group set.
Set Temporary Group Type
I do not see that creating inserts and AUX buss sends are available. Many other things are.

[edwinh]

Thanks so much! I'll try the sequence trick and let you know how it works out.

[edwinh]

OK, this is really not working. I can't get the second set dragged into a new sequence, either in a sequence window or a tracks window. Also, DP gets really bogged down and unresponsive very quickly. This is something that is literally a 20 second process in Logic or Pro Tools but seems utterly impossible in DP. I have no desire to bash DP nor do I really have a desire to use the other DAWs due to their limitations, it just seems weird to me that such a basic thing would be such a problem.

Any more ideas to try?

Thanks so much,
Edwin

[Dan Worley]

I've never found an eloquent way of doing this. DP has never been good at letting you drag and drop multiple soundbites from the SB window or Finder to anywhere you want in the timeline. It's one of its weaknesses. Once they're in there it's great, but getting them there can be a chore.

Been awhile, but let me see if I can explain it. This may read like a lot to deal with, but it goes very quickly (under a minute, I suppose) once you learn the moves. I find this faster than using chunks and songs, but that works, too. Someone else may have a better, faster method.

I drag from the Finder onto the Tracks' name area and let DP do the automatic conversions and the creating of the tracks.

- Drag the first set in.

- Take note of which measure or time they end (where you will want the second set of tracks to start).

- Select the bottom track and add a Track Folder so it goes right under the last track (it's just being used as a separator. Don't put anything in it).

- Drag the second set of soundbites in under the Track Folder.

- Select All and then drag select only the second set of tracks (the tracks remain selected from this point on).

- Tap the right arrow on the keyboard once to nudge the tracks and to make sure nothing extraneous is selected. Only the soundbites (events) will be selected, not time/range.

- Go to Edit > Shift and select the tab "To Time or Marker"

- Enter in the measure or time that you noted above.

- Very important: Select "Set to Selection Bounds" from the Selection Tab's drop-down menu. This changes the event selection to a range selection.

- Cut

- Drag select the top set of tracks, the same range will still be active.

- Paste

- Nudge into place. You can switch to the SE for fine tuning if needed.

- You can now deselect (Commnad D)

- Note the measure or time where you want the next set to start

- Highlight and delete the bottom set of tracks

- Drag in the third set of soundbites...

[Tim]

If you're trying to do what I think you're trying to do:
If all the Folders have the same amount of tracks with the same track names...
Drag the files from the second folder into the left side of the Tracks window... that should create another set of tracks with the same names (+ 'copy') and same order as the first set.
In the Tracks, or Sequence window, select and drag all the data in the second set up into where you want it in the first set.
Select the (empty) second set of tracks and delete them.
Repeat as necessary.


Edit: Oooop... I didn't see Dan's post before posting this. He said it more better.

[edwinh]

Thanks guys! I'll have to give this a whirl.

I really appreciate your patience with me on this. I feel like I'm still missing something basic.

[edwinh]

OK, thanks so much to everyone, I've got this figured out! What was hanging me up was thinking that the overview of the tracks in the Tracks window and the Sequence were equivalent. What I have to do is bring in all the files into the tracks window and then drag them into the correct spot in the Sequence window. It works great. Thanks, Tim, Dan and Radiogal, you all helped tremendously. I am now ready to put Logic on the back burner (or at least remove it from its permanent spot on the dock) and make the move completely to DP. A good day, indeed.