Importing 100 wave files on a timeline one after another

[Helene Kolpakova]

I have >100 wave files which are bits and pieces of a whole recording. I need to load them one after another on a timeline. Is there a quick way to do that? Currently they are loaded on 100 audio tracks one under another. I wouldn't mind them being still on 100 tracks, but all shifted so that each next clip would start where the previous ended.

Currently the only solution I see is a manual one - choose Clips as snap landmarks and then drag all those clips manually. Doable, but I certainly would prefer a more automated way if there are any. Can something like this be coded in CAL - does it support audio events?

[Gswitz]

Interesting problem.

I would probably do it with key strokes.

I think i have ctl+shift+h as go-to end of selected clip.

I would use this and just click fast. If i had to do it more than once, I'm not sure what I'd do.

What happens if you drag multiple clips from widows explorer to a single track?

Edited June 7, 2021 by Gswitz

[John Vere]

If they show in the audio folder in an easily recognizable order then I would just drag and drop them from the browser. 
Dragging them from the track pane would be crazy if there is actually 100 tracks. 

[Jim Fogle]

The automated answer to your problem is to record your audio snippets as broadcast wave files.  Broadcast wave files is an extension of standard wav files.  Metadata and time code data is embedded in the snippets.  Time code is a timeline so importing all should automatically align to the timeline.

Many DAWs and some hardware recorders can  export audio files in the BWF format.  Broadcast Wave Format Wikipedia Article

Edited June 7, 2021 by Jim Fogle

[Helene Kolpakova]

23 minutes ago, Gswitz said:

What happens if you drag multiple clips from widows explorer to a single track?

it will place the first clip to the existing track and create tracks for other 99 clips, putting them one under another.

 

26 minutes ago, Gswitz said:

I would probably do it with key strokes.

I think i have ctl+shift+h as go-to end of selected clip.

Actually, you just landed me on the idea of (ab)using Nudge feature to set to "Follow Snap Settings" and setting up Snap to Clips as landmarks only. It's still tiring but a little less error prone:

1. Load 100 clips all under one another (that's how it loads them anyway)
2. Set up Snap and Nudge as mentioned above
3. Select all tracks
4. Deselect the top, press Nudge Right (this will place 99 clips to the end of the 1st clip)
5. Repeat step 4 99 more times 😅

8 minutes ago, Jim Fogle said:

The automated answer to your problem is to record your audio snippets as broadcast wave files.

Yeah, thanks, but I'm afraid I don't have control of the recording in this case. In fact this could be multiple separate recording sessions each containing 20 files. Then I'd get 200 files from 10 such sessions dropped on me.

[scook]

Do you have any experience with scripting or programming?

If so, autohotkey may provide a solution.

[Helene Kolpakova]

12 minutes ago, John Vere said:

If they show in the audio folder in an easily recognizable order then I would just drag and drop them from the browser. 

Actually, that's probably another option to simplify the process indeed!

1. Place all files in one folder and navigate to that folder in the Browser
2. Create a new audio track
3. Select the first clip in the browser
4. Press Enter (or double click) - it'll load it to the Now time on the selected track
5. Press Ctrl+End - this will move Now time to the end of the project, which in this case will be the end of the first clip
6. Press Down - this will select the next wav file in the browser
7. Repeat steps 4-6 99 more times

This will actually create just one track with all clips following each other one after another. Since this doesn't potentially involve any mouse clicks, I'll probably try this option, ty!

[Helene Kolpakova]

1 minute ago, scook said:

Do you have any experience with scripting and programming?

If so, autohotkey may provide a solution.

Yes! Might try that out actually, thank you! Quite curious how well it's gonna work with CbB.

[scook]

Autohotkey works fine with CbB.

This workflow

17 minutes ago, Helene Kolpakova said:

Actually, that's probably another option to simplify the process indeed!

1. Place all files in one folder and navigate to that folder in the Browser
2. Create a new audio track
3. Select the first clip in the browser
4. Press Enter (or double click) - it'll load it to the Now time on the selected track
5. Press Ctrl+End - this will move Now time to the end of the project, which in this case will be the end of the first clip
6. Press Down - this will select the next wav file in the browser
7. Repeat steps 4-6 99 more times

This will actually create just one track with all clips following each other one after another. Since this doesn't potentially involve any mouse clicks, I'll probably try this option, ty!

is close to a spec for the script.

Select a track, start the script

• Read the directory or a text file containing the file names. If the names are not easily ordered in the directory, use  a text file,
• Loop through the names,
  • Run the import dialog 
  • Populate the prompts and send OK
  • send CTRL-End

[57Gregy]

I would load all the clips into WMP and set up CbB to record from the sound card's Stereo Mix or What You Hear input and press play on WMP.
Of course, you wouldn't get any info with the clips, just an ordinary wave file.

[John Vere]

8 hours ago, 57Gregy said:

I would load all the clips into WMP and set up CbB to record from the sound card's Stereo Mix or What You Hear input and press play on WMP.
Of course, you wouldn't get any info with the clips, just an ordinary wave file.

Interesting idea but alas there would be a tinny pause between each clip. 

[Noel Borthwick]

We should be adding support for this soon (importing back to back on a single track)

[scook]

9 minutes ago, Noel Borthwick said:

We should be adding support for this soon (importing back to back on a single track)

good news

[petemus]

While you're at it, would it be a good idea to show an option display/menu/whateva for the dragged'n'dropped files?

You could then select if you want them inserted on one track or on tracks for each file, at the now position, at the start of the project, laid out tightly after one another, or with a specified gap between them etc.