New export menu a nightmare

[Keith Marriott]

I am really hating this new export menu. Despite me giving the export file a new name it keeps wanting to overwrite an existing file.  I don't think this has been thought through. There needs to be a way to bypass the new system if all you want to do is export a song, I don't want to add it to a task, I can't see a way to do this.

It seem Cakewalk have made something that was straightforward to use into an over complicated mess.

I think I will have to revert my PC to an earlier version unless I can reinstall the previous version of Cakewalk.

Anyone else pulling their hair out over this?

[Andres Medina]

For me the old way was very simple: I agree that with just two or three clicks you were done... fast and simple.

But limited, when you are working with a increased number of tasks related to a bigger project (exporting stems, alternative mixes, adding information to each file, batch exporting several tracks with different specifications, etc.)

So, after investing a couple of hours in the learning process of the new features, I managed to configure my workflow in a way that is incredible fast, as I don't have to bother even naming the exported files. It takes the names from wathever source you want, and that's it.

And if you need simple export functions, just create a preset that meets all of your requirements, and use that preset all the time. Couldn't be simpler then.

But it takes time to learn and customize to your needs the export features, after you properly understand the logic of the system.

Would I get back to the old way? no.

[scook]

9 minutes ago, Andres Medina said:

if you need simple export functions, just create a preset that meets all of your requirements, and use that preset all the time.

or use the simplified export options in the Export module

[Keith Marriott]

I can't get a simple export to work, because:

I am remastering some tracks so using the same project to export a audio file with some some fx added. It seems it now won't let me do this, it wants to overwrite the project name evert time with a new version before I can export the audio. Even thought I did that it then didn't export the audio to the folder I wanted it to (kept reverting to the project folder).

Last night I urgently needed to get some tracks exported and I couldn't so very fed up.

It would be an ok option if you need it but it should e possible to bypass the new export system. I will try again later but if I can't find a simple eay around this I will have to evert my PC to an older version.

 

Thanks for the replies folks.

[michheld]

I would suggest to have a look in this brilliant tutorial:

("Export" starts at 07:15)

Have you tried to use filename tags to get unique filenames?

Please note the difference between the two buttons at the bottom.
The "Export" button directly exports and there's no need to create tasks...

In my opinion the new export is a huge timesaver. OK, there's a learning curve.

But that will be a good investment.

Have fun ?

[Keith Marriott]

Hi, I realised I might not have described what I am doing very clearly.

I have a bunch of multitrack projects that I created with Cakewalk and mastered them to a folder. Now I want to tweak those masters (not the multitracks). So in this instance I am using Cakewalk as an audio editor.

I have a project with several plugins added, I then import an audio file and try to export it as an MP3. I repeat this with different audio files, but this is where I am coming unstuck. I keep getting a message saying overwrite (the project name.mp3) but that isn't what I am doing. I'm trying to export the file to a new name (as the project as a different audio file to export). I am filling in the id tags but I'm still getting the warning - but I shouldn't e overwriting anaything.

Unless: has Cakewalk now decided it must update a project name before you can export an audio file? If so, I guess that would cause this problem.

I will look at that tutorial thanks!

 

[msmcleod]

16 minutes ago, Keith Marriott said:

Hi, I realised I might not have described what I am doing very clearly.

I have a bunch of multitrack projects that I created with Cakewalk and mastered them to a folder. Now I want to tweak those masters (not the multitracks). So in this instance I am using Cakewalk as an audio editor.

I have a project with several plugins added, I then import an audio file and try to export it as an MP3. I repeat this with different audio files, but this is where I am coming unstuck. I keep getting a message saying overwrite (the project name.mp3) but that isn't what I am doing. I'm trying to export the file to a new name (as the project as a different audio file to export). I am filling in the id tags but I'm still getting the warning - but I shouldn't e overwriting anaything.

Unless: has Cakewalk now decided it must update a project name before you can export an audio file? If so, I guess that would cause this problem.

I will look at that tutorial thanks!

 

Can't you just set the filename to something other than {projectname} ?  You can set the filename to anything you like.

There's nothing forcing you use the tags, and actually with the workflow you've described, they won't help you ( unless of course, you're updating the browser notes, in which case you could use {notesname} instead).

Also, you can use the "..." button next to the filename to specify both the filename an path at the same time.  It will remember the path for the remainder of your session.

[Lord Tim]

What I tend to do is make a new preset, based on the Entire Mix preset.

My export name is: {projectname} - {d3}, {d=g-ia} - Mix

So assuming my project is called Cakewalk Project, I'll end up with:

Cakewalk Project - 27-09-2021, 10-30pm - Mix.wav

When I want to just export an entire mix, I just select my custom "Entire Mix with Time and Date" preset from the top drop down list, and I know I'll have a unique name each time, and in fact there's less typing as far as choosing a filename goes, and no chance of a duplicate because each mix has its own time/date stamp.

[Xel Ohh]

1 hour ago, Lord Tim said:

What I tend to do is make a new preset, based on the Entire Mix preset.

My export name is: {projectname} - {d3}, {d=g-ia} - Mix

So assuming my project is called Cakewalk Project, I'll end up with:

Cakewalk Project - 27-09-2021, 10-30pm - Mix.wav

When I want to just export an entire mix, I just select my custom "Entire Mix with Time and Date" preset from the top drop down list, and I know I'll have a unique name each time, and in fact there's less typing as far as choosing a filename goes, and no chance of a duplicate because each mix has its own time/date stamp.

I'm going to have to use this... It makes so much sense to put the date and time... Thanks for sharing..?

[Lord Tim]

@Xel Ohh - make sure you don't accidentally use the Australian date format I used or you're going to have A Bad Time trying to reconcile the export name with the file date stamp! ?

[Xoo]

Being pedantic about this (and having to do it for work a lot), always use yyyy-mm-dd if you can so it sorts alphabetically.

[Lord Tim]

I mean, that's the best thing about how this is laid out - you set up your export how you want for whatever task (so, if you're exporting tracks, you can have the track number at the start, or if you're doing archive mixes then you can prefix everything with YYYY-MM-DD so it sorts correctly, etc.) and it's just a case of choosing from a drop-down list rather than remembering to do it, and then typing it correctly each time.  

[Keith Marriott]

RE 'Cakewalk Project - 27-09-2021, 10-30pm - Mix.wav'

I am trying to export the MP3 with the same name as the audio file I have added.

So say I add an audio file called Haggis (one of them is called Haggis), I then try to create a new MP3 in a subfolder called Haggis.

This works the first time but when I change the  audio file (one called fish fingers - don't ask the album is called food for thought) it wants to overwrite the project name called new mix. I don't know why, I am just creating a new export.

The new system would be a great addition but you should have the option of not using it! 

I've been using Cakewalk for at least 15 years so I thought I was pretty good with it.

Really looking like I'll have to revert my whole PC to an older build as (and this has been mentioned before) it doesn't look like Bandlab makes old versions available to download and install..

[Bill Phillips]

2 hours ago, Kevin Perry said:

Being pedantic about this (and having to do it for work a lot), always use yyyy-mm-dd if you can so it sorts alphabetically.

Thanks! Me too, since PCs first came available! But I don't see anyone else doing it, untill now!

[Keith Marriott]

I managed to mount my older image of my PC and access the old download folder - in there was the last version of the Cakewalk download.

So installed the July version (I wasn't sure it would install) but it installed fine. So I tried the same method of changing the audio file and creating a new MP3 export and it worked fine. So something is different in the behaviour of the exports.

Perhaps most people don't use cakewalk as an audio editor but this seems to be either a bug or a workflow that stops me doing what I want to do.

This seems to mean I can't update Cakewalk anymore which is a real shame, unless they change this behaviour or give the option of using the old export menu.

I don't know if there is an official way to raise this with Bandlab.

 

Thanks for the replies folks

[user 905133]

2 hours ago, Kevin Perry said:

Being pedantic about this (and having to do it for work a lot), always use yyyy-mm-dd if you can so it sorts alphabetically.

Nothing pedantic about using yyyy-mm-dd format; its purely pragmatic esp. in terms of date-sorting.

On the other hand maybe pragmatism and pedantry have a high correlation.   

[Noel Borthwick]

48 minutes ago, Keith Marriott said:

 

The new system would be a great addition but you should have the option of not using it! 

 

Nothing forces you to use this. Change the file name to what you want it to be. It defaults to a tag thats all. Please read the release notes or follow the video tutorial posted in this thread to understand how to use the new features.

[Keith Marriott]

Er, you are forced to use the new export menu! 

Why don't they keep the old system if you go file/export and use the new system if use the export button on the menu bar?

[paulo]

4 hours ago, Lord Tim said:

make sure you don't accidentally use the Australian date format I used or you're going to have A Bad Time

Is nsᴉuƃ ∀nsʇɹɐlᴉɐu ʇǝxʇ sʇᴉll oʞɐʎ ¿

[Noel Borthwick]

2 hours ago, Keith Marriott said:

Er, you are forced to use the new export menu! 

Why don't they keep the old system if you go file/export and use the new system if use the export button on the menu bar?

I was referring to the File name field not the new dialog itself.
Sorry we don't plan on having two different dialogs in place. Its not practical.