project & audio files locations...

[Rob Heflin]

Hello. I've essentially got three different scenarios as to where my project and audio files are saved:

A. cwp files are in D:\Cakewalk Projects\BandLab - new\ and wav files are in D:\Cakewalk Projects\BandLab - new mixes\Audio
B. cwp files are in D:\Cakewalk Projects\[SongName]\ and wav files are D:\Cakewalk Projects\[SongName]\Audio
C. cwp files are in D:\Cakewalk Projects\ and wav files are D:\Cakewalk Projects\Audio

My current settings under Preferences include:

Project Files: D:\Cakewalk Projects\BandLab - new
Global Audio Folder: C:\Cakewalk Projects\Audio Data (this folder is empty)

What I'd like is to have some consistency, but I don't know if it's safe to move files, what sort of file/organization I should use (which of A, B, C above is the best way to go), etc. In addition, for some of my songs - especially those in B above, (where the folder includes the song name) - I want to rename some of those songs. So, as an example, I might have the following:

Folder: D:\Cakewalk Projects\F# Rocker\ that includes the file F# Rock Song.cwp 
Subfolder: D:\Cakewalk Projects\F# Rocker\Audio that includes dozens of .wav files that begin with F# Rock Song (example: F# Rocker, guitar 1, Rec (906).wav)

Just as an example, if I wanted to re-name this song to its new title and not it's temporary/working title, which files should be renamed? The cwp, but no others?

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[John Vere]

The name of a project containment folder is automatically created when you first save a new project and name it. Always check the copy audio box even if there’s no audio just yet or never. 
Everything including your audio export will always be inside that folder.
As you work you can use SaveAs to rename a different version and either save it to the same folder or choose a new location.

If you save it to the same folder all it will do is create a new CWP file with the new name. It will share the audio folder. 
 

If you choose to use save as with the copy audio box checked and browse to a new location it will create a whole new container folder. 
Everything to do with your projects should be kept in those project folders. 

The folder locations in preferences really don’t matter and I only ever change the very first one to my dedicated data drive. There I have dozens of different sub folders for different types of projects. 
 

I also now prefer my audio exports are kept in the project folder which is the default. I simply copy it to a album folder later but nice to have the most up to date mix stored in the project. 
 

Then all those project folders should be copied to backup drives often! I simply select the main folder and drag it to a second drive and rename it with the date. 

[Rob Heflin]

Hi John, thanks for the reply. However, there are parts I just don't understand. For example:

- You mentioned that "a project containment folder is automatically created when you first save a new project and name it." I recently created a project with the working title of On The Edge. The cwp file was written to D:\Cakewalk Projects\, and the audio files were saved to D:\Cakewalk Projects\Audio. There was no folder created anywhere that was named On The Edge... (From what you wrote, I would've expected that it would've resulted in a folder named  D:\Cakewalk Projects\On The Edge, and that's the folder in which the On The Edge.cwp file and Audio subfolder would be found. Correct? If so, why would that not be the case for my project? Would it be because of something in my Preferences / File | Folder Locations?

Also, it seems to me that the most organized way to have everything structured would be to have, for example, the following:

- a folder for each song in the folder D:\Cakewalk Projects\
- each song folder within D:\Cakewalk Projects\ would include the cwp file for the song
- each song folder within D:\Cakewalk Projects\ would also include a sub-folder named Audio that would include all of the recorded audio tracks

If you agree, then if you notice my examples in A & C (above, from my original post) do not have that structure. Can I move things around so those songs & files fit that structure? If so, how, without losing data?

Thanks!

[Glenn Stanton]

hmmm. so in the save or save as dialog (either from the file -> new menu, or a template sourceed project) you should see the folders that will be created under the project folder:

so, you'll have the project folder, the CWP file, and the Audio subfolder. then inside that project folder, as you do things in the project, you may see other folders pop up (some temporary like "mix scenes", or "melodyne" etc), and once you do an export, "Audio Export" containing the output from that process.

if you're not seeing that being created (and as far as i know Cakewalk has been the same in this folder creation for the project, CWP, and audio for what? 20 years? longer likely). the key is to make sure you checked the "copy all audio with project"

otherwise it will dump things into your generic project and audio data folders - which you can find in the preferences.

Edited May 31 by Glenn Stanton

[John Vere]

You don’t mention that you had checked the Copy Audio box. This is important for the results I mentioned. 

[Rob Heflin]

3 hours ago, John Vere said:

You don’t mention that you had checked the Copy Audio box. This is important for the results I mentioned. 

That check box is defaulted (to checked). 

So based upon the info you & Glenn provided (thanks!), I think I have a handle on how to proceed with NEW projects to where, as I wrote above:

- a folder for each song is created in the folder D:\Cakewalk Projects\
- each song folder within D:\Cakewalk Projects\ would include the cwp file for the song
- each song folder within D:\Cakewalk Projects\ would also include a sub-folder named Audio (and an Audio Export folder, etc.) that would include all of the recorded audio tracks

So what I still don't understand, though, is how - for my existing projects that do not fit the above structure (see examples A & C from my initial post) - I can reorganize those to fit into the preferred structure.

And, if I wanted to re-name a song to its new title and not it's temporary/working title, which files & folders should be renamed?

Thoughts? Thanks!

[57Gregy]

1 hour ago, Rob Heflin said:

And, if I wanted to re-name a song to its new title and not it's temporary/working title, which files & folders should be renamed?

I would do a 'Save As' with the new title.

[John Vere]

As Greg said above. Please carefully re read my post as it clearly explains this. 
Just open each project and use Save As with copy audio checked. Browse back one level if you desire to keep it in same main folder or drive. Or Browse to a external drive etc. You can re name at this point if you so choose . 

[Rob Heflin]

22 minutes ago, John Vere said:

As Greg said above. Please carefully re read my post as it clearly explains this. 
Just open each project and use Save As with copy audio checked. Browse back one level if you desire to keep it in same main folder or drive. Or Browse to a external drive etc. You can re name at this point if you so choose . 

Thanks! Now that I've done one successful "Save As" with a new title, it all makes sense

I very much appreciate your, Greg's, and Glenn's help! 👍