How can I delete part of a wav/track from the HD/SSD?

[George D]

I am doing editng. So, I am splitting a track and I'm deleting the part that I don't need. 

In my disc (SSD) remains the whole audio file of the track.

Is there any option in Cakewalk/Sonar to split the two parts of the track to separate audio tracks so to have the option to delete it and use the remaining space of the SSD?

Edited December 10 by George D

[Amberwolf]

If you bounce the clip it creates a new file for the new clip.  Open the clip properties dialog and it should have info there on which specific file this one is, so you can be sure not to delete it when you clean out files you don't want. 

[mettelus]

Quick overview for you... a clip is like a "window" in a DAW, so even if you reference only 6 seconds of a 3-hour wav file, the DAW is pulling in the entire wav file, but honing in on the "window" you want (very handy if you have multiple clips from the same wav, as it continuously references the original). This is also why you can drag the ends of a clip to reveal more audio.

When you Bounce to Clip(s), that clip is then rendered as a new (smaller) audio file, and will then be the only one referenced by the project (you can tell because dragging the clip ends will now reveal no more data).

Once bounced, there are two methods to deal with that original audio (Cakewalk will not delete it). You can manual delete it as are alluding to, but a much safer method is to File->Save As... and in that dialog, save to a different (new) folder and check "Copy all audio with the project" and (oftentimes) "Create one file per clip." If you have bounced religiously while working this will create a significantly smaller Project folder (so you can remove/archive the old one) that only references used clips and ensures all used clips are copied over. A word of caution with this... this only works on the cwp you are actively doing the Save As... with... if you have multiple cwps in that original project folder, you would need to repeat to get them all. In your case, if you have a MASSIVE wav file you want to address, the bouncing (verify the bounced audio file is present), and removing the original may be simpler. Just for safety sake, I would move or rename that MASSIVE file first, then check that the cwp is all happy with the bounce by re-opening it prior to deleting that original MASSIVE audio altogether.

Edited December 11 by mettelus

[sjoens]

When using Per-Project Audio folders...

1. If you Save-As to another location it will create it's own folder.  You can then delete the original folder with all the extra audio.

2. You can also save the project where it is and go to  Utilities>Clean Audio Folder..., click Find and safely delete the files listed.

3. Project>Audio Files shows which ones are used.  Any not listed can be deleted.

Be careful tho.  AFAICT they are permanently deleted and don't go in the Recycle Bin when deleted inside CbB/Sonar.

Edited December 11 by sjoens

[George D]

So there is not any option like Pro Tools where you can split the track then delete the part that you don't want and automatically the existing file reduces the size.....

Maybe an option for improvement in an update....

[Colin Nicholls]

1 minute ago, George D said:

So there is not any option like Pro Tools where you can split the track then delete the part that you don't want and automatically the existing file reduces the size.....

Maybe an option for improvement in an update....

No, it doesn't work that way. Why do you care? Are you that pushed for disk space ? If so, my guess is that you have other problems, but following the advice given by @sjoens will address that space issue.

[George D]

Just now, Colin Nicholls said:

No, it doesn't work that way. Why do you care? Are you that pushed for disk space ? If so, my guess is that you have other problems, but following the advice given by @sjoens will address that space issue.

I understand but would be nice to have the option like Pro Tools as I've said.

[sjoens]

Keeping the original files intact after editing has saved me a time or 2, so I wouldn't want the Pro Tools way... unless it allows for retrieving the deleted files from the trash bin.

[57Gregy]

Right. I prefer non-destructive editing while I'm still working on a song. Once I finish for the day and, hopefully, didn't goof, I close the program and the dross is flushed.

[George D]

1 hour ago, sjoens said:

Keeping the original files intact after editing has saved me a time or 2, so I wouldn't want the Pro Tools way... unless it allows for retrieving the deleted files from the trash bin.

Pro Tools will never delete automatically the files. Is your option. Also if manually you delete them you can find them in the trash bin.

I'm saying again, it's an option whatever everyone prefer.  

[Sock Monkey]

Didn’t we stop worrying about file sizes about 10 years ago when Hard Drives became inexpensive and huge? 

Anyhow it’s common with all daw’s to use none destructive editing and for reasons stated. 
 

And it’s also best practices to use Save As to create a nice clean copy of important projects.
 

The old messy ones should be archived to backup drives.

If your computer only has one small hard drive it is super easy to upgrade it to a larger drive using apps like the Samsung Magician. Black Friday deals are still available 

[David Baay]

21 minutes ago, George D said:

Pro Tools will never delete automatically the files. Is your option.

I'm curious how they handle the case that a project somewhere else in the file system - maybe just an older version of the same project - is referencing the original audio file. In the case of Sonar,  you would have to delete such projects or remove the reference from them before the original audio file could be removed by Clean Audio Folder. And what happens if you try to undo a destructive edit... does it recover the file from the Recycle Bin, or does it maybe wait until you close the project to actually delete files? Or does it just say, "I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that"?

[57Gregy]

If it's in the recycle bin, isn't it still on the SSD? Thus, not really deleted?

[sjoens]

47 minutes ago, David Baay said:

or remove the reference from them before the original audio file could be removed by Clean Audio Folder

What Save-As to a new folder does.

Having several project iterations in the same folder confuses which audio goes with which iteration.  OTOH, saving each iteration to it's own folder recreates used audio files each time.  20 + iterations per project can really load up a HD that way.... I have over 60 for some .

[David Baay]

33 minutes ago, sjoens said:

Having several project iterations in the same folder confuses which audio goes with which iteration.  OTOH, saving each iteration to it's own folder recreates used audio files each time.  20 + iterations per project can really load up a HD that way.... I have over 60 for some .

I often have dozens of versions of a project in the same folder, and rarely have a reason to separate them. I run Clean Audio Folder (or more often Cakewalk Audio Finder) periodically (e.g. before a backup) and don't otherwise worry about redundant audio files that might be created by bouncing audio in later versions and not clearing out earlier ones. If I really need to know what goes with what, CWAF can tell me.

Edited December 11 by David Baay

[Nigel Mackay]

On 12/11/2024 at 5:58 PM, George D said:

 

Maybe an option for improvement in an update....

You do realise that CbB will no longer have "updates", only bug fixes?