The "Sample is Offline" DAW

[jasper]

There's nothing in this world quite like opening a project
to put the finishing touches on it before sending it out
for mastering, and seeing: "Media files are missing".
This is UNIQUE to this the Ableton Live DAW.

Ableton is definitely the expert at losing audio files (the day after they're recorded).

How does audio DISAPPEAR from a project when it was not moved since recording it?

How is it so impossibly difficult for this particular DAW to
place the audio into the song's project folder?

What is the problem with this:
PROJECT FOLDER/AudioFiles/TheAudioInTheSong.wav
And then simply leaving it in the song folder.


Why this? :
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Recorded/TheAudioYouRecorded.wav
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Processed/Crop/TheAudioYouCropped??.wav
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Processed/Consolidate/TheAudioYouConsolidated.wav
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Processed/Freeze/TheAudioYouFroze.wav
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Processed/Reverse/TheAudioYouReversed.wav
PROJECT FOLDER/Samples/Imported/AreYouJoking.wav

The file names look like this: "0001 9-Audio R.aif" ?
And they disappear.

[dysanfel]

Collect all and save and name your files.

[jasper]

Ok.

[mothergarage]

The file names look like this: "0001 9-Audio R.aif" ?
And they disappear.

The filenames inherit the name of the track.

[[jur]]

I swear that if you take a moment to understand how files are managed in Live, you won't encounter this again...
Sorry, but in this situation the error is not the DAW, but the user.

[jasper]

Yes the lost files are the user's mistake and not the software.

[jasper]

I swear that if you take a moment to understand how files are managed in Live, you won't encounter this again...
Sorry, but in this situation the error is not the DAW, but the user.

Yes, yes...the files are "managed" by the software, yes..lol.

[mholloway]

I've had my share of problems with Ableton, but in my 8 years of heavy usage, I've NEVER had it just go and lose a file mysteriously.

Ableton is actually very, very smart about its approach to file maintenance. It does NOT just randomly move your files around or delete them.

Since all sessions refer to the project folder in which they exist, I'm wondering if you're somehow deleting files in that project folder, not realizing that a given session in that folder needs them.

Not trying to be a dick, but this does seem like human error, not DAW. Or some weird computer error, perhaps, if you're losing files. Ableton is smart on this score: it's looking for them, and telling you they're gone. And remember: in the missing file list, when you select the file name it will show you EXACTLY where it thinks the file should be, but isn't. That should be your first clue in figuring out what's going on-- what is the location, why is the file not there, etc.

I've never, ever seen Ableton delete or move a file that it needs. So yeah, this is bizarre. Did you move sessions from one project folder to another? Save As to a new location without Collect all and Save afterward? There's gotta be a reason for this behavior. It's not just a "one day my files were gone" random glitch, I find that very hard to believe.

-M

[alpertt]

I have lost files until i have found out how to use "collect & save" too.
I still have complaints though:

1- OP is right, one simple "Audio Files" would have been better.
2- Some option to "select unused files and delete" is needed. If there is, i couldn't find it yet.
3- If you trash an audio while Ableton is open, it keeps reading it from bin!
So you can't understand if this file is being used or not in the project. Until you empty the bin!!
4- otomatic normalize when consolidate bugs me a lot. They are two different processes, why normalize?

[jasper]

I have lost files until i have found out how to use "collect & save" too.
I still have complaints though:

1- OP is right, one simple "Audio Files" would have been better.
2- Some option to "select unused files and delete" is needed. If there is, i couldn't find it yet.
3- If you trash an audio while Ableton is open, it keeps reading it from bin!
So you can't understand if this file is being used or not in the project. Until you empty the bin!!
4- otomatic normalize when consolidate bugs me a lot. They are two different processes, why normalize?

When you Consolidate, the result is Normalized????? are you serious?

[alpertt]

When you Consolidate, the result is Normalized????? are you serious?

Yes. You notice this When you drag and drop audio outside Ableton. In the project, Ableton lowers the gain to adjust!!!

[[jur]]

2- Some option to "select unused files and delete" is needed. If there is, i couldn't find it yet.

Then you have to search harder
In the Files menu, go to manage project, it'll open right side window and there you'll find what you need.

[[jur]]

I swear that if you take a moment to understand how files are managed in Live, you won't encounter this again...
Sorry, but in this situation the error is not the DAW, but the user.

Yes, yes...the files are "managed" by the software, yes..lol.

[Stromkraft]

Where are the files you use?
The only reason files are missing is because the user forgets where the original files are and how keep track of them. Typically this is in an older set in another set folder. Or the samples are wherever and are moved, either by the user or by some process that "tidies" things.

Keep the integrity of the project
If you start a New Live Set from scratch and save everything into a new project folder at once — which you must do standing in the save dialog window NOT inside an existing project folder but in the parent folder — and make sure after having saved under a unique name that there is

• a new set folder named "[the name you saved] Project"
• Inside this folder a file named "[the name you saved].als"
• Next to that a folder called "Ableton Project Info"
• Another folder called "Samples" provided you have audio in the set.

then you're on a good start. The latter "Samples" folder is where your recordings and freeze files will go. If there is no such folder it will be created when you have audio files in the set.

Never save another new set into this folder structure! Ever. It's of course OK to save additional set files actually belonging to this project into here and it doesn't make much sense to save these to somewhere else unless you're starting a new version like a remix or something that you want to keep separate. Keep the integrity of the project by not mixing projects with others.

External samples and audio files
Where do you keep your external samples, made by you or from a library? Likely you have multiple places. Try to make these as few as possible, Do you administrate these with some app like Audiofinder? If so make sure you have a basic structure on disk that you stick to and don't move these samples unless you really have to and don't let the app you use do that either. If you let this happen anyway Live may lose track of them. Same if an update of the software that the samples came with moves its files that you happen to be using.

Collect all and Save
If you use Collect all and Save, as have been suggested, with external sample libraries the used files get copied into the "Imported" folder inside "Samples". You can make sure where original files are by right-clicking on the audio clip and select "Show in Browser".

Before you do Collect All and Save that is likely to be where the original sample is stored or wherever you have put it. After this command a copy will have been stored in the mentioned "Imported" folder and your set won't be referencing the externally located file any longer.

[Razz CE]

I also use collect all, but even when Ableton can't find a file immediately, it's never taken more than a few seconds to find it with the file manager. That's the beauty of Ableton Index.