If I'm sampling an mp3, I'll bring it into Live, copy the part I want to a new clip, then consolidate it to crop out the rest of the song. Then I drag that clip into my library and it's saved as an alc file.
What exactly happens to the audio file when it gets dragged into my library? Does the alc actually contain the consolidated audio, or is the consolidated audio copied to some other location in my library, then referenced from the alc?
After I'm done sampling the mp3 I'll quit Live, discard the set, say "Yes" to deleting temporary files, and delete the original mp3. Then any time later on the clip in my library still works, so I assume none of those actions affect wherever the audio of that clip is living.
What happens to an mp3 when saved as an alc?
Re: What happens to an mp3 when saved as an alc?
That is correct, it will still work. The cropped wav is copied to your .alc file in subfolder samples/processed/crop (on the Mac, may differ on Windows). What you are doing is fine.