Ableton Forum

I don't think that there's a solution to this one, but there's nothing to lose, so...

I froze and flattened my tracks on a new track I'm working on as my CPU was under the cosh, but instead of saving it as a new project so that I can always go back to tinker with the VSTi's if the need arose, I saved it on the same name as the original project I intended to leave unfrozen and unflattened.

The $64,000 question: is there any way back?

next time don't flatten them.

i think henke's working on a time machine.... that's probably you're only hope.

sadly no, hopefully one day the'll let you keep your undos after you save, but really I strongly advise working in revisions when you make major changes (song1.02...song 1.03 etc) that is a habit I got in a long time ago for this kind of reason

plus 'save a copy' is a good one too

But regarding flatten - I never use it on the one track, I always create a new audio track next to the previous track and then when it's frozen drag the clips to the new track holding CTRL and that will make copies that are audio files, then you can just deactivate the frozen clips and hide the frozen track out of the way

Great tip Forge...I had no idea of that trick.

I would still like to see this be a standard feature: an undisturbed VSTi track with a new audio track next to it when you choose 'flatten.' I mean, why would ever really want to get rid of a VSTi instrument with all those midi notes after all that work?

By the way, is there a difference in CPU usage between a frozen and a flattened track? I figure if Ableton is reading a WAV file in both cases, there shouldn't really be a difference, no?

sorry could someone please explain forges advises a little bit i didnt quite get it by reading it

max2f wrote:sorry could someone please explain forges advises a little bit i didnt quite get it by reading it

freeze the track

drag the frozen clips to an audio track and hold CTRL

if you're on a mac it's option i think

then it copies the clip but makes it an audio clip

then you can just deactivate the frozen clips

oh thanks a lot - i tried it out and got it work

max2f wrote::idea:
oh thanks a lot - i tried it out and got it work

Yup, me too. Good tip.

Da hand wrote:By the way, is there a difference in CPU usage between a frozen and a flattened track? I figure if Ableton is reading a WAV file in both cases, there shouldn't really be a difference, no?

Anyone have any insight on this? Thanks in advance.

Doh!!! The only way round that one is if you had your Mac set up with Time Machine - not helpful dude I know but I've lost count how many grown men I've seen cry !!!

forge wrote:sadly no, hopefully one day the'll let you keep your undos after you save, but really I strongly advise working in revisions when you make major changes (song1.02...song 1.03 etc) that is a habit I got in a long time ago for this kind of reason

plus 'save a copy' is a good one too

But regarding flatten - I never use it on the one track, I always create a new audio track next to the previous track and then when it's frozen drag the clips to the new track holding CTRL and that will make copies that are audio files, then you can just deactivate the frozen clips and hide the frozen track out of the way

i do the EXACT same thing.

forge wrote:sadly no, hopefully one day the'll let you keep your undos after you save, but really I strongly advise working in revisions when you make major changes (song1.02...song 1.03 etc) that is a habit I got in a long time ago for this kind of reason

Well said... I learnt the hard way many years ago to always do a "Save As" after every major change.

domkane wrote:

forge wrote:sadly no, hopefully one day the'll let you keep your undos after you save, but really I strongly advise working in revisions when you make major changes (song1.02...song 1.03 etc) that is a habit I got in a long time ago for this kind of reason

Well said... I learnt the hard way many years ago to always do a "Save As" after every major change.

dedication - gud stuff!