So my very small test projects inconsistently seem to mix up references to audio files (mp3s or Wavs). I have tried to make it repeatable but failed. Here are some seemingly random symptoms when I open the different test projects.
Audio tracks sometimes show files with no waveform and don’t playback
Audio tracks play back files that have been removed (!) and don’t exist anywhere on my computer (full Windows search)
A folder named “audio” has been automatically created in a folder above the folder where a project exists. It contains the folder “Gig” with copies of some of my test-files and generated .peak-files
No non-English characters in the path. No duplicate file names in any single project. All projects located in the default document folder on my computer (D:\OneDrive\Documents\VSTLive\projects), Win 11.
Let me know if there anything I can do to supply test data!
I don’t understand that sentence, and I guess that is wrong. Projects don’t affect other projects.
But it is important to maintain the relation between a project file (vlprj) and its assets. If you “tear them apart”, the project would not find its assets. Like: you start “Untitled”, record some stuff, it will be recorded to the default folder as set in hub. Then you “Save as” to a different folder, it would loose the connection. From Version 1.1.42 on, it also remembers absolute file locations, such that - as long as those files still exist in those locations - they will be found. Note however that that is calling for trouble; especially for live operation, where you possibly carry around projects from studio to rehearsal to stage, you should want to keep it all together. That’s also what the “Save Archive” function is for, it copies all used assets, and the project file to one folder.
Hope that helps.
So VST Live use the default location set in the hub for file references in all projects? At least pre .42. I would assume that file references would be per project?
And yeah - absolute references would be problematic when moving between devices.
Suggestion:
Make all this clear in the manual - some of us actually read it .
Upgraded to 1.1.42 Issue 1
Now I understand that VST Live copies audio files into the audio\Gig folder if you drag them into an audio track. I.e. the application doesn’t seem to use a file reference to the original at all. This might be ok if documented. But…
Issue 2
Because audio files are copied into a flat file structure, there can’t be duplicate file names. I tested this and it worked with two songs (see issue 3 why it did) but when I added a third, it fell apart and all three songs played the same audio even though I had copied in files with different content (but same name).
Issue 3
The reason why an audio file can be heard even though it “doesn’t exist” became clear when I tested duplicates: there is a copy in local Temp (my Windows search in the report above obviously missed it).
See screenshots.
A similar thing happens when saving to archive:
when having two duplicate file names one is in \Gigs\ and one is a new folder named \Temp\ and the content is different
when having three duplicates both \Gigs\ and \Temp\ contain identical files
Sorry for the long post, but in my intended workflow (lots of Songs consisting of stems like Drums, Bass, Guitars etc) naming and location of files is crucial. Can’t have them showing up all over the place.
Suggestions
Warn users when trying to use files with duplicate names
and perhaps
Save files for each song in a separate folder (reduces risk of duplicates)
Don’t ever use Local Temp. Could mean disaster if someone wants to copy a project to another computer without using Archive.
That is correct, although now it also keeps a reference to the original file should the project copy not be available. We will also add a preference to choose if imported files should be copied to the project folder.
You are correct, this will be fixed with the next version. If a file with the same name but different attributes (size, date) should be copied, it will be given a new filename so to avoid deleting an already exsisting, but different file.
Issue 3 I don’t quite understand. VST Live doesn’t look for specific file names. When importing, it makes a copy to the current project folder and refers to that file, and that’s it. So no idea where this came from.
As said, we will now create a unique file name should a different file with that name exist.
…and makes it more complex. Also you may cut/copy and place elsewhere which would break the scheme.
As said, not the slightest idea how it would refer to that folder unless you explicitly pointed it there (or your project path pointed there). VST Live does not look for specific file or folder locations other than project, and default folder (as set in Hub).
Regarding temp: a (very) uneducated guess is that the development framework stores stuff there without explicitly being told to do so (but all I really know is the I’ve seen files there, as shown in the screen shots).
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