File storage system plan needed

Cubase
#1

As a player and reel to reel tape user for decades prior to the use of a computer, I have 1000’s of files on hard drives and tape reels that I realize I need to categorize in some manner that will help me to identify the contents or a key that will allow me to bring it into the system to use for any number of purposes. Even if to just hear something or use it as a stepping stone idea or even to add to it further to help complete a musical thought that may lead into the development of anything.

I’ve listened to a performer today who said they just always have “tape” rolling in case something pops up. I plan to adopt this policy when I have any instrument in my hand during a session when ideas are being thrown around.

So now after having a bunch of tracks in folders is there any system in place to use key words in file folders that contain these tracks so that in a yr or more they would yield enough information to accurately bring them up? I am familiar with Cubase file contents but how to I name them to be more informative on the surface?

I see an awful lot of work ahead and a ton of “save as”

Thanks in Advance

#2

I had a similar situation recently to take care of old embryos, as I call them.
Since the 80’s I always had a dictaphone close while practising on instruments, and microcassette until maybe 10 years ago. Then digital dictaphones.

Tapes I transferred to computer just recording, then using Waveknife of some other tool to split into chunks from each occation.
These chunks are transferred to digital dictaphones. They are so handy and you just listen to a chunk and keep or delete, kind of - anywhere like in your car queue or stop light, anywhere.
Then when I feel like doing something with this that is left - I take one embryo and start working on it…

But doing it all on computer look at MediaBay in Cubase - quite a lot of good thinking to let you categorize - just a simpel rating is really good start.
Tagging it in this way - it can be anywhere on disk - you don’t need to rename so much - until it is start of a song or something.

On windows you can even rate things in Explorer to filter things and sort accordingly. But more dependent on moving things around maybe.

I keep it simple for projects in MediaBay - and find what I feel like doing, working on an old song/piece or continue mix one that is more done.
a) arranging get one star, anything started as composing
b) early mixing get two, these might be re-recorded to some extent
c) one level just to tell late mixing get three - no more recordings
c) mastering get four
c) done gets five

But you can use proper categories instead in MediaBay. You just tell it a couple of folder structures to keep track of.

I do similar stuff with photos and timelapse stuff and video, before start music part to it.

But I don’t do clients and start things that has a deadline.
It’s full time, but retired so do it for fun of seing things grow, kind of.

#3

Aside from the star tagging, how might you handle something like version 1 …version 2. Etc?

Currently I seemed to have labeled the title and added v1, v2, v2.3. Etc. Not sure how this might turnout long term.