Save As (Folder Storage Question)

I’m trying to understand the basic saving and loading.

Someone may immediately want to answer this by saying “the preferred way is to always use new folders for each project”. But in the modern age when we only have 10-20 minutes each day to go and study something, it really would be tedious to ALWAYS take that approach while learning something.

Often times when I learn a program I don’t wish to separate projects to store recorded takes, samples, associated MIDI, and such. I just want to use a single folder., like a Tutorials Project Folder. I tried this in Cubase 12 Pro, and thought it was going well. But now I looked and most of what I did is in that folder, which I called Basic Learning. The dates of those files go from 7/2 to 7/4. At 7/4 - 7/6 I am seeing a series of Basic Learning-01, Basic Learning-02 etc. I’m thinking this is because sometimes to save Projects I use Save As in addition to adding either a letter or number or date (all this is to avoid erasing by just using SAVE, something I learned never to do when using creative software because if something is corrupt in a project and you SAVE over a good copy it becomes confusing - you have to find the backups and figure out which one has the latest edits…)

Most of the -01, -02 etc. (through -05) folders include both auto Backups and non-auto Backups… (a couple are strictly backups).

Can someone help me figure out how to use SAVE AS but keep Cubase 12 Pro from creating a whole string of project data folders (for me :smiley: )

Not clear from your post when you’re talking about project foldersand when about project files. Those are different things.

The manual should clear up a few things:

I don’t know what your set up is and am assuming that you are using a laptop. Unfortunately unless you learn how to save projects and use folders, things will end up in a sorry mess that you will find difficult to untangle. It is a good idea to create a Cubase Folder where every project is situated.
When you create a new project make sure that you Give the project a name in the Project Assistant and assign the location of the project to the Cubase folder. Now every recording of audio, midi and every edit will now appear in that project folder. no other action will be needed other than remembering to save.
If you drag a sample into the project, you will need to go to Media on the top menu and locate Prepare Archive and click on it and this will create a copy of the sample in your project folder.
If you are not organised all the project files will be spread over you drives and sorting this out will take hours.

I’m referring to project folders. The folders I referred to have (in several cases) additional files - I’m clear on that because I am familiar with Reaper, which is the same in that sense. But Reaper doesn’t create a bunch of folders when I didn’t ask it to. I’m wondering why Cubase is creating a bunch of folders when I’m selecting (my choice) to use the same folder.

They, thanks! I’m using a desktop. I’m not doing any music composing. I’m just doing tests. I really don’t want to have 6 folders to go through in this particular case, although I quite like the idea of using separate folders when I’m creating music that I want to save - in this case I’m just saving track layouts, vst setups and things as experiments, so I wanted my project files to be in the same folder… So I can look quickly at them as tutorials and not have to browse into folders to be able to see the individual projects. I didn’t expect this - it just struck me as unwanted and unusual coming from Reaper.

When it comes time to do composing I’m familiar with creating separate folders. Its the way we do it in Reaper as well. But Reaper doesn’t create separate folders if you tell it not to.

Unfortunately I am laid up with a badly broken ankle and can’t get into my studio to get you a screenshot of my folders. When using the Project Assistant to create new project it is important to specify the location and name for the new project. My computer has 5 drives. One of which is my recording/music drive. In essence a large folder. Each of my projects has it’s own named folder. Inside that folder is a number of folders and files, all of which serves a different function for your project. If memory serves me correctly the folders are as follows:
Audio
Images
Track pictures
Name.cpr
Bak files

The Audio file folder will contain all of the audio files that you have recorded for the project.
Images will contain the visual info
The .cpr file is your project file that is used for loading the project, audio, images, pictures etc.
The bak files are snapshots of where you were at certain points in your project. these are saved automatically and the frequency and number can be determined in preferences. If for instance you have a crash and you haven’t saved for a while the baks can come to your rescue., by double clicking on the last bak to restart the project, or when restarting normally you will be asked if you want to open a new version that creates a new .cpr file.

If you are experimenting with different set ups it is really worth creating a Template. Creating one can be done in the top menu. File > Save Template
It is best to do this when startina new project and you have not recorded and audio or midi.

It is not easy to come from another DAW and get your head around the Cubase filing system. However learning how it works makes life so much easier and allows for straightforward backup strategies.

Can you post a screenshot showing this “string of project data folders” in File Explorer? I use “Save As…” to save to the same folder all the time to create variants and working spaces for a Project and also capture it at various stages of development, like just before comping vocals or prior to rendering Tracks. But these additional Projects never create new Folders. In the pic below you can see I have 7 variant Projects sharing the same Folder. The Sub-Folders at the top were created when the initial Project was and all the later “Save As…” Projects just use those.

Okay here you go.

Maybe the projects are being created because I don’t want to use an existing template? (The purpose of using blank projects and saving them is because a lot of times the “template” i create while learning is not what I want to work with - I want to use a blank project and this seems to be what is generating all the numbered series of folders, right?

I can save multiple different project files in one project folder just fine (I never do though, because I want my projects separated).
You probably have the option “use default location” enabled in the Project Assistant. Then Cubase will always create a project folder for you with the name given in “Project Folder”. If you select “Prompt for project location”, you can select any folder you want, whether you use templates or not.

Yeah exactly what @fese said - including the part about Templates not mattering at all.

If you look in each of those numbered Folders I’d expect you’ll find a corresponding Cubase Project File in it.