Hi: I don’t understand how to set the working directory box under settings/path tab. Which is the “current directory” that the first option refers to? I’ve never specified nothing there, the box is in blank, but I want to store all n files (both present and future) in another drive. Should I specify in that box the folder I want to store new sng, wav, npk files in?
Thanks
by default, n stores wavs and sng files in the master directory where the program is installed…
Hi jazito:
In the menu, if you open the Settings>Preferences> then go to Paths… It’s somewhat down the screen… You’ll see “Working Folder”
Then browse to whatever drive you choose to have you files go to… Create a folder, Name the current “Project” Folder… and you then can choose to put all files and temp files and all in there, for that project…
Then, each project you work on, can have a place you navigate to as you work on your songs…
Anyway, that’s a suggestion as to how to maintain your music files…
C:\Users<strong>the name of your computer\Documents\My n-Track Recordings…
That’s the default place that Flavio has decided your music should be stored…
Everyone has their own way of describing this…
Bill…
Good answer, Bill. I keep forgetting that my version of n-track is quite a bit older, so didn’t know that the newer versions store files in different place…
Hi dannyraymilligan:
It seems to me that happened in-and-around Mid Version 5…
?
If you are unable to find where your project working files are…
Always go to preferences > Paths…
and look what’s shown in the “Working Folder” field…
That’s one way to track down where your edited timeline song files might be…
Bill…
Hi Bill: I forgot to mention that sometime ago I’ve created a folder called “n-track files” (under n-track studio master directory in the c drive) in order to store all the previous files there, and transferred it to another drive (d). Later, as n had trouble finding the files, I sent that folder back to the n track studio master directory in c, but I haven
´t typed anything in the working folder field under Paths, and most of the files of the songs I’ve created since have gone there automatically
¿Magic?
Anyway, I’m just sick about dealing with soft and/or hardware issues, it’s so f*!!! time consuming man, I just want to make music, not computing.
Hi Bill: i forgot to mention that sometime ago i’ve created a folder called “n-track files” (under n-track studio master directory in the c drive) in order to store all the previous files there, and transferred it to another drive (d). Later, as n had trouble finding the files, I sent that folder back to the n track studio master directory in c, but I haven
´t typed anything in the working folder field under Paths and most of the files of the songs I’ve created since have gone there automatically
¿Magic?
Quote: (jazito @ Oct. 07 2010, 1:48 AM)
Hi Bill: I forgot to mention that sometime ago I've created a folder called "n-track files" (under n-track studio master directory in the c drive) in order to store all the previous files there, and transferred it to another drive (d). Later, as n had trouble finding the files, I sent that folder back to the n track studio master directory in c, but I haven
´t typed anything in the working folder field under Paths, and most of the files of the songs I've created since have gone there automatically
¿Magic?
Hi jazito:
I am presently working on a High school 50 year reunion project..
I'm only into Day Two with this project and the first editing session using all the hardware that I've installed in this "Studio Under Construction"..
I hear you, Big Time..
as I'm sorting out how to get n-Track to find the n-Track Folder/Files and Temp Files and All that I'm creating..
I usually download-and-install the latest builds as Flavio posts them..
SO, I'm working with b2637..
I am using an external USB Hard Drive to store this project in, as it accumulates the Data..
It's not the fastest throughput, to stream the data but it'll do for this project.. as there may only be one-or-two tracks on the timeline at-the-same-time..
The DVD Video folder is in there..
the Audio Rip folder is in there and that's the folder I have placed in the Settings>Paths Field in the preferences..
As well in the preferences I have a check mark in the Box that will start the last file/track that I have worked with each time n-Track starts/launches..
So now, the file path is correct.. n-Track knows where to find the last file that is/was worked on, in the last session.. As well, I have a check mark in the preferences>paths>Working Folder>RECORD ALL WAVE FILES IN THE WORKING FOLDER..
That means to me, at least that each time I do a "Save AS" I'll rename the file and give it a DATE CODE
e.g. "Name the file_071010"
Well, that works for me..
Whatever works for you..
However again, when I am working on more than one project at a time, I'll go to preferences>paths Working Folder just to check and make sure that the Working Folder has the right/correct path for that project..
Sorry to be so long winded..
That's me..
Everyone, on the Board knows..
Anyway, I have an awful job getting wound up in Technical Issues, when I find myself in the Creative Mode and Tracking..
It really destroys the Creative Mind, when trying to figure out what is going wrong.. an you cant find your newly recorded track..
What works for me may not work for other n-Track users..
I'd really like to hear from other n-Track users how they prepare n-Track PATHS for doing Tracking and Editing Sessions..
Could there be an easier way to make n-Track with less Storage Processing
? to contend with..Bill..
Unfortunately, we have all had to learn, mostly the hard way, that establishing a system for saving what you create is a necessary evil.
You may find a system that works better for you, but this may give you a place to start. The amount of information that can be stored on a computers hard drive is Huge and without a system of some sort it is like a giant garage where you Know you left the tool, but where?
Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful in my quest to organize and believe it, simplify. You will have to try this yourself to really understand how it works:
You only have to do steps 1 and 2 once:
1) In Windows, Create a Working Directory on a second hard drive, something like (drive letter: ) Music Temp Files.
2) In Ntrack In the Settings > Preferences > Paths set your default to “Record all wave files in the working directory.”
(Note: Windows and Ntrack will try to put everything onto the C: drive in a Documents folder - the path is way too long for me!)
These steps you do Every Time!
3) Before you start to record, do a File > Save As and name the song. Make certain that the File > Save As is going to save to the working directory (OR, you can create a new directory with a unique name at this time to hold the recordings)
The advantage is that all of the files that you are creating will have this name when created and be saved where you have asked with the Save As command. (Ntrack creates every wave file with a default name of Song,wav)
4) Do the recording -
5) Save the project with all the files as File > Save or double check with File > Save As. This creates a “control” file of all the changes that have been made since you did the first Save > As
6) Do File > Move/Rename Song
Step 6 is the most important to me: with this command you can move everything that you have done on the song/project to a unique sub directory - this gets everything in one place, in an identifiable location on your computer. Also, if you have files that you have not named for the song that they are, you can do it here.
> So, I did some recording of the song “Goodnight Irene.” I started by doing a File > Save As > Goodnight Irene and recorded 16 tracks all named "Goodnight Irene (track number is added by ntrack).wav
> Then I Saved the song as Goodnight Irene.sng - this is the ntrack “control” file that store the information about what sound files go with this project and what settings you have added with ntrack
> Then I gathered up all 16 tracks and the control file and I move everything to a sub directory I name
Music / Goodnight Irene
Side note: Windows still use a system from DOS to identify what a file’s purpose is. If you set up your Windows Explorer to show the file extension you can see these - they are the three characters that follow the dot at the end of the files name.
files used by Ntrack
(filename) .sng the sng identifies the “control file” that saves all the changes youmake to a songs, what sound files are used, what settings or non-destructive setting did you make. It is created when you do a File > SAve or File > Save As
(Filename).wav (or MP3, WMA, or other) the actual sound file. The sound file is created and stored to the hard drive as you record.
(filename) .npk a small file created by Ntrack to make processing faster. This file is created automatically by ntrack
Hope this helps,
Bax
I WAS the most untidy filer on earth and when I turned to the PC for making music(preceded by 8trk tape and Atari), thought it was time to get real.
I have no formal knowlege or training - I just make it up as I go.
n-T set to default ‘record to working folder’.
My Documents > My n-T Documents > create new folder named ‘title’ of song.
Open n-T > Save As ‘title’ in above. Done.
When I got off that Atari I had and got the first windows based computer … I had no idea of creating folders and why I should, I got this rude awakening…
The computer I had back then spent more time looking for files, it just sat there and froze up and stalled and whatever…
It used to take me hours to find the file that I should have named…
How I ever progressed, is still beyond me…
AND…
I ain’t much better today…
Bill…
LOL, you people don’t want to know how corny I was when I got my first computer back in 98… now, people would freak if they knew I was a tech who builds and repairs desktops and laptops on a daily basis 
.
My first pc was a 486 I bought off my sister for $250 in 98, and it had windows 95 on it. When I tried to run a game disk, it said my system didn’t have enough memory, so I tried to fix that by deleting most of my start menu… 
Yeah, I was completely retarded about computers, in those days, hard to believe that I ever got over that…
Yup.
The computer mouse is 30 yrs old this month.