Pro Tools - How do you merge sessions

[abt]

I'm trying to merge multiple PT sessions into one session but I can't do it. I'm sure I've done it in the past using the import session data feature with offset. I can get close but the tempo mapping and markers just goes crazy.

 

[brianhood]

I'm not sure what version of pro tools you're using, but here is how I have to do it in PT9.

go through each individual session and delete session markers (make sure you have another save of the session before you delete these so you can import the session markers again later).

Place a session marker at every single tempo change and meter change.

Repeat this for every session, then save each session as "song 1 tempo import, song 2 tempo import, ect"

Go to your "main session" that has whatever song you want first in the session, and make sure there are no session markers.

select the bar that you want to import the 2nd song, and import session data for "song 2 tempo import".

Make sure these things are selected:

• Import session markers
• Offset to (whatever bar you selected to start song 2)
• select "match tracks," then double check to make sure everything is correctly importing to the right track.
• decide what data you want to import (audio files, automation, track colors, ect). Ususally I'm using the "main session" as a template, so I would typically only import audio files and automation
• IMPORTANT: Select "Import-overlay new on existing playists"
• IMPORTANT: do not import tempo. This will overwrite the tempo for the first song

Doing this should import all of the audio starting at the spot you selected. No matter what I do, the session markers always import to the beginning of the session. Just select all of the session markers (the ones that contain all your tempo and meter changes), then cut and paste them at the bar where song 2 starts.

After that, just go through an manually put in tempo and meter changes.

Repeat for songs 3-10 (or however many you have)

Once all of the tempos are done, start importing the original session markers, starting with the last song and working your way to song 1.


This sounds like a lot of work, but it generally only takes me 5-10 minutes per song, and it VASTLY improves my revision time when mixing an album.

Hope that helps!

And if anyone else has a better method, I'm all ears.

 

[abt]

Thanks for taking the time to write this out in such detail Brian, it's appreciated. This is pretty much the approach I've been trying but the whole tempo mapping issue is what's killing me, it's just unusable and if you've got a lot of tempo changes your pretty much screwed.

 

[brianhood]

Thanks for taking the time to write this out in such detail Brian, it's appreciated. This is pretty much the approach I've been trying but the whole tempo mapping issue is what's killing me, it's just unusable and if you've got a lot of tempo changes your pretty much screwed.

yes that is the downfall of this approach. I still find it worth the time to map out tons of tempo changes if there is going to be more than 3 or 4 songs, since I save so much time at other points of mixing.