Pro Tools users - How to import several tempo tracks into one session?

[Trevoire520]

Hey all, I'm currently setting up a pro tools session for some recording that I'm doing tomorrow. The band have sent me MIDI files with the tempo/meter data in them so I can have the clicks sorted out for them coming in.

I've imported the midi track for the first song through file>import>midi and checked the boxes for all the tempo data to be brought in. The problem is that now when i go through the same process to import the second song's click (I tell it to import at selection or using spot mode) i lose all my original tempo data from the first song!

If someone could point me in the right direction here I would hugely appreciate it.

 

[rcg]

click at tempo icon and set location and bpm. thats all.

 

[James Murphy]

one song per session. pro tools has "import session data" (Shift+Option+I on a mac)... so it's quite easy to copy settings from one session to another... it's not a good work flow to put every song in one session.

 

[AudioPhile777]

^ This

 

[brianhood]

one song per session. pro tools has "import session data" (Shift+Option+I on a mac)... so it's quite easy to copy settings from one session to another... it's not a good work flow to put every song in one session.

I'm not sure if HD is different than LE on this, but on LE, you can't import tempos from multiple sessions into one session. Once you import the tempo from another session(and offset the time so the sessions dont overlap), it deletes the tempos from the original session.

Me and Joshua Wickman have both been looking for a solution for this....

 

[Metaltastic]

Wait, don't you get a dialog box when importing session data where you can choose what specifically to import? Is there no way to have it omit the tempo/time sig data?

 

[RyanUsesThis]

I've done it. It's a pain in the ass... but I'll put together some screen shots, and some step by step directions for you all.

For all of you that say you shouldn't work with multiple projects in a single session... I agree. But it's pretty handy when you're doing your own mastering to have the full projects at your fingertips to adjust.

 

[RyanUsesThis]

If you have multiple projects you would like to converge into a single project you can try this technique.

First, to make your life easier make sure tracks are named the same throughout your projects. ie: If the kick drum in one project is named "KICK" then it should be KICK in every project.

1. Open one of the projects, and select everything you wish to bring forward. Tracks, Markers, Tempo, etc..

hit Ctrl+x to cut the info into your clipboard. ( or the mac equivalent )

Go to File>Import>Session Data

a. Choose to Copy, or Link to the media you want to import.
b. Choose to import tempos, Key Signatures, and Markers if you like.
c. If your track names match you can choose the Match Tracks option.


The tracks will come in, and the tempo/markers will import.

Select the area directly after the imported info... make sure you highlight all effected the tracks, markers, and tempos area.

hit ctrl+v to paste your previous session info into place.

The tricky part comes when you have tracks that don't match between projects. Take your time, and make sure you're only selecting the tracks necessary when you paste.

Also, pay close attention to whether your tracks are set to samples, or bars/beats... I learned that the hard way.

This was pretty hastily made, so if you have any questions let me know.

 

[kaomao]

why doing this kind of messy way when you can import data from session to another?
Seriously: you work on a song you like the mix, then you save this as a template (without saving the audio tracks with the template).
Later you import on the other projects this template. You'll be asked which tracks to imported, you select the tracks you want, once they're imported they will be empty, then you just drag the region from the old track to the new track. You're done.

 

[RyanUsesThis]

the whole purpose of the ass backwards way I described is to maintain the tempo map... otherwise you can just import session data, and offset by how ever much you need to in the sequence.

If you just import session data into a project with a complex tempo map you'll notice that the tempo from the session you're importing from overwrites the existing... which is a pain in the ass.

 

[James Murphy]

^ not if you just have one track per session... i don't understand you guys at all. i know you believe you are somehow making your lives easier doing this, but you're not, i'm very sure of that.

and regarding the mastering comment, just print your mixes... then import them into a new session for mastering. get used to this now, that's my advice... because becoming too stuck on doing your own mastering will eventually bite any of you who are harboring thoughts of a career right on the ass. trust me on this one. don't rationalize why your way is ok, just try to learn something from someone that has gone before you for once. seriously, trust me on this one... those of you that are career-minded will need to be able to mix well without mastering it yourself. that's not opinion, it's just the way it is: the earth circles the sun, dogs lick their own balls, shit stinks, and you will need to be able to mix well without a "mastering" chain.

i'm well aware there are many hobbyists here with no designs on a career... to you guys, carry on.

 

[scorpio01169]

^ x 10000000000000

 

[greyskull]

^ not if you just have one track per session... i don't understand you guys at all. i know you believe you are somehow making your lives easier doing this, but you're not, i'm very sure of that.

and regarding the mastering comment, just print your mixes... then import them into a new session for mastering. get used to this now, that's my advice... because becoming too stuck on doing your own mastering will eventually bite any of you who are harboring thoughts of a career right on the ass. trust me on this one. don't rationalize why your way is ok, just try to learn something from someone that has gone before you for once. seriously, trust me on this one... those of you that are career-minded will need to be able to mix well without mastering it yourself. that's not opinion, it's just the way it is: the earth circles the sun, dogs lick their own balls, shit stinks, and you will need to be able to mix well without a "mastering" chain.

i'm well aware there are many hobbyists here with no designs on a career... to you guys, carry on.

yessiree.
thats the only reason logic is installed on the studio Mac.
So i can use waveburner