Logic Pro Newb Template Question!

[Mapleleaf14]

Hey everyone! Totally new here and have what is probably a really newb question...

I've been using LPX for a few years now, but I think I've been doing something incorrectly for awhile!

I had a project file that I used as a "template" that wasn't truly a template...it was a basic project that I had done that had 4 guitar tracks, a bass track, a drum track, a percussion track, and a couple synth tracks. The 4 guitar tracks were real guitar that I played, the rest were virtual instruments (EZDrummer, etc.)

I took that project file, erased all the recorded parts of the tracks and then saved it as "START", and then whenever I wanted to record a new song, I'd open that project and go from there and when I finished the project, I would use the "Save As" function and name it whatever the song title ended up being thus creating a new file and leaving the "START" project as it was for the next time.

Well after a year or so of doing that, I realized that the "START" project was about 100GB in size! So obviously it was growing in size over time even though I thought I was just using it as a template. I think maybe what was happening with the way I was originally doing it was even though I was saving the finished project with the “Save As” command with a new name, my “START template” was being autosaved periodically by LPX so it was continuously growing in size over time.

I’m sure I’m not explaining it right, but if I create a template the “correct” way - i.e. using the “Save As Template” function - will that template always stay the same file size?

So rather than starting with a new, blank project every time I was wondering that if I use a proper LPX template if that would still happen? I guess by opening the template and then immediately saving the “new project” with the Save As function and giving it a new name, any auto-saving would be done to the project at that point and not the template…that at least makes sense in my head! 😀

I guess I'm just not that up to snuff on how the template thing works in LPX and would appreciate any advice on how to do this the right way!

Thanks in advance,

Eric

 

[fuzzfilth]

I assume that you save everything as a single Project File instead of a Project Folder. Why that isn't the best of ideas shall be the topic of another thread as it isn't the cause of what you're seeing. What happens is this:

You open START. You record audio. But where does that file get recorded ? It gets written as a separate audio file inside the START Project (or START Project Folder). You close the START Project or Save As.... But still, since they're separate files, the freshly recorded audio files remain inside the START Project (or Folder). This is why this Project grows and grows.

What to do:

Open START. Open the Project Audio window. Select all Audio Regions and Audio Files in there and hit the Delete Key. This will remove them from this window (not from disk nor from the actual Project). Now Save As... START2. Now you can delete START in the Finder, as all included audio files have been saved to separate Projects long ago. If your OCD threatens to kill you, rename START2 to START in the Finder.

From then on:

Open START2. Save As... TODAY'S NO1 HIT - ATTEMPT 543.

This will leave START2 alone and record all upcoming audio files into TODAY'S NO1 HIT - ATTEMPT 543.

 

[Mapleleaf14]

Ok thanks for your help!

I've already deleted my original "template" - the START one (which was just an old project to begin with).

I've since created a new real LPX Template and saved it. Now when I open the template, the first thing I do is Save As "New Song - 9-22-2021" (with the current date), then do my recording and what not. When totally finished I bounce it down to an AIFF on my HDD and I Save the finished project. Then I will go into Finder and rename the song with the actual song name.

Sounds like I've got the gist of it now, and I appreciate your help!

Also sounds like now I have to look into Project File and Project Folder!! I've been using LPX for a few years now, but I'm still pretty green when it comes to using it (guitar player first and foremost!). Heck, I just now learned that I should be recording to an external SSD and could relocate the sound library!!

My 12-year old iMac died this past weekend and I went out and got an M1 Mac Mini and a 2tb SSD drive to be my "Record To" drive, a second 2tb SSD for Sound Library stuff, and a 6tb HDD for storage. So now I've decided to "get serious" and try to learn more about it all.

Actually another question if I may...should I move the finished project off of the "Record To" SSD over to the bigger 6tb HDD and keep the SSD as "clean" as possible? (of course understanding that if I ever open that project again and make changes it'll be recording to that file on the HDD at that point)

Thanks again - and apologies if this is all total newbie stuff!! LOL

 

[fuzzfilth]

You can move finished projects off a drive to kepp better overviews over current, unfinished projects, or you can leave them all in once place until you get near 1/5 or 1/4 of free space ion the drive, which is when you should make room.

Much more important is to have a backup drive and strategy in place, because it's not a matter if but when a drive fails. For this, Mac OS has Time Machine built in, which I highly recommend for ease of use and data safety.