Splitting One Project into Separate Songs - Roland VS-2480 Tech Support Help Site

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One tech question...can I easily separate 3 songs that are part of the same project? I notice that the "split" function only works for splitting the tracks to two new projects (of the entire project) and doesn't seem to allow splitting each song to a newly created project. Any help would be appreciated!!!

Answer: I am going to assume that you are using a VGA screen.

I often record "linear".... A "band" gets assigned a partition... Tracking projects are named "Session 1", "Session 2" etc.

You have "Session 1" project open. First thing you do is name the tracks and open the "Scene/Locator and Virtual track window".

---- Click the little black triangle on the upper right corner of the track window... then click the "Locator/Scene" tab.

At the First session I record to "Session 1"...

Song 1 - Take 1 is at 00:00:00 and all tracks on VT-1... This is saved to Locator Bank 1 - 11... I name the location as "TK1-xxx" or "TAKE 1"...

---- To do this, click on the "bank 1 tab" above the "Locator" window... This switches to "bank 1"... the locater name changes to "10 thru 19". Click on locator number "11"... it turns yellow... you just saved locator point 00:00:00 to locator point "11"... If you click on any "YELLOW" locator number", it will take you to that locator point... To "Name" that locator point... Click on "UTILITY" menu... this gives you a dropdown menu... click on the selection "Locator"... This will bring up the "Locator Name dialog box"... you will see locator points 10 thru 19... you can only name locator points that have location stored in it... Click on "11" (location you just stored)... then click on "Name" or press "F1" on the keyboard... Type in a name like "TAKE 1"... duuuuhhh... or something... To later rename... same steps and type over what's there... If take 1 turns out to be the "Keeper take"... the one that's going to be used for overdubs mixing etc., use a special character to mark it as a "keeper"... Like "TAKE 1 *"... in my case, any take with an "*" is a keeper take.

Most of the time the songs are less than 5 minutes. Song 1 - Take 2 starts at 00:05:00 at locator point Bank 1 - 12... Song 1 - Take 3 starts at 00:10:00 at locator point Bank 1 - 13... etc. Rarely the number of takes you keep goes over 4 or 5 takes. If they don't want to save a take... ALWAYS "UNDO" that bad take.

The locator number now represents "Song/Take"... If I want to hear Song 3 - Take 3... its at locator point "33" (song 3 / take 3). At the end of the first session... I rename the project as "Sesn 1 S1-S4"... Which means "Session 1 - Song 1 thru Song 4"... At the next session the song number starts at "5"... and so does the locator numbers. Its a good idea to "Optimize" before going on to tracking a different song.

Next thing I do, after the tracking session and after the "Keeper take" for each song is selected... is to separate the "Keeper take" as a separate project.

---- To do this, I COPY all the tracks to another Virtual Track to facilitate the "Split Project" command... I select the the start of the take as "In", "From" and "To"... Press "Next" to go to the end of the take... then press "Out"... Bring up the "Region Copy" dialog box by clicking on the "Track dropdown menu" then select "Region Copy"... Click on "Select track" and place a "check mark" on the tracks containing audio... start with the lower numbers and go up... after you put the check mark on the last track with audio... select the "destination Virtual Track" shown at upper right corner... Lets say you have tracks 1 thru 10 with audio... You will see "10-1 10-1" on the upper right hand... the second "10-1" is your destination Virtual Track... Its a good idea to always use the same Virtual Track number for "Project split" (mine is VT #8, which would be the number for this example)... Turn the "Jog/Shuttle" dial until the second "10-1" becomes "10-8"... then press the "up arrow" (above the J/S dial) to set the destination on track 9... set it so the second "9-1" becomes "9-8"... repeat until all the track's destination becomes Virtual Track 8... Click "OK"... Click "Yes"... Now you have a copy of the "keeper take" on Virtual Track 8.

Now you are ready to split the project. The "Split Project" command only allows you to select the "Virtual Tracks" to Split... Now that you have the "keeper take" from only one song on "Virtual Track 8" you can select VT-8 of all the tracks and create a new project with just the "Keeper take".

---- Click on "Project"... then "Split"... Put a "check mark" on all VT-8... Click OK.

Now you are in the "new" project with the "keeper take"... First, rename the project with the song name... you don't "see" anything because the audio is somewhere further down the time line on VT-8... change all tracks with audio to "Virtual Track 8" as current... Highlight a track containing audio... press "next"... now you found it... move all tracks to VT-1 and 00:00:00...

---- To do this... At the start of the take, press "In" and "From"... press "next" to take you to the end of the take... press "Out"... Press "Rewind" to go to 00:00:00... press "To"... Click "Track dropdown menu"... Click "Region Move"... Click "Select Track"... Check tracks with audio and set destination Virtual Track to VT-1 for all tracks with audio (as explained previously with the use of Jog / Shuttle dial)... Click OK then YES.

Now change each track to VT-1... You are now at 00:00:00 with all audio on VT-1... AND the proper track names for each track on VT-1 is now displayed (assuming you named the take tracks in the "Session 1" project). Its now ready for the next stage.

To split the next song out of the "Session 1" project... remember to "Erase" anything on VT-8, your "split track", before you copy the next song's "keeper track" to VT-8.

IMPORTANT !

The "Split Project" also exports all "Track Names", "Track Parameters", "Scene/Locator and their names" etc. So... before you "split"... it might be a good idea to do some basic track parameters (EQ, Dynamics, and basic balance that would be a good common starting points for all songs for the next mixing/editing/overdub phase).

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