Max file size DP-24

[Jim Thomas]

I sometimes make numerous solo tracks, trying to get it just right. I keep recording over , say track 5, until I'm happy with it...... Trouble is , the machine seems to save the old ones, and the next rhing you know, I've reached "max file size". I may only have a total of 6 or so tracks in use on the song, but am maxed out . I tried "cleaning out" the track using track edit.. Then in looking at the sd card on the computer, the overall file sze for that song hasn't decreased.
The current song I'm doing has 548mb tied up. There are like 35 ZZ***** files on the card, even though only 6 tracks are current.
Any advice would be appreciated. thanks Jim

 

[Phil Tipping]

Hi Jim, welcome to the forum. The 'Delete Unused' function in the Song menu will clear out redundant zz files (for the selected song).
Note this also deletes the undo history so make sure you don't want to go back in time.
You will not necessarily end up with one zz file per track though. The system keeps track of all these so there's no need to worry... but is why you must always use Export to collate them if you want to transfer them to a computer for further processing.

 

[Jim Thomas]

Thank You ! This cut down from 548meg to 318.This will make life easier !

 

[Jim Thomas]

Phil, Is it possible in my efforts to cut down this file size that I made another error? It seems the other files on the SD card have lost some of their tracks. I tried to cut the file down by using the clean out option of the track edit. Is it possible that all the files on the SD were cleaned out on those tracks by this action?

 

[Phil Tipping]

As far as I know, the 'delete unused' function only works on the specified song. I'm a bit confused with your terminology though, so we may be talking at cross-purposes. There is no 'file' as such which represents the song. A 'song' comprises multiple files, where the audio data for each track occupies one or more 'zz' files inside the current song folder under the 'umbrella' MUSIC folder. When you look at the Information screen, you see the total amount of space used by all those files.
Your original post mentioned 'max file size', but I wasn't sure what you meant. There is a limit on each file (i.e. track); this is typically 4GB for a large sd-card (2GB for small cards), but 4GB equates to a continuous recording of approx 7 hours for a mono track at the highest quality setting. If you stop & start recording, even if it's on the same track, the machine creates a new zz file; it does not increase the size of an existing file. The old zz files are used for the undo process, but only up to 9 previous states, so some zz files will eventually become unusable by the machine (although there's nothing to stop you piecing together these old fragments as you wish using a computer). The 'delete unused' function gets rid of all zz files which are no longer used by the current state of the song.
By the way, I hope you are regularly backing up your song data to a computer - sh*t happens sometimes

 

[Jim Thomas]

Again, thanks for taking time with me !
I mostly just do mutlitracking on the machine. I play numerous instruments, and can sing the standard harmony parts. If I would lose a file, I could just start over without tremendous loss.
This song now takes up 319mb
32.3mb for each of my mixed down versions- 64.6 mb total
15 .wav tracks @ 16 mb ea = 240 mb
+ a song.sys and editiable.sys for another 12 or so mb.

The file was 548mb the other day, and the machine said max file size, and would not record anymore.

It is really great to have this forum for help ! I have been "on my own" with the machine for a couple years now. Thanks again ! At least now I know how to downsize these files when they get big.

 

[Phil Tipping]

What size is the sd-card? What is the firmware version?

 

[Mark Richards]

...I tried to cut the file down by using the clean out option of the track edit. Is it possible that all the files on the SD were cleaned out on those tracks by this action?

To recap and expand a bit on Phil's posts:
Each track of a song is really a proprietary zz file (and related zz file snippets depending on how many re-record, punch, and edit operations you have for that track). These zz files live in the "Songname" folder on the SD card.

For the current song that's loaded, the Edit/Clean Out function will return the current track for which the green Select Button is lit to a blank, unrecorded state. The "cleaned out" zz files for the track are not erased from the SD card, however, until The Song/Delete Unused operation is initiated.

So, if you're not attentive to which Track Select Button is lit, it's possible to clean out the wrong track. When that happens, and if discovered in time, the Un-Do button can save the day as long as the Un-Do History still has the prior state of the song listed, and as long as Song/Delete Unused hasn't been initiated.

 

[-mjk-]

@Jim Thomas track "Clean Out" means to erase the track completely. If you've been doing that, then you've been erasing tracks.

Please go through the user manual completely and watch all of Phil Tipping's videos.

Why is file size a concern?

 

[Jim Thomas]

I am using a 16GB SD card. I just reviewed the file sizes on it. The total of songs saved is 7.8 GB on that SD. That is about 18 songs.
MJK - my problem stated at the top of this post is that if I make a song file that exceeds 5.5mb, the machine tells me I have reached max file size and quits recording. The material is not that busy, so I'm amazed it is reaching the max size limit. By using the delete unused, per Phil's suggestion , it is now down to 318mb.

 

[Jim Thomas]

I have been unaware that Phil's videos existed ! I just watched my 1st. This is great! I've been trying to glean fine operations tricks from the manual with limited success. thanks guys ! I'll be spending some time with these videos 1

 

[David Porter]

Follow and understand that block diagram and you will become a master.

 

[-mjk-]

@Jim Thomas said: my problem stated at the top of this post is that if I make a song file that exceeds 5.5mb, the machine tells me I have reached max file size and quits recording

I am not aware of any such error message. Can you elaborate on the exact error message? Please note that there is no "song file". A "song" is a project directory that contains all audio relevant to that project.