[This article was first published in the November, 2007, issue of
Larry's Final Cut Pro Newsletter. Click here to subscribe.]

Tomas Lovén, from Sweden, write:

We recorded 3h 30 min audio into Soundtrack Pro, version 2.01. The file was about 3.6 Gb before it disappeared. My Mac Book Pro has 2 GB RAM.

Before I started the recording I saved the project using Version 1. When I tried to save the file after after the recording, the computer crashed after about saving 50% of the file. I tried various ways to save this, but, at the end, I only had an empty file.

Is there any chance to bring back that file. What should I have done instead?

Larry replies: Tomas, I'm very sorry about the crash. Here are a couple of ideas. First, create the initial project file using Version 2, rather than Version 1 of STP. There are major differences between the two versions.

Second, be sure you have the latest version of Soundtrack Pro (2.0.2 as of this writing). The initial release was not particularly stable.

Third, and perhaps best, when ever Soundtrack Pro records a file it automatically saves it to disk during the recording process. Perhaps all you lost was the project file, not the actual audio itself.

There are two types of work files: scratch/record files and edited media. To see where these are stored, go to the Soundtrack Pro > Preferences > General tab. In the bottom of the dialog, are the path names indicating where these files are stored.

Open every file there, as they often have quite cryptic file names, and see what's there. With luck, you'll find the file you lost.

Larry Jordan is a post-production consultant and an Apple-Certified Trainer in Digital Media with over 25 years experience as producer, director and editor with network, local and corporate credits. Based in Los Angeles, he's a member of both the Directors Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.

The information in this article is believed to be accurate at the time of publication. However, the author assumes no liability in case things go wrong. Please use your best judgment in applying these suggestions.

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