Disappearing .aup files!

[zenithpoint]

Hello, I've had the same problem as poseidun, so I tried moving the aup files to an other folder than the audacity_temp folder, but that doesn't work, it seems they need to be where the data folders are.
So I must have misunderstood what was said above?

My problem is, 2 times now the aup files of 2 lp's I recorded disappeared, after positively saving them and knowing they, the aup files, were there...
A bit frustrating...


Any help appreciated, my project is to digitize a few hundred lp's, and I'm only at the letter B

[kozikowski]

I personally would not be using Projects (AUP files) at all. There is no reason at all why capturing a vinyl record should need a Project. Next time you get to the end of an album, Export As WAV.

Elvis-In-Hawaii_Side_A.wav.

You can change Windows so it shows you file extensions and the filename will look just like that.

If your goal is to make a Music CD, you will be breaking up the show into multiple song files anyway, so Side A and Side B can be different WAV files.

I managed to make it through years of serious sound production without ever saving a Project and you can, too.

Koz

[steve]

I personally would not be using Projects (AUP files) at all. There is no reason at all why capturing a vinyl record should need a Project.

Just to clarify; Audacity works only with projects, it does not operate directly on audio files. Audio is either recorded, Imported or Opened into a project. To get an audio file out of a project you Export the audio as an audio file. There are technical reasons why Audacity works in projects and not directly on audio files. This way of working is very common with advanced audio programs, though some programs call them "Sessions" (or something else) rather than "Projects". What Koz is saying is that often it is not actually necessary to Save the project at all. If you record/import something, do what you want to do with it, then Export the finished audio file, you may not need to Save the project.

Saving Projects can be useful if you are working with more complex projects with multiple tracks as the Project as the project keeps all of the individual tracks, envelope points, pan and volume levels, and various other things that are not available in the Exported audio. In such cases, Saving the project makes it easier to go back to the project at a later time to continue working on it.

When you Save a Project, Audacity opens a window where you can browse to the location where you want to Save the Project to. It is important that you Save to a location that you have full access to, such as in "My Documents", or a folder inside "My Documents".

[Ladibuug2000]

I am having a very similar problem, and wonder if a solution has been found. Like the second person having this problem I am not saving to the same place, but my exported MP3 does not show in my documents folder. I have unhidden all the files but it is still does not show. I know it is actually there, because it shows in other dialogue boxes. (like when I go to open it from Audacity.) I am converting files into MP3 to post as a podcast, when I go to my Website to upload the MP3 it shows in the correct file in the site's dialogue box and I am able to put it on the web. But when I go into the same folder through my documents it is absent! Any advise?

[steve]

How exactly (step-by-step) are you exporting the MP3?
What name are you giving it, and where are you exporting it to?

[Ladibuug2000]

Here is my process -
-Insert CD - name the file using iTunes "Get Info" (usually the date with no symbols like 042510)
-Import into iTunes (it saves file to my iTunes Folder)
-Open Audacity
-open file from iTunes Folder - make changes to file
-Save project (I was saving it to the iTunes folder - but realized that might be my issue - so today I saved it to my desktop with no change in my results) - when looking at this folder in "my Documents" it has both the imported MP3 from iTunes and the .Aup file.
-from the file menu I select Export to MP3 (I have it set up to save the exported mp3 to a network folder accessible to other people in my office)-- this is the folder that when I go looking for it - it isn't there. I guess I should have started a new thread called Disappearing .mp3 files!

I then log on to my web CM system to upload the mp3, when I go to the network folder, it is there and so I am able to upload it to the site. Technically this problem doesn't pose any major obstacle to what I am trying to accomplish because the file really is there, and thankfully it shows in the dialogue box with I go to upload the file - it is just disconcerting that I won't be able to see the mp3s that I have completed or view any file information for them from "My Documents". Thank you for your help! I am using Windows XP and iE8. I took over this job of pod casting from someone else on staff here and he didn't have any problem like this. - he set me up on audacity (setting all the exporting and importing parameters) and told me how to do it. All the MP3s that he exported to the network folder show, just the ones I have done are "missing". I talked to him about this before coming online and he was very puzzled. Thanks again for any help you can offer.

[steve]

A couple of tips to help avoid confusion:

On the forum we use the term "Save" for saving Audacity Projects, and the term "Export" for exporting audio files (you've probably realised by now that an Audacity Project is not an audio file. The .AUP file is part of the Audacity Project and the _data folder is another part - if you have any confusion about this, see here: http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/File_Management_Tips

Second tip, create a local folder (on your C: drive) and use that to save projects and export audio files. You can then copy or move them across the network if you wish, but at least you know that they really are where they are supposed to be when you have exported/saved. Network synchronised "My Documents" folders have a habit of doing this sort of thing - sometimes you need to refresh the Desktop or re-sync the computer files for them to show up correctly.

[Ladibuug2000]

Thank you! - I am now saving the files (project, and exported MP3) in a file I created, just one level in on my C drive and all the files show! Thanks for your help - I didn't realize the "My Documents" folder was so temperamental!