HELP ASAP PLEASE

Help for Audacity on Windows.
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Please state which version of Windows you are using,
and the exact three-section version number of Audacity from "Help menu > About Audacity".

Audacity 1.2.x and 1.3.x are obsolete and no longer supported. If you still have those versions, please upgrade at https://www.audacityteam.org/download/.
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:12 pm

Hi,
I am an up and coming artist in London. I just spent 3 hours recording a song for a forthcoming ep and I received the dreaded: ''Error: reference to invalid character number at line 6'' when I went to reopen it... I had not exported the project yet so I feel like tearing my hair out. Is there anything anyone could do, any help would be soooooo appreciated!
Thanks
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Gale Andrews
Quality Assurance
Posts: 41761
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by Gale Andrews » Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:34 pm

jban$ wrote: I am an up and coming artist in London. I just spent 3 hours recording a song for a forthcoming ep and I received the dreaded: ''Error: reference to invalid character number at line 6'' when I went to reopen it... I had not exported the project yet so I feel like tearing my hair out. Is there anything anyone could do, any help would be soooooo appreciated!
Presumably you did more than record a song such as add metadata to it, or imported another song file?

Please attach the AUP file. Please see how to attach files to forum posts.


Gale
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DVDdoug
Forum Crew
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Joined: Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:30 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by DVDdoug » Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:23 pm

I just spent 3 hours recording a song
Just for future reference -

I recommend that you export a "back-up" WAV file immediately after recording. Then, save your AUP project (if you want to make an AUP project). WAV files are simpler and more foolproof than AUP projects so there's less chance of something "going wrong" with a WAV. (But, most changes to a WAV file can't be reversed.)

And if you are doing a long project, make intermediate WAV backups as you progress with editing/processing/mixing, etc.
From there, you might want to have a more extensive back-up plan (saving your WAVs & AUPs over a network or on an external drive, etc.)


...Computers are the least reliable things we own and their flexibility makes it easy for us to mess something up. So if you are working on an important project or something where there's no chance of "take two", it's wise to have a good back-up plan. In fact, if you are recording something important where there's no possibility of another take, I recommend a 2nd system recording in parallel.
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:08 pm

Thanks, I have linked the .aup file
Attachments
JBan$ - Quay Up.aup
(34.75 KiB) Downloaded 56 times
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:11 pm

And also, it was lots of different layers of vocals on top of an instrumental. Not sure whether the instrumental is the problem
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Gale Andrews
Quality Assurance
Posts: 41761
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by Gale Andrews » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:43 pm

As I suggested, you chose to add metadata to the project. Some of that metadata contains symbols that Audacity does not support. I removed the tags that contained such symbols. Try the attached.


Gale
Attachments
JBan$ - Quay Up.aup
(32.86 KiB) Downloaded 62 times
________________________________________FOR INSTANT HELP: (Click on Link below)
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:48 pm

Ah okay I see, thanks. Unfortunately it still won't open though
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Gale Andrews
Quality Assurance
Posts: 41761
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:02 am
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by Gale Andrews » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:55 pm

So what does the error say now, exactly? I get "can't open _data folder" which suggests to me it will open with a valid _data folder.

Gale
________________________________________FOR INSTANT HELP: (Click on Link below)
* * * * * Tips * * * * * Tutorials * * * * * Quick Start Guide * * * * * Audacity Manual
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 3:58 pm

I am getting 2 messages. Yeah the first says ''can't open data folder'' and the second says ''Could not load file:...''
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jban$
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 1:05 pm
Operating System: Windows 10

Re: HELP ASAP PLEASE

Post by jban$ » Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:20 pm

Guessing there is nothing I can do, what is the metadata that isnt compatible with audacity?
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