I recently purchased a PreSonus Studio Live 24.4.2 which allows me to record via FireWire 24 individual tracks of a live performance for later mix down.  I recorded our show last weekend, recording each set as a single recording, using the "Capture" program that simply collects the data coming in over the FireWire into individual tracks per channel.  So I've got 3 sets of songs, 11 tracks each (each track an individual wave file at 44.1x24).  I've loaded the first set into Sonar (X1 at the moment - still setting up my new X2 system).  So what I'm trying to determine is what the best way to split all the tracks into individual songs.
 
I have created a template file with the 11 tracks, busses for vocal mix, instrument mix and drum mix, with appropriate names and assignments so that I can easily set up the individual songs.  I want some advice on the most effective way to chop these set tracks up into individual songs so I can mix each song individually?  Obviously when cutting songs out of the middle I need to make sure I can get the tracks alligned in the new song file.  I guess as with most things computer there are proabaly several ways to attack the problem.  I have a couple ideas, but I'm wondering if someone with experience at doing something like this might have suggestions.
 
One thought I have is to go to the end of the tracks and work backwards, splitting all the tracks just before the last song, and then saving all the tail tracks (containing the tracks for the last song) into a separate audio folder for that song.  Then delete those tails, back up to just before the second-to-last song (which is now the new "last song") and splitting and saving those in another audio file (and so on for all songs in the tracks).
 
Perhaps it would be simpler to make several (as many as there are songs in the tracks) copies of the original tracks (such as maybe making a bundle file and duplicating it several times), and then for each song just open up one of the bundles and chop off the ends after the song ends, and then chop off the heads before the song starts, and then save the result (I would need to slide the tracks over to start at at time zero).
 
I suppose I could just use a single project, and bracket a given song with loop points and work on each song that way, and only produce individual songs when I do the mixdown.
 
Or maybe there is something more straightforward.  I'd appreciate any insights, perspectives or suggestions.  I also have Sound Forge, so if that would be a more appropriate tool for this task, perhaps you can enlighten me in that regard. 
 
Thanks,
--
Greg
 

I just leave them in one big project when I track our shows. Once I get a mix dialed in the FX are usually usable for all songs in the set. To fine tune each song in the set I use envelopes for levels or FX send levels. Isn't capture cool? Dead simple and reliable!

It is simple enough to export per-song MP3s by highlighting the range.

I'm with eric - why not leave everything in the one project?
 
Your processing per track shouldn't have to vary that much from song to song - and you'll drive yourself crazy trying to duplicate compressor & EQ settings between different songs, not to mention any send Fx & settings, bussing/routing structure, automation etc.

here is another suggestion.
get a GOOD mix on your first set ( all songs) and then create a project template from that " base mix". then, for the first set, start using "save as" to create a new project for each song, deleting the excess audio for each song. for the other sets, just repeat the process by importing the other sets into the template mix that you created.
what you want to avoid is mixing them all from scratch.

I only recommend this if you MUST separate all the songs. using automation to adjust parameters from song to song ( and during songs) may sufficient since these are live cuts.

Thanks guys, for your suggestions.  Perhaps leaving the sets together is a viable option.  For most tracks the processing might be the same (instruments/drums and a couple vocal mics are reasonably consistent).  The other three vocal mics are kind of a free for all among the three singers - for any given song, they may grab different mics depending on who is the primary vocalist and who is picking up harmonies.  So for those three mics the processing and eq might be rather different from song to song.  Perhaps I could cut clips from those three tracks and shuffle them so that the same singer is always in the same track regardless of the mic they grabbed for a given song (all 3 mics are SM58, but may have had different input pad settings dialed in - that is the only setting on the board that affects the recorded audio).
 
Regarding BlixYZ's suggestion... That is kind of one approach I was considering for making individual songs from each set.  I guess my question is how much data that would entail.  For the first set (as an example) I have 11 tracks that are about 500MB apiece (so roughly 5.5 GB for the set).  If I "Save As..." to a new project for each of the (say) 10 songs for each set, and then cut the audio not related to that song, is the edit "destructive" (such that the size of the data for each track is reduced), or "non-destructive" (such that the data still exists, but is hidden except for the "active" portion of the tracks)?  If it is non-destructive that approach would result in 5.5 GB per song, instead of an average of 550 MB per song.  On the other hand (if the editing is non-destructive), perhaps the SW is smart enough to use the existing data for all of the 10 individual songs, hiding all but the desired passages, but retaining only one copy of each track on the disk?
 
Thanks,
--
Greg
 

gyoungdahl
The other three vocal mics are kind of a free for all among the three singers - for any given song, they may grab different mics depending on who is the primary vocalist and who is picking up harmonies.  So for those three mics the processing and eq might be rather different from song to song.  Perhaps I could cut clips from those three tracks and shuffle them so that the same singer is always in the same track regardless of the mic they grabbed for a given song (all 3 mics are SM58, but may have had different input pad settings dialed in - that is the only setting on the board that affects the recorded audio).
 

 
I hadn't thought of that, we don't tend to jump around much from mic to mic, sometimes one vocal mic is used for harmonica and vocals, but I usually just leave it with the same EQ and perhaps make it a tad wetter with the verb for harmonica using automation. Your situation is more complex, your cut/paste track shuffle solution is a good one. 

I did a video trying to show how I do it....
 
See my signature.

Wow gswitz - awesome video, looks like lots of info that will apply directly to my question.  Good to see someone working to accomplish what I need to do.  I've watched it once, but I'll be studying it further as I work with my tracks.  Thanks for making it and posting the link to this thread!
 
--
Greg

Don't look too close. Lots of things in there I goofed up.
 
If you want to work entirely in one project (which I commonly do) I find it handy to add nodes to selection before and after each tune in the mix to isolate volume and panning envelopes between songs.
 
To do this...

1. ctrl+a to select all tracks
2. On one of the tracks, ctrl + click the envelope selector in the track header in track view and wend your way to select VOLUME. This should highlight the green volume automation envelopes on every track.
3. Select a small range in the time bar at the top of the Track View (this will select a matching range on every track).
4. to add nodes
   1. right click one of the highlighted sections of one of the green volume automation envelopes on one of the tracks
   2. hold ctrl key and then click Add Nodes at Selection

 
Repeat for pan envelopes (and any other envelopes you want to isolate). When I mix in one project, I often do this for Volume and Pan envelopes, but don't commonly do it for other things. If you do it at either end of each song, you can ctrl click to move volume envelopes on each track up and down in each song without impacting its neighbors.
 
This video shows this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJiqjyJnAvg
 
 
An alternative is to set all envelopes to over-write and just move the faders during the song. I personally prefer flatter volume envelope segments than I get when I do this. I like the super smooth fader transitions you get from perfect slopes and straight lines. If you just turn on Write Automation in Over-Write mode, you can modify everything as you listen and you will not need to set breaks between songs because they will naturally be created by the writing of new automation.