peter How would you create a lyrics only song without a text or pdf file? How would you create a multitrack song?
OK heres my ideal ST3 structure hopefully i can write it down clearly to explain.
There is only one song of the same name ever possible to exist in ST3 so you can have Love me tender, Love me tender 2 etc.
When you attempt to load or import a pdf or text or audio file this is what happens, if there is no same song title present in st3 database it automatically creates that song file, a song file is just a new song that can be three different things, a text/pdf file , a stereo file or a multitrack file , the software automatically distinguishes these files and places them in to the appropriate folder in ST3 , so you dont have to do anything you simply select a text/pdf file called Love me tender, and it either creates a new song file with that name, if it already exists it automatically places those lyrics in to the appropriate folder either the TEXT OR PDF FOLDER for that song , if this textPDF already exists it asks to either overwrite or merge the data, if it merges the new data the text/ pdf data gets merged on to the end of the existing data in that file.
All the different file types with the same name can exist in the main song folder in their own folder type,
So you have the main ST3 folder, stereo audio folder , multitrack folder with individual song audio data within each song folder, in other words if you load a folder with multiple audio files within it it automatically is loaded as a multitrack song type and placed or create a new song with multitrack capability if the song did not exist, basically the same principle as text/pdf .
This applies to stereo tracks, any audio file that can be played by ST3 gets loaded or imported to ST3 in to its same name song in st3 if it does not exist it automatically gets created and placed in to the ST3 main folder and in to the STEREO FILE FOLDER. IF A SONG FILE ALREADY EXISTS IT ASKS YOU TO EITHER OVERWRITE OR ADD THE NEW FILE AND LABELS IT WITH A NUMBER OF THE SAME VERSION AT THE END , NOW YOU HAVE CHOICES TO SELECT THE ACTIVE ONE YOU CHOOSE IN SONG INFORMATION, in SONG INFORMATION you get all the options of the different versions and can make the selection is to which version you want active.
When you hit the + button it means two things, you either want to load 4 types of files or create a new blank song , the four types of files are
Stereo audio file, typical mp3, wav etc
Multitrack file, this has to be a folder file that contains an audio file within it, same logic applies when you choose to load a folder with multiple audio files if there is no same song already created it automatically creates a song , if there is already a multitrack folder of the song then it asks to overwrite or merge the data, if the data within this folder is the same name then it places a number at the end of the file name and merges it to that multitrack song folder.
There is a master multitrack folder within ST3 that only accepts folder files and cant be deleted or manipulated , the folders within that master multi track folder represent a multitrack song with all it audio files within it, as this folder type gets created it automatically loads the first six audio tracks in to the player ready to immediately play, so if you place your files in to this folder correctly in the order you want them there is absolutely no time wasting of loading multitracks , simply create a folder, place your audio files within that folder in order you preffer and import this folder to ST3 this then automatically uses the song name which is the folders name and places it in to either as a new song if no same song exists or it gives you the option to merge in to an existing multitrack song if the names of folder are identical .
You get the picture, all the logic is the same for all the file types.
The create new song option in the + button is just a means of creating a song name that creates a blank canvas for you to paint in, it will allow you to work the other way, you can create a blank song which then allows you to import any of the four basic file types, once you create a new song you can go to it as normal if there is nothing loaded the stop/start button is greyed out meaning its empty,
If you then go to SONG INFORMATION THIS IS WHERE YOU LOAD THINGS IN TO THE ACTUAL SONG, if the song is empty it has no files at all yet you want to load a text file, pdf file, multitrack file, stereo file,
Load Stereo file
Load Multitrack file
Load Text file
Load PDF file
This method of loading gives you option to simply add to your song any type of file you need and it will use the data but under the actual song name that is already created, so it will ignore the the song title it will just place a file you choose to play under the already created song.
This gives us the freedom to create our song exactly how we want .
Within the SONG INFORMATION i would create a song type selection option so once you have fully loaded this song with multitracks, stereo, text, pdf, you then have an easy choice of which you want for this song, simply select lyrics only which then gives you another choice of text or pdf choice, if no pdf exists then no option is present it automates to text, and vice versa if both exist i would have a proffered option so it auto opens either the text or pdf .
If no stereo file is loaded and there is a multitrack folder present then this becomes the preference the same logic applied to stereo/ Multitrack if both exist you choose the preferred as the auto open.
So basically to simplify it you use the + to import or create a new blank song , what type does not matter as you can choose which type within the SONG INFORMATION which is where you can then create whichever way you like there is no limitations , a blank song is just an empty shell which will be used depending on loading process, if you then go to a stereo audio file that you direct to be loaded to ST3 and it happens to have a blank song already created with the same name it gets automatically loaded in to the ST3 master folder, Stereo file folder, and if an audio file already exists it either overwrites this file or it adds to this folder with a numbered version of it.
So that one way to load , the greatest advantages are you can easily load a file ST3 auto creates a song file using this loaded files name , so if no song of that name exists it auto creates a song and loads the file type in to this song without any need to spend time creating naming and the being totally restricted to how you run later, my logic creates absolute freedom and ease.
Yes i can not express every scenario right now but you get the overall picture,
Imagine loading a PDF/text file automatically creates a song ready to go just by using the files name to create an ST3 song the file types have their own main folder with the ST3 master folder, this all then makes the computer the device doing all the work and the operator remains a musician and not a computer genius we need to be right now.
So my idea is to totally simplify the loading process and create a very flexible work environment that is not restrictive in any way.
The idea is , you don't need to create any song type in the fist stage you just create a blank song with all options available to you at all times, but the system is also automated where depending on the file type .txt .pdf .wav or a folder determines the song creation type , but even then if the system creates this automatically you still have options of all other types of files to be loaded later in to the song and have them all available and selectable , this then gives us all options if fully loaded or instant use if only one type of file is used.
There is no restriction once you create a song but the song can be created automatically by the type of file loaded or it can be created manually and loaded manually with the type of file needed , if all options are loaded then you have a choice to which you prefer to use for each individual song as default.
Unfortunately my train of thought has just been interrupted by my grandkids so if there is anything that doesn't make sense let me know so i can explain further. Apologies for any spelling mistakes i write as i think and the auto spell thing is not perfect.
Cheers Damir