Simpler/Flexible/Logical Song import

When you hit a + in song, this sign indicates one thing and that is to import a file, so why are we confronted with so many choices in this area
? This should not be necessary.
If I am loading a text file the software should recognise this fact and automatically create a song that is a lyrics only song, if I am loading a pdf it should automatically create a lyrics only track, if I load an audio file it should automatically create a stereo track.
The loading of files type should not lock us in to what type of file we want to end up with, this is very limiting as we might want a text file only today but tomorrow we want to end up with a stereo track or a multitrack, that should be our choice in the future, we should be able to select what type of file in ST3 we want to use without being fixed to one particular file in the beginning.
Example, I load a PDF with the + the program immediately creates a lyrics only song with the PDFs name , this song now can be converted to a stereo track or a multitrack using the SONG INFORMATION area you should be able to change this song within this area to what type of song you want if you choose stereo track then you end up with a load function to import a stereo track, if you choose this to be a multitrack then you get all the load multitrack functions , but the PDF/Text is already loaded and ready for you to use within the text editor.
So you don’t have to lock yourself to any particular type of song , you just import your data the song is automatically created for the type of data you are loading then you have an option to change to other type of song you actually need to end up with .

You are re not limited to anything later you just choose the type of song you require later and you can change the song type at anytime later if you have loaded this song with multitracks , stereo file text lyrics and PDFs than you just make a choice in the SONG INFORMATION to how you want this song to run if you choose lyrics only and you have both PDF and text a simple selection to which you need and if you only loaded PDFs than the selection switch disappears and you automatically get that displayed.

This workflow automates and simplifies your importing of files, this should also work if you choose any file and point it to ST3 to use, it automatically creates a stereo file or lyrics only file depending if it’s an audio file or a text/pdf file then you have a choice in SONG INFORMATION TO MAKE FURTHER CHANGES TO WHAT YOU NEED .

This then simplifies the + button, as at the moment it’s not just a song import it’s also a song create , this is confusing and very limiting , I want freedom and ease, you are locking me in with this then making me work hard later to change to something I really wanted to end up with in the first place.

So in theory with the new suggestion you just load any file you get a song created by that files name and then you can change to use this file in any way you choose later, if you load in all your options then you have a choice in SONG INFORMATION to run this song in any way you choose by a simple selection in the FILE TYPE you choose.

I know it’s a lot to take in but it’s actually very simple and logical , the lyrics only and stereo tracks is virtually the same except you can create a time frame in lyrics only if you have no audio I would actually go further with this and create the loop facility in lyrics only tracks to become a PAGE TURN FACILITY for those not using audio use the lyrics to timecode the lyrics and allow the loops editor to place a page turn point so that way you use the same principle of stereo track loop editor but without the audio.

Because you can’t do that in lyrics only using stereo tracks is a much better option if you want lyrics only as you can use the loops to easily jump to twelve pages this makes it very useful Lon stage if you don’t use backing audio, so why not introduce it in to the lyrics only songs where it will actually work just as well using your programmed time , so if you chose a 3 minute time for your song allow us to segment that 3 minutes in to 12 parts so we can then jump these points like PAGE TURNS just like loops in the stereo songs,

This then makes lyrics only worth while at the moment lyrics only tracks are pointless as the stereo tracks offer more lyrics control then the lyrics only songs, you just don’t use the audio to PA yet you have fantastic easy page turn facility lyrics only songs don’t have.

Ok Peter these are my thoughts this morning so I hope you get some use out of them it’s always good to think about different options or nothing improves.

Loving the app , I see there’s a big fan that created a u tube video , ST3 is going big time, as it should!
Cheers Damir

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

peter I don't think it makes sense. You can have as many songs with the same title as you like. And song titles are not related to filenames. I think your approach would impose more problems than it would solve.

I can see you don't fully understand my approach,
And i am not concerned having many songs of the same title , this has nothing to do with the import export on ST3 i am trying to streamline to a point that the operator can import a text file and have it immediately to use, or a stereo audio file gets sent to ST3 and you have an immediate use of this file on ST3 if the two .txt and .mp3 files are identical name they are placed in to the identical song title in ST3 ready to use immediately, if you have a folder on the device the same name with audio tracks that make up a multitrack song if you request this folder to be open by ST3 it is automatically placed in to the multitrack master folder, if this folders name is identical to the.txt and the.mp3 you loaded earlier it is placed in to that same song title which has the same name, it also automatically loads the first six audio files in to the multitrack player for you to use immediately, no naming necessary as the name of that folder that the individual files resided is what determines to where the song goes, if there is no song in ST3 of that name then it just automatically creates a new song with all the tracks loaded and ready to play.

My logic is creating a very fast way to operate ST3 and providing a workflow that absolutely gives freedom to any type of user, if you only have multitrac song and you load all the other 3 options .txt .pdf .mp3 now your song has everything but you have the choice, do i want multitrack audio with .pdf or .txt or do i want stereo track with .txt .pdf.

Do i want pdf only
Do i want .text only.
And so on all the combinations possible.
These choices to be in SONG INFORMATION.

And the + just gives you the ability to import any of the four choices or create a blank new song without any data present ready for you to import whatever you choose, this keeps everything neat and tidy in the database and logical and simple to use for the operator , no need to write you song name if you are importing as it uses the already named file to do that, the only time you need to enter a song name is if you are creating a new song using +, if you change this song name within ST3 all other involved names are changed automatically within the song itself.
There are many other factors but i can only talk about the basics at the moment as i am heading of to a mountain walk.
This would create a super fast operation.
Cheers Damir