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drag and drop audio is slow


beatworm

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When i drop audio from finder into the arrange window (audio track) it take about 2 minutes to process. I'm entertained by the colorful spinning wheel and frustration ensues. It never used to be like this and i'm wondering if anyone else has this problem, or knows how to solve it.

 

Thanks! Cam

 

Using LPX 10.9.5

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Mac pro 2010 Processor 3.33 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon

 

It may be new plugins, i can't remember exactly when this problem started so couldn't tell which ones to be sure.

 

i've tried it on a brand new LPX session and it still does it with any audio file

 

thanks

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  • 11 months later...
  • 5 years later...
Is this function just this slow? Dragging and dropping 60 tracks from Finder is almost instant in other DAWs, but Logic is unfathomably slow. I'm on a Mac Pro with 32 GB memory, I can't see why this is a performance issue. Hopefully I'm doing something wrong?

 

Is Flex for imported files are on by default? That might be the reason.

File/Project Settings/Smart Tempo

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Is Flex for imported files are on by default? That might be the reason.

 

Nope, that wasn't it. Thanks for reminding me where that setting was though!

 

No, it shouldn't be. Try importing the files in a new empty project and see if you get a different behavior.

 

Tried a new empty project. 40 tracks takes 45 seconds to import during which time I cannot interact with my screen. Tested internal APFS drive, external macOS Journaled drive, same results. Compared to other programs, this seems a little excessive. Hopefully there's a setting or something I'm missing that can remedy this...

 

For comparison, the same 40 tracks takes less than 1 second in Studio One, and 1 to 9 seconds in Cubase depending on if you set it to copy the files and time stretch them.

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1. What audio format are the tracks? PCM? Sample Rate? Bit Depth?

 

WAV, stereo, 24-bit, 48 khz

 

2. How long is each audio file?

 

It's a multitrack from another song so they vary between 1 minute and 3 minutes long. Most of them are in the 2m - 3m range.

 

3. During the 45 seconds to import the files, do you get any alert on your screen? Do you see a progress bar of any kind at the bottom of your LCD display?

 

At 0 seconds, I let go of the left mouse button and all behavior looks normal. It asks if I want to use existing tracks or create more. I select "create more" and check the box "all files are stems from the same project"

 

At 11 seconds in, the animation of the drag and drop (the list of filenames that follows the cursor) shows up briefly and disappears after a second.

 

After 35 seconds, the progress box extends downwards with another bar that says Analyzing. After a few more seconds, a second bar that says Analyzing also appears.

 

After 45 seconds the files appear, I can begin working again, and the process of generating overlays starts (with the expected blue activity under the LCD)

 

Note: Using existing tracks is not any faster or slower. Not using the Multitrack Set checkbox ("all files are stems from the same project") is not any faster or slower.

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Thanks for the detailed info.

 

"Analyzing" indicates that some kind of process is occurring, that may not be necessary. Most likely tied to tempo analysis.

 

How did you start the new project? Using one of your templates? Or using File > New?

 

File > New (Empty). Not a template.

 

The files have their BPM in the metadata, but I don't have any Smart Tempo / Flex features enabled for this project.

 

I just tried it with the same files extended to 3 minutes and stripped of Tempo metadata- it still shows Analyzing but now only takes 20 seconds total...

 

Logic apparently copies the files to the package when they are imported. I think other programs do that when saving, so that's about 10 seconds that's fine, no time lost there.

 

My only remaining question is why does this Analyzing process double my expected import time and quadruple it when the files name a tempo in their metadata, if I'm not using Smart Tempo / Flex? Is there some other place I need to disable this feature other than Files > Project Settings > Smart Tempo?

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The files have their BPM in the metadata, but I don't have any Smart Tempo / Flex features enabled for this project.

Interesting. And you don't get any alert asking you if you want to import that tempo information?

 

I just tried it with the same files extended to 3 minutes and stripped of Tempo metadata- it still shows Analyzing but now only takes 20 seconds total...

Interesting, again. So the tempo data seem to be affecting, to some extent, the time it takes to import the files. Another factor may be the need to create new tracks. You could experiment with creating the tracks first, then import the files to existing tracks, which may speed things up. I'm not sure how other DAWs handle this.

 

Logic apparently copies the files to the package when they are imported.

That would depend how you saved the files, organized as package vs folder and with or without "Audio Files" selected in the save dialog?

 

My only remaining question is why does this Analyzing process double my expected import time and quadruple it when the files name a tempo in their metadata, if I'm not using Smart Tempo / Flex? Is there some other place I need to disable this feature other than Files > Project Settings > Smart Tempo?

No. And those project settings do not affect the project that opens when you chose File > New, so not ever those settings should affect your import time.

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The files have their BPM in the metadata, but I don't have any Smart Tempo / Flex features enabled for this project.

Interesting. And you don't get any alert asking you if you want to import that tempo information?

 

I did, the first time I ever did this. I selected No (ignore tempo or whatever) and checked do not ask me again.

 

Interesting, again. So the tempo data seem to be affecting, to some extent, the time it takes to import the files. Another factor may be the need to create new tracks.

 

There is no difference in speed if I use existing tracks.

 

I'm not sure how other DAWs handle this.

 

Faster! :) I think other DAWs tend to do some operations after loading the file, when timestretching is engaged, or on first save, rather than all the analysis with all files before they’re imported.

 

That would depend how you saved the files, organized as package vs folder and with or without "Audio Files" selected in the save dialog?

 

As a package. I confirmed that after I drag and drop the packages Audio folder now has files in it. I only brought this up to say that it accounts for 10 seconds but not the other 30.

 

It sounds like I’m doing everything correctly, should I just file a feedback form and mention that Tempo data is resulting in longer than expected import times when Smart Tempo and Flex are not in use?

 

In the meantime maybe there’s a batch way to strip BPM from metadata in another program…

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I just did a test:

 

1. Create a new project (File > New) with 1 External MIDI track. I chose to NOT save the project for this test.

2. Choose Tracks > New Tracks, choose 40, click Create. The 40 tracks are created within 1 second.

3. Drag and drop 40 three-minute audio files. I get an "Analyzing" alert with a progress bar for about 1 second, then an alert pops up, titled "Add Selected Files to Tracks" with choices, I choose Use existing tracks.

4. Click OK, after 5 seconds, all 40 audio files are displayed on their tracks and Logic is available.

 

So before you file a report we need to continue troubleshooting why in your specific case it takes so long. What you're experiencing is not the expected behavior, so unless the developers can reproduce your issue, you'd be wasting your time reporting it to them.

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Ok, well, we’re doing the exact same thing.

 

There’s no difference here between creating tracks before or during the import.

 

Do your three minute audio files have their tempo in the metadata?

Troubleshooting is about being patient. If we were doing the exact same thing, with the exact same set of files, the exact same software, and the exact same hardware, we'd be getting the exact same result. The key to making this troubleshooting process constructive is to figure out what differs that makes our results different.

 

Yes, my 40 three minute audio files have tempo metadata embedded.

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Keep Project Tempo, New recordings to: Off, Imported Files to: Off.

 

Preferences > Notifications > Always import tempo information: Set to No.

 

Project Tempo: Keep

 

Since you mentioned hardware… So far all testing was on macOS 10.15.7 with a Mac Pro 6,1.

 

Just tested on my MacBook Pro with macOS 11.5.1 Big Sur and the same files still take 40 seconds to drag and drop import in a default empty project. Same project, Smart Tempo and audio settings as my other computer. So two pieces of hardware have the same issue. They are independent installs- I did not migrate or anything like that. Reset NVRAM as well, no difference.

 

Both are on Logic Pro Trial- is the Trial program a totally separate build? I’m hesitant to purchase just to trouble shoot, I prefer purchasing software once I know it runs correctly in my studio.

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Both are on Logic Pro Trial- is the Trial program a totally separate build? I’m hesitant to purchase just to trouble shoot, I prefer purchasing software once I know it runs correctly in my studio.

On way to clear that out could be to test with your files import on someone else’s Mac…

 

I can try that later in the week. I can also provide a link if someone wants to try these files themselves.

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After more testing I can see it's limited to how some DAWs embed tempo metadata. I am unfamiliar with the inner workings of iXML Chunks and stuff like that but 40 tracks from Ableton Live import instantly, 40 tracks from Cubase import in ~9 seconds, and 40 tracks from Studio One import in ~45 seconds if the person exporting them uses the Studio One "embed tempo metadata" feature. The same 40 tracks from Studio One import in a few seconds if this option isn't checked.

 

Should I send in feedback to let them know that some metadata schemes import much slower than expected? These files seem to be interpreted correctly by any other program I import them into. Live, Cubase, REAPER, Digital Performer, etc. Logic seems to be the only one having trouble with this format of metadata.

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