I have been renaming my versions of my song for some time in this way "song = song name" Version = version of the song.
Leaving something like Songv1 , songv2
It even reaches the final version, which never came because I'm very indecisive, but that's not the point.
The point is that, in the versions that I am making, we make too many changes, effects, rendering, changing instruments, etc., and also, since my PC does not support so many instruments and FX, I have to render.
So I thought of putting notes in the master, for example the notebook (I have studio one, but I use that plugin)
and so I'm writing every change I make, for example songv1
change acoustic bass for a synthesizer, blah blah.
But it is a bit annoying to write each change and if you are anxious like me, even worse.
Summary of the question:
How do you keep track of the versions of your songs?

 

I keep track / notes outside of the songs, so I don't need to load them to see the changes.
Even so, I also use notes into the songs but for other means.

I'm using a free portable version of Essential Pim. https://www.essentialpim.com/
Portable, because it's easier to backup , just copy the folder to another drive.
This program can do a lot of things, but what I use is the notes fonction as notes can have subnotes.

So, I create one main note for a song, and subnotes for each versions. These subnotes have the exact same version name as the song version. So it's easy to find them even after month.
Essential Pim have a search function, which makes easy to find a note.

You can also create tab to have different note trees, for different activities etc... Example: My personal compositions are in one tree, My band work are in a different tree, etc...

I use it for many other things, like organizing projects and tasks but that would be another thread.

 

I name each project file as "Song Name - Mix Number Version Number," for example: New Song - Mix 01 Rev 01. Before the mix level, I use a similar system: New Song - Arr. 01 Rev 01, when the change is on arrangements.

 

I generally don't even give my tracks names and save a new version after making obvious changes, so a typical song would be named 034v12. I should start keeping notes too, sometimes I name a revision like 034v13_keychangetoA.

It's a mess, of course. Shouldn't DAWs be helping with all of this?

 

My favoured notebook for all other things is The Journal...

http://www.davidrm.com/

 

I rely on Reaper's timed and time-stamped backup function, plus notes within Reaper. There are notes per part, per track, and per project.

These notebook programs are enticing and handy, though. I remember using one long time ago but I cannot remember it's name.

 

Microsoft's One Note has a very nice layout, I used it to organise my projects at university. You could create tabs at the top for sets or songs and add tabs on the left for each of them, it's very clear and easy to find everything. I also used it for organising songs I was working on, it was easy to add guitar tabs and images.

 

Just checked the newer version of One Note and it's even better, full navigation is on the left side now.

 

so Cool tools these outsider notes they named Oly and Crinklebumps. Especially this option that Oly Says to create notes and subnotes and different trees for each one.
Well now it seemed to me what Oly said about the notes with subversions, it's what I started doing in the notes in the Daw, I put in the master and I'm writing 1.0 and 1.1. 1.2 and so on. Also now I export the name of the songs a little more organized, something like Song_sessionbass_v1 makes it easier for me to understand the work faster. I had been working badly on some things, without an order and I have folders and versions everywhere. So, working neatly saves a lot of work and time.

Before I had tried with windows or word notepad, I even managed to paste images in word of the song session, but I didn't like it.

I ´ll Take a look at these tools.

It's strange that the Daw don't have something like a history that is written in a notepad where it says everything that was done. For example
4.32 PM audio track added
4.33 PM Reverb Effect is added...
Already so. Well maybe it exists and I haven't discovered it yet.

 

In Logic, Press Option + Control + Z to bring up the Undo History windows. It will show as many steps as you allow it to keep track of.

 

Maybe another idea would be to create a numbering system that incorporates global information in a number format, something like 001 for the number or name of the song, then say .2 for the key, which might be G or whatever is chosen for that number, .120 for the tempo etc.

 

Actually I'm a fool, no need for a number for the key, just use the key letter.

 

well this kind of things are super important from my point of view, the option to "go back to the previous step". I don't know if studio one has this option, you say that after closing the project you have an option to "redo"?
Because I think all daws have the option to go back to the previous step while it's open, well some more limited than others.
For example, now studio one has implemented an option in which you can render a vsti instrument to audio and if you want to fix a midi note again, you convert the audio back to an instrument and even keep the effects you have put. This helps a lot.

 

Name of song - date - revision number (ex: 01,02 etc..)

 

How do you do this in Reaper? I use notes per project, but I don't know how to add notes per tracks or parts.

For versions names,
I always use one folder per song,
Name always begin with English style time and hour stamp.
Example:
2022 06 27 14h30 song name - description if necessary

2022 06 27 14h30 Super Funk - new transients.

This way the songs are automatically ordered by time and with some clue of what the version is.

 

Last edited: Jun 27, 2022

I think unlimited undo's and song versions are one of the negatives of digital audio. Indecision causes paralysis and more often than not poor music because its been over-edited, over repeated and re-done so many times the soul is just sucked out of it. Music is about capturing a moment in time. I only ever have one version of a song. The right one.

 

I just installed and tried the program Oly mentioned. "EssentialPIM, download the free version. Excellent, super light. I can have the Daw open and write without hindering the workflow
And the option of folders and subfolders, great

Now I have put like this. (I'm going for version 4.0 of the project )

Note in type 4.0 (with everything that this version will have) and then in the sub notes I put
4.1 (you fix what I'm doing, fx, render, etc)


@Spartan I totally agree with you. In fact, it is the problem that I always have. I never get convinced because my mind takes the first version as "the best". I don't know if it's like you say, because you put all your soul, or because your ear takes that version as a reference.
What happens is that if you are the one who records, mixes and masters, unfortunately you have to re-record many times because it doesn't always turn out well, well at least that happens to me, also out there a part doesn't convince me or I want another arrangement, especially this happens with the real instruments (guitar, bass, voice, etc)

In fact I have a song that I had made as a "Demo", I showed it to some friends, they liked it. Now I re-recorded it like 3 times, with many arrangements, etc, etc. And now it sounds boring, I was stuck with that song.

 

Does your DAW have Project Alternatives like Logic? You can do a bunch of them and keep them inside the project, and you can also export them as a brand new copy of your project as well. This can be really good for someone who is presenting their work to someone else for some kind of review. Rather than having that person/s look at the project, say go fix these things and come back; they could be already done too.

 

Last edited: Jun 27, 2022

In the Preferences -> General you can activate to save the whole undo history with the project.