Song projects like shared, version controlled code

[Lunkhead]

This startup Splice's product sounds potentially pretty cool. They're in a private beta for now and at this point they only support Ableton, but, seems like they have good ideas. If it takes off they plan to support other DAWs.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/09/splice-music/

[foobar93]

Looks very cool, similar to https://www.gobbler.com/ but maybe more useful if it works as advertised. I didn't find Gobbler very compelling.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I'm not sure why I'd need to pay for that unless I'm not seeing the big picture. I already collaborate with people and we use dropbox for large file for free.
There is a very good chance I'm missing something here.

[ken]

I use Dropbox a lot, but I'm noticing that Google Drive seems to work even better, with more space and less limits on file size.

[Lunkhead]

It sounds like maybe you guys didn't read the article...? This is specifically designed for whole multitrack audio projects. They seem to intend to incorporate parsing of each DAW's project file formats so that they can provide track level features, like a change log that shows who did what to what track when, plus there are more features built on the fact that their system understands projects and tracks:

"Whenever any collaborator makes changes to the project, an update to the timeline shows what tracks, like guitar or vocals, they altered. Everyone can add comments to discuss changes too, so there’s less need to run parallel email or chat conversations."

[Billy's Little Trip]

Ok, thanks for explaining that. I can see the benefits in that for some.

....but not for me because I run my collabs like a dictatorship and I'm not interested in anyone's opinion.

j/k

[Lunkhead]

When BSS collaborates, every time anybody sends somebody a recording, the sender has to export from their DAW, then upload the exported file(s) (either copy to Dropbox, or send email, or whatever), and the receiver has to download them then import them, make sure they're lined up right (which is not necessarily a given). Every time!

To me it would be great if instead we all had a shared project, and we could just open it and record into it and hit "save" and a system like Splice would handle the export/upload/download/import stuff. For example, Ken would do the original tracking and set up the shared project, Glen would open it at home on his laptop and record a solo, and Ken would then just open the project on his computer and automatically have Glen's solo track in the right place.

[Billy's Little Trip]

You're making it sound better and better, Lunk.

Question. Can I use my plug-ins with it? It sounds like an online DAW. I have whittled down my plugs through the years and they are a big part of my sound and method.

Or would I just take the files from Splice after people record them to my DAW then mix them?

[Lunkhead]

Good question re: plugins. It might be more up to the DAW how it handles somebody opening a project that was using plugins they don't have. Cubase seems to be able to handle that OK. What plugin was used on a track gets stored in the project and if you open the project it will find the plugin if it's there.

To me it sounds like they want to replace "Denise records a vocal track to a mix BLT exported, then exports her vocal track, then sends it to BLT, then BLT downloads it, then BLT imports it into his project" with "Denise opens the shared project, records her vocals into it, hits save, Splice uploads the change in the background on her computer, then downloads it in the background on BLT's computer, BLT opens the project, and Denise's vocal track is now there".

[HeuristicsInc]

You could get around the plugin problem by "freezing" the tracks so any plugin effects were applied ahead of time and only audio tracks would have to be shared.
-bill

[Manhattan Glutton]

Since Reaper uses plain-text files, this is essentially already solved in an unfriendly way with diff and SVN. I look forward to seeing fancy tools to better visualize it, though.

[ken]

Okay, so I finally read this article. I started to wonder about more complicated issues like does it save each and every edit I make. Can I really go back by every cut, copy, tweak that is made? Is there a benefit to that? How often does it sync and will there be issues where I open my project the same time as someone else and there are conflicts? Anyway, it is certainly interesting. I think I am mostly waiting for an online DAW that will allow for this type of collaboration. I also read the comments and saw this competitor: http://getbandhub.com/

[fluffy]

Years ago I was toying around with an idea for a multitrack DAW that would use a git-esque model for everything. I'm not sure how well it would work in reality (and as usual I have far more ideas that I'd like to develop than time or resources to develop), but it'd certainly be better than the dropbox model of shipping bounce tracks everywhere.