Renamed Audio Files and the Renamed Audio Files Folder

Renamed audio files are located in the auto-created Renamed Audio Files folder in the Pro Tools session folder. Files can be renamed when you open a session that references audio file names with incompatible characters. Files can also be renamed in certain situations when saving a copy of a session to a Pro Tools version that does not support long file names

Opening a Session that Contains Audio File Names with Illegal Characters

Pro Tools 7.x and higher does not support audio file names that contain the following ASCII characters:

/ (Forward Slash)

\ (Backslash)

: (Colon)

* (Asterisk)

? (Question mark)

“ (Quotation marks)

< (Less-than symbol)

> (Greater-than symbol)

| (vertical line or pipe)

Any “high order” ASCII character (created with a key combination)

When opening sessions that contain audio file names with illegal characters, Pro Tools automatically creates a renamed copy of each file that contains illegal characters (replacing these characters with an underscore “_”). Renamed files are copied to the Renamed Audio Files folder. The original files are left intact in the Audio Files folder.

Before the session opens, you are prompted to save a detailed report of the renamed files and their original file names to a Notes text file. By default, the Notes text file is saved to the Session folder.

It is possible to have a Pro Tools 7.x or higher session that contains audio file names with illegal characters. If you Save Copy In the session to Pro Tools 6.9.x or lower with Mac/PC Compatibility on, the tracks are renamed with legal characters. If Mac/PC Compatibility is off, the characters are not changed.

Saving a Copy of a Session that Contains Long Audio File Names

When saving files to Pro Tools 6.9.x and lower (using Save Copy In), audio files with file names that exceed the limits of the destination format are truncated and located in the Session folder, as follows:

If the new session is saved to the same directory as the original, a Renamed Audio Files folder is created in the session’s original folder, and the renamed audio files are placed in it.

If the new session is saved to a different directory than the original and the All Audio Files option is not selected, a new Session folder is created, which includes an Audio Files folder and a Renamed Audio Files folder. Renamed audio files are included in the Audio Files folder.

If the new session is saved to a different directory than the original and the All Audio Files option is selected, a new Session folder is created, which includes an Audio Files folder. Renamed audio files are included in the Audio Files folder.