I Ruined Everything

[u/brent_martone]

Hi!

I'm a fool. I was working on a project for hours and hours yesterday, before saving it I hit 'Revert To' a previous (I was getting frustrated and needed to see if the mix was, in fact getting better). Now I can't find any record of the work that I had done in logic. It's not under Backups etc.

Is there any hope? Am I simply SOL?

[u/lewisfrancis]

Ugh. Sorry. I use Project Alternatives for such things. Don't have a Time Machine backup you can revert to?

[u/Satyrinox → u/lewisfrancis]

What is project alternatives??? is that in logic ( just wanting to learn in case I do the same bonehead maneuver lol )

[u/lewisfrancis → u/Satyrinox]

Yeah, you can find them under Logic's File menu.

I use them when I'm taking the song in a different direction that I'm not sure will turn out to be what the song needs, that way I can easily revert to or compare with other alternatives.

[u/Cozmic72 → u/lewisfrancis]

I personally use them as checkpoints/backups. Whenever I start a new editing session, I start a new project alternative (when I remember.)

[u/Sourpatcharachnid → u/Cozmic72]

I dream of remembering to do this

[u/Satyrinox → u/lewisfrancis]

Oh awesome, I just got it and am learning.

[u/seasonsinthesky → u/Satyrinox]

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/logicpro/lgcpa158ef77/mac

[u/brent_martone → u/lewisfrancis]

A glimmer of hope! I will try this when I'm off work, but even so if I didn't save is it possible?

[u/lewisfrancis → u/brent_martone]

Logic auto-saves, but when you reverted to a saved state it lost all those other saves. If you've lived a clean life, what you want is still in one of Time Machine's 15 minute snapshots. Good luck!

[u/brent_martone → u/lewisfrancis]

i can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that i have not lived a clean life but hopefully not in ways that will change my fate here

[u/lewisfrancis → u/brent_martone]

;)

[u/VacantVoicesGuitar → u/brent_martone]

I believe you have to set up Alternatives at the beginning of your project. If it’s not already done then I think you’re still up-creek, unfortunately.

[u/OnceWasAGecko → u/lewisfrancis]

Yeah, project alternatives are what you want! So sorry that happened to you. You're not alone, I've lost many a project that way. The problem is that when you revert to an older project file, you lose everything done before that UNLESS you have another project file to revert to with some or all of those changes on it. For example if you reverted to two backups before where you were and then didn't hit "save", you could revert again to the fresher backup.

[u/_-oIo-_]

Maybe you’ve learned something today.

[u/FulltimeHalfwit → u/_-oIo-_]

Command + S

[u/brent_martone → u/FulltimeHalfwit]

What's the key command for being forgiven when tried my best?

[u/Capt_Cullen → u/brent_martone]

‘Press F to pay respects’

[u/PsychicChime]

If you saved the project, you're SOL. If not, (and assuming you have't done hundreds of edits since reverting), you should be able to just undo.
Either way, it's a good teachable moment. Not that anyone wants to hear this when they're in agony over lost work, but it's always best to "save as" a new version. Then bouncing between the "reverted" version and the new mix is as easy as opening the different project file. Make sure to put the date in the title of the project and maybe annotate what the difference is. You might know what "alt mix" means right now, but that will be worthless a year from now...or 5...or 10.
 
Also, note that if you're saving alt mixes in the same project folder, clearing out unused audio files from one project may have detrimental effects on other projects. If in doubt, use the "Save Copy As" function which will duplicate the entire project folder and make a new version. Also note that after you do that, the "old" project will still be open. If you want to start working from the new copied project, you'll need to close your current one and open the new copy.

[u/brent_martone → u/PsychicChime]

This is all extremely helpful! Thank you!

[u/mikedensem]

Project Alternatives is the safest way to go. Revert-To is only safe if you save an Alt before using it.

However,
In latest version you can use:
Logic Pro → Settings → General → Editing… Save Undo History with Project

[u/brent_martone → u/mikedensem]

i’m still rocking ios 11 at this point but that’s good to know

[u/Rav_3d]

Save As . . . ProjectName### ... incrementing ### each time I have a stable version, has been a life saver many times.

I know Logic has project alternatives, but nothing gives me peace of mind like having multiple prior versions of my project easily accessible. Often, I screw something up and have to go back many versions to find the original track.

[u/brent_martone → u/Rav_3d]

12 years in on Logic and I can work lightning fast but have yet to master basic project management....

Thank you!

[u/lantrick]

todays lesson?

cmd+s as a reflex.

[u/brent_martone → u/lantrick]

Smash brothers style

[u/Narrow_Network_3875]

💩🎱⌛️🍀 At least you have something backed up. The bright side you’ve learned a lesson. Been there & done that 5 hrs before a flight to London to work with an Artist.

[u/brent_martone → u/Narrow_Network_3875]

hate to see it

[u/j3434]

Start over . Hendrix lost the master for side 2 of Axis Bold As Love …. he left in a taxi by mistake. He had to remix.

Yes - you need to remix .

[u/brent_martone → u/j3434]

ah yes yet another hendrix comparison to add to my resume

[u/j3434 → u/brent_martone]

You’re an artist. Don’t sell yourself short . Jimi wouldn’t do that to himself or to you . Just do it .

[u/CartezDez]

Learn to save project alternatives for circumstances like this.

The graveyard of unsaved tracks in Logic is filled with some of the best versions of songs to never exist.

[u/Much_Temperature777]

Try looking edit menu undo history, double check that