Pro Tools Session File Repair, Conversion, Relinking

Using a modern Pro Tools setup (on either Mac or Windows) you might run into problems opening sessions created in the 90's to early 2000's (PT1 to PT 5) on Mac System 7.x, 8.x, and OS 9.x, OSX 10.0.x - 10.4.x which may report missing audio files. Even after searching and locating the files on the hard drive, Pro Tools will often still be unable to bring them into the session. This because Sound Designer 2 (aka SD2 or SDII) file format was dropped in Pro Tools 10. However, there could be worse problems. Project files are stored on a disk that is not the HFS (Hierarchical File System) native Mac format, such as a Windows disk format like FAT32, ExFat, or NTFS without first being zipped (.zip) or stuffed (using Aladdin Systems Stuffit .sit format) can have the SD2 file resource fork stripped out, which contains the audio bit rate and sample frequency. PT 10 was the last version to work with SD2 files but the on-board re-linking and converting to .wav files does not always work right or can be very cumbersome to relink manually. Deep Signal Studios can resolve these issues and repair Pro Tools files in situations where SD2 files can not be played in the session file. We can also convert Pro Tools sessions made in 10 or 11 to PT7, PT8, or PT9 session. In addition to repairing and restoring Pro Tools files, we can convert your Pro Tools projects for use in other 2024 DAW formats including Logic, Digital Performer, Cubase, Ableton, Garage Band, or any other DAW or sequencer file format you wish by exporting each track as a .wav file. We can retrieve sessions from Jaz, Zip, DDS tapes, or DVD-RAM.

Please read these details on the right way to transfer old Mac files to a modern computer while keeping the resource fork intact for the purpose of emailing a download link to us so we can convert them.

Over the years, Pro Tools has released many versions of the software, ranging from HD (aimed at the professional market) and more basic versions like Pro Tools SE and LE. In 1995, AVID acquired the Digidesign and over the years, Pro Tools has gone through many changes, including dropping TDM and then RTAS plugin support formats, introducing the AAX format in Pro Tools 11, and also changing the native audio file format from SDII to WAV while AIFF is still an option.

Pro Tools, originally named "Sound Tools" was first launched in 1989. At that stage it was a basic audio editor for stereo files. After further enhancement, a new version of the program was developed and renamed Pro Tools, which offered 4 tracks of digital audio recording. Digidesign continued to enhancement the Pro Tools software, added a MIDI sequencer and multitrack recording at 16-bit / 44.1 KHz. By 1997, Pro Tools reached 24-bit, with support of up to 48 tracks. Since the late 1990's Pro Tools has become the industry standard for disk-based digital audio recording. Pro Tools files or OSX and Windows can be identified by the file extensions .PTS, .PTF, and .PTX. Pro Tools on Mac System 7.x, 8.x, and OS 9.x have no file extension.

If your Pro Tools session files have one of these icons below that is visible in current MacOS (or still using a machine from that period) they, along with your SD2 files, will probably be OK as long as you zip them. Pro Tools Windows session files will not have any of the above problems.

If it is a .ptx file and you are using the latest version of Pro Tools but is telling you it is corrupted or it cannot read it we cannot help with this, as it is unrelated to the session being created with an old version. Current Pro Tools wites sessions as .ptx. Try to find an earlier backup of the session file. You do keep backups, right? Follow the 3-2-1 rule. 3 Copies on 2 different types of media with 1 copy at an offsite location.