This guide serves to walk you through the process of saving and transferring the requisite project settings and audio files when migrating your SoundSwitch projects from one computer to the other. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Prior to Migrating


Please note the following details and notices regarding the particulars of the migration process:


  • Not for use with Engine Lighting: Exporting your projects for use on standalone Engine DJ devices involves a separate process distinct from that when moving between computers. See the following guide for instructions: Getting Started with Engine Lighting
  • Not to be used to export to Control One: Exporting project data to a Control One is performed in a very specific use case and is not to be conflated with the regular project migration process. For details on that process, see the guide linked here: Exporting and Importing Project Data with Control One.
  • Scripted Audio Files/Libraries must also be transferred: SoundSwitch's Autoscripting feature functions by modifying the metadata of the specific audio files that have been scripted. If you have autoscripted audio files or libraries on computer 1, you must transfer those same files to the appropriate location on computer 2. For example, if you've scripted a Serato Crate on computer 1, that crate must be transferred to the library containing your Serato crates on computer 2.



Saving your Project


Saving your project and the lightshows within is the first key step in the transfer process. This section covers the details:


File Menu Options:


Here's a quick refresher on the various options for saving projects (or portions of projects) in SoundSwitch:




  • New Project: Creates a brand-new project. Each project contains all your venue and fixture details along with scripted track data. You can have multiple projects, and they can be saved wherever you want.
  • Open Project: Access an existing SoundSwitch Project. You can open projects from any location on your computer or external drive. SoundSwitch will automatically reopen the last project you worked on when you restart the program.
  • Save Project: Saves all project information including venue details, fixtures, auto-loops, static looks, position cues, and attribute cues. Note: This doesn't save any scripting work. For that, you should use the "Save Lightshow" option.
  • Save Project As: Saves the current project with a new name. Useful when you want to create a copy or save variations of your project.
  • Export Project: Similar to saving, but with more control. You can export a single venue from your SoundSwitch Project or export the entire project with or without lighting files. This is handy when sharing venue information without sharing all individual lighting files.
  • Save Lightshow: Saves any manual or auto-scripting work done on your audio files. Always use this before saving the project to ensure your scripting work is preserved.
  • Export to Control One: Export a single venue directly to the Control One device. This includes all venue information, auto-loops, and static looks. This exported data can then be imported to another computer with SoundSwitch, making it easy for others to use your venue information. 
  • Import from Control One: Import SoundSwitch Project data from the Control One device. This data can then be used within SoundSwitch.

    For more information on Exporting and Importing with the Control One, please see the following guide: Exporting and Importing Project Data with Control One : SoundSwitch


Saving and Preparing for Transfer


Now that we're familiar with the controls of the File Menu, let's put them to practice. The following outlines the steps necessary to prepare your project for transfer:


  1. Use the Save Lightshow tool to save any manual or autoscripted edits to your project. This is an essential step, since Save Project does not save this information, as explained in the previous section.

  2. Use Save Project As to save a copy of your project. We recommend this strategy over copying the file in your system's file explorer, as this mitigates the risk of accidentally deleting or incorrectly renaming the file.

  3. Upload your SoundSwitch Project File (the one you just created using Save Project As) and copy any scripted audio files to an external hard drive or cloud storage service. Do not compress/zip the project file and audio files together. 


Your project and scripted tracks are now ready for transfer to your second computer. We'll detail the upload process in the next section. 


Loading your Project to Second Computer


Here are the considerations and steps necessary to successfully transfer your project to your second computer:


Prior to Uploading


Before uploading your project and scripted tracks from your external hard drive or cloud storage service, please ensure the following:


  • Ensure that Computer 2 meets the Minimum System Requirements for SoundSwitch
  • Confirm that Computer 2 is running the same version of SoundSwitch and whichever DJ software you are using on Computer 1.
  • Confirm that SoundSwitch is properly licensed and activated on Computer 2.


Uploading


After confirming that Computer 2 is ready to receive the project:


  1. Move the SoundSwitch Project File from your external storage to your ~/user/music/SoundSwitch library on Computer 2, which is the default storage location for SoundSwitch projects.

  2. Move your scripted audio files to the default storage location corresponding to the type of library that has been scripted. For example, if you've scripted and saved a Serato Crate on computer 1, load that crate to the location on Computer 2 where your Serato Crates are stored.

  3. Launch SoundSwitch and use the Open Project function to open the project file you have just uploaded.


Your project and scripted libraries are now ready for use on your second computer!


Troubleshooting

  • If you're seeing multiple iterations of audio files or libraries on Computer 2, ensure that any duplicate libraries have been removed or renamed, leaving only the version of the library that has been scripted and uploaded.
  • If your project does not open, ensure that the .ssproj file extension was not deleted at some point in the transfer process. Re-saving then uploading is a good catch-all process here. 
  • If you're a VDJ user, ensure that the VDJ database file for your audio library is present in the library that's been transferred.
  • If your DMX map does not reflect the fixtures you saved on computer 1, ensure that the correct venue has been selected in your SoundSwitch instance on Computer 2. 
  • Use Options>Rebuild trackmap if your audio libraries are copied and present, but do not show autoscripting information.


Need help? Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]