Audition removes file from drive

Report · Oct 20, 2019

Hi,

I am experimenting with Adobe (first time user) to fix some noise issues.

I ince i realised a certain file is of no interest for me at the moment, I have pressed Delete on it from the Files tab, assuming that like any other Adobe CC program it will remove it from the files list on software.

To my horror the original WAVE file was degraded from 125mb to 7kb, and an empty track.

No recovery options, no undo, nothing in trash bin.

It was a good audio track with no (i know i know) backup.

Please tell me the is a way to recover it? (there is a PKF file of 5.5mb with the same file name, btw)

(macOS Mojave 10.14.6 + Adobe Audition 12.1.5.3)

Report · Oct 20, 2019

The chances are that all Audition has done is to delete it from the files list, as you said. Your problem simply is that you can't see it, for some reason. Audition doesn't delete files permanently when you hit that trash bin button - in fact it makes a considerable point of not doing so. If you hover the mouse over it, it says 'close selected files' and doesn't mention deleting them at all. Also, if it had, it would have put it in the computer trash, and according to you it hasn't, so there's a very good chance it's still somewhere on your computer, I'd say. You may have to do a proper search for it though.

The location of the .pkf file might give you a good starting point as to where to look carefully though. That file is a file created by Audition to store the visual information about your file so that it can re-open it quicker - especially useful with a large file, and is generally co-located with the appropriate wav file.

Report · Oct 20, 2019

Thank you Steve for replying.

The pkf file (call it 004.pkf) is in the same source library as the 7kb wave (004.wav) file (which used to be 125mb)

Is there any chance in this case I have mistakingly overwritten the original source file?

The export destination is located in a different folder and there is no 004 file there, i find it weird an export would change the source material.

Report · Oct 20, 2019

The only way that Audition will wreck a file is if you do it deliberately (or 'accidentally' deliberately, I suppose). You would have to open the file (not just have it in the browser) and deliberately remove a large chunk of it, and then save the result. You'd be prompted to save it before you closed it, and that act of saving it after editing it would be the only way of wrecking it.

Those of us that do this for a living have a cardinal rule - never edit the original - always edit a copy. That way you've always got something to go back to. For me this is relatively easy with production work, as I don't record in Audition; I always have original files on completely separate media that are copied to the machine for editing. If you are recording using Audition, you have to be a little more careful though about making backups.