Damn... I lost all settings... how get it back to previous?

#1

What’s the easiest way to fix this? I made a mistake, trying to modify a mono output to a stereo output by creating a new output with exactly the same name as the mono. But before I could delete the old mono output I closed C3 (not thinking!). Upon re-opening it crashed, then upon another restart it opened but all my Inputs and Outputs are gone. And who knows what else has changed.

I read a post from 2017 to rename the lastgood.json file as “settings.json” and overwrite the current settings file. Both files were modified at the same time. Is that still the best way to fix this? My concern in trying that is it might have the same mistake of 2 duplicate-named ports in my mistake described above.

I do have a settings file as a backup from a few months ago. I haven’t changed anything major that I can think of. I guess if the lastgood.json doesn’t work I could then try this as a plan B.

I’m on build 3652 x64.

Thoughts? Many thanks!
Tom

#2

In case it helps someone else, the lastgood method didn’t work… it opened but I still had lost all my old settings. So I copied my older settings file from a backup a few months ago and overwrote the current settings file and bingo… problem solved. I need to do backups more often!

So back to my original goal…Is there an easier way to change a mono output port to stereo? Otherwise I’m re-routing a LOT of songs. Hmmm… I’m already using an alias on my ports for an older backup rig… but if Alias is the way to go maybe it’s easiest to use aliasing for my mono to stereo change, and then on the backup it’s pretty easy to just create new ins/outs in Options to match my main gig rig. Thanks for any ideas!
Tom

#3

Yes, backups are essential and it is best to have a system that does it for you in the background so you do not have to remember. I have iDrive on all of my computers (you are charged for the storage space, not the number of instances on computers. It does incremental backups in the background when you are not doing anything, and so far I have never noticed it getting in the way of audio duties (at gigs I am not connected to the internet anyway)

I also use Macrium Reflect to take disk images and create recovery media for when disaster does strike. Funnily enough it did the other day on my Mac (development and general computing PC) when upgrading the OS. Fortunately all the backups worked (in this case TimeKeeper on a local NAS drive for the local backup).

Worth mentioning, but I learnt a hard lesson a few years back when I managed to brick a Cantabile 2 installation due to plugging a USB device into the wrong port (it did not like being in a USB3 port), and I lost the config as a result (Cantabile 2 was a lot more finicky than C3 and C4 in this respect). My hard lesson was learning that all the backups in the world are no good if you do not have a copy at the gig venue as well and home is a two hour round trip away! I really upped my game on backups after that and what I carry with me (recovery media, disk images, license numbers….

In terms of converting stereo to mono, could you not just edit the channel assignments of the Stereo port in queston to remove one of channels?

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#4

Thanks Derek, yes I need to get a background backup going. Actually, I’m trying to convert a mono output to stereo. I tried to add a channel but since it’s designated as a mono output c3 won’t let me do that. I’ll think I’ll just use the alias method as I described. Thanks!
Tom