Outro runs next to your DAW. It never changes a session file. It reads what's in the project folder, and for some DAWs it also reads the session itself.
What Outro reads from your DAW
Every DAW below gets its sessions listed under DAW projects in Files, with an Open in button. Only some sessions give Outro tempo, key and plugins.
| DAW (file) | Listed in DAW projects, opens in your DAW | Reads tempo, key and plugins |
|---|---|---|
Ableton (.als) | Yes | Tempo and plugins, and the key when the set has one turned on |
Reaper (.rpp) | Yes | Tempo and plugins. Key shows a dash |
FL Studio (.flp) | Yes | Tempo, plugins and the samples it uses. Key shows a dash |
Logic Pro (.logicx) | Yes | Tempo, plugins, and the key when the project has one |
Pro Tools (.ptx) | Yes | Tempo, key, plugins and the samples it uses |
Pro Tools 9 and earlier (.ptf) | Yes | No |
Studio Pro, formerly Studio One (.song) | Yes | Tempo, key and plugins |
Cubase (.cpr) | Yes | Tempo, the project's root note as the key, plugins and the samples it uses |
The plugins Outro reads show up in Plugins used and on the Overview.
Outro reads a session by its file type. The DAW you pick for a project is a label and doesn't change what Outro reads.
FL Studio doesn't write a project key, so Key shows a dash for an FL session, as it does for Reaper. Cubase stores a root note, not major or minor, so Key shows just the note, such as F#.
A Pro Tools key shows as major or minor, such as A Major. A key with flats doesn't show yet. Pro Tools only runs AAX plugins, so every Pro Tools plugin is marked AAX.
For FL Studio, Cubase and Pro Tools sessions, Outro also finds the samples the session uses, wherever they live on your computer. The ones it finds show in Files under Samples, in a From session group, where you can play them with their waveform or show them in their folder. Outro only checks this computer's drives and never moves or changes a sample. Pro Tools saves a stereo clip as two files, one per side. Outro shows the pair as one sample.
The File inspector's Session samples list shows every sample the project file uses, including any that aren't where the session saved them.
Studio Pro is the new name for Studio One. It opens the same .song files, and Outro shows the name as Studio Pro (formerly Studio One).
Why some sessions can't be read
Outro reads Ableton sets (compressed XML), Reaper projects (plain text), Studio Pro songs (zipped XML), FL Studio, Cubase and Pro Tools projects, and the project settings inside a Logic Pro project.
Sessions from Pro Tools 9 and earlier (.ptf) use an older format, which Outro doesn't open up.
Outro doesn't guess a tempo or key from a file it can't read.
A Logic Pro project is a package: a folder your Mac shows as one file. Outro lists it as one session, and inside it reads only the files that hold the tempo, key and plugins. Outro lists the Audio Units you added, not Logic's own plugins.
Open in opens it in Logic on a Mac. On Windows it opens as a folder.
When a session can't be read
Tempo and Key on the transport bar and the Overview show the BPM and key you set on the project, in the New project window or in Project settings. Hover either one to see where the value came from.
Plugins shows a dash.
On the Overview, Source reads Unsupported, and the File inspector says it can't read tempo, key or plugins from this format.
Start a project from a DAW template
You can start a project from a session file you saved in your DAW. You set a templates folder for each DAW in Settings, under Templates, and pick a file in New project. Set up DAW templates in Getting started walks through it.
| DAW | Template files | What Outro does when you start a project |
|---|---|---|
| FL Studio | .flp | Copies it into the project folder as <project name>.flp |
| Ableton | .als | Copies it as <project name>.als. Ableton asks where to save the first time |
| Cubase | .cpr | Copies it as <project name>.cpr |
| Reaper | .rpp | Copies it as <project name>.rpp |
| Studio Pro | .song | Copies a song you saved to use as a starting point, as <project name>.song |
| Pro Tools | .ptxt | Doesn't copy it. Outro opens the template in Pro Tools, you save the session into the project folder, and Outro picks it up. Pro Tools templates has the steps. |
| Logic Pro | None | The DAW template field doesn't show |
A copy is always a new file, named after the project. Outro never replaces a file that's already in the folder.
If the folder already has a session for that DAW, nothing is copied. Other and any DAW that isn't in the table have no DAW template.
What works with every DAW
None of this depends on reading the session:
- Sessions in Files. Every save is listed, the newest is the project file unless you pick one, and Open in opens it. See The project file.
- Backups. Sessions in a
Backup,Backups,History,Session File BackupsorAutoSavesfolder are marked Backup, whatever the DAW. FL Studio, Ableton and Pro Tools autosaves are also spotted by their file names. - Bounces and the main bounce. Any WAV, MP3, M4A or FLAC in Exports that isn't a stem can be the main bounce. See Set a main bounce.
- Stem tags and the Samples bucket. Both come from folder names, not from the session. See The buckets.
- Feedback. Uploads are audio files, so any DAW's bounce works. See Feedback.
- The session timer and the log. They time your work, not the DAW. See Log.
- Tasks and notes, which are yours to write.
A DAW that isn't in the table
Session files from a DAW that isn't listed land in the Other bucket, so they aren't marked as sessions and have no Open in button.
Bounces, stems, samples, feedback, the timer, tasks and notes work as they do for any DAW (see What works with every DAW). Pick Other as the project's DAW.