Importing file without copying (linking)

Hi all, the manual says there is an option in Edit->Preferences->General-Session->Always Copy Imported files, which can be disabled and allow linking external audio files. I don’t have this option in the preferences dialog, and in the Import dialog, the option to link the file and not copy is grayed out…
Is there a mismatch between the documentation and tool, or some other problem ?
Using version Ardour 6.3.0~ds0 on Ubuntu.
Thanks!

1 Like

I have the checkbox that says:

“Drag and drop import always copies files to session”

Uncheck that and you should be able to drag and drop import any file you wish to not copy to the session. I will caution you that the reason this is no longer the default and a bit hard to find is it was a HUGE cause of broken sessions for people that embedded instead of importing files, then moved their session or files, and everything broke, sometimes in ways they couldn’t fix (They deleted the file accidentally).

    Seablade
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Thanks Seablade! I tried it before, for the type I’m trying to import it says: “This audiofile cannot be embedded. It must be imported!”. I’m trying to import an MP3 file. What I really want is to avoid turning the file into a WAV file and occupy so much space. I’m only recording myself over a backing track for self monitoring, don’t want all that space to be taken.

BTW, I think the reference manual should be updated to reflect the actual state of the GUI.
Thanks.

This is not (currently) possible. Ardour requires file where one can directly seek accurately to a given position. The mp3 codec and format does not offer this.

mp3s are always decoded and imported. The same is true for any files with mismatching sample-rates.

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