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Support questions: support@eVirtualStudio.com
Other questions: info@eVirtualStudio.com
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eVirtualStudio FAQ

General

What is eVirtualStudio?
eVirtualStudio is an innovative new product that allows you to share either Pro Tools sessions, SONAR projects, or Cubase projects over the internet! It provides online collaboration, backup, and versioning services for musicians, producers, and educators who use the Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase recording software. It lets team members work together on SONAR projects from across the neighborhood or across the world. It's very easy to use and efficiently transfers large project files over the internet in the background while you focus on making music! It:

Automatically backup and share projects created in:

Pro Tools HD/LE/M-Powered 7.x
SONAR 5.x, 6.x /7.x or 8.x (Home, Studio, and Producer)
Cubase LE/SE/SX 1.x -4.x (Studio and Essential)

eVirtualStudio makes sure that your valuable project files are copied to the Amazon Storage Service. Amazon is a highly respected and reliable internet service provider.
Lossless WAV file compression reduces project upload and download times by up to 60%!
Share Pro Tools sessions, SONAR projects, or Cubase projects with other eVirtualStudio users. A powerful find feature lets you search for other eVirtualStudio users by geographic location, musical interests, and talents. All project members automatically receive project updates.
Check Pro Tools sessions, SONAR projects, or Cubase projects in and out for editing. Any project member can check out a project for editing. This prevents two people from accidentaly updating the project at the same time and potentially ruining a project!To maintain high performance, all Pro Tools sessions, SONAR projects, and Cubase projects are also stored and edited locally.
Keep on working while eVirtualStudio backup's up your project! You can work on one project while eVirtualStudio backs up another. Since we use a differential backup system, only new audio files are copied to the server when you make updates to a project!
Revert back to previous versions of a project. eVirtualStudio automatically tracks each version of your project as you make updates. You can choose to revert back to a previous version of the project at anytime! Everyone sharing the project will automatically roll back to the previous version of the project. This powerful version management feature is a must for all recording musicians.
Maintain a version log of project changes as well as song lyrics and project notes. You can easily view a log of all changes made to a project.
Send private email to band members who are sharing a project.

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How do I get support for eVirtualStudio?
Email support@eVirtualStudio.com
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Is eVirtualStudio free to use?
During the beta test period, there is no charge for using the service. Once the beta is concluded you will be offered the opportunity to subscribe to the service or discontinue using the service. Pricing has not been announced at this time. During the beta you have up to 5GB of disk space available.
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What can I do if I forget my password?
We can't send you your password but we can send you an email with a new password. You can then log on to eVirtualStudio and change your password to anything you want. To reset your password, click here.
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Does eVirtualStudio run on Macintosh computers?
No, not at this time.
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Does eVirtualStudio support projects that include video content?
Yes. eVirtualStudio will backup and restore any type of media file placed in a folder called Video Files in the project directory. Pro Tools automatically creates this folder and places video content in this folder. If you want SONAR projects or Cubase projects to share video content, place the files in the Video Files folder in the project directory. Make sure that your SONAR project or Cubase projects correctly references the media file. When you open SONAR or Cubase you may be prompted for the location of the video file.

Note: You should not delete video content once it has been published. Deleting local video content in the eVirtualStudio cache does not remove it from the server. If you need to change video content for a project, place the new content in the Video Files directory under a different name. eVirtualStudio will copy the new content to the server the next time the project is updated to a new version.
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What is lossless WAV file compression?

eVirtualStudio can reduce the size of WAV files copied to the server by up to 60%. This means that project files will be published (uploaded) and downloaded in about half the time it takes to upload and download uncompressed WAV files. It also means that your projects occupy approximately half the disk space on the server as an uncompressed WAV file. The compression algorithm preserves 100% of the data in the original WAV file. The compression is therefore considered lossless as eVirtualStudio automatically restores the WAV file to its original size once the download has finished.

You can select not to use compression from the options menu.

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Installation

What are the requirements to install the eVirtualStudio client Software?

A standard Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista computer. Since eVirtualStudio runs in the background when Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase, is loaded, we recommend at least 1MB of RAM for optimum performance.
100 MB of available disk space.
A high-speed internet connection.
You do not need to have Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase installed to use eVirtualStudio. However, you will not be able to edit or view projects without the appropriate DAW software.
We recommend that Windows clients use Internet Explorer to install eVirtualStudio for the first time. This is due to limitations in Microsoft's installation software. If you use Firefox, you are prompted to first "Save File". Select "Save File" and then "open" to setup. (Click Okay to accept the warning).
Windows users automatically receive updates to the eVirtualStudio client software.

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Is there anything I need to do before using SONAR with eVirtualStudio?
If you are using SONAR, make sure that SONAR saves audio files in Per-Project mode. To ensure that this setting is correctly set in SONAR, go to Options, Global Options. Select the Audio Data tab and make sure that “User Per Project Audio Folders” is checked.
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Does eVirtualStudio run under Vista?
Yes, eVirtualStudio supports Vista.
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Can I install eVirtualStudio on multiple computers?
Yes. You can install eVirtualStudio on more than one computer. This is useful if you want to access your projects from either home or the office. However, you should not share projects using the same account on two different machines. This is both a violation of the license agreement and may result in unpredictable behavior and is not a supported scenario. eVirtualStudio will immediately begin copying your project files to that computer when you start eVirtualStudio.

Tip: If you do not want to copy all projects to a client computer, you can either login to the eVirtualStudio.com website or use the eVirtualStudio Project Manager, to select No Synch next to each project that you do not want synchronized. You must re-enable synching to get the latest changes or update a project. Click here for more information.
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Sharing Projects

How does eVirtualStudio share my projects?
Once a project has been shared, eVirtualStudio automatically copies updates made to the local copy of your project to the server. All the projects you own or share with others are stored in a folder called eVirtualStudiocache. The location of this folder can be changed from the Options menu.

Click Organize in the Project Manager screen to view your projects that are managed by eVirtualStudio in Windows Explorer. You can organize your projects in folders in any way that you want. See What is the eVirtualStudio Cache? for more information.

If you are using Windows, you can also access your projects directly from Windows Explorer. To open a project for editing from within Windows Explorer (when eVirtualStudio is not running), click on the shortcut Edit Project with eVirtualStudio in the project directory.
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What is the difference between “Projects I Own” and “Projects Others Share with Me”?
Projects I Own is a list of the projects you have “published” (copied to the server) to the eVirtualStudio service. All members can View or Edit a project. As owner of the project, you can:

Add and remove contributors to a project,
Specify the length of time project members can keep a project checked out for editing,
Revert back to a previous version of a project (see below),
Remove a project from the service (see below), and
Archive the project (see below).

Projects Others Share with Me is a list of projects that you contribute to. As a contributor, you can:

Accept or reject an invitation from another member to participate in a project,
Remove your participation in a project, and
View or Edit a project.

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What does Remove Project do?
If you are the owner of a project:

Removes all project files from the central storage server.
Removes all contributors from the project. Contributors will no longer have access to the project. The contributor’s local copy of the project is removed from their local eVirtualStudio cache the next time they log onto eVirtualStudio.
Moves the project to a folder called “Deleted Projects” in the root folder of the eVirtualStudio cache.

If you are not the owner of a project, Remove Project deletes your subscription (membership) to the project. The local copy of the project is deleted permanently from the eVirtualStudio cache.. To keep a local copy of the project before you remove the subscription, use Windows explorer to make a backup copy of the project files in the eVirtualStudio cache folder.

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What happens when I check-out a project?
When you select Edit from either the Project Manager screen or the Project Details screen, other users will not be able to edit the project. Checking out a project prevents other project members from editing the project (though they can still View the project) while you make updates. If you don’t plan to edit a project, choose View rather than Edit from the Project Details screen. When a project is checked out, other members will see the user name of the person who has the project checked out.

When you edit a project, eVirtualStudio makes a copy of the most recent version of the project file and names it either “YourProjectName[CheckedOut].cwp”, "YourProjectName[CheckedOut].cpr", or “YourProjectName[CheckedOut].ptf”. It then launches either Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase, to let you work on the project. While in Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase, you can save the checked out file as often as you want. The updated project is only shared with other members when you exit Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase and choose to publish changes to the project.

While you are working on a session or project you will see a window that indicates the check in time limit. In Windows, this window is minimized and disappears automatically when the DAW application closes.

After you exit Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase, the "Check-In" dialog box appears. If you click Publish, eVirtualStudio automatically increments the version by .1. However, project owners may click on the New Major Version button while checking out a project. This increments the version number to the next major version. For example, if the last checked out version is 3.2, clicking this button will make the next version 4.0. eVirtualStudio supports up to 99.9 versions. If you click Cancel, the CheckedOut project file is deleted and the publishing process is cancelled. You can also enter notes about the updated version of the session or project. These notes appear in the project details screen.

By default, you can check out a project for up to 24 hours. However, the owner of the project can set check-out time limits from 1 to 24 hours. eVirtualStudio reminds you to exit Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase and publish your project half an hour prior to when the check-out time expires. During the last half hour a popup balloon in the Windows system tray reminds you every five minutes to save your file and publish it (check in). See FAQ, What happens if I exceed check-out time or have problems publishing changes to a project?
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What happens if I exceed check-out time or have problems checking in a project?
There a several reasons why a project may get checked out but not get checked back in. These are:

The user leaves their PC and forgets to check-in (Publish) the project or session.
The computer freezes or locks up while the project is open in Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase.

If the computer is not frozen or locked out, eVirtualStudio will automatically check-in the project and publish any changes to the project when the check-out time expires. eVirtualStudio automatically assigns a new version number to the project. Other members will then be able to check out the file once any new audio files have been backed up to the server.

If the computer freezes or locks up while using Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase, eVirtualStudio will not be able to publish updates to your project. If this happens, one of two things will happen:

If the member who checked out the file restarts the computer and opens eVirtualStudio, the member will have the option of publishing the project when trying to Open it in the Project Manager (unless someone else has checked out the file in the interim).
If the project is left checked out for more than a couple of hours after the check-out time has expired, the eVirtualStudio service will automatically cancel the check-out process on the server and therefore make it available to other members.

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Why can’t I edit a project when it is being synchronized?
When eVirtualStudio copies project files from the storage service to the eVirtualStudio cache, the “Project Status” column in the Project Manager will indicate that the file is synchronizing. During this time you can open the project details screen but you will not be able to view or edit the project until all the files have been copied locally.
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Can I share projects with people who are using a different edition of SONAR?
Yes, but there are several issues to keep in mind. The Home, Studio, and Producer editions of SONAR all use the same file format. This means that you can open and save files created in other editions of SONAR. However, each edition of SONAR includes different features and plug-ins. For example, the Producer edition supports surround-sound capabilities, which are not available in other editions. This means that the Home and Studio editions do not recognize these features. In this case, it does not make sense to share surround sound projects with members who are not using the Producer edition.

The Home edition of SONAR does not include many of the plug-ins included in the Studio and Producer editions. Cakewalk has indicated it is safe to share projects between these editions. See the FAQ item What happens if I share projects that contain references to missing audio or MIDI plug-ins? and Tips for sharing projects using eVirtualStudio.
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Can I share projects with people who are using a different edition of Pro Tools?
eVirtualStudio will allow you to publish any Pro Tools project. However, Pro Tools documentation recommends that you only use version 7.x of Pro Tools if you plan to share projects with other users. There are also some feature differences between the HD, LE, and M-Powered versions of Pro Tools. Pro Tools recommends that you save all audio files using WAV rather than TIF. eVirtualStudio will publish both WAV and TIF files. See Sharing Tips for more information on sharing project files.
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Can I share projects with people who are using a different edition of Cubase?
eVirtualStudio will allow you to publish any Cubase project. There are many different editions of Cubase with different plug-ins and features. For example, Cubase 4 Studio edition does not include support for surround sound. See Sharing Tips for more information on sharing files. At this time, eVirtualStudio does not support Libraries (Cubase 4 only).
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What happens if I share projects that contain references to missing audio or MIDI plug-ins?
If you open a project from another member that contains a reference to a missing plug-in, Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase will open the project and warn you that specified plug-ins are missing. DO NOT delete the missing plug-ins, otherwise other members will not be able to access them. If you get missing audio file messages, ask the last person who updated the project to open the project details screen and click Resynch.

Tip: If you create a track that uses third-party audio or MIDI plug-ins, we strongly recommend that you bounce a processed version of the audio to a new track before you save the file. Mute the original track so other members only hear the processed version of your track. The owner of the project can choose to use either the processed version or the unprocessed version of the track during the mastering process. See Tips for sharing projects using eVirtualStudio.
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What happens when I publish a project?
Publishing a project copies the project file and all necessary audio files to the central storage server. Once a project has been published, eVirtualStudio members invited to contribute to the project will automatically receive all updates to your project.

Each time a contributor updates a project, eVirtualStudio publishes the new files to the storage service. Also see Tips for sharing projects using eVirtualStudio.
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What if I don’t like changes made by another member?
Each time a project is updated (published), eVirtualStudio assigns a new version number to the project. This ensures that each change to a project is tracked. eVirtualStudio allows the project owner to return to an earlier version.

To view a previous version of a project, select the desired project version from the “Previous Versions” drop down list and select View. To make a previous version of the project the current version, select the desired version from the drop-down list and select “Change”. You will be prompted to confirm your selection. eVirtualStudio copies the previous version project file to the server and renames it with a new version number. The newly copied file becomes the current version of the project. Other members will receive the updated files the next time they log onto eVirtualStudio.

Note: You cannot revert to a previous version if the project is currently checked out.
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How can I see previous versions of a project?
To view a previous version of a session or project, open the project details screen, select the desired project version from the “Previous Versions” drop down list, and then select View. <Current Version> shows the most recent version of the session or project.
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Can multiple members (with different accounts) use eVirtualStudio on the same computer?
Yes. eVirtualStudio maintains a separate cache for each user.
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What is the eVirtualStudio Cache?
It It is the folder where all your shared projects are stored locally. By default, the eVirtualStudio cache is stored in a folder called eVirtualStudioCache. By default, this folder is located in the Documents folder and on Windows it is stored in My Documents. Click on Options to move the eVirtualStudio cacheto another location . You can access the cache folder directly either through the Windows Explorer by clicking Organize on the project manager screen. Here's some tips for using the cache directory from Windows Explorer:

You can rename or reorganize project folders in any way that you want. The only requirement is that each project should be in its own folder.
Do not rename or delete project files in the cache. If you do, eVirtualStudio will replace the missing files with a copy from the server.
Always use the project manager to delete an entire project. If you delete a project from within Windows Explorer (or move the project outside the eVirtualStudio cache), eVirtualStudio will replace the missing folders and files with a copy from the server.
When you delete a project from within eVirtualStudio, the local copy of the project is moved to a folder called "Deleted Projects" in the root folder of the eVirtualStudio cache. You can safely delete this folder at any time to permanently remove the files.
On Windows only, eVirtualStudio automatically creates a shortcut called Edit Project with eVirtualStudio in each project folder. If eVirtualStudio is not running, this shortcut automatically opens the project details screen in eVirtualStudio for that project.
All the project files are read-only to prevent you from accidentally overwriting a shared project file. You can however, view the projects by double-clicking on the project file.
Don't move or rename project folders while they are being synchronized.

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Does eVirtualStudio remove the local eVirtualStudio cache from a computer if I uninstall the eVirtualStudio client?
No. You must delete the eVirtualStudiocache folder manually. Once the eVirtualStudio client has been uninstalled, you can delete this directory using Windows File Explorer.

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How can I move the eVirtualStudio cache to another location?
If the eVirtualStudio cache is large, you may want to move it to another drive or partition. To do this, make sure that you exit eVirtualStudio. Using Windows Explorer, move the current eVirtualStudioCache folder to the desired location. By default, this folder is the My Documents section of the hard disk. Do not change the name of the eVirtualStudioCache folder. If you are using Vista, you should only place the cache in a location where the user has read/write permissions.

When you restart eVirtualStudio you will be prompted to select the new location for the eVirtualStudioCache folder.
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Can I safely quit eVirtualStudio while files are being published or synchronized?
Yes. You can quit eVirtualStudio at any time while you are publishing or synchronizing files. eVirtualStudio will resume the process the next time you start eVirtualStudio.

Important Note: If you stop publishing a project before it is completed, other members will not be able to access the project until all files have been published.
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What can I do in eVirtualStudio when I work offline?
You can also click the OnLine status indicator in the Project Manager to switch between OnLine and OffLine modes. While in OffLine mode eVirtualStudio only allows you to View projects. All other features are disabled.

Note: You can also browse and view sessions or projects from either the Windows File Explorer. Click on Organize in the Project Manager.
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How can I reduce the size of a project if I don’t need old versions?
eVirtualStudio maintains a copy of all the audio files on the server for each version you create. Over time, this can make the project very large. You may also want to limit the number of old versions that contributors can access. To reduce the size of a project in the cache and on the server:

Open the Project Details screen for the project.
Select View to open the project in Pro Tools, SONAR, or Cubase.
Select either File, Save As (SONAR), or File, Save Project In (Cubase) or File, Save In (Pro Tools) and save the project to a new directory on your computer.
Close SONAR, Cubase, or Pro Tools.
From the eVirtualStudio Project Manager select “Open”.
Select the file you saved earlier.
Click Publish to publish the project.
You can now delete the old project if desired.

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What happens if I exceed the maximum allotted disk space?
You are restricted to a allocated amount of storage on the Amazon service. If you exceed the allocated amount by either adding a new project or editing an existing project, you will not be able to add more projects or check-out existing projects that you own. You can still edit other member's projects. During the beta, you have up to 5GB of storage available. You can delete your projects to reduce the total disk allocation or contact info@evirtualstudio.com for more.
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What is the purpose of the Synch Files button?
When this checkbox is deselected, eVirtualStudio will stop downloading updates for this project. You cannot Edit a project when Synch Files is off. This allows you to install the eVirtualStudio client on different machines and only selectively synchronize certain projects at a workstation. Keep in mind that this setting only applies to you. Other project members will continue to receive updates normally.

Tip: You can also select which of your projects will be synchronized by logging onto eVirtualStudio.com.
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Do I have to be connected to the internet to edit a session or project?

You need to be connected to the internet to checkout and check-in a project. However, you do not need to be connected to the internet while a project is checked out. For example, if you wanted to take a laptop to a gig, you could check it out before you left home and then check it in the next time you are connected to the internet. The maximum checkout time is 24 hours.

Tip: If you are the project owner, you can also check-in a project that has not been checked out. However, you should only do this if you are certain that other users will not be changing the project while you are making changes. To check in a project that has not been checked out:

Use either eVirtualStudio or the Windows File Explorer to navigate to the eVirtualStduioCache folder and open up the most recent version of the session or project you want to edit.
Sessions or projects are marked as read-only. Therefore, the first thing you should do is choose "File Save As" (or "Save Session In") to save a read/write version of the session or project in the same project folder under a new name.
When you are ready to publish the new version, start eVirtualStudio and open the project details screen for the project you updated.
Click on the "Other Versions" drop down list and select the project you saved earlier.
Click on the Change button to add the new project to eVirtualStudio. Click here for more info on version management. Your new project version will now be published under a new version number.

Archiving

What is archiving?
eVirtualStudio allows you to archive your projects on the eVirtualStudio service after they are completed. Archived projects cannot be shared with other members. Once a project has been archived, its project status is changed to ARCHIVED. To view archived projects in the Project Manager, check the Show archived Projects box. To access an archived project, click Open. You can then permanently delete the archived project or restore the project as a shared eVirtualStudio project.
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Can I restore an archived project to eVirtualStudio as a shared project?
Yes. To restore an archived project:

Check the Show archived Projects box to view archived projects in the Project Manager.
Click Open to access the archived project.
Select Restore from the project details screen.
Click OK to accept the selection.

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How do I permanently remove an archived project?

Check the Show archived Projects box to view archived projects in the Project Manager.
Click Open to access the archived project.
Select Delete from the project details screen.
Click OK to accept the selection.

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