LivetrakPort

Contents

• Overview
• Command Line Parameters
• Batch File Usage
• L-12 to L-20 Migration Notes

Overview

This project is a utility to port Zoom LiveTrak L-12 projects to Zoom LiveTrak L-20 projects.

The Zoom LiveTrak mixers use project files that are incompatible with each other. After years of using an L-12, I wanted to switch to an L-20 and I wanted L-20 versions of all my L-12 projects without having to manually create L-20 projects or needing to import audio files on the device.

Zoom does not provide any porting utilities. My solution started with decoding the binary project files (at least for those items that I wanted ported from L-12 to L-20 projects). Collected notes for the zdt files are available here.

LivetrakPort is a command line/console program that creates L-20 project files in the same directory as L-12 projects. Since the project files are unique to each device, they are able to co-exist in the same directory structure (which is common between the L-12 and L-20).

LivetrakPort is intended to be executed via a batch file from a command-line opened to the recording media (either the root or a particular sub-directory), though it can be called directly without the use of the batch file to process one project at a time.

Command Line Parameters

Required command-line params:

• -t=L20TemplateProjectFile Full path of default L-20 project file. A default L-20 project file is included with LivetrakPort, though you can use your own. The default project file has all channels muted by default. If you port a full L-12 session, then channels 1-8 will be unmuted (assuming they were unmuted in the L-12 project), while channels 9-16 will be muted. L-20 channels 17-20 will be unmuted (assuming channels 9/10 and 11/12 were unmuted in the L-12 project).
• -s=L12sourceProjectFile Full path of L-12 file to port to L-20

Optional command-line params:

• -m=[rcx] L-12 stereo track migration: (r)ename files, (c)opy files, (x)ignore files (default)
  • If -m=c is specified, then the L-12 track files named TRACK09_10.WAV and TRACK11_12.WAV will be copied to files named TRACK17_18.WAV and TRACK19_20.WAV for the L-20 to load. The L-12 will continue to be able to load media for channel 9/10 and 11/12. The copy can be time-consuming depending on your media.
  • If -m=r is specified, then the L-12 track files named TRACK09_10.WAV and TRACK11_12.WAV will be renamed to TRACK17_18.WAV and TRACK19_20.WAV for the L-20 to load. The L-12 will no longer see media for channel 9/10 and 11/12.
  • If -m=x is specified, then the L-20 will not see any media for channels 17/18 and 19/20 unless files were already there before x was specified. This option exists for cases where you want to rerun the port multiple times by deleting generated L-20 project files, and not having to deal with the stereo tracks over and over again.
• -rX=NewName Rename L-20 channel (where X is a value from 1 to 20) to NewName (maximum of 8 characters). This is an alternative to baking channel names into the L20TemplateProjectFile.

Example usage:

LivetrakPort.exe -t=d:\temp\L20default.zdt -s=f:\folder3\Song1\PRJDATA.ZDT -m=r -r1=Vox -r2=Bass -r3=Gtr1 -r4=Gtr2 -r5=DrumsL -r6=DrumsR

Batch File Usage

Rather than run the executable directly, use the batch file to process multiple L-12 projects in a single pass.

Before using the included batch file portlivetrak.bat, modify the set statements in the batch file.

• LivetrakPortExe should point to the downloaded executable
• L20Template should point to either the downloaded L-20 project file or your own default L-20 project file
• RenameArgs can be blank or you can specify channel names
• StereoTracks decide whether your want to copy, rename or ignore stereo media (this only affects the track media files, not the channel settings migration)

Use del /s L20PRJDATA.ZDT if you want to rerun the port with different arguments. If you copied or renamed the stereo tracks in the first run, then you can use the ignore (x) option for subsequent reruns.

Example usage:

1. f: assuming media card is mounted as F:
2. cd folder01 to process all projects in the first folder
3. yourinstallpath\portlivetrak.bat call the batch file; it will descend into every project directory in FOLDER01

L-12 to L-20 Migration Notes

L-12 stereo channels 9/10 and 11/12 are migrated to L-20 stereo channels 17/18 and 19/20 -- whether or not stereo track media is copied/renamed (stereo media copy/rename is controlled via the -m command line parameter).

L-12 EQ parameters are partially migrated to L-20 EQ parameters. EQ Mid Freq and EQ Low Cut are not migrated. In the generated L-20 project, those two EQ parameter values will be whatever they were in the specified L-20 template file.

L-12 effects are mapped to L-20 effect 1 or 2 as is appropriate. Effect parameters are ported as well, except for Room 1 and Room 2 parameter 2. In the generated L-20 project, Parameter 2 for Room 1 and Room 2 will be whatever they were in the specified L-20 template file.