Audio data and Scratch Disk settings

About audio data in Song files

If you record or import audio into an unsaved Song document, the audio is written to the “Scratch Disk folder” on your computer. As soon as you save (and name) the Song document, the audio is moved from the Scratch Disk folder to the Song document. From here on, all new recorded and/or imported audio is stored in the Song document.

Changing Scratch Disk folder location

The Scratch Disk is where Reason Essentials stores new, unsaved songs, plus analysis data (waveform data and high-quality time stretch/sample rate conversion data).

By default, Reason Essentials places the Scratch Disk folder in the system temp folder in your home directory. You can change the Scratch Disk folder location if you like:

1.	Select “Preferences” from the Edit menu (Win) or Reason Essentials menu (Mac) and then click the “Advanced” tab.

2.	Click the “Change” button in the Scratch Disk Folder section.

A system folder browser opens where you can select - or create - a new folder.

3.	Select the folder where you want to locate the Scratch Disk Folder and click “OK”.

4.	Restart the computer and relaunch Reason Essentials.

If you later want to revert to the default setting, click the “Reset” button on the “Advanced” tab.

The custom Scratch Disk Folder setting is removed and is replaced by the default setting. You will then have to restart the computer for the change to take effect.

About unavailable Scratch Disk Folder

If a custom assigned Scratch Disk Folder isn't available when you launch Reason Essentials, an alert saying: "The selected Scratch Disk folder isn't available. Reason Essentials will use the default scratch disk for this session." is shown. This could happen if you have assigned the Scratch Disk folder to a removable disk and that disk is currently unavailable.

Click “OK” to use the default Scratch Disk Folder.

The next time you launch Reason Essentials, it will look for the custom assigned Scratch Disk Folder again, and will do so every time you launch Reason Essentials, until you reset the custom assignment by clicking the “Reset” button.

About “Orphan Audio Streams”

If your computer should malfunction (due to power loss etc.) during recording into a previously saved Song document, there is a good chance that your last unsaved audio recordings can be (at least partly) recovered:

1.	Restart your computer and launch Reason Essentials.

2.	Open one of the Song documents that was open during the computer malfunction.

If the Song contained unsaved audio recordings, Reason Essentials will find these and show an alert saying that the Song contains “orphan audio streams”. You will be given the choice of deleting them or having them appear in new clips on a new audio track, for salvaging.

Note that it’s only audio recordings that it’s possible to recover. Any new Instrument Tracks in an unsaved Song will be lost in the case of computer malfunction.