Workflow question about making a track's size smaller

[tobypearce]

I have a folder of stems for a remix = 1.03gb
When I import into Reason and save the track, file size = 2.07gb (original stems are 16bit so Reason creates 24bit versions, which is presumably why the file size increases.

My challenge is the make the file size smaller.
Lots of tracks have big portions of silence so I have used the razor tool to delete them:

Screenshot 2019-05-11 at 07.12.49.png (583.5 KiB) Viewed 526 times

This does not, however, change the file size at all, since the deleted audio is still there (and can be recovered simply by extending the track regions back to where they were.
So my question is: what's the most efficient way at this point to consolidate this track in the picture above to reduce the file size by truly removing the regions I have deleted?

Bouncing all tracks doesn't work - it just take me back to where I was.
The best way I've found is to select all regions, bounce, then save an optimise. This takes the file size down to 1.03gb.

Is there a better way that I'm missing?

[Loque]

Did you tried to save as optimized?

[PhillipOrdonez]

I have a folder of stems for a remix = 1.03gb
When I import into Reason and save the track, file size = 2.07gb (original stems are 16bit so Reason creates 24bit versions, which is presumably why the file size increases.

My challenge is the make the file size smaller.
Lots of tracks have big portions of silence so I have used the razor tool to delete them: Screenshot 2019-05-11 at 07.12.49.png

This does not, however, change the file size at all, since the deleted audio is still there (and can be recovered simply by extending the track regions back to where they were.
So my question is: what's the most efficient way at this point to consolidate this track in the picture above to reduce the file size by truly removing the regions I have deleted?

Bouncing all tracks doesn't work - it just take me back to where I was.
The best way I've found is to select all regions, bounce, then save an optimise. This takes the file size down to 1.03gb.

Is there a better way that I'm missing?

Never tested this but since you were at it, might as well:

Once you've cut up your regions, right click, save as new recordings. Can you try?

As I understand it, save and optimise should only be done when you are finished with your song? At least that's what I read some place.

[tobypearce]

Great stuff.

Bounce to new recordings is good for this and I'd never used it before.

It bounces to the same location rather than creating a new track and muting the old one. This cuts out a step so is definitely an improvement.

Thanks for the tip Phillip!

[ScuzzyEye]

As I understand it, save and optimise should only be done when you are finished with your song? At least that's what I read some place.

Save and optimize is a bit like a defragment. Reason in order to speed up saving, mostly appends new device settings and stuff to the end of a file, and leaves holes for deleted things. Save and optimize rewrites the entire file back to disk in a more optimal order, with no holes. You certainly don't have to wait until the end to use it, but it also doesn't need to be done every time, especially since it takes longer than a regular save. Maybe do it at the end of a working session where you've changed a lot of stuff with the song.

[PhillipOrdonez]

As I understand it, save and optimise should only be done when you are finished with your song? At least that's what I read some place.

Save and optimize is a bit like a defragment. Reason in order to speed up saving, mostly appends new device settings and stuff to the end of a file, and leaves holes for deleted things. Save and optimize rewrites the entire file back to disk in a more optimal order, with no holes. You certainly don't have to wait until the end to use it, but it also doesn't need to be done every time, especially since it takes longer than a regular save. Maybe do it at the end of a working session where you've changed a lot of stuff with the song.

Thanks!