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[Tsiobbel]

I'm struggling since 2 years with compilation cd's. This is what I want : one cover for the album, but artist visible in left tree. When I rip I select : - file rule : [Album]\, filename : [Track #] - [Artist] - [Name]. (I prefer the NAS structure to appear under the compilation name : track - artist - name). Now the problems starts : I don't find the artist in the left tree. However in the tag "album artist" = compilation title name and "album type" = various artists. What should I change ? It might be a good idea to start a (chargeable) support line where the screen can be taken over, rather than explaining everything in a text format. Thanks

[Arindelle]

I love it a simple question -- not that simple really 

Now everyone has there own ways to do things. If I may say so, euh, this is not using the power of the MC database at all. Not talking about your issue with compilations, but just finding your artist is like getting a physical CD off of a shelf. This might be ok if you have a couple of hundred artists, but larger collections become unwieldy very fast. (I have a medium size collection and I have 8066 artists today - probably 20% comes from compilations). Now a friend of mine insists on doing it this way, and has even created lettered folders on his hard drives to put his "A, B, C etc." artists in ... he says he's so used to pendaflex folders that he likes it that way 

But, if you are fixed on the idea, you can set up a view and in the left box of the wizard it should at least be Artist then Album in the "show categories in this order". The default, if I remember correctly is AlbumArtist (or AlbumArtist(Auto) if you are using that function). You will get all artist names that way including those from compilations which I believe is what you want to do? (provided the tag for Artist is filled in of course). I've attached a screenshot if you don't know what I'm talking about

Basically  tagging for compilation albums (as well as the template for ripping)  needs the AlbumArtist field to be populated with Various Artists (or multiple artists or whatever as long as it is consistent) You can use the AlbumArtist(Auto) field later, but I find that if you do this during the rip, you are all set. The Artist field must be populated by the artist for each track. This will permit you to easily search and find what you are looking for in a View (I hide the Tree actually ). The views that are out of the box are really just examples. Think how you would like the information to look on the screen, and the possibilities are almost endless.

The end result will be that you can search on any parameter or click to drill down from artist to the compilation cd in question - fast. If you need help just dream up what you want to see and how you want to find stuff, and someone will help you out with the details (nice if you read the wiki first though )


Oh just a tip, so take it with a grain of salt, I find that if your rip includes the track number, track name, album, artist AND album artist (for your compilations), you can change your folder structure twenty times if you want. What confuses everything is renaming the file itself. If this information is part of the file name, you can use the library tool rename, move and copy to change your folder names and/or paths as you wish. You can also rebuild the library in case of a disaster, from the file names too.

[Tsiobbel]

Hi, Thanks for your info but I think I'm missing the key point:
- album = album title
- album artist = multiple artists
- album artist (auto) = multiple artists
- album type = multiple artists (complete)
- artist = name of the single artist
- artist - album = name single artist + name compilation album title

So even all these elements are correctly filled in, the album doesn't appear (right screen / panes) when I search a single artist out of this album.
I really hope you can help me out. Thanks

[Arindelle]

Ha now you have got me confused. So concrete example I have an album called 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (Album) Various Artists=AlbumArtist ok Artist=Varies (if you select all tracks). You call compilation ALBUMARTIST field Multiple Artists .. doesn't matter as long as you are consistent. For the search,  the album type is not important really.

So if I search on the Album name everything comes up. If I search one Album Artists = Various ARtists (or in your case Multiple Artists), amm my compilation albums will come up.

However if I search for John Melancamp -- all his Albums will come up Grouped first by the albums where he is the Album Artist and then the albums he particpates on (various or multiple compilations) ... and of course the 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration comes up but only shows 2 of the songs! Normal, because he is only playing 2 songs on that album. I f I had searched for Lou Reed or Eric Clapton the album would come up again, but would only indicate 1 song for each of them.


Following so far? In other words the Album comes up but shows only the relevant tracks  -- which is eactly what you toldthe search to do.

In a pane view this is obvious, in a category view this is less beacause there are stock vewis which inclued the field (which is really two fields combined btw)  

artist - album = name single artist + name compilation album title

now this to me is a little useless for most purposes ... AlbumArtist - Name is more useful, if the goal is to drill down to complete albums. So don't get hung up on that "field".

The trick is what do you want to show up in the main area? I know what I want to see, but it might not be what you want.

an example with another compilation attached (full album and just searching for Steppenwolf)

[BartMan01]

Hi, Thanks for your info but I think I'm missing the key point:
- album = album title
- album artist = multiple artists
- album artist (auto) = multiple artists
- album type = multiple artists (complete)
- artist = name of the single artist
- artist - album = name single artist + name compilation album title

So even all these elements are correctly filled in, the album doesn't appear (right screen / panes) when I search a single artist out of this album.
I really hope you can help me out. Thanks

IMHO - You should normally leave 'Album Artist' blank and use the 'Album Artist (auto)' field in your views.  The only time I fill out 'Album Artist' is when 'Album Artist (auto)' is 'wrong'.  For example, a live Johnny Cash album that has tracks by other performers.  I still want it listed as a "Johnny Cash" album and not a "Various Artists" album.

I also have a custom 'Artists' field that is a multi-value field that lists all artists on that track.  So 'Ring of Fire' by 'Johnny Cash and the Carter Family' is in my 'Artists' field as "Cash, Johnny;Carter Family, The".  Then when I use the 'Artists' field in a view and select 'Carter Family, The' I get that track.  If I select "Cash, Johnny" I also get that track.