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More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 23 for Windows => Topic started by: LennyM on September 06, 2017, 02:00:35 pm

Title: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: LennyM on September 06, 2017, 02:00:35 pm
I've posted before, but to no avail.  Perhaps I'm just too simple to do the simple things in MC.  I just want to create a simple library and have been unable to.

The library would look like this.

Symphony 1
 Movement 1
 Movement 2
 Movement 3
 Movement 4

Symphony 2
 Movement 1
 Movement 2
 Movement 3
 Movement 4
etc.

So when I click on movement 1 the whole symphony should play in the correct order.

The files on my hard disk are set up exactly like that.  The files are all DSD rips from SACDs.  Some of the symphonies are long and originate on multiple disks.

I thought I had it done, but for some reason when the movements appear in a pane for some reason they change their order spontaneously and are therefore useless for playback.  Why does that happen?  Can they be rearranged and frozen in the correct order?

I would hope there is a simple cook-book explanation for creating this very simple sort of library.

Is there no no one at JRiver who can help?

Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: JimH on September 06, 2017, 02:11:57 pm
It would help to know how you're browsing in MC.

You can assign track numbers by putting files in the right order, selecting them, and using the library tool called fill track numbers from list order.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: LennyM on September 06, 2017, 02:46:55 pm
Thank you very much for responding.  Perhaps there should be a template for newbes like me.  A "classical" template, a "popular" template, etc.

How do I "browse"?
I click on "Playing Now", then on my library, then on Audio.
In the upper widow I see: Genre, Artist and Album (which is my primary interest).  [Odd that I cannot seem to be able to change the width of the columns.]
In the lower window, all of the albums, each followed by its movements.
If I scroll and click on an album of interest in the upper window only that album with its movements is shown.

I now see that there are track numbers on the right side, and that in some cases the same track number is shown twice.  That is what might be causing me difficulty.  Is there a way to simply change the track numbers there?

Within how I "browse" I do not now know how to put files in the right order.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: JimH on September 06, 2017, 03:41:24 pm
You can change the track number as I described above.

You can also slow double click on the one you want to change.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: blgentry on September 06, 2017, 03:51:21 pm
There are a couple of classical experts here that might see this and post with some suggestions.  I have a teeny tiny classical collection and I'm not organizing it in any meaningful way; I'm not skilled at how that's supposed to be done.

You might post a screen shot of what you are seeing; that might help us understand what you want and what you currently have.  Circling certain areas on the screen shot and/or putting arrows and/or text might help too.  Just a suggestion.

Brian.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: LennyM on September 06, 2017, 04:17:58 pm
Thank you Brian.  Perhaps I can do that tomorrow after further clarification. What I have simply done is first after organize my music on the hard disk.  Then I clicked on Playing Now and my library then Audio and then Panes.  Then I moved each of my albums in turn from the hard disk to the Panes window.  I was not following any manual or anything.

JimH,  A "slow double click".  Never heard of that, but it worked.  That goes a long way to making it work for me.  Thank you.

Just one more question if I can.  A couple of my albums which were originally on 2 disks refuse to merge.  They simply appeared in MC as two albums.  Others have merged easily.

The separated ones (which are merged and treated as one on my hard disk) simply come forth in MC as numbered albums, for ex.: Requiem (1), Requiem (2).  MC seems to treat them in every way as separate albums.  Is there a way to merge them?
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: 221bBS on September 06, 2017, 04:45:14 pm
If your files are organized on the hard drive, I would suggest that you group your music by filename (path).

Click the upside down pyramid on the tab (see attached pic), above the panes (upper window: Genre, Artist and Album). A drop down menu will pop down, click Group By > More (sort groups a-z) > Filename (path).

This will group your files by file path.

Check the lower window and see if there is a column named filename (name). If there isn't one, it needs to be added.

Right click the column header and scroll down until you see filename (name) and click it. the column should appear.

Click on the filename (name) header and a menu will pop up with two choices, click Sort Inside Groups by filename (name).

This should sort the files so you can just click/drag the files (to select them) and right click Library Tools > Fill Track Numbers From List Order...

Once you are done, just change the Group by to none.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: RoderickGI on September 06, 2017, 08:47:06 pm
The separated ones (which are merged and treated as one on my hard disk) simply come forth in MC as numbered albums, for ex.: Requiem (1), Requiem (2).  MC seems to treat them in every way as separate albums.  Is there a way to merge them?

Just change the name of both Requiem (1) and Requiem (2) to "Requiem". You can use the slow double click on the Album field to make the field editable, or click on it and press the F2, or right click on the Album name and select "Rename".

I suggest that you use the "Albums" View in MC to do this, then search for "Requiem" using the search box in the top right corner of MC Standard View. You will get a view something like the first attached image, once you display the bottom pane. Before you merge the two discs into one Album, it is a good idea to display the [Disc #] column (right click any column, click on "Disc #", click anywhere outside the list of fields) and add in the correct disc number for all the tracks, as highlighted by the Blue ellipses in the image. This is a good time to check and if necessary add in the Track numbers as well, as highlighted by the Green ellipses.

Note that in my simple example, I have a two disc set of "The Essential Neil Diamond", but the discs are named "The Essential Neil Diamond (1 of 2)" and "The Essential Neil Diamond (2 of 2)" as highlighted by the Red ellipses. Note also the "Album" column shows the two names.

All I have to do to merge the two discs into one Album is to select all the tracks shown, then edit the [Album] column so that they all have the same name, "The Essential Neil Diamond". Done.

See the result in the second attached image. That is using the default sort of [Artist], [Album], [Disc #], [Track #].

The Panes display you were using will also show the Album correctly.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: LennyM on September 07, 2017, 08:07:00 am
Combining the two files by renaming them without the numbers has worked. 

I guess I'm getting the sense of this now.

Thank you all for your help.
Title: Re: Setting Up a Simple Library - Help Please!
Post by: MikeO on September 07, 2017, 01:08:19 pm
If I read this right you can do it with a Custom Tag

Create a Tag "Composition" e.g. Beethoven Symphony No. 5 , select all 4 movements of the symphony and make Compositions "symphony no 5"

now create a view for compositions say Composer>Composition you should now see all your compositions split and playing the composition will play all 4 movements

Is that what you want. It's how I have mine set up, it takes effort to populate the composition field though.

Mike