Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[tlcmd]

Any advice and assistance would be appreciated. I am running Windows 8.1 on a HP Envy 700 series computer and have been using the old MJ8 for years. I would like some really simple instructions as to how to create Smartlists in MC19 from the music files in MJ8.400.
My problem is that all of my 10+k files are also indexed by genre, and mostly multiple genres. MJ8 also had a way to not play certain genres in any given smartlist or multiple smartlists.

An example: I have a song, "I'd Like You for Christmas" performed by Julie London, whose genres are Christmas, mood, torch, and female vocalist.
I also would have a song like Moonlight Serenade by The Glenn Miller Orchestra is genre indexed as Mood, instrumental, big band, and easy listening.

My questions:

1) How can I create a playlist with any or all of those preassigned (under properties) genres?

2) How can I tell MC19 not to play songs containing the genre "Christmas" (Which I obviously only want to play from Thanksgiving through the New Year?

3) Can I transfer those smartlists from MJ8 to MC 19 directly and if so, how?

FYI, I am making the switch from Windows XP and a 13 year old computer to my new one. I am a 73 year old retired physician who is NOT really computer literate. So I would request that you keep it simple; answer this as you would to a 12 year old sixth grader and maybe I can understand it.  KISS it (Keep it simple for stupid).

Thank you,
tlcmd

[MrC]

1) How can I create a playlist with any or all of those preassigned (under properties) genres?

Create a Smartlist, selecting Genre as the Rule, selecting "is any" in the box to the right of that, and select each of the genres you want included in the box to to its right.

2) How can I tell MC19 not to play songs containing the genre "Christmas" (Which I obviously only want to play from Thanksgiving through the New Year?

Create a smartlist, selecting Genre as the Rule, selecting "is not any" in the box to the right of that, and select Christmas in the third box.

3) Can I transfer those smartlists from MJ8 to MC 19 directly and if so, how?

I have no idea about this.  Those lists are from a long time ago, and I have never had MJ8 installed.  If MC19 didn't import the library and retain the smartlists/playlists, you might have to recreate them.

[tlcmd]

Mr C.
Thanks for your response to my question. MC19 does import my songs, but creates a separate playlist for each combination of genres which are listed in the properties of the song On both Windows 8.1 and Linux; I have a dual boot. So I end up with over 200 playlists, each with only 2 or 3 songs.
Interestingly, I could make MJ8 run on my Linux distro on an older computer and it only lost the DSP studio and would not recognize the cd.dvd drive> I could work around this by using the preinstalled Banshee jukebox to import songs and burn cd's. I could then put those imported songs into my "Music folder" and let MJ8 import them. It was a little klutzy, but worked. 

So my next question would be, do I need to simplify my genre listing in the properties of each song?

I can do this with MJ8 prior to moving them into MC19 on either Windows 8.1 or Linux.

If it will help, I can send you MP3 or ogg vorbis files for your evaluations. Just give me an email address or other way to do it.

Thanks,
Over the years, I have really enjoyed MJ8 and have recommended your jukeboxes and Media Centres tomany friends and email pals.

tlcmd

[MrC]

You're welcome.

I think we might be having a terminology issue.

When you say "separate playlist for each combination of genres",  can you explain what this means a little more clearly?  MC won't be automatically creating "playlists" like this, so I think you mean something different.

And you say "So I end up with over 200 playlists, each with only 2 or 3 songs".  Please define as best you can what you mean by "playlist".

Also, you said in your original post "files are also indexed by genre".  Does this mean in Explorer, as in your Folders?  Or ... ?

As a little background, MC in the case of Genre will acts/looks different that MJ8 in some cases.  In MC17, Artist, Genre, Composer, and Conductor became List-type fields:

17.0.76 (1/25/2012)

1. NEW: Artist, Genre, Composer, and Conductor are list-type fields.

So to help you get what you want and configure MC for you're liking, I want to be sure I understand what we're talking about here.  To help me see your files / genres as MC sees them:  Select your files, and use File > Export Playlist.  Select:

   Format: Text File (CSV delimited)
   Included Fields: All Fields
   Output Range: Selection

Save it to the Desktop, zip it, and attach it in a reply here.  This way, we'll both be talking about the same data, and we can focus on your views, playlists, smartlists, etc...

Btw. I don't work for JRiver - I'm just a user like you.  JRiver's folks read all the posts, and I'm sure they appreciate your complementary remarks.

[tlcmd]

Mr C,
Hopefully this is what you requested (2 of them). I am not a computer guru so please bear with me.  As I noted in my previous post, my MC19 has taken all of my multiple files which were assigned multiple genres and made each of those combinations a separate playlist. Here's an example attached.

If you downloaded MJ8.400 and entered any playlist or smartlist I send, each music file would have several genres in the properties and each could be imported into either a separate single genred or multiple genred one.

I guess a more complex question would be, if I upgraded from MJ8 to either another Media Jukebox or Media Center, would those MJ8 lists remain intact? That way, I could gradually "move up the ladder" to MC19.

I am very appreciative you your interest and help. I hope that someday I can become knowlegeable enough to help others.

Harmmoniously,
Dick

[MrC]

Ok, I see what the trouble is, at least some of what you've identified.  I'll list the issues:

1. Your genre values are using comma as a separator, and not a semicolon.  MC uses a semicolon for list items.  You probably used a comma long ago, because it allows Explorer to see the multiple values as a single string.  When you use semicolon, Windows Explorder only shows your the first item in the file's Properties or an Explorer column.  This is a deficiency in Explorer.  Other file managers, such as Directory Opus, does the right thing.  I would suggest that you ignore Explorer's poor presentation, and instead correct the tags as per-standard.

You'll want to replace all , characters with ; characters in Genre.  You can select the files, and do this in Library Tools > Find & Replace, selecting the Genre field.  You can make a Library Backup; in case something goes wrong, you can Restore from Backup.  And Undo works.

2. Some of your genre's are either not self-consistent, or have extraneous commas, or are missing commas (after step 1 above, you'd want semicolons, not commas).  Example:

    Barbershop Quartet
    barbershop, quartet
    barbershop, barbershop chorus
    barbershop quartet religious
    ...

There are also case differences, and other minor differences.

I'll suggest to you that cleaning these up is not very difficult, since you can sort on Genre either in the File List or in a Genre pane.  You can directly fix the tags for the selected files directly in the File List, or by just editing the value in the Genre pane.

I would perform (1) first, and then Refresh with F5, and this will show you most of your genre's in a list.  For those genres that are missing a semicolon (was comma), you'll have to edit the genre for these files and replace the space-separator with a semicolon.

I listed your genres into a file.  Here are your current line counts before and after I replaced , with ;, and sorted removing duplicates, ignoring case differences:

    1019 tlcmd_genres.txt
      373 tlcmd_genres_semicolon_sorted_unique.txt

These are the only operations I performed on my text file, because this will be the results after you do Step 1 above, essentially.  The files are attached below (zipped).

I have a tool that can help you fix the remainders (or all of them, for that matter, allowing you to omit Step 1 above), but it will require you to provide a list of all the valid genres that you really want.  You can examine the tlcmd_genres_semicolon_sorted_unique.txt file and take lines such as:

  Big Band easy listening mood romantic

and break it apart into the meaningful components:

   Big Band
   easy listening
   mood
   romantic

I'd be looking for the list of each unique genre, and from that entire list,  I can automate fixing (pretty much) all of them, including correcting case, etc.  Most of them I can figure out and are obvious, but some are not, and I wouldn't want to botch your genre data.

[tlcmd]

Mr C,
May the good Lord bless and keep you. You are the first person who could even begin to identify my problems. And thus the first to offer ways to fix them.

I posted this on the MC19 Windows but am actually working with the Linux MC19, still in development. However, I do have a brand new dual boot computer and am running MJ8.400 on the Windows 8.1 OS.
This would also explain why my files do the same on Banshee which come preinstalled with LMDE. I do prefer J River MC after working with it. Ditto for Linux after trying to deal with 8.1 on this computer and Windows 7 on one of my wife's.

But Mr C, thank you ever so much, after I find time to fix the files in MJ8, I'll let you know about my progress. But meanwhile, as the saying goes, When you are up to your bottom in alligators, it's hard to remember that you came out to drain the swamp.

Harmmmmoniously (I am a barbershopper),
tlcmd

[MrC]

Howdy,

You're welcome, and thanks.

I'd like to suggest you work to make changes in MC19 (Windows) since the list item changes won't be in MJ8, and you'll need these to be able to quickly identify and see your progress.  See attached.  You can change the values directly in either the top portion of the screenshot, or the bottom, or in the Tag Action Window, or with Find & Replace as mentioned above.  And as you make these changes, the Genre's list will update to reflect the progress you are making.

Good timing with your post;  right now, I am working on your list of genre's to write a quick script to do most of the grunt work for you.  I think it will come in handy for others too, as it will do some clean-up work.  If you'd be interested in using it to help, let me know...

[tlcmd]

MrC,
Obviously I am doing something wrong.
1) My music files are backed up on an external HDD and another computer.
2) I selected all my songs and went to properties and genres.
3) Then I used the Library tools to replace ',' with ';'
4) The result on both WIndows 8.1 and LMDE was the same. The commas were deleted but NOT replaced with the semicolon.
5) I then downloaded the trial version of MC19 to my Windows 8.1
6) All of the music files were imported and I then went to genres and selected all.
7) Went to the Library tools and to find and replace but found that "No files were selected,

Where did I go wrong?

I suspect it was somewhere between my steps 6 and 7.

 I now have my original unchanged music files in my external HDD as well as on both the Windows 8.1 and LMDE partitions. And have MJ8 and MC 19 on both the Windows and Linux partitions.
FYI, this HP Envy does have a 2 TiB HDD, so I've got a lot of room to copy and move stuff around.

I am very appreciative of your efforts on my behalf. I can simplify my genres in MJ8 fairly simply, but getting the library tool to work in the trial version of MC 19 is my biggest problem.
BTW, back in Sept, I did purchase the license for the Linux MC 19, so I'm not sponging off J Rivers.

Again, thanks for your continuing advice.
Harmoniously,
tlcmd (aka Dick)

[MrC]

>> 2) I selected all my songs and went to properties and genres.

I don't get where you mean when you say "properties".  MC doesn't have this.

>> 3) Then I used the Library tools to replace ',' with ';'

Do you mean in MC19 or MJ8?

If MC19, did you mean Library Tools > Find & Replace?

>> 5) I then downloaded the trial version of MC19 to my Windows 8.1

This is concerning.  It implies you did the work above in MJ8.  I cannot speak to what happens using MJ8, as I've never used that old dinosaur, and cannot provide any useful instructions using it.  You're on your own if you go that route (above I strongly advised moving to MC19 *first* to do the work).

>> 6) All of the music files were imported and I then went to genres and selected all.
>> 7) Went to the Library tools and to find and replace but found that "No files were selected,

You must have been in the Audio > Panes view.  From that view, select all the files at the bottom, in the File List.  Then, Library Tools > Find & Replace will appear.

[MrC]

If you want some Remote desktop help, let me know.  It might be much faster to show you that to explain, and you'll see how rapidly many things can be done.

We'd remote control via TeamViewer QS, on your Windows system.

[tlcmd]

MrC, Thank you for the reply and the offer to help me out remotely. I may have to accept that offer, but I really would like to learn to do it myself. I probably mentioned that I am an Internal medicine doctor, retired at age 73, but still keep my license active through Continuing Medical Education programs. So I think I've got the smarts and enjoy challenges which is a hallmark of my specialty, figuring out and solving problems.

And I'm just learning Windows 8.1 as of Feb 18th with this new computer and now have MC19 to learn about.  In that same vein, I prefer to mow my own lawn, till my own garden, and detail my cars myself. On the Autopia detailing forum, I'm best described as being an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive DETAILER)

However, if I do admit defeat and accept your very kind offer of remotely repairing my computer, when would it be a most convenient time for you to do it via MC 19 on Windows?

I recognize that most of my music files will fit into a much shorter list of genres, but these files were added to MJ7 and subsequently MJ8 over at least 15+ years on more than one computer. And were assigned the genre or genres at the time I entered them into the computer. A single example of my own confusion was the use of both "romance" and "romatic" as genres and I had to use the smartlist "rom" to include them both as a single genre on MJ8. And you picked up on my heretofore unknown changes in the different cases in Quartet and quartet which probably pervade all my genres. So there are obviously many more problems which are undiscovered.

Having worked in my garden all day today, I'm not about to try to tackle MC19 this evening when I'm tired and probably will make many more "misteaks" than I will after a good night's rest and a couple cups of coffee. I am in the Eastern Daylight Time Zone if you need to offer times convenient to you to roam around in this computer. There is little else on my Windows Partition as I am switching to Linux Mint Debian Edition because it appears to be the best OS for my use since I'm not a gamer.

Sorry for the length of this epistle, but again wish to thank you for your kindness and patience with this chubby old guy whose grand kids are probably laughing at me for getting a desktop rather than a laptop for my personal use.

Harmmoniously,
tlcmd (aka Dick)

[MrC]

Good stuff.

I took the other road.  I decided NOT to become a physician (abandoning my childhood notion of being a neurosurgeon), and applaud all of you fine folks (a life inside of hospital or physician's office was not my cup of tea).

Just drop me a line if/when you want help.  I'm on PST.

[tlcmd]

Mr C,
  After thinking it over last night and ruminating even more this AM, I came to the conclusion that my trying to fix this on my own would be a great challenge, but this would probably involve a lot of your time and effort, much more than if I you fixed it remotely.
In order to make it as easy as possible for you to fix my genre properties remotely, what can I do. I have the original playlist here on this computer and also both MJ8 and MC19 (trial) on this WIndows 8.1 partition.

Please let me know what I can do to help here first.

Then when it will be convenient for YOU, let me know, and I'll be here at the keyboard.

I can PM you my phone # and/or email address if you need it.

Thank you again for your assistance and kindness.
BTW, I was fortunate enough to see the last of the golden years of medicine and got more than a bitter taste of what it was becoming when I had to retire in 2000 at the age of 59. So, in retrospect, you made the right decision. I served in the US Navy as a medical officer and the higher in rank doctors rose, the less patient contact they had. I could see after 4 years of service that I wanted to take care of patients and not be a glorified record keeper. Unfortunately, recently, most practicing doctors are now involved in much more paperwork  for the third party payers and some bureaucrat who cannot do the job is always there looking over their shoulder telling them how to do it. Only one of my children will have the title of Doctor preceding his name. He is going to get a PhD in microbacteriology from Michigan State. 
Again, thanks for the assistance. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
Dick

[MrC]

I've sent you a private message here.