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[Jamil]

This is a feature request to improve stacking.  Stacking is tricky to use as currently implemented.  It is consistent in how it works though, so it is not terribly bad after getting used to it.

What I would like to see improved--

Have MC automatically choose the single selection of a group of many as the top of the stack based on the bitrate.  As an example, I have the following four files of the same song:

1984, Purple Rain (192kHz)\09-Purple Rain.flac
1993, The Hits\36-Purple Rain.ape
1984, Purple Rain\09-Purple Rain.mp3

Regardless of the order of which three files I select in my library, I would like to see MC automatically make the flac file above the top of the stack.  As it stands now, I must remember to click the flac file last of all three to have it made the top of the stack.

This could be a configurable option, in case someone likes the way it currently works.

[connersw]

This feature exists.  Right click -> Stacks -> Advanced -> Autostack Files By Name

You'll get a pop up window "Would you like to set a specific file type as the Stack Top?"  Click Yes. 
Please enter the file type to be set as the top file: flac

[Jamil]

How is this auto setting the top of stack based on the bit rate?

[connersw]

It's not; it's by file type.  Which your post read like you were actually trying to achieve (ie flac on top).  The encoder/compression you use is going to determine your file type, and in turn give you a different bit rate.

I suppose it's possible, but I'm not sure why you would have the same file with different bit rates and the same file type.  If they are different recordings, then I would use customized views to display them differently rather than stacking. 

[Jamil]

No.  I am requesting that MC make the a single file the top of stack based on the bitrate.

The reason a file type won't work is that I have many different types of files that may be the highest bitrate.  It isn't always FLAC.  Sometimes it is APE.  Some times it is ACC.  The code tracks the bitrate of every file.  I see this in my library now.  It's just a matter of changing the code to do what I requested in the first post.

[connersw]

Granted FLAC may not be the highest bit rate through out your Library.  However, if you have an album in FLAC, APE, and ACC one file type should always have the highest bit rate on each track.  If not, they came from different sources or they were not encoded correctly. 

Edit:  Looking more closely at your example, it looks like you are actually trying to stack the same song from different recordings.  Something I would not do, but everyone manages their Library differently. 

[Jamil]

The reason I am doing this was that I asked how MC19 can support the same song across multiple bitrates.  The post is here.  I was specifically told to try stacks.

Is there a better way to handle this then?  I'm all ears.

[connersw]

Try creating a Smartlist, and Modify Results.
1st Add New Modifier: Sort by -> Z-A -> Bitrate
2nd Add New Modifier: Remove duplicates of -> Name

I just tried it on a very small sample size, and it seemed ok.  See if it gives you what you want.  This is very basic though, and it could remove songs that perhaps have the same name, but a different artist.  MrC or someone else might have a more in depth expression that does it better.

The problem with using Stacks is that those files essentially disappear from your Library unless you specifically go get them.  It's really designed for separating File Types within an album (for example, a FLAC for most uses and an mp3 that you only want to access when you sync to a handhheld device).  

Think of it this way, you have a compilation with 10-tracks, 9 of which you have nowhere else in your Library.  The 10th track is Purple Rain.  If you stacked that track because of its bitrate, whenever you played that compilation album, you would never hear or see Purple Rain again.  Is that really what you want?

[Jamil]

Here is my current smartlist:

Code: [Select]

[Media Type]=[Audio] [Last Played]=>90d ([Genre]=[Jazz] or [Genre]=[Latin Jazz] or ([Genre]=[Classical] [Rating]=5)) ~sort=Random
In the Modify Results section, I currently shuffle the results for a random play.  Sorting wouldn't work, since I am shuffling.

So, this would not work for me.

[connersw]

The Modify Results rules go in order, so you can shuffle after you put the highest bitrate on top and remove duplicates.  You can also shuffle/reshuffle on playback.

Please try it.

[Jamil]

Ah -- thank you.  I wasn't aware that you can add multiple sorts that operate in order.  I just learned something new.

I just did this and tested it out by typing in the name of a file that I unstacked.  I only saw the highest bitrate version of a single entry in my result.  This will work instead of stacking.

Unfortunately, I spent two days stacking everything that I would have to unstack now, but this works fine.

I think my feature request is still good to implement though, since stacking in itself is not user friendly.  Something can be done to improve it, I think.  If not my suggestion, then some way to see and control the order other than remembering to CTRL-click the last file of a set to make it the top of the stack.

[Jamil]

Here is what my smartlist looks like now:

Code: [Select]

[Media Type]=[Audio] [Genre]=[Electronic],[Jazz & Funk],[JPop],[Pop],[Pop//Funk],[R&B],[Rhythmic Soul],[Urban Crossover] [Last Played]=>60d ~sort=[Bitrate]-d ~nodup=[Artist],[Name] ~sort=Random
So this is dependent on tags to eliminate duplicate files.  One set of files where this will not work is the following example:

Digital Audio\Prince\1993, The Hits\08-Let's Go Crazy.ape
Digital Audio\Prince And The Revolution\1984, Purple Rain (192kHz)\01-Let's Go Crazy.flac
Digital Audio\Prince And The Revolution\1984, Purple Rain\01-Let's Go Crazy.ape

I added artist into the nodup setting, because there are many artists in my collection with the same song title (especially in jazz where everyone and their mother plays standards).

This may not work out as good as stacking.

[connersw]

Like I wrote, that was a simplified version to get you started.  You may be able to use an expression with Artist contains. 

MrC or someone else would need to help you though.  It would take me hours to write it and test it, and there are others on here that can do it in 2-seconds.

I really do not think you want to use stacking for what you are trying to accomplish, but to each their own.  In the example you just gave, if the version from The Hits had the highest bitrate and was stacked on top, every time you played the album Purple Rain, you would not hear or see Let's Go Crazy. 

[Jamil]

I understand what you mean, and this was the main reason for my requested feature.  The only way that Lets Go Crazy from the Hits would ever get stacked on top is by accident.  It is easy to screw up stacking the way it is currently implemented.  This needs to be fixed.

Lets Go Crazy that is 192kHz is currently stacked on top, and this is the only version I wish to hear played via MC.  The lower bitrate versions are there for things like my car, my portable player, etc.  I actually only use a fraction of MC's features, because all I need to do with it is play music through my DAC.  The rest of its features (tag management, videos, photos, media serving, etc.) are never used by me.

[connersw]

I'm not sure you are understanding.  Stacking works well the way it is implemented for its intended purpose.  It just might not be the right tool for what you are trying to do.  It's like saying, "man, it is taking me forever to hammer in this bolt.  I need a bigger hammer." 

Do you not ever play complete Albums?  Even if Lets Go Crazy in 192kHz is stacked on top, now if you ever play the album The Hits, you will not hear Lets Go Crazy in 192kHz; you will not hear Lets Go Crazy at all. 

[Jamil]

One of us is not understanding.  This is for certain.

Yes -- I play complete albums.  Again, I setup MC19 to only play music through my DAC.  Therefore, when I play a complete album, I would play all of:

1984, Purple Rain (192kHz)
  or
1982, 1999 (96kHz)

I would never play any of:

1984, Purple Rain
  or
1982, 1999
  or
any of the single selections that exist in any compilations; these have all been replaced with top level stacks of the higher bitrate version.

I have no need to, and I do not care if any of the lower bitrate versions of the tracks are hidden due to stacking.  Again, these lower bitrate versions are there for a different purpose.  I don't do anything with these selections through MC19 and never need to.  I have other tools that use them for other purposes.  Does this make sense?

As I see it, there is no better tool for what I want to do other than stacking.  Stacking was a great idea, but it can use improvements...hence this thread.

[connersw]

I would play all of:

1984, Purple Rain (192kHz)
  or
1982, 1999 (96kHz)

I would never play any of:

1984, Purple Rain
  or
1982, 1999

Yes, that is exactly what stacking is supposed to do, and stacking by File Type works perfectly for that.

However, that is not what you are doing.  You are including copies of songs from other recordings.  From your example, Prince\1993, The Hits.

This is where I think we are mis-communicating:

any of the single selections that exist in any compilations; these have all been replaced with top level stacks of the higher bitrate version.

If you play the album The Hits, you will not hear the higher bitrate version in the stack.  The song will be missing entirely. 

I'm not trying to argue with you; I'm trying to get you set up the way you would like it.  If it works for you, then great. 

[Jamil]

For the development team: the first post basically sums up the feature request.  Everything else is not relevant to the topic and may be ignored.