Wiim Ultra with large powered hard drive

[rccarguy]

I have about 33k tracks and MinimServer uses ~200MB of RAM, but that's with a lot of tags indexed.
During scanning memory increases to 500MB so that's the likely point of failure, although if only a handful of tags are indexed 8GB might be enough.

I couldn't imagine giving up control of the scanning process to a black box like the Amp/WiiM.

Picoreplay doesn't use much either nor in HD space, but the database index can once it catches album art. My pi has 4gb of ram

Database is on 64gb 2.5" ssd

Wiim is quad core so fast enough, but lack of ram could be issue during scan on large database.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

A good music database system does that. This is LMS database branch

Tagging will allow you this also, to separate into other ie live , singles , compliations etc. You won't get that by browsing by folder nor will you get it linking to other albums in other directories ie you won't see Madonna tracks from 80's directory album but database layout will.

Plus artist info, lyric download etc

Music search is also instant IE search by song title, artist and again it'll list linking other items including composer, performer, or other band IE if artist has George Harrison and Paul McCartney, it'll show that track when you do George or Paul search. Again you don't get that under folder layout.

Browsing by folder is from the 90's

Yeah, but you get every single artist on every compilation album, probably doubling the number of artists.

And you get every compilation an artist has been on thrown into their results.

Also, it’s actually very easy to use sub-folders in folder mode to separate live albums, etc. you can also re-name folders with a number at the start to put them in correct release date order.

 

[d6jg]

Yeah, but you get every single artist on every compilation album, probably doubling the number of artists.

In LMS that behaviour can be toggled on/off

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

In LMS that behaviour can be toggled on/off

The glory of folder view is this - it’s just like have all your old records/CDs lined up on a shelf. You browse in exactly the same way. It’s impossible to do that with any other view.

The additional benefit is, if you’re wanting any of the other benefits mentioned, you can of course go to another view at the click of a button. You’re not hard-wired in to folder view.

Best of all worlds.

 

[d6jg]

I guess those that use folder browsing must have proper file names - 01-track.flac etc

The glory of folder view is this - it’s just like have all your old records/CDs lined up on a shelf. You browse in exactly the same way. It’s impossible to do that with any other view.

The additional benefit is, if you’re wanting any of the other benefits mentioned, you can of course go to another view at the click of a button. You’re not hard-wired in to folder view.

Best of all worlds.

You can do that with any good media server software and correct tagging. Most of us that use such software would never go near folders, it makes no sense to do so unless your tagging is all over the place.

 

[simbun]

I guess those that use folder browsing must have proper file names - 01-track.flac etc

I think most (certainly MinimServer and MiniDLNA) use the tags when the folder you're browsing contains tracks.

 

[d6jg]

I think most (certainly MinimServer and MiniDLNA) use the tags when the folder you're browsing contains tracks.

I was referring to Windows folder browsing and the like i.e. no media server at all.

 

[simbun]

I was referring to Windows folder browsing and the like i.e. no media server at all.

Oh, I'm not sure anyone else was.

At the end of the day it's down to how you pick your music. If you always have a specific album in mind then folder view can work, but it's crude.

 

[slartibartfast]

The glory of folder view is this - it’s just like have all your old records/CDs lined up on a shelf. You browse in exactly the same way. It’s impossible to do that with any other view.

The additional benefit is, if you’re wanting any of the other benefits mentioned, you can of course go to another view at the click of a button. You’re not hard-wired in to folder view.

Best of all worlds.

Isn't that the same as browsing by Album Artist?

 

[cheznous]

The glory of folder view is this - it’s just like have all your old records/CDs lined up on a shelf. You browse in exactly the same way. It’s impossible to do that with any other view.

The additional benefit is, if you’re wanting any of the other benefits mentioned, you can of course go to another view at the click of a button. You’re not hard-wired in to folder view.

Best of all worlds.

I have noticed having removed my 1 tb ssd and having removed and added various albums that the rescan doesn’t appear to pick the changes up.
The database the Wiim created seems the same as prior the changes.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Isn't that the same as browsing by Album Artist?

Not quite.

For a kick off, Various Artists comes under ‘V’ whereas you probably want that at the end. Then there’s the dreaded ‘The’.

Then there’s sitting albums within each artist folder - by release date - sub folders for albums and singles - a further level (if you like) for live albums and compilations.

With folders you have absolute 100% flexibility.

First folder can be “Top of the player”. Remember when you used to have a CD player and a pile of 10 discs on top of it (or in the car’s multi-disc changer)? A mix of newly purchased CDs and old ones you’ve dug out for a re-listen? You can have a folder for that.

Above all it’s quick, easy, user-friendly, flexible, bespoke and logical. No work arounds or tricks necessary, it’s just structured exactly as you want.

And as I say, any advantages with other views, you can switch to them in a second.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I have noticed having removed my 1 tb ssd and having removed and added various albums that the rescan doesn’t appear to pick the changes up.
The database the Wiim created seems the same as prior the changes.

I sometimes find the database is stored in a file on your external device.

Find. Delete. Re-scan.

 

[simbun]

I sometimes find the database is stored in a file on your external device.

Find. Delete. Re-scan.

Remember that deleting files.db could corrupt any playlists/bookmarks you've created in the WiiM Home App.

 

[rccarguy]

Yeah, but you get every single artist on every compilation album, probably doubling the number of artists.

And you get every compilation an artist has been on thrown into their results.

Also, it’s actually very easy to use sub-folders in folder mode to separate live albums, etc. you can also re-name folders with a number at the start to put them in correct release date order.

Not if your music scanner has two branches. Artist has 30,000 artists and album artists has 800.

LMS allows you browse by folder as well. Release order works in LMS as uses the year tag to order by year.

Plus use a option like rock from 80's etc so you can do that with folder.

 

[cheznous]

I sometimes find the database is stored in a file on your external device.

Find. Delete. Re-scan.

I understand the first part but assumed you wouldn’t have to rescan as if from new.
Like minimserver on my MAC for example just looks for changes and takes a few mins though the original scan took an age.

 

[rccarguy]

Oh, I'm not sure anyone else was.

At the end of the day it's down to how you pick your music. If you always have a specific album in mind then folder view can work, but it's crude.

Also folder path can be limited to character number. No issue with that on tagging. And special characters etc

Sorry browsing by folder is old school people looking through rose tinted glasses.


This is someone who likes rockbox and the folder layout

 

[rccarguy]

Not quite.

For a kick off, Various Artists comes under ‘V’ whereas you probably want that at the end. Then there’s the dreaded ‘The’.

Then there’s sitting albums within each artist folder - by release date - sub folders for albums and singles - a further level (if you like) for live albums and compilations.

With folders you have absolute 100% flexibility.

First folder can be “Top of the player”. Remember when you used to have a CD player and a pile of 10 discs on top of it (or in the car’s multi-disc changer)? A mix of newly purchased CDs and old ones you’ve dug out for a re-listen? You can have a folder for that.

Above all it’s quick, easy, user-friendly, flexible, bespoke and logical. No work arounds or tricks necessary, it’s just structured exactly as you want.

And as I say, any advantages with other views, you can switch to them in a second.

You still have option of separating live , compilation, singles from that artists.

LMS and minimservrr use release type tag to separate them.

Also it shows arts info. That isn't downloaded in folder section nor lyrics.

I showed the image earlier.

Then sort by genre IE I have soundtrack branch so if they're in soundtrack folder (most are) or within artist\soundtrack it will all under Soundtrack branch.

Full album art is also cached, with folder layout it won't be.

Database is just better, I think people using folder just don't quite understand database or their tags is not sorted.

Plus search by composer. Again that can't be done via folder. You're not going to have composer branch, for some it may work but any multi composer albums it will be borked layout . And again if you're in queen it'll show highlander and flash Gordon albums even if theyre in \soundtack folder. In your folder layout you won't see those two albums, not unless you have two copies , one under queen and one under soundtracks.

 

[cheznous]

I sometimes find the database is stored in a file on your external device.

Find. Delete. Re-scan.

The odd thing the database does show as amended on todays date after doing a rescan but no changes picked up.

 

[simbun]

The odd thing the database does show as amended on todays date after doing a rescan but no changes picked up.

You can browse the database, but I can't remember if there's a field that identifies when the track was added.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Sorry browsing by folder is old school people looking through rose tinted glasses.

I think that’s a little unnecessary.

I can look at my music how I want to, you can do the same, and we can discuss the pros and cons. No need for that sort of language.