Splitting collections ?

[Alan Gough]

On most occasions I use the random function to play my whole collection. It certainly gives some interesting results. 

However, there are certain tracks I don't really want to hear in the mix. In my case a couple of good examples are 'Xmas' and 'spoken word', but I am sure other users have different reasons to want to split their collection. 

Can I suggest a possible, mayber relatively simple, change ? Is it possible to make alternative folders to the 'music' and put the collections in these folders ? The splitting could be done using an attached PC, if necessary, but it would need a section in control panel to select which folder to use as source.

I can't find anything in the forum to suggest that this has been raised before, although I admit I'm not good at finding stuff. Clearly, it would need some development, but it might address some of the genre issues people seem to have. 

There are ways to use playlists to achieve some of these functions, but is it worth considering developing extra folders to run 'special' groups of tracks.

Cheers, Alan

[Brian R]

Hi Alan

I seem to remember that you can create an 'everything but' playlist to avoid the un-wanted tracks but it always seemed a bit of a faff . I solve the problem by moving all Christmas related albums on to a USB stick which I then plug into the B2 at Christmas, the Albums appear at the bottom of the search list highlighted in orange. You could do the same when you want to listen to your 'spoken word'.

Brian

[Daniel Taylor]

I think that could be handled manually by going in to the Raspberry Pi command line via SSH, and renaming the music folder to something else and then renaming, say the Holiday folder, to music.  Might be worth experimenting to see what happens.  I'm not well enough versed in Linux commands to try it myself.

[Mark Fishman]

Daniel, 

Good start -- but you'd have to run Scan Disk after the renaming to create the proper b2db file to correspond to the new "music" tree.

Cheers -- m.

[keithG]

My work around this issue was to create a separate external HDD backup copy of the music but with a more selective content, copied from the backup master using a PC. This included Xmas and Classical genres. I then selected 'use SD' and loaded them onto the B2 SD card. I can now switch between the two music conditions by selecting 'use SD' or 'use HDD', with two playlists to specifically to select only 'xmas' or 'classical'. The classical and xmas genres were then deleted from the internal HDD (and associated backup HDD).

You will probably need to fit a larger SD card to suit your needs. I'm using a 32Gb SD which covers my 'seasonal' requirement of ~ 70 albums, which was cloned using the B2 'settings-maintenance-advanced-sd to usb C', but I had no problems using a 128Gb SD with over 300 albums.

Regards

Keith G

[Daniel Taylor]

Keith's solution seems like the best.  It does not go behind the back of the B2 software, and uses available commands and functionality.  Great idea.

[PMB]

Hi Keith G,

Great suggestion - wish I had thought of it.....

I do know that the SD Card on the early 64GB version of the B2 (the one without an HDD) could be upgraded to 256GB which should provide plenty of space for an 'alternative' collection.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[JFBUK]

Hi,

we are where we are with the current B2 software, and the solutions already offered are a great workaround,  but to me the elegant solution would be the ability to filter on one or more metadata tags e.g. 'Genre' .

Another piece of functionality opened up by use of tags.

John