Music Collector Software ...

[neveronfriday]

Hi everyone,

if you are as anally retentive as I am, you probably keep lists of everything. After quite some testing, I decided to buy Music Collector, which some of you probably have already.

For all the others: If you want to file just about every detail of a recording session, a CD or whatever, it can be done with this program, especially since it can import the track information from online databases and various amazon sites around the globe, including the front cover. You can then export your database into various formats such as HZTML, XML or text. More info over on Collectorz.com

Check out the first four entries from my collection.

deus62 CD collection

Cheers!

[mikeweil]

For a CD/LP based database this may be okay, but it won't meet critical discographical standards. For this, I'm afraid, a database like BRIAN by Steve Albin will remain the best.

Edited January 25, 2004 by mikeweil

[neveronfriday]

Absolutely true, and a great (!) program it is, but for the casual collector, the automated features of music collector save lots of time.

Cheers!

[Jim Alfredson]

That's pretty cool!

[neveronfriday]

That's pretty cool!

Yep.

I started playing with the XML export function a bit. If you know your XML, there's nary a thing you can't do with this program.

Cheers!

[tonym]

Nice one deus. How much did that cost, if you don't mind me asking?

I've been meaning to get round to cataloging my collection and Windows Excel was just becoming too long winded.

[neveronfriday]

Nice one deus. How much did that cost, if you don't mind me asking?

I've been meaning to get round to cataloging my collection and Windows Excel was just becoming too long winded.

Just have a look yourself over at http://www.collectorz.com/. I got myself the pro version for all the export functions (I think I paid forty-something-or-rather). As far as I recall, you get a lifetime's worth of updates when you buy the software. I first looked at it about two years ago, and it's still around and getting better by the minute. Recommended!

Cheers!

[John L]

A few questions:

1) Does this have a search function by artist that will turn up sideman apprearances as well leader dates?

2) Is there an option where you can simply identify albums that you own as opposed to going through the time consuming process of entering each one of your CDs into the disc drive to record it?

3) is there a manual override function that allows you to enter CDs that are not already in an existing databases, CDRs for example, or correct possible mistakes in discograhpical information downloaded from various databases?

If the answer to the above 3 questions is yes, I am game.

Edited February 7, 2004 by John L

[Dmitry]

A few questions:

1) Does this have a search function by artist that will turn up sideman apprearances as well leader dates?

2) Is there an option where you can simply identify albums that you own as opposed to going through the time consuming process of entering each one of your CDs into the disc drive to record it?

3) is there a manual override function that allows you to enter CDs that are not already in an existing databases, CDRs for example, or correct possible mistakes in discograhpical information downloaded from various databases?

If the answer to the above 3 questions is yes, I am game.

Vanya, the answer to your questions is -

CATRAXX

http://www.fnprg.com/catraxx/catraxx.html

It's all that and more. It's tremendous actually, if you don't mind spending the time with it.

[Peter Johnson]

Not so tremendous when three installation attempts result in an "access error" when attempting to view the sample DB or create a new one...anyone else have problems, or is it just me?

[John L]

A few questions:

1) Does this have a search function by artist that will turn up sideman apprearances as well leader dates?

2) Is there an option where you can simply identify albums that you own as opposed to going through the time consuming process of entering each one of your CDs into the disc drive to record it?

3) is there a manual override function that allows you to enter CDs that are not already in an existing databases, CDRs for example, or correct possible mistakes in discograhpical information downloaded from various databases?

If the answer to the above 3 questions is yes, I am game.

Vanya, the answer to your questions is -

CATRAXX

http://www.fnprg.com/catraxx/catraxx.html

It's all that and more. It's tremendous actually, if you don't mind spending the time with it.

Spasibo, Dima!

One more question. This database apparently uses CDDB. As far as I know, CDDB does not contain data on which musicians play on which albums. Does that mean that you have to enter all of that information manually?

Edited February 8, 2004 by John L

[Dmitry]

Spasibo, Dima!

One more question. This database apparently uses CDDB. As far as I know, CDDB does not contain data on which musicians play on which albums. Does that mean that you have to enter all of that information manually?

Most of the time you have to enter the info yourself, but I prefer it that way, actually.

However, some albums that you log into Catraxx via CDDB do contain discographical info, although, like I said, I prefer to do it myself.

CDDB comes handy because it gives you track titles and playing times.

CDDB is designed for cds, but there's also an additional program designed for Catraxx to import track listings of your lps. Pretty handy.

The potenital of Catraxx is almost infinite.

For instance,I know that musician I have on most albums in my collection is Paul Chambers. I have him on 72 albums.

Next is Lee Morgan. He's on 50 albums. Etc, etc.

Like I said, you'll have to spend time with it, and for some people it would mean years, depending on the size of the collections.

[Dmitry]

Not so tremendous when three installation attempts result in an "access error" when attempting to view the sample DB or create a new one...anyone else have problems, or is it just me?

Peter, you might want to get help at the catraxx forum. Those guys were pretty helpful when I had questions.

[Peter Johnson]

Thanks, Dmity--I'll check it out!

[Peter Johnson]

Good forum, and I got everything to work (needed the MS DB file).

This software is extraordinary. As you said, if you spend the time with it, the ability to use your collection as a reference is unlimited (how many versions of bitches brew do I own? How many songs that start with the letter A that lee morgan plays on do I own?)

Good stuff! I'll probably activate my shareware.

[John L]

Dima: I took your advise and downloaded CATRAXX.

It is certainly quite interesting and impressive. It will take me a while to get the hang of it.

I am still not convinced that it will be possible for me to create a useful database with this software in a reasonable amount of time. If there are simple answers to these two questions, could you give them to me? If not, I will take it up with the Forum:

1) You wrote above that it is possible to download disc information from the CDDB without having to place each one of your discs manually into the CD-ROM drive and wait for identification. I just want to go to CDDB, place check marks by 1000s of discs, and download the data into the database. But all of the instructions given by CATRAXX for downloading information from CDDB requires manual entry of discs into the CD-ROM. That is simply not feasible for me due to time constraints. (It would also place a lot of wear and tear on my CD-ROM that already has a tired laser.) Is there an easy way to get around this?

2) How do you enter dates for session information? Jazz discs typically consist of music from several different sessions of several different dates. For the database to be valuable, it should be able to associate each track with a recording date. I could only figure out how to do this on a track-by-track basis, i.e. spend time on each track and type the session information over and over again. I have no time for this. Isn't there a function where you can only type in the session information once and then check off the tracks that were recorded on that date?

John

[robviti]

i don't know if this will be helpful to you, but readerware aw allows you to catalog your cd collection with a simple bar code scan. there is a barcode reader called cuecat that goes for less than $10 on ebay that is supposed to be quite effective.

Edited February 17, 2004 by jazzshrink

[Dmitry]

1) You wrote above that it is possible to download disc information from the CDDB without having to place each one of your discs manually into the CD-ROM drive and wait for identification.

2) How do you enter dates for session information? Jazz discs typically consist of music from several different sessions of several different dates. For the database to be valuable, it should be able to associate each track with a recording date. I could only figure out how to do this on a track-by-track basis, i.e. spend time on each track and type the session information over and over again. I have no time for this. Isn't there a function where you can only type in the session information once and then check off the tracks that were recorded on that date?

John

1. I did? I think we misunderstood each other. I always use cddb to load the info from the disk in a tray, but I never tried to do it in bulk, like you want. However, I don't know if that's impossible, so you may find an answer to this on the forum.

The poit of using the cddb is that you don't have to enter the track titles and playing times manually. That's what it does for you and not much else.

2.Session dates. John, cddb wouldn't give you that info, but let's say you have 10 tracks on a cd and 5 were recorded on one date with one group, half on another date with a different group of musicians.

Once you download the cddb track titles and times for it -

In the TRACKS window double-click on one of the group of 5 tracks that you know were recorded on the same date with the same personel, enter info about recording dates, personel, etc, for that particular track, click on SAVE, then click on TEMPLATE, then click on FETCH, then ASSIGN, select the tracks you want to share that information and use previously manually-entered info as a template for the other 4 tracks.

I know it sounds complicated, and it is. There's no other way of doing it to my knowledge.

As I said before their forum is invaluable. It will take you a good while to learn how to use the program properly, and it's very time-consuming, but that's the way it is. Unless you have a secretary or someone who has the time to do it for you, be prepared to spend a good chunk of time with it. That's the [huge] downside. Once you master the program, the possibilities for cross-referencing will be almost infinite.

[John L]

Dima: Thanks a million for that information. That template fetch and assign function looks like something that is important to master.

...Now if I could just find the time to place all my CDs one by one into a CD-ROM.

[Dmitry]

...Now if I could just find the time to place all my CDs one by one into a CD-ROM.

The beauty of the program is also that your collection will be stored in a database form, so you'll be able to export it as a whole or any album info to another computer running the Program; I suggest periodically backing it up on cd-rom.

It can also serve as an insurance proof in case god forbid something happens to it. You can indicate the value of things you have.

If you 're planning to do the massive cddb attack one day, try to run it on a pc at work, then export the database to your home machine.

Laptop trays are much costlier to replace.