Fellas,

If theres already topic about this, please just reply, I did search and unable to find anything related having a catalogue.

For example we download a lot, use couple of HDDs, and lots of stuff happening, I wonder, how do you keep track of what are you downloading? Do you use some software, folder catalogue so you can have better overview of what you already have?

I remember back in the days on my old PC I was using WhereIsIt, but Im curious how you guys handle?

Something similar to http://www.cdfinder.de for Mac

 

for pc whereisit(2014 build 220), dont know for mac

 

The app I used in the past was from https://www.collectorz.com/
Im not directly linking the product - but those who are interested can easily see it from their main page.

iOS and Android partner app available also.

HOWEVER - I threw ALL apps out the window. It was simply not practical to browse my PC then run and grab a phone or open another APP just to see my collection...

Simply use an organized FOLDER STRUCTURE ON YOUR PC !!!



between that and BUILT-IN media management in software like CUBASE - I swore off extra APPS that just get in the way.

DONT GET ME WRONG - its nice to have your whole collection on an APP - then you can show it off to all your friends when you are umm...
UMMM...

ya - like never... sounds good.. but it just dont happen

NOTE: Cubase has "mediabay" you can simply bulk-tag all your sound collection with Vendor information and even a flag for DOWNLOADED, BORROWED, PURCHASED, ETC... very nice and negates the need for programs outside of your main production tools




Hope some of this information helps in keeping track of your media !

 

I honestly just have folders by month and year of stuff... so if I am doing a clean install I start at the present and work back etc.... plus all my sample drives etc are all backed up.... but I try and keep install notes and gotcha's etc included in that archive.... takes up more room, but hd's are cheap, and to be honest, we are getting pretty good deals...

 

i have some folders that are for backing up and burning etc. i just make sure everything is downloaded to the same locations. i use an archiving prog. called Advanced File Organizer and have a database in that for everything. it catalogs my software my work etc.
i also back up everything to an external harddrive. seems quite a reliable and fairly solid way

 

i have two main external drives, one for software and one for libraries.
Both have a main folder for current stuff (things i keep using and are currently installed on my computer) and other for stuff i no longer use, but could be useful in the future (for example if i need to re build an old project).

So, if i need space, obviously i start looking at the folder with the stuff not currently used.

 

There is a free utility called 'Bulk Rename utility' It has a facility of copying content details (CD/DVD for example can be copied and pasted directly to an EXCEL Document)
So, if you list columns CD or DVD number then add the information of that CD or DVD to the appropriate column, you can add to it with each new disc.

 

For Mac... I use DiskCatalogMaker from Roxio (it comes bundled with Toast). It scans and lists the contents of HD's and CD/DVDs. Works very well. I'd like to find something equivalent for the PC. Looked around but have had no luck...
For the past month I've been organizing 25TB of plugs, samples, etc... into their proper folders. Just wish I did this from the start...

 

Is this a freebie with cubase? Can it run outside of cubase.. seems like the tool i have been looking for.

Audiofinder is kinda cool but I cant get it to work right. I have been using serato to organize my samples..

 

I use Advanced Disc Catalog, and I'm not happy with it. It's fine for storage on optical discs, but I cannot confine it's scanning to a folder structure on a HD. It will only scan an entire drive.

 

I just organise my downloads by type (eg vst synth or effect or kontakt library) and use explorer to search for keywords. No third party apps needed.

 

I use Treesize Pro on Windows. It's a hard disk space manager, it includes total shell integration within any Windows version. It can display lists of all the contents of a hd/folder much faster than any Windows explorer. After installation a right click on any folder/hd brings a Treesize selection and when clicked, the soft immediately starts to scan and display a list of the contents with various attributes just like Windows explorer, only you have a view of all folders/subfolders and their contents, along with their size, date etc etc. A right click selection on a Treesize list can export the list to a text file. What is displayed on the list (and the exported text file) can be totally customized by the user.
Treesize has been my companion in all my pcs for many many years. There is also a simpler version called Treesize Personal. Here are the links to the soft's page and the link to compare the two versions:
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize/index.shtml
https://www.jam-software.com/treesize/comparison.shtml
Cheers
PS: There is a very informative video on the main page of the soft, watch it and you decide for yourself, take care

 

Last edited: Apr 19, 2017

Been there, done that. Its a great way to waste your life and never make music.

I used to spend hours each day downloading, sorting, cataloging and endlessly moving content from one backup drive to another. It was my version of crack cocaine.

One day i just realized how much time i was wasting and how little i was actually using all the crap i had accumulated.
I was looking for the perfect kick drum to start a new track and i realized that i had spent nearly 4 hours just going through endless samples in battery, tried kontakt, tried drum rack 128's in live and i couldn't make a decision to save my life.
I had tried studio one, live, cubase and was back in reaper when i decided that this was insane.

So i had a rage quit moment and formatted all my drives, restored win 7 from an old image and started again, lol.

That was when i went legit as well, since then i only use what i can afford to buy and thats severely limited as i've been unable to work for the last 10 years. I dont smoke or drink now, no drugs either. I'm healthier, wealthier and much happier. Sadly my musical talent is still as bad as before so my music is still crap.

Its a cliche to say "less is more" but its true.

Use a few plugins but learn what they can do and you will become much more focused.

Then you can concentrate on being a musician rather than a collector.

 

I just keep latest working versions, and stuff that it's not around for sometime, like the Wizoo stuff.
Also, keeping all in a single folder helps
All the rest I don't use/care just get deleted

 

Cool and useful ideas

My issue is kind of different than the rest I guess, I need to be more mobile and relocate, so I have 3 HDDs, each 3TB, and I have organized them pretty well, folder, names, year.

The thing is that sometimes I'm not sure where is that video tutorial, that library, or that sample pack, or book, and often, I have to connect everything and go through them to check and find out. Also for the downloads, not sure if I have downloaded that or nah.

But thanks to @krakdhaus I checked that out and it seems that its all I need, folder listings of all drives, catalogue style.

So if you want to keep track of everything, and you have multiple HDDs, I suggest you to get this useful tool, Mac users.

For example this is what I was looking for, just open the catalogue and instant summary of your drive folders.

 

That is indeed an awesome utility. I've used it before.
Also, check out FolderSize. Very similar in function.
http://www.mindgems.com/products/Folder-Size/Folder-Size.html

 

There's no need to use a software.. just organize your hardisk whit the appropriate folders! Like samples, vst, software, daw, presets, kontakt libraries, etc.. then in every folder you do many subfolders, (ex. vst_native instruments_massive, etc..) so you can organize everything more precisely, find everything quickly and replace what you already have..then is up to you to find the better way to organize it for your needs!
i do this way, i admit sometimes it takes much time to put everything in the right folder (i also suggest to have two screen to do this).. but it's worth the effort! bye

 

snap2html app man , check out this link too lots of bros and sisters made recommendations https://audiosex.pro/threads/direct...content-dirs-samples-files.27721/#post-227716

its they easiest way to keep lists of hard disks,different computers,laptops,backups etc etc

friendly tip : SSD has a certain timeline , its easier to recover a HDD than an HDD ,

 

For me it is important to be organized, to find everything by pressing only F3. If I need to do a format and reinstall all this stuff, it will take weeks.
So:

1. I burn all the downloads I want to keep in BluRays and I have an index for all of them in Word-format. I update the Index with every disc I burn. The discs get numbers and labels, for easy access.
2. I use Directory List and Print to make a PDF list of all my important folders, including VSTplugins and Libraries.
3. I use CCleaner to make a list of all my installed programs, as viewed in Windows Control Panel.
4. It is also important to have frequent backups, because due to my other activity (gaming) I tend to push my PC to its limits (overclocking) and it is possible to lose everything. I use Acronis True Image. I hope I won't need it!
5. It is much more complicated than it sounds, because I use completely different setups for gaming and music production (for example different audio cards -the one for gaming must be 7.1 surround) and 4 different Windows installations (different versions). I am not very happy with the complexity of my system, but there was no other way to do what I wanted.