DJing Discussion

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New laptop, fresh Serato install - organization questions

Kraig 11:10 AM - 27 December, 2006
1.) What tools do you use to manage your .WAV/.MP3 library's? ---- I noticed with a music manager like Itunes that even if you create seperate Windows Explorer based folders (IE: Funky House, Breaks, etc.) that iTunes will end up importing everything into one "Music" folder. It seems from there you have to customize each file manually with various tools and create your "playlists" from there.
--- And on that note: what tools and programs do you use as your primary "music file manager"? I know that additional tools like ID3-TagIT 3 will manage your music file tags specifically and that MixMeister will allow you to add the BPM's on all of your music files. I'm curious to know the console or as I said, your "primary music file manager." I'm not really feeling Itunes or is your console only Serato and you just use the tools I listed above in addition to that?

2.) Having said the above (that no matter if you create these individual folders of music genre within Windows, that it moves everything into your iTunes "Music" folder), how do you organize your music physically on your hard drive or doesn't it matter any more?

3.) Knowing I have a fresh install of Serato, please list in point form anything else I need to do. PLEASE NOTE: this brand new dual core Dell laptop with a 1GB of memory and a 200GB hard drive will ONLY BE USED FOR SERATO AND NOTHING ELSE other than perhaps connecting my Ipod to it.
DJ Upperkuts 11:04 PM - 27 December, 2006
Organization Is everything. Esspecialy when you've got thousands of MP3s & during a mix your looking for something specific and can't find the track you want? Nightmare.

I manually organize my file names. I take the music for granted otherwise. I make 2 folders for my External Hardrive. One for ALBUMS the other for SINGLES. Your Primary HD should just be used for operating system, Programs like Serato. Try to get yourself a back up external Incase that one crashed you have a back up.

In the albums folder I'll create sub-folders by genre like HipHop - R&B ect. Then just Make a folder for that specific album and place it accordingly. it makes finding your music very simple. Now for the singles, very simply by tagging in front of the file name like, "HipHop - Jay Z - Lord Tariq - Analiyze this", "DnB - Optical - Matrix - Ed Rush - Perfect Drug"

Whatever genres you spin just catogorize it like so. View the folder in list view/and by Name so it will all be alphabetical and you can find all your files very quick. I don't really use The crates feature in Serato not that its a bad feature Im oldschool with the drag n drop.

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Some tools...
[Cool Edit Pro] To Edit, trim n Tweak/rip from vinyl to MP3 also use to record my sets. You have to line in from your mixer out to your pc.
[Audio Grabber] To rip From CDs,
[Godfather ] To organize Albums.
Goodluck!
Kraig 3:52 AM - 28 December, 2006
Upperkuts -- all of this makes total sense. I really appreciate your input and info.

Cheers,

- Kraig