Have three USB's with music and database, need to merge this into 1 database and data on new SSD

Henk_Bosmans · September 23, 2024, 10:03am

Hi guys!

So, I have been working with three USB drives with each it’s own database and music data. This is getting out of control, so, I have bought a brand new empty SSD, which I would like to build into my Prime 4.

What I need to know now, is what will be the best way to get all the music and, if possible, also all the playlists and smartlists from each USB drive, copied to the new empty SSD drive in a new master database.

The new drive is temporarily installed as “D” drive in my PC now. After it has been filled with music, I will build the drive in my Prime 4 and will never use the USB drives again.

Is it even possible to “merge” these three databases into one new database? And what will be the best way to do this?

Thanks!

mufasa · September 23, 2024, 12:36pm

How did you build the USB drives?

Did you use sync manager or added files directly to them?

Experimental things to try

See if you could sync from one of the usbs to the new drive

or drag n drop the collection from the drives tab in engine DJ desktop - old drive to new drive.

Henk_Bosmans · September 23, 2024, 2:11pm

The USB drives are build like this: I start MP3Tag (God bless this piece of software). Then I make sure all tags are OK and add covers. Then I start Engine DJ and I drag all the files from MP3Tag into the USB Disc in Engine. I do not really care about syncing with the main database, as the physical files are only on the USB drives.

I cannot find out how I can directly sync one of the USB drives to the newly added, empty, NVME drive in my PC, since it is not the “C” drive. Would that mean I have to sync the USB drives one by one to the “C” drive and then again sync the newly added empty drive with the “C” drive (the C drive does NOt have enough room to store this vast collection of around 2TB).

Will try the other suggestion, drag and drop from USB to NVME.

thanks!

Henk_Bosmans · September 23, 2024, 2:55pm

So, the dragging of playlists/files from an USB drive to the fresh clean NVME drive in Engine is not possible. It simply shows the blocked icon.

mufasa · September 23, 2024, 5:41pm

If you check the folders using file explorer or finder on the usb are they auto organized by engine DJ ?

Is the NVME formatted to ExFat?

Are you planning to install it in an enclosure for use with the device

Henk_Bosmans · September 24, 2024, 6:32am

The new drive is indeed formatted with ExFAT. The folder structure on the new drive is like Engine DJ (copied from the USB drives). Folders for each artist, subfolder for albums etc. It will be installed in the Prime 4 with a SATA to SSD converter.

mufasa · September 24, 2024, 11:41am

Did you manually copy the folders in your old drives to the NVME ?

Format the NVME use sync manager and try the drag and drop packing method again?

This time around drag the tracks from collection from one USB collection to the new drive in engine DJ desktop.

The only other possible solution could be Lexicon.

@Christiaan may be able to advise if Lexicon could do what you want - ie consolidate 3 drives to a new drive

mufasa · September 24, 2024, 1:26pm

I am able to drag and drop from one external drive to another without difficulties

Henk_Bosmans · September 24, 2024, 1:59pm

The dragging from USB to the clean new drive in Engine I cannot reproduce unfortunately. Also, earlier I could open MP3 tag and drag files from there to Engine, this is also blocked now. Maybe due to recent updates in Engine software? (I am working on Windows 11)

I did manage to copy all the files from the USB drives to the new empty drive and start a new collection. Just need to reproduce all the playlist I have made by hand, I don’t see an option to export/import these.

Love my Denon Prime 4 to death, but never became good friends with Engine software.

Thanks for your help Alienist!

mufasa · September 27, 2024, 1:38pm

I asked Lexicon and this is the response in case you still stuck

Sure, it’s probably easy, depending on if the track locations are unique.

Import into Lexicon, confirm it all works
Move music files to one drive, try to keep folder structure as much as possible and keep filenames the same
Use Find Lost Tracks utility or bulk relocate: Find Lost Tracks / Relocate
Once all tracks work again, full sync to Engine.

Engine re-analyse might be required but with beatgrid lock enabled it will keep the old grids.