Move Engine Prime Library to External Drive

Legacy Products Engine PRIME
22

Hey everyone, some news from my side.

Perhaps this helps someone… perhaps no, as I’ve been working in a different way as we should use Denon Engine, to avoid re-analizing everything again and losing cues, when I changed my computer to a new one.

As I explained up here, I started testing the beta Denon version of the software that @Christiaan is kindly offering. I’m sure he has progress a lot and his software is great. It was almost perfect at that time. We almost get close to the solution but as time was running and I needed to continue by my own, and after some tests I did what I explained in the previous post:

  • I use my Denon SSD as “main” database, as everything there was analyzed and with cues, and then I sync and created an Engine DB in my local Hard Drive as a copy of it, instead of syncing from HD to Denon internal SSD.

  • It worked and I didn’t lose my beatgrids and cues etc.

My strange method ( I know @mufasa @JWiLL ) then to be able to make this work is the following:

  1. I move my new tracks to an external drive, called Maxtor, organizing folders (year/genre/etc)
  2. Then I open Denon Desktop Engine and I go to the folder option and copy the new tracks, directly to the crate/playlist in the already connected Denon Prime 4 SSD
  3. I analize it, tags, cues… whatever needed WITHIN Denon Prime 4 SSD
  4. Then I open the Sync Manager and Sync from Denon Prime 4 SSD to the Collection (internal HD), and then, I need to sync also to Maxtor external HD.

When I do like this, it works. And this approach helped a Denon friend that also lost his HD database and recovered it from the external SSD in Denon Prime 4… Better than nothing!

What happened is that after upgrading to Engine 2.0, when I open any track of my Denon Prime 4 internal SSD, it analizes again, losing the beatgrid! Everything else (cues, crates/playlist, etc.) and new functionality, work great, but this.

I’m analizing and fixing some beatgrids, day after day, but I’m wondering… any recommendation here?

Now that I have to analyse it again, should I start working in the classical way (from internal HD sync to Prime 4 instead of all the way around)? But then I will also lose hotcues and crates right?

Thank you

23

The approach which has worked for me for more than a decade, multiple computers later, is to have my main collection in an external storage.

In your use case this will equate to

  1. downloading new files to the Maxtor
  2. using the maxtor with engine dj
  3. i wouldn’t bother syncing from the maxtor (collection drive) to the computer internal drive, I will rather buy another 2 or 3 maxtors to clone the main maxtor to.
  4. From the main maxtor (collection drive) I will use engine dj (desktop) sync manager or drag and drop to transfer playlists and music to the drive that’s installed in the Prime4
  5. I will also use the collection maxtor to transfer small sets to usb sticks, sd cards or whatever i need to.
  6. if need be that i have a gig and dont have time to sync from maxtor to p4 int drive, i can use the maxtor as a plugged in drive to the Prime4
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24

Hey guys, I had bought a new sandisk 4tb extreme portable ssd to replace my current samsung t7 ssd that I use with my prime go. Because whenever i connect it on my macbook and use it with the engine dj software to add new tracks it takes forever.

would this be the same method to transfer everything that is in the samsung T7 that i use with my prime go to the new sandisk ssd? Or is there a different method?