Changing the Font Size on Song List

[Roy Dennis]

Originally Posted by Wrahn

Roy,
I also noticed, when I open the MicroStudio playlist, that I was missing some of the songs that were in my songbook for Hoster. When I looked at the MTU folders, the songs were still where the had been, but they would not open onto my playlist. So, I started to delve into the complicated process of cleaning up my database, without the benefit of any understanding or advice from you or others. I think I might have messed up my Hoster database on my MASTER laptop.

Fortunatly, since I always copy my songs and programdata - mtu - Hoster information onto my backup computer, my BACKUP computer will still open the missing songs into the playlist

So, I have the situation where the songs on my MASTER are the same as what is on my BACKUP, but MASTER can\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t load some of them onto the playlist, but the BACKUP computer works fine.

I figured out how to look at the song.mdb folders for both computers and they are slightly different, and the problem is the MASTER database is missing the songs that will not load into the playlist.

So, how do I only replace the MASTER database with the BACKUP computer database which seems to be correct, but still keep the other infomation that is unique to the MASTER computer, such as the latest playlists and singer information?

If you open the Backup computer Hoster folder (C:/programdata/mtu/hoster) Find the songs.mdb, copy that and paste it over the one on your Master that will only change that not the singers info, that is held seperate in the singers.mdb.
Providing the file paths to the missing files are the same on both computers and both have an accompaning kmh header files that should work.
Or just to be safe rename the Master songs.mdb to something like songsBKUP.mbd prior to pasting the other one over it. That will allow you to reverse the change should something go amiss.

Originally Posted by Wrahn

Also, is there a laymans guide to the relationship of the saved songs, the database, and how to load new songs and what happens when we edit songs.
What I have gathered, and you might correct my thinking, is the songs are loaded into the computer and saved on the hard drive in folders in the MTU folder. When they are being loaded, the information is also loaded into the songs.mdb located at ProgramData - mtu-Hoster and when you edit a songs the changes are made to the songs.mdb. If the songs at MTU are moved to a different location, they will not be recognized until the database information is changed, which is not an easy thing to do.
Wes

The files can be loaded on to the computer or an external usb hard drive in any folder of your choosing.
When you import songs you set the path when you brows to the folder containing the new songs (in your case its C:/MTU/Karaoke Files).

When that file is imported Hoster creates a small header file, the kmh file in that same folder as the original file, you can move files to different folders but that kmh file must follow it. The kmh header file carries all the database info for that file. When you edit a song in Hosters edit dialog it edits the info in that file. Now if you rebuild the database Hoster looks for the kmh header and reads it into its Access database (song.mdb)

Now dont try to open the songs.mdb in Microsoft access and think you can edit them there as that wont write the new data back to the kmh header, it might tempory edit the names but if you ever rebuild the database any edits you made that way will be lost.

Also once you have imported a song you cant change the original file name of the mp3 or zip file. So if you wanted to follow a particular nameing convention best to edit the file name prior to importing. once imported all editing should be done in Hosters edit dialog which then updates the kmh header.

Microstudio on the other hand does not read the kmh headers, it gets its data direct from the original file, probably why it takes longer to load but can also be reason why files might show up in that and not Hoster example if a file has its kmh header missing. When you scan a folder in Microstudio it just creates a text file which it then runs through to compile the list, if you add new files after that scan they wont show in microstudio untill yo rescan the folder.

Now when you rebuild a Hoster database it looks down the list of file paths in the rebuild database dialog the reads all the kmh headers in that list. Now if you move a folder you should look down that list and remove the old path if its still there and add the new path so that Hoster knows where they are.

When you add a folder that contains kmh files it will auto add them to the database but make sure you removed the old path first or you might get duplicated bookids that will then not show up as it will send them to a quarantine folder.

Now regarding your original problem of files missing on you master, what you could try instead of copying songs.mdb is to look down the list of folders in the rebuld list and see if the file path is there, highlight it and see if the missing songs show in the right hand panel. If they do press the rescan button and see if it builds them into the database that way.

If not it could be something to do with duplcated Disc Ids. Check the kmh headers are there or if they have been moved to quarantine folder.

Last thing regarding importing new songs.
I have my own way but its not compolsery, If I purchase a new download other than Karaoke.net as they auto index themselves. for that night I just play them via the K-Oke button. When home i always rename the file to a standard naming convention but edit out the downloaded ref and add my own.

Example Downloaded as: ZM07256 - Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill.zip renamed to Sheeran, Ed - Castle On The Hill - VAR583-45.zip

My Define field order is Artist - Title - Disc ID-Track
It imports by auto setting the disc id to VAR583, I always note my last track # and increment it by one for each new track, I know it will import 99 tracks with that Disc Id so when that is full I will change to VAR584. The VAR I reconise as varable manufacturers so after importing I can go into Hoster Edit and correct the manufactuers name.

I always import them via the import Song Files dialog in single option. I never use the Scann Now option shown in the import songs dialog but thats just me doing what Im used to, Im sure it would work the same.

Well I think thats enough for you to digest now so I will leave it at that.