Search for Files

[pegwill]

Hi Guys
Here's something you may be interested in. If like me you seem have accumulated lots of Styles, Registrations and Midi files that reside all over your computer despite best efforts to be logical about it. Trying to search using Windows File explorer takes a lot of time and you need a lot of patience. I was very pleased when I came across a search program called 'Everything'. It is a free, and can be downloaded from:

https://www.voidtools.com

As soon as you start typing in the search box it, almost instantly starts to find the file you are looking for. Just like any of search tool you can use the * wildcard which I have found enormously helpful. So my search term when looking for 'A whiter Shade of Pale' midi file would be *whit*.mid I'm sure you get the idea.

Please be assured I have no affiliation to the programme developers, just a happy user.

If Admin consider this post is not appropriate then please delete.

Hope this helps

Regards

pegwill 

[Lee Batchelor]

Thanks for that, Pegwill. I think your post is appropriate because most of us store backups of our Registrations, Custom Styles, Voices, etc...on our computers, so your post is helpful;).
On a similar note, Windows Explorer is a nuisance. I use FreeCommander instead. You can customize it far more than Explorer.

[DrakeM]

I use a similar free program called "Agent Ransack"

https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

When I took my PC in for an upgrade years ago the tech installed it on my PC.
I keep all my styles and registrations in one folder called Yamaha which contains many sub folders.
This program is super fast searching thousands of file contents as well.

[andyg]

I keep everything in a folder called 'Yamaha Everything'. Inside are subfolders for registrations for each keyboard, styles, pads etc. I spent some time organising it, so now File Explorer doesn't have such a hard time! And that whole folder gets backed up regularly to another hard drive and an external drive.

But anything that speeds things up can be very useful!

[overover]

Hi all,

I have been using the "UltraSearch Free" program under Windows for file searches for many years. Like the programs already mentioned, it uses the Master File Table (MFT) of the NTFS file system for searching and is also very fast:
>>> https://www.jam-software.com/ultrasearch_free

By the way, for managing MIDI files and/or Styles I recommend the PC program "PSR Style Database / Midi Database" by Peter Wierzba. Even if you have "hundreds of thousands" of MIDI files / Styles on your hard drive (or connected USB media), this is not a problem. Important: The first reading of the MIDI files / styles takes a little longer, but all subsequent searches are very fast. The big advantage of this program is that many internal parameters of the MIDI files / styles can be displayed (up to 20 columns at a time):
>>> https://wierzba.homepage.t-online.de/psd/psdscreen.htm


Best regards,
Chris

[travlin-easy]

The major problem with our huge collections of style files is that in order to use them effectively, I had to rename them to an appropriate song title, hence the introduction of my Gig Disk collection, which I started many, many years ago. Once the style files have been renamed to a song, it's just a matter of selecting the song title and you're ready to go. All of the styles are stored upon a USB drive that stays in the keyboard at all times. It is a miniature USB drive that does not protrude beyond the keyboard case, thereby keep it protected from being inadvertently hit and damaged, or worse  yet, damaging the keyboard's USB circuit board.

Now, after renaming them to song titles, you can then place them in specific folders with the names of performers, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, etc... This is a bit help for those who play in front of a live audience and wish to eliminate dead time. Additionally, this can be linked directly to the Music Finder Directory or Play List, both of which can be accessed while still performing another song, then immediately selected.

Audience members, especially at nite club and restaurant jobs, frequently request a song, which usually results in a few dollars added to your tip jar. Unfortunately, they usually says something such as "Do you know any Frank Sinatra songs." When you respond, "sure, what song would you like to hear," they usually don't have a clue to the song's title. At this point, it's just a matter of clicking on the USB drive, and selecting the Sinatra file folder, and asking if they would like such and such. One button touch later, and you're kicking off the intro of the style on your keyboard. Yes, it's that easy.

The only difficult thing about the entire process is sitting down at the keyboard and PC, listening carefully to each style, then renaming it. I have more than 50,000 style files on hand, therefore, it is a never ending process for me.

Good luck,

Gary