MediaMonkey
Overview
MediaMonkey is a Windows-based audio librarian program with features useful for tango music collectors:
- excellent performance on libraries of over 10,000 tracks
- powerful browse and search facilities e.g. Canaro Vals
- multi-artist support e.g. the Artists list can show a track under both Miguel Caló and Raúl Berón
- highly configurable display e.g. filter-in tracks rated three stars or more
- good user support from the user community
- a responsive and responsible development team!
Shortcomings include:
- many bugs, some major - some listed below.
- user documentation is poor (albeit better than average for Windows audio librarian programs)
- user accessibility is poor
The program is available from http://www.mediamonkey.com.
Problems
- V3.0.3.1164 Various failures to sync to portable device.
- V3.0.3.1164 Rescan of files failsure to update library for deleted tags
- Problem and workaround: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=146409#146409
- V3.0.3.1150 No Undo! This makes potentially disasterous a careless drag of tracks to the wrong album.
- V3.0.3.1148 Multiple artist support fails to comply with MP3 standard
- Problem: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27934
- Update: V3.0.3.1155 release reports a fix that may address this.
- V3.0.3.1148 Tags edits can cause messups on ';' character
- V3.0.3.1155 Playlist import can miss tracks
- V3.0.3.1148 Fails to show WMA Year tag values having non-digits e.g. 1941-03-14 (such as delivered by tango.info tagging).
- V? Reportedly by default can write faulty (i.e. non-compliant) Year in MP3.
- V3.0.3.1148 Leading dot on Artist/Album name can cause missing files on device sync
- V3.0.3.1148 default config for Creative ZEN writes unusable playlists
- Problem and workaround: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27789&highlight=My%20Playlists
- V3.0.3.1148 Playlists synched to Creative ZEN fail to show on ZEN Media Explorer
- V3.0.3.1148 Multiple-used tracks can be lost from Creative ZEN playlists
- Problem and workaround: http://www.mediamonkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=125919#125919
Configuration
The installation-default configuration is probably not as you want it. Consider the following adjustments:
- Switch to a more Windows-standard (and less colourful) program appearence
- Browse to Start | Programs (or All Programs) | MediaMonkey | MediaMonkey, right-click and click Properties, change MediaMonkey.exe to MediaMonkey (non-skinned).exe, click OK.
- Disable the crossfade that occurs on switching tracks
- Click Tools | Options | Output plug-ins, select MediaMonkey DirectSound output, click Configure, uncheck Crossfade tracks
- Disable the end-of-track silence removal that can cause track playback transition to be gapless
- Click Tools | Options | Output plug-ins, select MediaMonkey DirectSound output, click Configure, uncheck Remove silence at the beginning / end of track
- Note: This won't restore gaps if your tracks are trimmed of terminal silence
- Disable the fade-in/out that misleads and slows down play operations
- Click Tools | Options | Output plug-ins, select MediaMonkey DirectSound output, click Configure, uncheck Smooth pause, Smooth seek and Smooth stop.