In the past period I have added and deleted songs several times in BBM and also changed the order of songs in folders. Apparently I did something wrong because my two SD cards do not contain exactly the same folders and songs (I use 1 SD card as standard in the BB, the other as a backup).
I would like to merge the necessary folders and songs from both SD cards and put them identically on both SD cards so that I can use 1 copy as a backup, as was originally my intention.
I assume I need to save the contents of both SD cards to my Windows laptop and then copy back the necessary folders and songs. But I donât know which files to copy where, and how to put them back on both SD cards so that they are both identical again.
Many thanks in advance for your help! Kind regards, Roel
If one of them is correct, load it into BBM. Then swap i the other card and synch to it. Otherwise, get the folders the way you want them in BBM and synch to both cards.
Thanks for thinking along JoelnOttawa.
Unfortunately, a (large) part of the songs is missing on both SD cards. BBM contains an earlier (so outdated) version of my folders and songs.
I probably did something wrong when exporting data and synchronizing after making previous changes to folders and songs in BBMâŚ
This may be partly because I donât understand synchronization very well.
Are songs missing, or folders? If, between the three sources (BBM and the two cards) you have at least one intact copy of every folder, you can open each source and save the complete folders, then start a new project in BBM, add each of the folders. Then save the new project and sync up the cards.
Regrettably, the BeatBuddy Manager (BBM) does not have a feature to merge songs and drum sets from different projects. If it did, this might make the process much easier.
Depending on the number of folders and songs in each folder and on each card, please realize that this will take time.
To simplify this process letâs take this from scratch; the process is in several stages each having separate outlines. Weâre only going to use the contents of your two SD cards and not the old projects on your BeatBuddy Manager (BBM).
STAGES
I SET UP. Create a master project and then bring the contents from each SD card into the BBM master project.
II COMPARISON. Examine folder contents to identify which songs are missing and what you want merged.
III ASSEMBLE. Export songs from folders and then import; sort songs within folders and sort folders.
IV RENDER. Export master project to your main and backup SD cards and test that the songs playâŚ
OUTLINES (POST 1 of 4)
I SETUP
Check your user/documents folder to make sure you have a bbworkspace folder and that within are two sub-folders, user_lib and default_lib. Within user_lib, there should be a projects folder and this is where your projects are saved; IMPORTANT: make sure you donât have duplicate folders of the bbworkspace folder or the sub-folders on your computer.
In the BBM File - New Project and name it Master;
Insert one of your SD cards in computer, if itâs still called NO NAME, you might want to give it a unique name (youâll do this for both SD cardsâmaybe something like Setlist and the other, Backup);
BBM File - Open Project and navigate to your SD card, (the project should open automatically);
Follow the BBM prompts to save the project to your computer giving it a unique name; no need to accept future synchronization just yet.
To have an easy and handy reference source, create a new folder on your desktop and name it screen shots ; hereâs how to make a screen shot of a region in Windows: press Windows+Shift+S, then click and drag your cursor to select a region; youâre going to make screen shots of your list of folders in the BBM and then the contents of each folder;
Create another folder on your desktop and name it Folders project name;
The following steps will be repeated to export each songs folder from this BBM project to the Folders project name on your desktop: Select each songs folder, BBM File - Export - Folder to Folders project name
Once youâre done with this SD card and with the exception of using different names for the project, screen shots and Folders (folder on your desktop), youâre going to do the same for the other SD card (steps 3-8);
In the BBM File - Open Project and select Master (which should still be empty;
File - Import - Folder and navigate to your desktop and open the folder with the folders you just exported from your 1st SD card; I donât know if Windows version will allow you to do this, but you may be able to select all of the song folders and Import them at onceâat least the Mac allows me to do so);
BBM - Save Project.
SEE THE NEXT POST FOR THE COMPARISON STAGE OUTLINE.
You should now have the song folders from both SD cards within your Master project in the BBM.
You should have two different folders of screen shots of your songs folder names and two different folders of the songs folders exported from the two SD cards on your desktop.
As an example, hereâs a screen shot of two similarly named folders in the BBM:
You can use the shift arrow keys to move the folders around like this
Save Project;
You can compare the folders within the BBM but it might be easier to place the screen shots comparing each song folder side-by-side on your computer screen (hopefully you have a large screen).
Based on a folder-to-folder or screen shot-to-screen shot comparisons ou should now have an idea of which songs you want to merge into another folder.
I recommend using one folder to serve as your âmaster songsâ folder so continuing with the Ballad-mini and Blues songs folders, youâre going to export songs from the folders that have (1) at the end of the name to your desktop and then import them to your Ballad-mini and Blues folders;
In the BBM, select the Ballad-mini(1) folder and select the song to export BBM File - Export - Song to your desktop; do this for each song that you want to âmergeâ into Ballad-mini;
Now select the Ballad-mini folder and BBM File - Import - Song; navigate to the songs you just exported and select all of them and press OK;
Save Project;
Repeat this process until you have completed the âmergeâ process. Save Project often;
Test the song in each folder to make sure it plays and has audio;
Now you can move the folders and the songs within each songs folder to suit your tastes.
Wow Persist, I unintentionally caused you a lot of work! Sorry about that!
What an effort on your part and how nice of you to invest so much time here to help me!! I appreciate it very much, thank you!!
In any case, I find that it is not easy to restore things, which I had hoped for.
This is going to be a huge job for me. Due to long-standing problems with my memory, I have a lot of trouble understanding things. Despite your neat and extensive explanation, this will probably be quite a task for me to perform, as crazy as that sounds. I had hoped that the problem would be solved in a (relatively) simple wayâŚ
I will be working on it seriously in the coming days / weeks, but will have to take my time because of my health. I am very disappointed that I have caused you so much work in this case and that it will take me a lot of time and, above all, a lot of effort to get it done. But it is what it isâŚ
Of course the question Persist remains with me is how this could have happened.
I am assuming that after every change in BBM, I saved the project using âSave projectâ, and âExport project to SD cardâ. But something must have gone wrong.
As a relatively recent BeatBuddy enthusiast, Iâve come a long way (in my opinion), but I still donât understand everything. For example, I donât understand âSynchronize projectâ. Maybe I did something wrong there, I donât know.
Anyway, many thanks again Persist for your help. I appreciate it very much.
I certainly apologize for the large scale of this job.
I tried to think of the easiest way to do this and I just could not come up with something easier. Iâm certain there are other methods that other users have used that they might be able to share.
What might make this easier for you is to print the screen shots and sit down with a highlighter to mark those songs you want to move and once youâre done, to use the BeatBuddy Manager (BBM) to make the changes using your highlighted screen shots as a roadmap. In this manner you would have a record so you donât have to rely on your memory so much.
Thanks again Persist, but you donât have to apologize. You have done more than your best for me. And not just for me by the way, but for many other fellow BeatBuddy enthusiasts on this forum.
Understanding things is the biggest problem for me in this one, but obviously Iâm going to try. If I get any questions, Iâll ask them here in this (nice) forum.
Persist, may I ask you one more question about âsynchronizing a projectâ and âexporting a project to the SD cardâ?
Maybe itâs a stupid question but I donât understand what happens with âSynchronize projectâ and âExport project to SD cardâ.
Suppose you have made some changes to folders and songs in BBM (without SD card in the laptop). In addition, you have lowered and recorded the tempo of a song in the BeatBuddy pedal.
Will all changes be permanently saved in BBM and in the BeatBuddy pedal as soon as you remove the SD card from your BeatBuddy pedal and put it in the laptop? Or does the saving of all changes in the BeatBuddy pedal happen only at âSynchronize projectâ and/or âExport project to SD cardâ?
The Export - Project to SD card function is used whenever a new project is created and you want the data to be copied to your SD card. When the SD card is in your computer and you use Export - Project to SD card, the BBM will prompt you asking if you want to overwrite all of the existing files (including your foot switch and pedal settings) on your SD card. It will also prompt you if you would like to synchronize your data to this card in the future (you should answer âYesâ). Unless you create and intend to use a new project on your pedal, you will only need to Export - Project to SD card once and for the first time. The process usually takes longer because it is copying all of the project data to your SD card (it depends on how many song folders, songs and drum sets you have in your project. In the BBM QuickStart Guide, Singular Sound advises users to only use the Export - Project to SD card once (the first time).
The Synchronize Project is normally greyed out on the menu until you have completed the Export - Project to SD card function. The Synchronize Project copies data bi-directionally. The edits you have made to your songs, songs folders or drum sets in your BBM project will be copied to the cardâsince it only copies what has changed, the process is usually much quicker than the Export - Project to SD card. If youâve made any changes to songs on your pedal (tempo, foot switch or pedal settings), those changes will be incrementally copied back to your BBM when you synchronize. This is not an automatic processâusers must remove the SD card from the pedal and place it in the laptop media reader (SD card slot) and use the BBM File - Synchronize Project.
Assuming you Save Project in the BBM, yes.
Your changes are saved to the SD card when you make those changes in your pedal.
Your changes from the BeatBuddy pedal to the BBM project will only happen after removing the SD card from the pedal and placing it in your laptop and then using File - Synchronize Project.
Keep the questions coming and if I canât help you, Iâm sure other users will chime in.
