OK, so let me get this right, the Prime is a standalone system, thus Denon assumes you don’t own or use a computer/laptop for anything regarding playing or organizing. Right?
Well, seems wrong to me, since you will still need a laptop to obtain your music (streaming is not a real option if you still want to prepare your tracks and why would we need Engine eh?) and this leads me to the assumption that you would need two identical (somehow synced) libraries. One on you Prime 4 internal SSD and one you can access on you laptop (second SSD/SD card or internal disc).
I really get the standalone “AT YOUR GIG” deal, the addition of streaming is even a good one there since you can fulfill all on-site requests.
Problem is, if you want to prepare your music on your laptop (I do it often next to my wife while she watches TV) how do you then easily sync with the Prime 4 internal SSD, same goes for new tracks. This needs to improve IMHO because now, when I hook up the Prime in PC mode, Engine does not sync well with my laptop SSd (ok it is external to but still) it is a great hassle still…
Hmmm, well keep in mind, in my opinion the problem (or root of this discussion) lies not in the Prime 4, I’ve used it with sticks and external SSD’s no problem (one library, no hassle). My problem lies with Engine Prime (albeit in combination with the Prime players with internal SSD). Denon have invested big in setting up Engine, it is even becoming a separate entity as Engine OS will try to gain traction with other InMusic (and maybe other, if it is really really good) brands. Right now, version 1.5 is actually quite good (everybody upgrade and rescan your tracks), maybe one of the best (not completely) although some things still don’t flow. Sync, when using a Prime system being a major one. The workaround is wobbly as one error in file path will invalidate the library.
This is a lack of understanding the concept, you have the master library on your PC, you build your collection/playlists/crates etc and put all the work in to that master library. You then check out a copy of all or part of the master library to a USB/SSB/SD etc for use on the players. When done you sync any changes back to the master library if desired. If you loose a drive you havnt really lost anything you just re export again. This is the way this type of preparation software has worked for years.
The most intelligent and easier way to manage the collection in the STREAMING ERA (today in 2020 and not 2050) was purposed and solved by Rekordbox 6: the Recordcloud. And about Engine, they don’t have yet implemented basic library tools like smart crates, they actually will answers you “we are young and we have to build our knowledge about software algorythms…” so you could only hope that maybe in 2022 they can understand the real needed of a digital dj Today, without problems like USB supports or hard discs… technology of the past era. But just in the last week they’ve asked to a boy, his name is “Christian”, to work for a cloud solution for Denon too… so you can either believe in God right from now
Oh give it a rest… stop derailing every thread to talk about smart crates, you’ve made your request (in your case demand) to Denon DJ, now go back into the dark and scary place, full of mythical creatures, from whence you came…
As for streaming era, internet access in venues is still far too patchy to rely on streaming completely, and usually even if you do get access, you are sharing the connection with hundreds of other people in the venue, meaning bandwidth is extremely limited and speeds can be slow - this is why the primary media for 99% of working DJ’s on standalone gear is USB drives/SSD’s.
now I’ll explain the solution to your presumed problem in 3 lines: use the cloud for the library update and then synchronize everything on any device. Even in this case, it is not necessary to consult any NASA nuclear engineer.
Omg! You’re absolutely right. He’s starting to just hijack every thread to keep mentioning his own demands. And you’re right about that too, he’s not making requests, he’s making demands. No one is at that level.
Ok so in your situation what happens if I add new tracks to my cloud playlist at home and don’t sync to the devices until I’m at a gig? You end up in exactly the same situation as streaming - namely trying to download tracks over an slow, unstable connection.
You might like to try thinking about the practicalities of your ideas before disparaging other users, otherwise we might decide to turn the tables round on you and point out the rather obvious flaws in your own ideas.
do you still know many places in the world without a more or less stable internet connection for at least 5 minutes? Do you want to tell me that your brilliant mind is defending this cause? Here it seems that the monstrous creature from a backward planet is not me. What do you think?
Did you not read the part about what internet is like at venues?
A lot of venues don’t have open internet, and when you play at one that does, you are sharing the connection with every punter and staff member at the venue, so the bandwidth per person isn’t much, hence slow speeds and unreliable connection.
Even if you go the route of mobile hotspot from your phone, it’s the exact same problem because you are sharing the connection to the cell towers.
This is why lighting ops tend to stay away from things like wireless dmx solutions at venues, it’s a very well established problem.
Rekordbox cloud system can use a simply drop box account for updating all your audio files and a cloud for all the metadata of your Tracks. Where is the difference about that system and what we’re talking about? They have done! Also?
Well, at this point I think many users can get a precise idea after reading this topic. regards
Wow, things heat up (well it’s a forum) however, to get back to the in my perception main issue, even though I have upgraded to EP1.5 (which, true is a major step up) I’m still experiencing issues with keeping the library in my P4 synced with my main drive. Now my library, we the one I use still, fit’s easily on the 1TB internal SSD on the P4 (I connected the drive, formatted it exFAT, the copied my lib to a folder on the SSD (/Music, so it’s in the root, as it is on my external SSD) started EP on my laptop and then I see two drives…so I selected all the music in P4 SSD / Music and draged it to collection, And it worked did import and scan the tracks. But when I disconnect from the P4 and open EP with just my external SSD connected, there was an empty library.
The I repeated the import bit with just my external SSD connected and the changed some cues, crates and playlists…connected my laptop to the P4 SSD and tried to sync in EP1.5 but it said nothing to sync…so…now what?
