MDrummer - finding missing samples - is it really still this bad?!

[peejay123]

I just slightly re-organised a folder of samples within my sample collection folder (which is set as my custom root path).

When I reopened a project which contains MDrummer with a drumset pointing to samples in that folder, I got the error message saying that the files were missing, which was no surprise. But I was surprised that in all the years since I last had a similar issue, it's still a really very poor system for dealing with missing samples.

The error message gives some very basic information about the missing samples and includes a Find button (see screenshot), but when I click it, it takes me to the Quick Setup and does nothing.



When I then go to the Drumset editor:

• All the drums are there but the link to the samples is broken.
  There is no reference to the sample's file name so it's total guesswork (from what's in the error message) which sample belongs to which drum (or drum layer)
  There is no find and replace – smart or otherwise

This surely cannot be right? I'm really hoping I'm missing something here.

It's not realistic that I cannot re-organise my sample folders. As sample libraries grow, you need to change the structure every now and then, but it seems doing so would destroy any song that uses MDrummer.

There desperately needs to be some improvement here.

The bare minimum solution has to be showing more information in the error message (which sample belongs to which drum/drum layer). Although the error message gives you some clues, you're left guessing and it's a particular problem if you've used the same sample in multiple layers – the error message does not account for this at all.

Ideally there would be a search mechanism which could find the missing samples within your custom root path. This really is a must for software of the quality of Melda's. It would be crazily labour-intensive to relink files manually from the list in the error message even if it showed more information.

I'm hoping I've missed something here and someone has a solution. Or perhaps the find button is supposed to do something but is broken in my version?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks

Melda 16.03
Ableton 10.1.43
Mac OS 12.6
Macbook Pro 2018

[MeldaProduction]

Find button should search for it automatically if I remember correctly, I'll check it there's no bug. Anyways note that changing your structures is generally a really rare and bad idea. You are now relying on file names being nonambiguous. It's just a matter of time before bad things happen...

[peejay123]

Thanks for replying! Hopefully it is just a bug with the Find function then, because it seemed to do nothing when I tried it.

I get what you are saying about non-ambiguous names but this could be resolved by a find and replace function like Kontakt has, or the one built into Ableton, where you can see the full path of any matching files that have been found and you can choose which one to connect to.

Also, as I mentioned, if the name (and ideally path) of the missing sample was saved in the sampler/layer for each drum, so you could find it manually, that would make a huge difference. Or even if the error message referenced the drum and layer number where the samples are missing, that would be many, many times better than the current error message.

Changing the structure should be rare and only in exceptional circumstances, but there are definitely times where it has to be done. Incidentally, I made a very minor change to the structure of a sample pack I'd recently purchased. This change was necessary and better made sooner rather than later, but it still affected a handful of songs which took some time to resolve.

[Svama]

I also have these problems with MsoundFactory and Mdrummer from time to time, but I didn´t change the file structure.

[MeldaProduction]

I also have these problems with MsoundFactory and Mdrummer from time to time, but I didn´t change the file structure.

If that happens again, I can't imagine why something like that would happen unless files disappeared from where they should be.

[MeldaProduction]

peejay: There was a bug indeed, will be fixed in the forthcoming update.

[peejay123]

Fantastic news! That's a relief. Thanks so much!

[MeldaProduction]

Please check the new beta

[mevla]

Please check the new beta

Would this fix also address the following.

msfEssentialDownloads.jpg

The path /B3/MSFSamples/MeldaProduction/MSoundFactoryEssentials/ contains :

Code: Select all

% du -ch

6.3M	./Transients/Synthetic
6.3M	./Transients/Organic
13M	./Transients
58M	./MultiTextures/Tunnel
58M	./MultiTextures/Noisy Vox
58M	./MultiTextures/Flow
58M	./MultiTextures/Harsh
58M	./MultiTextures/Choir Synth
58M	./MultiTextures/Jetfighters
58M	./MultiTextures/Bitcomm
58M	./MultiTextures/Electric Axe
58M	./MultiTextures/Droid
42M	./MultiTextures/Cello
42M	./MultiTextures/Woodwind
58M	./MultiTextures/Thunder
58M	./MultiTextures/Scanning
58M	./MultiTextures/Formant
42M	./MultiTextures/Trains
58M	./MultiTextures/Scrambled
58M	./MultiTextures/Cricket Organ
42M	./MultiTextures/Bowed Steel
58M	./MultiTextures/Digital
58M	./MultiTextures/Brutal Amp
58M	./MultiTextures/Chatter
58M	./MultiTextures/Pipe Choir
42M	./MultiTextures/Bouncing
58M	./MultiTextures/Blown
58M	./MultiTextures/Motorized
58M	./MultiTextures/Industry
58M	./MultiTextures/Depth
1.5G	./MultiTextures
128M	./Textures/Synthetic
126M	./Textures/Organic
254M	./Textures
29M	./Sci-Fi
633M	./Transition FX
5.5M	./Impacts/Noise
30M	./Impacts/Sweep
53M	./Impacts/Drum
27M	./Impacts/Pluck
8.6M	./Impacts/Kicks
21M	./Impacts/Falls
5.8M	./Impacts/Chords
50M	./Impacts/Winddowns
29M	./Impacts/Pierce
226M	./Impacts
122M	./Tones/Synthetic
228M	./Tones/Organic
349M	./Tones
3.4G	.
3.4G	total

3.4G of files are there down the MSF path, MSF does not complain at all about missing essential files, but yet they are reported as missing and should be installed by the downloader ?

Something else in the same area. Try downloading when the download folder does not exist as specified. The downloader will keep retrying (for how long ?) with 0% progress as if the issue could be solved with time. Instead it should immediately report that "the folder does not exist, do you want to create it ?" or something similar.

[MeldaProduction]

I'm not sure what you are suggesting. Anyways if you want to move the factory stuff, easy:
1) Move it manually.
2) Run Downloader and change the paths properly

[mevla]

I'm not sure what you are suggesting. Anyways if you want to move the factory stuff, easy:
1) Move it manually.
2) Run Downloader and change the paths properly

And I'm not sure to whom you were replying

If it was to my comment, I did not suggest anything, I described what seems like two bugs :

A) Downloader says 'not installed' when the files are seemingly at their right location and MSF does not complain at all.

B) Downloader considers that a missing folder is a timeout issue and keeps retrying instead of reporting the error immediately. Not a terrible bug, but it's in the same code area.

[MeldaProduction]

Aha
A) Downloader may not be aware of that, that would be a longer conversation related to older versions and stuff.
B) Aha, I'll check. Maybe it's related to your Linux situation

[mevla]

A) Downloader may not be aware of that, that would be a longer conversation related to older versions and stuff.

I've seen it on a new install in the sense of blank disk -> OS -> Bitwig -> plugins.

B) Aha, I'll check. Maybe it's related to your Linux situation

He he ... A path is a path is a path.

Cheers.