Serato DB selection when multiple db's are detected for import

Lexicon Ideas & Feature Requests
1

What is the feature or ability you would like to have?
Please explain your feature request. Add an image/screenshot if it makes sense to clarify things.

When using Lexicon in a setup where it will detect multiple Serato databases, it would be helpful to have them listed, their location path with selection boxes.

This will allow you to isolate the database(s) you want to import and work with.

How will this feature help you and others?
Please explain how this helps you and other users. Keep in mind that feature requests that are too specific may not be added.

This will prevent you from mixing up your databases and/or allow you to choose which db you work with.

Is this feature available in an existing product? If so, what product?
Please let us know if this feature already exists in any other software. This is helpful to understand the problem and perhaps come to an even better solution.

No

Does a workaround currently exist?
Please explain how you currently deal with the problem.

I was working with Lexicon on my Windows studio PC. What I was trying to achieve is this.

I use Serato, Mixed in Key and Dr. Tag to process my new tracks before in Windows. Then update Serato DB via Alchimie Zinc on my Macbook with newly added tracks.

Alchimie is setup that it mimics my folder structure on the drive with my music library on my Macbook. This resides on a secondary internal drive.

Alchimie is 11yrs old and no longer in development unfortunately so I don’t want to continue depending on it to manage the Serato DB.

One day it will break and since Lexicon runs on Windows as well that would allow me to manage the database from my studio PC. Currently I have to remote into my Macbook when the processing is completed so I can run Alchimie.

This will solve another problem by allowing me to mange everything from one system over the network.

The workaround…

  • I mapped the folder from the Macbook on my Windows as drive T:
  • Then I renamed any Serato folder that Lexicon would see locally or the network because I have multiple shares.
  • I launched Lexicon, did the Serato DJ import which allowed it to see the db on drive ‘T:’
  • Once it was completed. Closed Lexicon. I disconnected the T: drive and renamed all the Serato folders back to normal.
  • Launched Serato DJ on my workstation to make sure the local DB was good - CHECK
  • Launched Lexicon and of course all tracks show as missing.
  • Bought a subscriptions so I could use the Find Lost Tracks function
  • I used this function to correct any location that pointed to the T: drive to the correct unc path
    ie: //serato-system/scratch_live/…

This allowed me to fix the db in Lexicon with all the correct unc paths

The one caveat is I haven’t tried to sync libraries yet. I don’t know if Lexicon will use the unc paths in the db, or try to the use the original T: drive that was mapped.

2

Multiple Serato databases is normal behavior though. There is always one “main” Serato db in your Music folder and an extra Serato folder on each drive that has music on it.

If the main db isn’t found, then Lexicon will ask you where it is but that is a rare situation and you should not point it to one of the extra Serato folders. The main db has things like smartcrates and streaming tracks that the extra folders don’t have.

So it’s perfectly normal to read multiple Serato folders and allowing to change that too easily will break things for sure.

3

This where the misunderstanding is.

I’m not using Lexicon to read the local db, I’m using it to access another database in different location across the network.

The main db I need to access on the Macbook is not even stored in the main location. Everything is stored on the secondary internal drive where all the music actually resides.

Serato DJ reads the db from the secondary volume not the local volume.

4

Yeah okay, but that is not standard behavior so I don’t want to add an option for that. It would work for you, but it will confuse other users and cause problems. So I think the best option for you is to solve this with symlinks or hardlinks and make Lexicon think your Serato folder is in the correct location when it is really somewhere else.

5

A suggestion would be to provide some advanced settings in a situation like this. So it’s not a default behaviour but if you need to customize further you can.

6

Every setting can potentially create confusion and introduce bugs so I don’t want to add an option that is not used a lot. Lexicon is complex enough as it is so I’m very careful not to make it more complex.