Fairlight audio library: Browse vs Search

A couple feedback things on the Fairlight audio library in Resolve 15 Public Beta:

- It took me a while to figure out how to add a Postgres DB. First I installed PostgresSQL which ended up not being nessecary. Only upon restarting Resolve did I notice you have to create the database in the welcome menu. Is it possible to add a ‘create DB’ button in the empty library? Or at least an info link to clarity?

- The library is great. Searching is fast and waveform previews are awesome. However, the search forces me to know what a sound is called before I can find it. It doesn’t let me browse the folders of each library. I have so many sounds, I can’t remember what they are all called, but I can remember how to find them.

I recommend adding browsing to the library, similar to how Ableton live works.

I have the same issue. It's a great idea, but we should be able to navigate whitin the database without having to search for a specific song

I can't figure out how to browse the database either.

the search forces me to know what a sound is called before I can find it
...
but I can remember how to find them.

If you can remember how to find sound files quickly, why not (depending on your choice of OS) simply open a Finder or Windows Explorer window and browse to the file directly, and drag-drop add it to the Timeline or Media Pool?

We don’t need another folder surfer's tool in the Sound Library, as outline here:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=71945#p404722

The Sound Library's search functionality doesn’t actually force you to know the specific file name, since it also searches the file's description metadata.

This, of course, assumes you have embedded useful metadata in to your audio files.

All audio files in my Sound Library contain specific tags in the file name, as well as in the Description, so the exact file name is not required, and only the very specific tags used as the basis of the search for a specific sound (e.g. Fighter Jets) for the scene.

e.g. The following sound file:
“SkyBirds_Jets_Fighter_HornetFA18_MediumDistance_Landing.wav”

also includes a detailed Description embedded in the file's metadata:
“SkyBirds, Vehicle, Aircraft, Jets, Fighter, FA-18, MediumDistance,
Left to Right, Landing, Ysterplaat, April, 2018, MHK8040, ORTF, SD-MP10T, Reynaud”

This allows me to search by any of the following parameters to quickly find matching files:

• Microphone Type (MKH8040)
• Microphone Array Type (ORTF)
• Microphone Distance (Medium)
• Recording Device (Sound Devices MP10T)
• Recorded by (Reynaud)
• Recording Year (2018)
• Recording Month (April)
• Recording Location (Ysterplaat)
• Sound Library (SkyBirds)
• Object Category (Vehicle)
• Object SubCategory (Aircraft)
• Object Type (Fighter Jet)
• Object Model (FA-18)
• Object Behaviour (Landing)
• Sound Direction (Left to right)

the search forces me to know what a sound is called before I can find it
...
but I can remember how to find them.

If you can remember how to find sound files quickly, why not (depending on your choice of OS) simply open a Finder or Windows Explorer window and browse to the file directly, and drag-drop add it to the Timeline or Media Pool?

We don’t need another folder surfer's tool in the Sound Library, as outline here:
viewtopic.php?f=32&t=71945#p404722

The Sound Library's search functionality doesn’t actually force you to know the specific file name, since it also searches the file's description metadata.

This, of course, assumes you have embedded useful metadata in to your audio files.

All audio files in my Sound Library contain specific tags in the file name, as well as in the Description, so the exact file name is not required, and only the very specific tags used as the basis of the search for a specific sound (e.g. Fighter Jets) for the scene.

e.g. The following sound file:
“SkyBirds_Jets_Fighter_HornetFA18_MediumDistance_Landing.wav”

also includes a detailed Description embedded in the file's metadata:
“SkyBirds, Vehicle, Aircraft, Jets, Fighter, FA-18, MediumDistance,
Left to Right, Landing, Ysterplaat, April, 2018, MHK8040, ORTF, SD-MP10T, Reynaud”

This allows me to search by any of the following parameters to quickly find matching files:

• Microphone Type (MKH8040)
• Microphone Array Type (ORTF)
• Microphone Distance (Medium)
• Recording Device (Sound Devices MP10T)
• Recorded by (Reynaud)
• Recording Year (2018)
• Recording Month (April)
• Recording Location (Ysterplaat)
• Sound Library (SkyBirds)
• Object Category (Vehicle)
• Object SubCategory (Aircraft)
• Object Type (Fighter Jet)
• Object Model (FA-18)
• Object Behaviour (Landing)
• Sound Direction (Left to right)

I understand the idea of using metadata and I understand the idea of quickly opening a browser window.

Not all (purchased) sound libraries have adequate meta-data, so that's a no-go for me.
Also, I generally have many browser/explorer/finder windows open already, it's much faster to stay within the program. Almost every DAW lets you browse (Ableton for example) and I don't think it's too much to ask.

In interviews the BlackMagic CEO clearly says that it's hard to build software that doesn't force people to use it in a too specific/narrow way. I think this feedback is exactly that.

Additionally, popping over to the OS browser doesn't let you preview the sound as easily as in the software. No waveform preview, etc. It's not convenient.

Almost every DAW lets you browse (Ableton for example) and I don't think it's too much to ask
...
Additionally, popping over to the OS browser doesn't let you preview the sound as easily as in the software. No waveform preview, etc. It's not convenient.

Resolve already allows you to browse any location you specify on the Media Page, and then organise things quite flexibly, or browse any other specific storage location Resolve has mounted with very little hassle.

Right click on the Media Storage window and add any folder from any storage device as a new location.
Right click any parent folder (e.g. “Foley”) to add that folder to the Media Pool, alternatively, add the folder and automatically create Bins from the subfolders.

The same may be accomplished with a similar method on the other pages as well.
Drag drop any Folder from the Finder or Windows Explorer in to the Media page's Media Pool, or in to the Media Pool on the Edit and Fairlight pages and in to the Bins window.

For example, the “Foley” folder dragged to the Bins window automatically produces a “Foley” Bin.
Expanding the “Foley” Bin will now display all the Subfolders (e.g. Concrete, Grass, Ice, Wood), however you organise the directory structure in Finder / Windows Explorer with folders.

Each Subfolder will contain all the audio files, and display Waveforms, allowing scrubbing in the Preview window with its larger Waveforms. Metadata is also viewable, with duration, start and end timecodes, sample rate, but depth, file type options, or whichever columns you specify.

From here you can drag drop Bins to the Power Bins section to make these accessible across all Projects, or create Smart Bins and organise based on specific criteria within the current Project.
Completely customisable, very flexible.

Not all (purchased) sound libraries have adequate meta-data, so that's a no-go for me

I spent all of yesterday cataloguing just over 2000 new field recordings with meaningful metadata, in order to allow them to be easily searchable within Resolve's Sound Library panel or any other audio application.

It’s just another part of the job that continues to pay dividends when performed correctly.
A little elbow grease can go a long way.

Can't seem to search for Chinese names. Can this be improved?

Almost every DAW lets you browse (Ableton for example) and I don't think it's too much to ask
...
Additionally, popping over to the OS browser doesn't let you preview the sound as easily as in the software. No waveform preview, etc. It's not convenient.

Resolve already allows you to browse any location you specify on the Media Page, and then organise things quite flexibly, or browse any other specific storage location Resolve has mounted with very little hassle.

Right click on the Media Storage window and add any folder from any storage device as a new location.
Right click any parent folder (e.g. “Foley”) to add that folder to the Media Pool, alternatively, add the folder and automatically create Bins from the subfolders.

The same may be accomplished with a similar method on the other pages as well.
Drag drop any Folder from the Finder or Windows Explorer in to the Media page's Media Pool, or in to the Media Pool on the Edit and Fairlight pages and in to the Bins window.

For example, the “Foley” folder dragged to the Bins window automatically produces a “Foley” Bin.
Expanding the “Foley” Bin will now display all the Subfolders (e.g. Concrete, Grass, Ice, Wood), however you organise the directory structure in Finder / Windows Explorer with folders.

Each Subfolder will contain all the audio files, and display Waveforms, allowing scrubbing in the Preview window with its larger Waveforms. Metadata is also viewable, with duration, start and end timecodes, sample rate, but depth, file type options, or whichever columns you specify.

From here you can drag drop Bins to the Power Bins section to make these accessible across all Projects, or create Smart Bins and organise based on specific criteria within the current Project.
Completely customisable, very flexible.

Not all (purchased) sound libraries have adequate meta-data, so that's a no-go for me

I spent all of yesterday cataloguing just over 2000 new field recordings with meaningful metadata, in order to allow them to be easily searchable within Resolve's Sound Library panel or any other audio application.

It’s just another part of the job that continues to pay dividends when performed correctly.
A little elbow grease can go a long way.

Interesting to use the Media Pool (Bins) for this, I'll give that a shot. Thanks, great feedback.

But, if the Media Pool is usable for massive sound libraries, why add the Sound Library at all? From a software perspective. Wouldn't it make more sense to speed up the search in the Media Pool?

But, if the Media Pool is usable for massive sound libraries, why add the Sound Library at all? From a software perspective. Wouldn't it make more sense to speed up the search in the Media Pool?

From a user perspective, the Sound Library and Media Pools have very different use cases and workflows, each with very specific requirements.

Separate Panels also avoids tying the user down to one specific and narrow method of working.

Some of the valid reasons for creating two separate Panels are illustrated by a few of the critical differences between the Panels:

• allows creation of multiple and dedicated SFX Databases, which may then be backed up and restored completely separately, since they are absolutely Project agnostic.
• sound files may be uniquely tagged within the SFX Database, separately from their Media Pool tagging
• it allows future development to target the specific requirements of SFX editors & Sound Designers

The Media Pool, though, is still very flexible since it does allow hybrid workflows where required, since it is both:

• Project specific, but also Project agnostic via Power Bins
• Media agnostic, but also Media specific via the Show Audio Only Clips option
• Folder agnostic, but also folder specific via drag dropping OS folders to auto-create Bins
• Searches are on a per Bin basis, but also globally via Smart Bins

Whereas the Media Pool really needs to be available at all times to all team members currently working on a Project, the Sound Library only needs to be accessible to the audio team, or to a specific team member.

Once an audio team member adds a SFX clip to the Timeline from any Sound Library, it is automatically made available production wide to all team members via the Media Pool Bins.

In fact, the SFX Databases may be disconnected completely if required within the Project browser or dropped via the Terminal, without breaking the link to an audio file within any particular Project's Media Pool, and subsequently require the manual relinking of media.
.

type *** in the search window!