I’m using a Mac Mini running MinimServer 2.2 (free version) as my UPnP server, a Uniti Nova (firmware 3.11.0) as the player, and the Focal & Naim app on macOS as the control point.
My library is organized in folders with subfolders. A concrete example: I have a folder for an album containing the files of my preferred edition, plus subfolders with other editions of the same record. When I press Play on that root folder, the app plays all the subfolders first and only then the files directly in the root folder — which are exactly the ones I want to hear.
My entire collection is organized this way, so the problem is systematic. Manually creating a playlist for every single album is not a viable option.
What I need is to press Play on a folder and have it play the files directly inside it first, in natural order, without the subfolders interfering.
Is there a MinimServer configuration parameter that controls this behavior? Or is there a recommended workflow for this kind of folder-based navigation with the Naim app?
Not sure if I can be any help here, not running a Mac or Minimserver, but could you try this as a possible fix?
Put your preferred files in a sub-folder and give the folder a name that the operating system/server would go to before the other folders. Possibly try 1 or A, depending whether numerals or letters are selected first. Your setup is obviously reading the files in the sub-folders so I think this could work.
I suspect that the system hierarchy is geared to being pointed to a specific folder & then selecting a sub-folder, indexed by name, & then playing the files in that folder, moving onto the next folder when all files have been played & so on & so on.
Thanks, but it’s not a good option for me. Almost my entire collection consists of one to three different master versions of each album. The main one (according to my listening habits) is in the root folder, and the others are inside that folder. This hierarchy, the product of years of listening and constantly changing with new remasters or remixes, is impossible to remember across so many albums. Browsing by artist or album shows them without that hierarchy. Thanks anyway for the idea.
I’m testing the mconnect lite app; it overcomes that problem, and the play button is located in the root folder. It has another issue: the gapless feature is unreliable; you have to try several times before it activates. And I find the naim app more dynamic and preferable because it’s native. I’ll keep testing.
If you really want to browse via the folder structure, I don’t think MinimServer (or Asset) is the best server software. It is designed to work from metadata tags and largely ignore folder structure. At least that’s its primary use.
You can create your own tags and could perhaps have a “version” tag, but I suspect this would be at odds with the way you like to work with your folder setup. As others have said, it could be worth posting on the Minim forum to see if others have the same issue and how the’ve dealt with it.
Asset includes “Folders and filename browsing” OOTB which likely does exactly what the OP wants. Our browse tree is customised, but I think it is under “Additional” by default.
It simply displays the folder structure on your NAS or device, you click through and when it finds tracks you get the play button in your client. Uses all albums cover images etc. as you browse.
To repeat “I don’t think …” — the bit you missed out when you misquoted me. I was expressing an opinion so it’s not a question of truth but my view on the best tool for the job.
I know Asset allows folder browsing as I use Asset myself. MinimServer does too, but when both index files in a music library they use metadata to organise and present the music.
The best solution I’ve found so far. Go to (>>Tag View), then (folder name), then (X albums), and you can access only the album you want to play. Much better than reorganizing the entire library.
I agree with mpaltadonna, use Tag View (the bottom of the options you have in Minimserver) to select the version.
An easy alternative, to avoid you are always searching around in the folder structure is as follows: you simply add the version to the album name. In this way you are always sure which version you are listening to.
For example, have 4 versions of Sgt Pepper, and have tagged those versions:
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (mono, 2009)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (stereo, 1987)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “Deluxe Anniversary Edition” (stereo, outtakes 2017) 96/24b
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band “Deluxe Anniversary Edition” (stereo, remix 2017) 96/24b
So I have added to the album name the year of the remix, mono or stereo, and the bit rate (if not the default CD bit rate), whatever I like. This avoids you need to scroll through your folders/subfolders, you simply select Artist >> Albums, and see in 1 go all version you have.
