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Quickly preview wav files in XP Explorer

I'm organizing my samples and I just realized how much easier my life would be if I could preview audio files from within Windows XP Explorer.

The way I want this to work is that whenever I _select_ a wav file it would play it. I think it was like that in Windows ME. Now I've got gazillion hihat samples that need to be sorted into open/closed and it would be SO much easier if I could just scroll down the files while they're automatically previewed and just delete all the closed hats for example.

Right now I'm just listening through the entire folder in my audio app and then search for that particular file in explorer, remove it, etc... Just takes waaaay too much time.

I've googled but I can't find anything useful. The best I found is to add a 'Preview' command in the right click context folder, but that's almost the same as I'm doing now.
So if anyone knows of a better way then please share.

p.s.
I'm staying away from alternative file managers that do offer this, for the time being.

What sequencer do you use? If you are using Cubase, you can do File, Import Audio File, which opens a Windows Explorer with a built in autoplay feature. From this window, you can drag and drop, create new folders, and sort into other window explorer windows just as you would if you were not using Cubase. I use this all the time to sort samples but using the arrow keys to quickly audition massive amounts of samples.

well all i do is use an app like media monky then scan my wav files stored on my hard drive and hey presto a long list of my samples. off course this wont put then in to order for you but just find time to set up various folders on desk top then put things in where you want them to be.

find a new location for them rescan with media monkey job done

Sample Tagger is free and probably just what you're looking for.

quote:

Originally posted by Magnus What sequencer do you use? If you are using Cubase, you can do File, Import Audio File, which opens a Windows Explorer with a built in autoplay feature. From this window, you can drag and drop, create new folders, and sort into other window explorer windows just as you would if you were not using Cubase. I use this all the time to sort samples but using the arrow keys to quickly audition massive amounts of samples.

Yes I use Cubase. Will try that and see how it works out.

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Sample Tagger is free and probably just what you're looking for.

This is a cool app. But I don't understand half of it and the broken english in the manual isn't helping. Can you explain to me what exactly this software does? I.e. what do these virtual folders mean?

I really like the auto preview function. It's amazingly fast and you can set it to loop and I can set the volume specifically for this app, which is great.
The only thing I need really, is to be able to copy/cut/paste folders/files and alternatively delete files to the trash. That way I can skim through a 'hihat' folder with auto preview enabled and quickly delete all closed hihat samples to the trash and then drag them from the trash to a separate folder. The del button doesn't seem to do anything in the program and I can't find anything through the menus or in the manual :\

one of the reasons i love my mac, just hit the space bar and preview any file.

i realise this is not a very helpful reply! sorry!

You could (temporarily) change Explorer over to single-click-open mode and just keep your media player open. It's pretty much the same thing.

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut You could (temporarily) change Explorer over to single-click-open mode and just keep your media player open. It's pretty much the same thing.

That is very interesting indeed! If you could give an indication to where this option is located. For the lazy peepz (not me of course) that`d be great. This might be a new way for me to do things, and if it where possible to make a shortcut to switch between the two modes that`d be awesome!

quote:

Originally posted by Subtle That is very interesting indeed! If you could give an indication to where this option is located. For the lazy peepz (not me of course) that`d be great. This might be a new way for me to do things, and if it where possible to make a shortcut to switch between the two modes that`d be awesome!

It's on the first page of the Explorer folder options. There's an option to single-click or double-click items. In Vista you just click on Organize and go to Folder and Search Options, and it's been a long time since I've used XP but I think the setting was under the Tools menu there.

I don't know that there's any shortcut - it would be easy enough to code something to change a registry setting, but not so easy to force any open windows to update. It only really takes a second to change the setting through the UI anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut You could (temporarily) change Explorer over to single-click-open mode and just keep your media player open. It's pretty much the same thing.

Not really. Even the 0.2 seconds it takes for my media player to open is a lot of wasted time when you have thousands and thousands of samples. Right now I'm using that Sample tagger app to preview my samples just because how insanely fast the browsing and the previews are and I keep another explorer window open where I move/delete the samples I don't like.
Will have to do for now...

I'm gonna drop a mail to that guy maybe he can code in a simple delete function into that app, then I'm all set.

quote:

Originally posted by vikernes Not really. Even the 0.2 seconds it takes for my media player to open is a lot of wasted time when you have thousands and thousands of samples.

Yeah... that's why I said keep it open.

I don't remember how WMP behaves; I know that if I keep Winamp open, anything I open from Explorer plays after 0.0 seconds, not 0.2.

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