MusiCHI Suite v1.8

Some say “The devil is hidden in the details” and for a newcomer, the organization of a music collection to be reproduced by a computer seems to give truth to that proverb.
In any case, how difficult can this “organization” be when you have overcome problems such as connecting a DAC through a USB or convincing your friends to let you copy a few GB of music onto your hard disc? Unfortunately, in the area of high fidelity, these details make the difference and for all those who have seriously dug into this topic and, by seriously, I really mean those who have tried to convert all or big parts of their music collection into digital audio files, know that the difficulties are big. For example, how should you organize your files and directories structure for your collection? How should you find a particular track among the hundreds or thousands that you may own? Very soon, you will discover a whole new world with new jargon (such as metatag and playlist) and after a while you will find yourself facing the truth: Beyond the technical parameters, in the case of computer music there are radical differences among perceived models. Whereas, a physical CD collection resides, usually, univocal and linear, based on the position of objects on the shelves, the virtual music library has many more dimensions and criteria that you may organize at will. This, of course, can be only an improvement. Nevertheless, it poses specific prerequisites of organization.
Software for managing music is not something rare. One of the most popular, iTunes by Apple has been distributed freely for many years. Most readers here have heard or already use Media Monkey or foobar2000. Even Windows Media Player has some organizing capabilities and I am sure that out there, there are many more programs. With this in mind, MusiCHI is not something really original. Its structure, though, its mode of operation and some of its capabilities make it really unique. I had the chance to see a preview during the last Athens High End show and talk to the designer, who gave me a copy so that I could test it under real circumstances. I have lived with it for quite a while and from last December it is the playback software I use every day for managing my music collection, which is comprised by more than 10,000 tracks. Read the details…