How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

2017-09-26 14:59:21

Hi Folks!
I have been trying to understand what it takes to make FooBar work for my needs, but I am getting lost in all the technical details.  My needs are pretty simple, really (I think), but I just need someone who has some technical knowledge and can just steer me in the right direction here.  Here is what I am trying to do:

I have 1TB of classical music in flac on a SSD that I have connected to my Asus, 10", Windows10 tablet.  I have also connected an audiophile-level, USB DAC to it so that I can bypass the crappy DACs that reside in tablets and from there, attached my headphones.

Up to now, I have been using a package called, Musichi, which is the software I use to select and play the music.  Classical music has a quirk in that you want to be able to select by composer/album title/composition and Musichi handles that perfectly.  (I have tagged all my music accordingly and have also copied the composer tag to the AlbumArtist tag for other needs -- in case that fact is helpful here.)  My understanding is that there are FooBar skins that can handle classical music.

Although Musichi software works perfectly, the problem is that the screen is too cramped for a 10" tablet display and the developer refuses to reduce the clutter through better Windows, pop-up, design approaches.  Musichi works fine with a mouse, but not for fingers.

So that brings me here.  I need tablet-based, software that can run in Windows10 and can handle my classical music.  But I don't know what skin to use or anything else that I might need to have an audiophile-level output.  I tried downloading FooBar2000 and got lost in the details when configuring it.  Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be a truly good tutorial on it, but I can probably be motivated enough to eventually figure it out if I can just know what skin/add-on -- or whatever commands/steps -- I need to make it work.  And if you DO know of a truly good tutorial, please let me know.

So FooBar wizards out there:  I need your expertise!  Please show this newbie the right direction to take here.  I will truly be grateful for your help. 

Re: How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

Reply #1 – 2017-09-26 15:20:25

Since you're asking for "tablet based", this forum is for the foobar2000 desktop application. There's a foobar2000 mobile and its forum can be found here. Also, there are no "skins" on foobar2000 mobile as there are for foobar2000 which my guess is those are the ones you're referring to when talking about "skins that can handle classical music".

But talking about the desktop application, the best thing to do is try to get familiar with the default ui and make foobar2000 the way you like to have it look and function for you. Only you yourself knows best what you want. Your request is a bit too general to give adequate advice. I'd say try it out and if you have specific questions you're free to ask here.

Re: How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

Reply #2 – 2017-09-26 15:29:29

Also, I wouldn't go looking for some "skin" as you can never be sure if all the components are up to date and still function well and most of the time those "skins" are never exactly what you want if you have particular needs. You're saying there's no good tutorial? There are a ton out there and all are inadequate?

Re: How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

Reply #3 – 2017-09-27 14:16:14

Thank you so much, jazzthieve!  I went to the link for the tablet version and am setting it up now.  If there aren't skins available for it, then I suspect that I will be forced to go back to the desktop version because trying to make classical music work on an index structure designed for pop/jazz music just doesn't work.  We'll see if the tablet version can handle it, but I doubt it will.

Regarding the tutorials, I did try a bunch of them but wasn't finding the ones that really explained things clearly enough.  Wasted a whole lot of hours making very little progress.  There would be bits of info presented, and then I was left hanging wondering where to go next.  Maybe there is something good for newbies, but I couldn't find it.  That is why I was asking about any good ones.  I really dread having to spend endless hours trying to make a skin work.  That is why I paid money for the Musichi software.  I just don't want to get into endless hours of learning/configuration/programming.  I am not that fussy about what I want.  I just need the composer/albumtitle/composition structure to work -- and show album cover thumbnails in the selection list -- that's all.

Re: How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

Reply #4 – 2017-09-27 15:20:12

As I mentioned before, don't go for trying to make a skin work. Learn how to set up default ui for your own needs and work from there.

Re: How do I set up a classical music collection using FooBar for a tablet?

Reply #5 – 2017-09-27 21:20:51

jazzthieve, I loaded it up and the foobar tablet version appears to be exactly what I needed.  Thanks again for your help!