[Ramblers]

I would like to have databases for different style of tunes i.e old time, ragtime, celtic etc. then have the facility to take tunes from different databases to make up a set of tunes, for playing in different sessions, rather than having to switch databases and search for each tune.

Is this possible?

regards

Alcluith - a Rambler

[Geoff Bacon]

It is unlikely that MS does this as multiple databases were a recent addition and everything was previously based on a single database. I would also be extremely surprised if Mike would ever support this.

Have you tried putting each category of song into a collection for that category ? As a song can be in multiple collections, this (unless you have special requirements) together with the use of filters, should give you what you want using a single collection

Geoff

[Ramblers]

It is unlikely that MS does this as multiple databases were a recent addition and everything was previously based on a single database. I would also be extremely surprised if Mike would ever support this.

Have you tried putting each category of song into a collection for that category ? As a song can be in multiple collections, this (unless you have special requirements) together with the use of filters, should give you what you want using a single collection

Geoff

Geoff

I am at a loss to see why then use Multiple databases.   Using a single database makes it no better than the one I use at present and that one was free. 

for me I need to hold my music in different databases/categories then be able to make up session sets from the music in these databases/Session. I was advise by a MS user friend that this was achievable but, to date I cannot see a way to do this, and given your comments, not likely to be able to do so.

sadly don’t think I will take it any further.

Alcluith

[BRX]

Well, I guess you haven't looked at the features and especially of the database capabilities of MS sufficiently.

There are user cases for multiple databases (space reasons or sharing reasons) but your user case doesn't warrant multible databases in MS at all. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding of nomenclature.
You can do what you want from one database with all your songs sorted into collections (which you could treat as separate "databases" but still share the same songs which is the approach MS takes and IMHO is superior to an approach with multiple databases).

But if you don't want to investigate MS further what it can do for you and see why your friend recommended it, it's your call.

[Skip]

If you were to replace the word 'database' with 'collection' in your OP, you can accomplish exactly what you desire with MSP's primary library. This is because the primary library is a database with all of the songs. These songs can be identified by genres like folk, jazz,ragtime, etc, and other identifiers, put into categories, and selected for setlists for each session. They can be sorted by many other identifiers/metadata, eg. composers, artists, key, etc.
There are folks using multiple databases although I have no idea why.

[itsme]

@Ramblers: 
Multiple databases are for pretty special usecases. As already said: for your use case keeping all songs in one database and using MobileSheets' database fields ('groups' in MobileSheets wording) to classify the songs is the way to go.
I use genres for musical styles (you mentioned old time, ragtime, celtic), collections for bands, sessions or line-ups, albums for fakebooks. Note that a song can be in as many groups as you like.
To merge your databases again (with all the edits and annotations you might already have done) you could use "share - export as .msf". Then import all .msf files into one common database. Make sure you have current backups in case something goes wrong.

@Ramblers, Skip:
I personally use 3 separate databases: 
1. The default database mobilesheets.db is my 'active' database with all the songs I play on stage, in sessions or rehearsals. I do all the edits here, synchronize it on my devices and make back-ups frequently
2. A test database that I empty completely every now and then via  "Other Settings - Clear Library". Here I can play around freely, investigate bugs, import CSV files for testing and so on without messing my active database
3. A really huge database with CSV imports of many fakebooks from my fakebook collection. That allows conveniently looking at these books. Necessary changes, if any, are done in the PDfs and CSVs and re-imported.

Other users use different databases for different bands or line-ups they play with. But this ONLY makes sense imho in case the different bands are completely independent and don't have any common songs.

[Skip]

Makes sense, thanks.

[Ramblers]

Thanks to all who posted. As you see I’m new to MS, but I did not want to invest too much time learning it, if it didn’t suit my needs.
Special thanks to BRX and Skip for the explaining the nomenclature.
I am happy to have one database with all my music sorted into collections. I will persevere with MS as it does have features that I would like to take advantage of.
Itsme that make sense as well I have not got into CSV, but maybe in the future

Thank again 

Alcluith

[BRX]

You're welcome. You'll see that your "persevering" will quickly become "enjoying".