How to use iTunes and Capture One across two Macs?

[Poki]

Hey guys,

I'm going to get a new MacBook Pro when the next refresh hits stores, but I'm quite afraid of one particular problem: I'm a heavy iTunes and Capture One Pro user. Since these apps are based on a library that's managed within the apps themselves, I'm not sure how I could use them across two different Macs.

Specifically, I do have an iTunes library with tons of movies and music in it. It's too much to store all on the SSD of the MacBook, so I'd want to bring only part of it over. Since not all of it was purchased through iTunes, but rather bought as CDs and ripped later, I also can't access it over the cloud. I could just copy over the albums I want and create a new iTunes library, however that way I couldn't sync ratings, play counts and so on at all between the libraries. And if I buy an MP3 download somewhere like Amazon and add it to the library on the MacBook, I'd have to add it to the library on my Mac Mini as well, repeating the rating process and losing the play count. Any solution to that?

Capture One is a little different. I actually don't want to bring my library with me. I just want to work on projects for a few weeks at a time on the notebook and then add it all together on my Mac Mini to keep one big, searchable archive. Can I just import the library on the Mac Mini? If so, does it sync tags as well as folders? I.e. if I have a folder "Portraits" on the MacBook library and import it to the Mac Mini library, which also has a folder named "Portraits", will it combine them?

Thanks for any information!

 

[phrehdd]

Capture One Pro - highly suggest you contact them or a forum devoted to Capture One. As well, you could experiment to see what does come across properly with the correct command. However, I did find this and they are talking about RAF files which are Fuji camera raw files. See if anything rings true - at least experiment.

If your RAF files are in the C1 catalogue database then you can just copy the catalogue folder to an external disc and open it on your friends Mac.

If your RAF files are in their own folder structure, which the C1 catalogue references, you have a bit more work to do. You can either:-
1. copy the catalogue folder and all the RAF file folders then on your friends copy of C1 you will probably have to re-synchronize the RAF file locations to the database. In C1 File> 'Synchonize folder'.
or
2. create a new empty C1 catalogue on the external disc and import the contents of the original catalogue to it. In C1 File>Import>Capture One Catalogue choosing to bring the RAF files into the database. This will avoid the need to re-synchronize when you get to your friends.

Itunes - I gather you want to share content from your iTunes library. First, you don't need SSD type hard drive, the slowest hard drive is fast enough. There are some options - if you have your library set up for your one computer, you may want to go to iTunes, go to its help and look up "share" as it will list at least two directions you may want to explore. Another solution is to put your library on a portable hard drive and share that drive between the two computers. The entire information about that iTunes library would reside on that drive too. If your two computers are at home all the time consider a NAS for your library. There are a couple of ways to set it up and the way I prefer that solves one problem would create another for you. I only store the files on the NAS(network attached storage) and the information about the files resides on my computer. I do this so that if I bring up iTunes and the NAS is not yet connected to my computer I don't run into iTunes trying to make another library on my computer. In your case, you need all of the library and supporting files on the NAS. Because all your data information is on the NAS, when you add files, it will be seen by the other computer IF you turn on the 2nd machine after you added the file so it can see the change.