Best way to have an experimental library to try out MM5

[Weatherman]

Hi everyone.
Because of the length of time it is taking to have a proper version of MM5 (3 years and still in the development) and because it still lacks the superior functionality of MM4 (which has fantastic scripts such as MagicNodes and RegExp), I still use MM4 as my main programme.
However, I would like to keep on top of the MM5 developments, but using a smaller library where it doesn't affect my main library and where if anything goes wrong it doesn't matter.
However, when I install MM5 it automatically copies my database and creates its own database and I end up with all my music on MM5, and any edits to tracks are destructive as far as I know, because the database is pointing to where my actual music is.
Can I install MM5 but point it to a different location? If, say, I copy 500 tracks from my music collection and place them on another drive or location, can I play with MM5 and only allow MM5 to work with those 500 copied tracks instead of my main collection?
Many thanks

[Barry4679]

Firstly, I have been testing MM5 for over a year now (I don't know how long exactly, and I am afraid to look ), and I run it against all of my tracks. In that time I have never seen any instance where it has damaged any of my tracks.

Also I read all the messages here, and don't recall any message claiming that it has damaged any tracks.

Also I don't agree that MM5 "lacks the superior functionality of MM4" ... In the areas of my own interests, I think MM5 is significantly superior.

Like you, I also still use MM4 as main program. ... I just use MM5 for testing, and I also use it to browse my collection, because it is better IMO.
I have tested track re-tagging, but don't do it very often, otherwise my MM4 database would get out of date.

But what you want to achieve is easy. I would do as follows:

• install MM in Portable mode ... ie. give it own little sandbox, away from everything else in your computer

• when you are asked whether you want to import database and setting from MM4, answer No

• copy a subset of your tracks to some location

• then use the MM5 File|AddRescan option to scan and load just those duplicated music tracks ... ie. un-check any music locations that it wants to scan by default, and manually add the small track duplicate location that you have created

[Weatherman]

Many thanks...this portable option seems to be the best way to play with MM5 without amending my main library.
Thanks again.

[dtsig]

I am with Barry on this .. i have been using it since it came out and there has been no problem with the database. There have been a few hickups along the way but the devs are so good that they get straightened out pretty quickly.

[Weatherman]

I didn’t mean to come across as being disrespectful about MM5.
I just don’t see how anyone can think it is better than MM4...yet. Purely from the fact it is still in beta stage, does nothing that MM4 doesn’t do, and is inferior insofar as it has none of the scripts that made MM4 so flexible and customisable.
I would imagine that eventually it will be as good with an actual commercial release, which is why I wish to keep monitoring it.