Can anyone recommend a good database program for synth patches

I have got a few hardware synths and quite a lot of VST's and they all have large libraries attached to them. I am looking around for a reasonable PC based database program for keeping track of synth patches. I will be loading them all up and keying in info as to what they are and what synths they are associated with. Big job but really has to be done.

A simple free or cheap program would be good. I just don't want to spend $200 or $300 for a very complex program where a simpler one will do the job fine. Obvious search options etc and being able to create ones own fields etc.

Any ideas? Any of you using a database program to keep track of music or audio clips or synths sounds etc?

Thanks for that Kylotan I have been wondering why no one has answered intil you now. This is a bit of dry subject I suppose and many would not be using a database necessarily to keep tabs on all their sounds. Even with multiple libraries you can keep reasonable control over what is in a particular instrument library.

I have 48 instruments in total now (hardware and virtual) all with quite large libraries in some cases. You just cannot remember what is in all of them. No way known. You need to search fast and be told where things are.

Zen looks excellent. I think it reads the preset files of the synths that are compatible with it and allows you to search that info. But in my case I have several external devices all with large deep libraries too. I am not sure how to include that info inside Zen. I have emailed them and asked them.

You can also modify an existing database by designing your own fields etc and this is an option I am looking into now too. You can search across all fields to find stuff and it has groups as well. You need groups within groups etc and invidual data entries inside those groups. I have Symantec ACT 5 and this is quite impressive. I am finding I can modify it quite a bit. I am turning it into a huge preset manager database over an number of instruments.

I am also looking into a little cheap program called 'My Database' by Avanquest software. It is pretty customisable from what I can see. I have realised you need to create a database entry for literally every preset you have. But not at first. The initial entries can be for the folder heirarchy eg main folders, folders inside those etc..And a brief description of what is in there. Then individual presets entries as you get time.

But think of the power at the end of the day. Just search all your finest French horn sections or marimbas or soundscape pads and the database will point you quickly to every one you have over as many synths as needed.

I think Open Office (free) includes a database - not sure though.

I started to do that using Oracle a few years ago (I used to be a developer) but eventually tossed the idea. It was too time consuming when all I really needed was three columns of searchable text:
1. Synth/vst name
2. Where to find the patch
3. Text description of unlimited length
 
That can be easily done in Word/Excel (or their openoffice or Works counterparts), html, OneNote, or just a text file. Any of those formats can be easily searched and data entry is simple. If you use a spreadsheet, it can export to a comma delimited file which can then be imported into most databases later to do more complicated searches, but I never found the need for that.

Just found another one that might be of interest: MidiQuest.

"The solution is Midi Quest. Not only does Midi Quest provide you with one of the best ways to work with your MIDI hardware, it also gives you everything you need to get the most out of your MIDI hardware investment. Midi Quest does this by providing a set of fully integrated tools that not only display, edit, and organize the settings of your instrument. They also maintain the relationships between the various types of data in your instrument."

Guys - the latest version of Zen now works with any vsti. If you haven't tried it, you should :) It already has almost 40.000 presets.

If you don't need the editor features then MIDIQuest is probably overkill, but I think their database approach is second only to the NI browser in terms of usability. The problem, and it is true of pretty much all such solutions, is that it needs to have the data loaded, and much of that data needs to be created...

I use MQ, mostly because I've been using it since the days of the Amiga, and I have all the templates I need for my dwindling pile-o-hardware. I've made some progress in integrating soft ware synthesizers, but not a lot<G>!

Kylotan, yes, initially it is better to activate whatever plugins you want to manage, and then leave it for a while until it's done downloading presets.