Caused by the simple fact that you can't search within folder structures?

I mean I can't imagine anyone holds all their samples in a single folder that would just be stupid.

Why can't it do what every other DaW and windows itself does and search within folders beneath folders?????

Well, I find I use the browser a lot and to me it's very useful. But I agree that it would be great if the searching and filtering functions were more powerful and could work on folders as well as files. 
(Yes, I have put in an enhancement request for this. If more people request this, maybe it will make it on to the list one of these days.)

PTheory
Caused by the simple fact that you can't search within folder structures?

I mean I can't imagine anyone holds all their samples in a single folder that would just be stupid.

Why can't it do what every other DaW and windows itself does and search within folders beneath folders?????

+1

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar14/articles/sonar-0314.htm
 
See the March 2014 issue of Sound on Sound (it's out now), I wrote an article on how to get the most out of the browser. No, you can't search folders within folders, but the tree view, the Details option, the ability to filter out files of a particular type, adding folder locations to the contents box (this is huge), and the auditioning features are exceptional time savers. I haven't been all that bothered by the limited search options because these features, coupled with how I have my media organized, make searching less important than it would be otherwise.

Anderton
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar14/articles/sonar-0314.htm
 
See the March 2014 issue of Sound on Sound (it's out now), I wrote an article on how to get the most out of the browser. No, you can't search folders within folders, but the tree view, the Details option, the ability to filter out files of a particular type, adding folder locations to the contents box (this is huge), and the auditioning features are exceptional time savers. I haven't been all that bothered by the limited search options because these features, coupled with how I have my media organized, make searching less important than it would be otherwise.

I have 4TB of sample data from a plethora of libraries each with their own naming conventions and folder structure. It is simply impossible to dump all my sample data into a single folder, I'd never find anything!!!

All I want to do is be able to put very simple search filters on file or folder names such as Tambo for tambourine etc

I read the article in SOS thinking surely I'm missing something obvious like an index setting or something but all the article did was confirm my suspicions that the media browser cannot search within a folder structure.

Hence my original comment about it being pretty useless for searching for sample data.

Sorry I'm not trying to be antagonistic there are other bits of the browser I love such as filtering VST's by type etc but for me the media browser is pretty useless

Well, I have 3TB of samples so we're in the same general ballpark. I'm not saying that being able to search folders within folders wouldn't be convenient. I'm also not saying that everything has to be dumped into one folder. What I AM saying is features like being able to access particular folders instantly via the content box, and using the various tree structure options within the browser, can make finding particular media a whole lot easier regardless of what search can or cannot do.

I sort of have a love/hate relationship with samples... since they take real time to audition and one day I simply said "Hmmm, assuming 5 seconds each... would take 6000 hours to hear them all!" No way that is happening, so search functionality is important (as are the names of them, since some have odd ball names).
 
FWIW, I downloaded Geist over Christmas to deal with my innate ability to crash the step sequencer and the media browser in Geist has that search feature in it (it drills through a folder and all sub folders nicely). But even then entering something like "kick" returns a list that scrolls off the screen! Geist's UI could be streamlined better, and I would certainly not recommend it (especially at full price) just for the browser (but it does the search/previewing mentioned).

The way I deal with samples is I never assume that if only I kept on listening, I could find something better. If a kick works, it works and I don't look for more. That said, I've also accumulated several favorites over the years. There's a kick sample from the second Discrete Drums library which is a great rock kick. The Sunny LAX library from Big Fish has all the dance kicks I really need. Once you've found a good sound for the genres you work in, and perhaps a few alternates, you're covered. The "Favorites" options are your friend
 
I like how easy it is to audition samples, loops, and MIDI files in the browser. That's another reason why the browser isn't useless to me.

From Windows File Explorer you can use the search and then drag the media into your project, but its a little difficult to audition the sample and on the other hand you can audition the samples from the media browser inside of sonar but can't find the media you want - is that like a loss-loss situation, as apposed to a win-win?