Smart search (save) – search folder names and list contents

findersearch

I'm setting up a list of smart folders which will search inside my sample library folder called 'Samples'. Each Smart Search Criteria has some conditions, i.e.

Name matches 'Bass'
Duration is more than 2 seconds
Any (Are true)
  Wav
  Aiff
  Rex

All works fine. But I was wondering, my sample library 'Samples' containes folders from the sample packs, and within the sample packs, there are folders called 'Bass Loops' etc.. Some of the sample packs may not have a name of Bass but are placed in the Bass Loops folder.

So rather than search a specific file name, I'd like to list all files in all folders called 'Bass Loops'. Is it possible to search multiple folder names like 'Bass Loops' and list all the contents?

Also, it's important to save the search folders.

Best Answer

I don’t think this is possible in Finder.

To some extend, it is possible in HoudahSpot. Full disclosure: I am the developer of HoudahSpot.

In HoudahSpot you can search several folders at once. You can also save your searches as “Templates”. You can use these as “smart folders” or as starting points for recurring searches. E.g. when you want to restrict the search to only loops of a certain bit rate, you can do so without having to start over.

What you cannot do is to have HoudahSpot find all folders name “Bass Loops” and then search within these folders for audio files that are more than 2 seconds long.

You can however get rather close to achieveing this by filtering your search results:

  1. Have HoudahSpot search your home folder for audio files that are more than 2 seconds long.
  2. Above search results, you will find the filter field. Select the option to “Filter by path”
  3. Type “Bass”.

So you start by having HoudahSpot find more files than you need. Then you filter the results to see only files that have “Bass” somewhere in the path or name.

Type “Bass*/*” for a filter if you want “Bass” to appear in the name of a parent folder. I.e. exlcude files named “Bass” located in any other folder. The “*” serves as wildcard. It matches any number of characters. In this case: a sequence of characters followed by a slash and then some more characters. Thus “Bass" must be anywhere in the path, but not after the last slash. I.e. not in the file name.

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