Help Wanted With Mp3

[Baz]

I recently purchased a Pioneer FH-P4200MP 200 watt sound system for my Cobra which comprises CD/MP3/WMA/Cassette Player/AM-FM Radio Tuner. I have installed 5" speakers into the headrests of my MX5 seats and have a covert aerial which will position somewhere under the consul.

Being an oldey, I don't know much about MP3's.

My son informed me that if I download all my favourite C/D's onto Windows Media Manager, I could compress all those discs to fit onto one C/D to play as an MP3 through my new sound system.

I took this to mean that the MP3 disc would play for about 10 - 12 hours non stop instead of having to change a C/D each time it's tracks finished.

My problem now is:-

1. "How do I compress those C/D's which I have downloaded onto my computer?"

2. "How do I place them onto a C/D to be played as MP3 compatible on my new sound system?"



Baz.

[REPTYL]

1. "How do I compress those C/D's which I have downloaded onto my computer?"

2. "How do I place them onto a C/D to be played as MP3 compatible on my new sound system?"

If you have downloaded them on to your PC, chances are they are already in a MP3 format.
Just copy them to a CD. Your sound system should recognise the format and play automatically.

[sambo]

Baz, further to Reptyl's reply, you will need to "burn" the mp3 files using software like Nero or whatever came with your CD/DVD burner. Make sure you burn them as data tracks - don't convert them back to audio. If you do this correctly you will be able to browse the mp3 files on the CD using using Windows explorer on your PC, just like any other file.

[hogster]

Better still,

Get your son to walk you through it.
Sometimes it gets a little tricky, but once you iron the bugs out, MP3 is great.

My stereo will be sidepipes, but if I ever decide to use one, it will be speakers, amp and ipod.

Hogster

[sambo]

I've gleaned a few install tips from the audio nuts on another forum:

- With open top cars, it's important to have midrange/high range speakers in front of you as much as possible.

- Jaycar response kevlar splits are good value for the above.

- Run speaker wire down the opposite side of the car to the power wire.

- Audio system grounding wire needs to be the same or larger than the 12v+ supply.

- You will need at least a 10" subwoofer to overcome the bass from the pipes, otherwise don't bother.

No doubt Sideshow and others have a lot more to share - just thought it was timely for your installation Baz.

Paul

[Merv and Sharon]

Use iTunes and you can get/buy them directly as MP3 files or use any existing music CD and burn it as a MP3 CD. You do lose some quality as an MP3 file however. You can put them all on to an iPod or similar and plug that into your new head unit (CD player!).

Have fun


Merv

[Merv and Sharon]

I should have added that I am going to put an amp in the trunk and just have a small socket on the centre console that I can plug my iPod nano into with my new Koss noise canceling ear buds. Low profile - no stereo on the dash. Pity about the engine noise!

Merv

[Baz]

Originally Posted by sambo

Baz, further to Reptyl's reply, you will need to "burn" the mp3 files using software like Nero or whatever came with your CD/DVD burner. Make sure you burn them as data tracks - don't convert them back to audio. If you do this correctly you will be able to browse the mp3 files on the CD using using Windows explorer on your PC, just any other file.

Thanks for the help Reptyl and Sambo.

I now have an MP3 compatible disc which contains over 1,000 tracks. Thanks again fellas for your help which I know is always forthcoming on this Forum.

Baz

[Venamm]

Baz,
My advice, if you need to do this with today's best and to make it fresh. Then go "Non circular disc" they're now starting to become the cassette tape of our generation, OLD!. A compact flash card, SD card or of course Ipod hook up is the way to go. Most newer decks come aquipted for at least one of the three. Do that and you will never have to handle a CD.

Having said that, if a circular disc is what you want, well then do not go CD,..go DVD...it simply holds a hell of a lot more tunes as a data. So we are now talking an entire library on one DVD.
Enjoy!

[sambo]

I think you'll find that as your squeeze more and more onto a CD/DVD, the indexing and searching takes longer - it's inherent with optical media. On the other hand flash memory like SD is going to be quicker. That said, it's far cheaper to burn a 30c CD.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by sambo

I think you'll find that as your squeeze more and more onto a CD/DVD, the indexing and searching takes longer - it's inherent with optical media. On the other hand flash memory like SD is going to be quicker. That said, it's far cheaper to burn a 30c CD.

Sambo,

The only reason I purchased the unit I did was that it included a tape deck. Consul mounted Tape decks with CD, AM/FM & MP3 are hard to find these days. I needed the tape deck so I could play my tape of "Bill Cosby's 200 mph" which is the story about when Carroll Shelby gave Cosby a twin supercharged 700 hp 427 Cobra. Every Cobra owner should have one.


Baz.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Venamm

Baz,
My advice, if you need to do this with today's best and to make it fresh. Then go "Non circular disc" they're now starting to become the cassette tape of our generation, OLD!. A compact flash card, SD card or of course Ipod hook up is the way to go. Most newer decks come aquipted for at least one of the three. Do that and you will never have to handle a CD.

Having said that, if a circular disc is what you want, well then do not go CD,..go DVD...it simply holds a hell of a lot more tunes as a data. So we are now talking an entire library on one DVD.
Enjoy!

Venamm.

Will a recorded DVD R work in an MP3 player?


Baz

[hogster]

What the hell is a tape deck????

[Train Crash]

It sounds like a hell of a system, Baz.

On-board our aircraft we have a system called Skycam, which collects footage of the aerial tours from 4 cameras and saves it to a CF card in Mpeg 2 format.

The sound tracks were supplied from a MP3 player,but we recently converted to 80 Gig ipods.

I have found the Ipods to be rugged and never fail.

The system is very complex and utilises 3 computers that are overlaid, however the ipod is the component that never lets the team down.

I will be fitting an Ipod to my cobra as in my opinion they are as hardy as you will find.

Cheers

T.C.

[BMK]

Baz,

I just get Todd to sort it out for me...

Appears you have done well to get through it all. They lost me after the second 'Post"...

[Venamm]

Originally Posted by Baz

Venamm.

Will a recorded DVD R work in an MP3 player?


Baz

A MP3 player is a little processor that has no moving parts unlike our car decks. Joggers love them because they are the size of a credit card (Ipod system) What I think you mean is can you burn MP3's on to a DVD, answer is yes and way more then a CD.
But!!!! you require a DVD reader car deck. and most people who buy them use it in there mini vans for the kids to watch movies. Again a lot of MP3 space on one DVD. Not just for visual, excellent for audio.

A MP3 is a digital audio script. It is not a format. Format is CD, DVD, Cassette, SD card CF card, Ipod system,.....etc.

MP3 tracks can be stored and played on all the above for the exception of cassettes. MP3 are very popular because they don't require a lot of storage space, access is fast and nothing floating around in your glove box. Not to mention longevity of quality.


In my opinion, save the money, and buy a simple car deck (CD drive is fine) with a Ipod jack.......and that is the ultimate and most affordable. My 1 gig Ipod holds 1000 tunes all at my finger or let play on random shuffle.

[Merv and Sharon]

I fully agree with MV. The iPod or similar storage unit is stable and can hold vast amounts of data/music. However, every now and then one gets tired of MP3s and the loss of quality and listening to a original CD is preferred. So, the CD play may still be valuable. Personally, in a Cobra running on the road, quality is going to be a problem with noise masking, so I am only going for an iPod plug, with the amp in the trunk. Clean dash.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Venamm

A MP3 player is a little processor that has no moving parts unlike our car decks. Joggers love them because they are the size of a credit card (Ipod system) What I think you mean is can you burn MP3's on to a DVD, answer is yes and way more then a CD.
But!!!! you require a DVD reader car deck. and most people who buy them use it in there mini vans for the kids to watch movies. Again a lot of MP3 space on one DVD. Not just for visual, excellent for audio.

A MP3 is a digital audio script. It is not a format. Format is CD, DVD, Cassette, SD card CF card, Ipod system,.....etc.

MP3 tracks can be stored and played on all the above for the exception of cassettes. MP3 are very popular because they don't require a lot of storage space, access is fast and nothing floating around in your glove box. Not to mention longevity of quality.


In my opinion, save the money, and buy a simple car deck (CD drive is fine) with a Ipod jack.......and that is the ultimate and most affordable. My 1 gig Ipod holds 1000 tunes all at my finger or let play on random shuffle.

Thanks Venamm,

Everything is quite clear now. Thanks for your help. The same goes to everyone else on this Forum who have offered me invaluable advice.

Baz