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MP3 albums via USB

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MP3 albums via USB

Postby cowasaki » Sat Apr 14, 2018 11:10 pm

In the manual it shows that the way to sort the MP3s on a USB stick to stick in the Transit is:

Artist1
>Album1
>>Track1
>>Track2
>>Track3
>>Track4
>Album2
>>Track1
>>Track2
>>Track3
>Album3
>>Track1
>>Track2
Artist2
>Album1
>>Track1
>>Track2

etc etc


I've done this but the stupid bloody Ford stereo indexes the USB stick and (a) totally ignores the Album folder AND (b) plays the tracks in alphebetical order. WHY the hell would that be reasonable!!!

The only way I can actually find to play albums as albums AND in order is to add a four digit number at the start of EVERY filename so

Artist1
>Album1
0101 track name (track1 or album1)
0102 track name (track2 or album1)
0103 track name (track3 or album1)
0104 track name (track4 or album1)
0105 track name (track5 or album1)
>Album2
0201 track name (track1 or album2)
0202 track name (track2 or album2)
0202 track name (track3 or album2)
0202 track name (track4 or album2)
>Album3
0301 track name (track1 or album3)
0302 track name (track2 or album3)
0303 track name (track3 or album3)
0304 track name (track4 or album3)

Now THIS does make each artists tracks play in track order with each album together but (a) its an absolute and utter faff (b) it makes display look silly loosing 4 characters (c) the search doesn't work (d) you cannot jump to an album

So how the hell can I get the stupid stereo to play to:

a) play the tracks of an album in track number order
b) keep all the tracks for an album together
c) not have to mess about renaming stuff

The manual mentions two different modes track mode and album mode but there is no option I can find to change that.

Why can't it just work like EVERY other stereo I've used with MP3 files and that makes sense.

It's SO bad that I'm looking at replacements for a stereo in a brand new van.
I've rebuilt a Defender, several motorcycles and quite a bit to both a Mk6 & 7 Transit. Now bought a new Custom and just doing a few small bits to it.

Cowasaki's electrical tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=166595
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby bigjohnthomas » Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:05 am

Ii think you might of been better off buying a mi5
You wouldn't have any of these problems then :lol:

We don't have those in Lincolnshire
We have gramaphone recordings
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby FJ111200 » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:08 am

What about putting all your music onto a smartphone and playing it from that. Works for me.
I've got 4796 tracks, on 464 albums on my phone and can play each track alphabetically or each album with the tracks in order they appear on the album. Hate the shuffle method as the memory seems to like it's own favourites which it plays every now and then and so therefore isn't really a shuffle.
:idea: :lol: :roll:
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby cowasaki » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:24 am

Well I've found that exporting a playlist from iTunes using "Playlist export" after adding 01,02,03,04 etc to each track name gives me a lot of what should happen anyway! Doing all that makes the albums stay together and play in order BUT you cannot then search for a track with the voice thing and I'm not sure that the idiot who designed this abomination user interface has even heard of albums so you can't search for albums anyway.
I've rebuilt a Defender, several motorcycles and quite a bit to both a Mk6 & 7 Transit. Now bought a new Custom and just doing a few small bits to it.

Cowasaki's electrical tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=166595
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby mike10 » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:35 am

It may be that the van is ignoring the MP3 tags, or there aren't any for it to read depending on how the MP3 was created.
I had the same issue with my phone and downloaded a program called Mp3tag (it is free) and added the tags to sort it out.
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby cowasaki » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:42 am

mike10 wrote:It may be that the van is ignoring the MP3 tags, or there aren't any for it to read depending on how the MP3 was created.
I had the same issue with my phone and downloaded a program called Mp3tag (it is free) and added the tags to sort it out.


Thanks, I bought that program years ago and actually checked the files. The tags do appear to be there. I will look into it as IF I can get this going I would rather do that than mess about fitting a replacement stereo. I plan to keep this van until I retire in about 9 years (my Mk6 was 14 years old and would have probably lasted another 3-4 years after the rust protection I gave it). With that in mind I don't mind spending a little now getting what I want. My plans are to add a rear view camera system showing what a normal rear view mirror would see and which switches to a second downward looking camera when I select reverse. Wire up a couple of hidden 5v convertors to power my dash cam and sat nav. A second/third battery which I can switch and which will control my added stuff and then turn it into a day van with the addition of a unit in the back with a fridge, sink, hob then add two matching seats in the back to sit on whilst stationary.
I've rebuilt a Defender, several motorcycles and quite a bit to both a Mk6 & 7 Transit. Now bought a new Custom and just doing a few small bits to it.

Cowasaki's electrical tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=166595
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby cowasaki » Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:43 am

bigjohnthomas wrote:Ii think you might of been better off buying a mi5
You wouldn't have any of these problems then :lol:

We don't have those in Lincolnshire
We have gramaphone recordings


My grand daughter's other grandparents live in Lincolnshire and we go there every year for a charity event in memory of her dad. It's a lovely place but you don't seem to have invented hills either :)
I've rebuilt a Defender, several motorcycles and quite a bit to both a Mk6 & 7 Transit. Now bought a new Custom and just doing a few small bits to it.

Cowasaki's electrical tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=166595
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby bigjohnthomas » Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:01 am

Hills are outlawed in Lincolnshire
The turnip feilds must be kept flat :)

You can keep your bloody hills an all
I still remember going up London road hill to Preston on my shove hog
Big sweaty bolloks and pear tree hill was just as bad :x
Of course we don't have shove hogs in Lincolnshire
Just hairy hands and funny shaped heads :P
Last edited by bigjohnthomas on Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: MP3 albums via USB

Postby cowasaki » Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:03 am

bigjohnthomas wrote:Hills are outlawed in Lincolnshire
The turnip feilds must be kept flat :)


:D
I've rebuilt a Defender, several motorcycles and quite a bit to both a Mk6 & 7 Transit. Now bought a new Custom and just doing a few small bits to it.

Cowasaki's electrical tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=166595
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