MP3 CD-R Disc
MP3 Format
If you burn your own MP3 disc on a personal computer:
| • | Make sure the MP3 files are recorded on a CD-R disc. |
| • | Do not mix standard audio and MP3 files on one disc. |
| • | Make sure playlists have a .m3u or .wpl extension, other file extensions may not work. |
| • | Files can be recorded with a variety of fixed or variable bit rates. Song title, artist name, and album are available for display by the radio when recorded using ID3 tags version 1 and 2. |
| • | Create a folder structure that makes it easy to find songs while driving. Organize songs by albums using one folder for each album. Each folder or album should contain 18 songs or less. |
| • | Make sure to finalize the disc when burning an MP3 disc, using multiple sessions. It is usually better to burn the disc all at once. |
| • | Do not use CD-RW discs. |
| • | Do not use colored discs. |
The player is able to read and play a maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 files. Long file names, folder names, or playlist names could use more disc memory space than necessary. To conserve space on the disc, minimize the length of the file, folder, or playlist names. You can also play an MP3 CD that was recorded using no file folders. The system can support up to 11 folders in depth, though, keep the depth of the folders to a minimum in order to keep down the complexity and confusion in trying to locate a particular folder during playback. If a CD contains more than the maximum of 50 folders, 50 playlists, 10 sessions, and 255 files the player lets you access and navigate up to the maximum, but all items over the maximum are ignored.
Root Directory
The root directory is treated as a folder. If the root directory has compressed audio files, the directory is displayed as F1 ROOT. All files contained directly under the root directory are accessed prior to any root directory folders. However, playlists (Px) are always accessed before root folders or files.
Empty Directory or Folder
If a root directory or a folder exists somewhere in the file structure that contains only folders/subfolders and no compressed files directly beneath them, the player advances to the next folder in the file structure that contains compressed audio files. The empty folder does not display.
No Folder
When the CD contains only compressed files, the files will be located under the root folder. The next and previous folder functions do not function on a CD that was recorded without folders or playlists. When displaying the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT.
When the CD contains only playlists and compressed audio files, but no folders, all files are located under the root folder. The folder down and the folder up buttons search playlists (Px) first and then go to the root folder. When the radio displays the name of the folder the radio displays ROOT.
Order of Play
Tracks are played in the following order:
| • | Play begins from the first track in the first playlist and continues sequentially through all tracks in each playlist. When the last track of the last playlist has played, play continues from the first track of the first playlist. |
| • | If the CD does not contain any playlists, then play begins from the first track under the root directory. When all tracks from the root directory have played, play continues from files according to their numerical listing. After playing the last track from the last folder, play begins again at the first track of the first folder or root directory. |
When play enters a new folder, the display does not automatically show the new folder name unless the folder mode was chosen as the default display. See the information button later in this section for more information. The new track name displays.
File System and Naming
The song name that displays is the song name that is contained in the ID3 tag. If the song name is not present in the ID3 tag, then the radio displays the file name without the extension (such as .mp3) as the track name.
Track names longer than 32 characters or four pages are shortened. Parts of words on the last page of text and the extension of the filename does not display.
Preprogrammed Playlists
Preprogrammed playlists that were created using WinAmp™, MusicMatch™, or Real Jukebox™ software can be accessed, however, they cannot be edited using the radio. These playlists are treated as special folders containing compressed audio song files.
Playing an MP3
Insert a CD-R partway into the slot (Single CD Player), or press the load button and wait for the message to insert disc (Six-Disc CD Player), label side up. The player pulls it in, and the CD-R should begin playing.
(Previous Folder): Press to go to the first track in the previous folder. Press and hold to reverse through the current track.(Next Folder): Press to go to the first track in the next folder. Press and hold to fast forward the current track.
RDM (Random): Press to hear the tracks in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD, one folder, or all of the loaded CDs.
To use random, do one of the following:
| • | Press and release until RANDOM DISC PLAY displays, to play the tracks on a CD in random order. |
| • | Press and release until RANDOM FOLDER displays, to play the tracks in a folder in random order. |
| • | Press and release until RANDOM ALL DISCS displays, to play the tracks on all of the CDs that are loaded in random order. |
Press and release the RDM button until RANDOM OFF displays, to turn off random play.
RPT (Repeat): Press to hear a track, CD, or a folder over again. To use repeat, do one of the following:| • | Press and release until REPEAT displays, to repeat a track. |
| • | Press and release until REPEAT ONE DISC displays, to repeat a CD. |
| • | Press and release until REPEAT FOLDER displays, to repeat a folder. |
Press and release the RPT button until REPEAT OFF displays, to turn off repeated play.
(Information): Press to display the artist name and album contained in the ID3 tag.