mp3 player virgin needs help

**Ms Piggy** · 5th July 2007, 20:24

Okay so I've bought a very cheap little mp3 player - just a very basic Dick Smiths one for $40-. I've managed to put a bit of music on it but it only took about 50 songs, on the info it said it takes 60 mp3's or 120 wav files.

My question is...how do I convert my music to mp3 or wav format? I'm a complete novice when it comes to this. Is there software I can d/l? Or software I can buy?

I have a lot of music on iTunes (my own CD's and downloaded music)...ummmm, I d/l music through Limewire.

**onearmedbandit** · 5th July 2007, 20:31

Converting to wav format will degrade the quality of the music. Stick with mp3.

**RiderInBlack** · 5th July 2007, 20:33

I have a DSE 128Mb and a DSE 1Gb Players. I use Wins Media Player to "Rip" my CD's. I have the "Rip" setting to "Windows Media Audio" (WMA), which works well on my DSE's (look under "Tools" then "Options" on Windows Media Player).
I then use the Media Player to "Sync" WMA songs to the DSE via a USB port.

**xwhatsit** · 5th July 2007, 21:13

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Converting to wav format will degrade the quality of the music. Stick with mp3.

Lol, first I've heard of that.

WAV files are lossless. They are the de facto raw format for audio data. If you convert an MP3 to WAV, you'll get a direct copy of the MP3 (with all the MP3 compression artefacts and hiss), except it'll be roughly 10x the file size.

WAV, being lossless, is the best quality you can get. However the file sizes are mega huge, as they are uncompressed in any way; there are other lossless formats which support some compression, but none as good as MP3 (which is lossy, so degrades the quality of music in exchange for smaller file sizes).

CSL (your parts are in the post, sorry it took so long, I sent them off a couple of days ago, spent the last week in bed with a virus

), getting 50 MP3 files onto a player that was advertised as 60 MP3 files isn't bad. That 60 MP3 files rating is just an estimation -- an optimistic estimation. Really, the player has a set capacity, say 256MB. They make a guess that the average MP3 file is 5MB, and then just do the maths. If your average MP3 file is 6MB, because you have tracks that are a little longer than normal pop music, or they're higher quality MP3s, then you can fit less onto the 256MB player.

I think you might've got the advertising incorrect about the 60 MP3s and 120 WAVs, as WAVs are usually 10x the size of MP3s, so you'd expect to get about 6 WAVs.

**xwhatsit** · 5th July 2007, 21:15

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

I have a lot of music on iTunes (my own CD's and downloaded music)...ummmm, I d/l music through Limewire.

Oh yeah, just read this last little bit. Most music from Limewire will already be in MP3 form, just leave it as it is (if you re-encode it to MP3 you'll lose quality and may even gain file size). Stuff from iTunes may/may not be encoded as MP3. iTunes I believe can encode to MP3 if you right-click on the file. I haven't used it for a while, somebody else may be able to help.

But yeah, don't re-convert MP3 files to MP3 files, it's not smart.

**onearmedbandit** · 5th July 2007, 21:20

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

Lol, first I've heard of that.

Yeah just been pointed out to me. I'll stick to bikes.

**xwhatsit** · 5th July 2007, 21:36

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Yeah just been pointed out to me. I'll stick to bikes.

It's OK, sometimes I try and turn the throttle backwards

**RiderInBlack** · 6th July 2007, 07:29

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

CSL
I think you might've got the advertising incorrect about the 60 MP3s and 120 WAVs, as WAVs are usually 10x the size of MP3s, so you'd expect to get about 6 WAVs.

That's because she should have said "Windows Media Audio" (WMA), DSE Players take MP3 and WMA, not WAV (I know, I have 2 of DSE's). WMA files are smaller than MP3 and are as good quality depending the quality setting. See http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...serlocale=1409 for a comparison between MP3 and WMA.

PS: Don't try using Itunes files as DSE players can not read them, only use MP3 or WMA.

**Ms Piggy** · 6th July 2007, 09:25

Thanks for the help people.

**SARGE** · 6th July 2007, 09:40

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Converting to wav format will degrade the quality of the music. Stick with mp3.

.wav's are actually uncompressed MP3.. far BETTER sound quality but huge files ... just have to make sure they are recorded at 44kHz x 16 bit stereo.. if you can rip your MP3 right off CD at 320 kbps x 44 kHz ( most ripping software will do this) you will have a really good sound quality.. still a huge file but you can convert to 192 easily enough ( i rip high and convert .. cant go the other way)

EDIT .. xerxesdaphat beat me to it

**RiderInBlack** · 6th July 2007, 10:46

Originally Posted by SARGE

EDIT .. xerxesdaphat beat me to it

But ya still needed to read my post as it is WMA that we should have been talking about in relation to DSE Players not WAV

.

**SARGE** · 6th July 2007, 11:08

Originally Posted by RiderInBlack

But ya still needed to read my post as it is WMA that we should have been talking about in relation to DSE Players not WAV

.

true enough ... im a bit old school though .. 99.9% of my music is in MP3 format..

my last job in the States was at a classic rock radio station.. one day .. the new owners came in and told us that it would be switching formats t "URBAN"!!! ( Rap) and dumping the CR format forever .. i came in next day with my laptop and offside HD and dumped the entire music library onto my system.. all ripped at 320 x 44kHZ.. some rarities and a few full live concerts ( quadrophenia, ACDC, Deep Purple, Led Zep's last show, Clapton, floyd live wall in berlin.. etc)

ive trimmed it down to about 120 GB or so

**ZeroIndex** · 6th July 2007, 11:17

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Converting to wav format will degrade the quality of the music. Stick with mp3.

nevermind the high amount of space each song will take... you'll be lucky to fit more than a few songs on there... iTunes is a good way to go if you're ripping music off CD's... go to the
Edit - Edit Preferences
Advanced tab then Importing sub-tab
Change Import using: to Mp3 Encoder
Change Setting: to Higher Quality (192kbps)

**RiderInBlack** · 6th July 2007, 11:21

Originally Posted by SARGE

quadrophenia, ACDC, Deep Purple, Led Zep's last show, Clapton, floyd live wall in berlin.

Dam ya got some good shit there

I'm not exactly young myself. Still need to get some of my best music off LP's and 45's (really regret sale the odd one as I'm not likely ta hear them again), never mind what I have lost due to chewed up tapes

My PC library is improving but too tight ta buy the songs I want.

**SARGE** · 6th July 2007, 11:27

Originally Posted by RiderInBlack

Dam ya got some good shit there

I'm not exactly young myself. Still need to get some of my best music off LP's and 45's (really regret sale the odd one as I'm not likely ta hear them again), never mind what I have lost due to chewed up tapes

My PC library is improving but too tight ta buy the songs I want.

i thinks we should maybe have KB Music Trading day... load your laptops and meet at a cafe and USB to USB