We all have our own methods of managing music on our computers and in the car, so this post will only be of interest to some.

For a while now I've been trying to come up with a way, and finally have, to easily manage my music such that my top-ten issues are satisfied:

1. all my music is managed by an ultra friendly music managment software on my PC
2. music is available to other networked computers
3. music can be stored in lossless FLAC format (from my home theatre use) and/or mp3 (for ipod / CF use), but not stored in both formats.
4. music can be easily synced to an iPod
5. music can be easily exported to CF cards and always appears in order of artist
6. CF cards are logically splt ( ie organized by genre)
7. number of CF cards are minimized
8. music for CF cards can be incrementally updated with new tracks
9. 512 track/255 folder constraints are recognized
10. tracks are not duplicated between the musc box and the CD cards.

Here is what I do:

STRATEGY

• all music is on the PC
• anything for which I have a commercial CD gets ripped to MUSIC BOX
• everything else is on CF cards
• I use 3 CF cards (as a start), 2 GB each, Lexar II ($39 CDN at Walmart)
  • CF 1 is for ClassiC Rock and Oldies
  • CF 2 is for Jazz, Swing, Big Band, Smooth Jazz, Rhythm & Blues
  • CF 3 is for Pop , Showtunes and Soundtracks
• The above split is based on personal preference, but also with an eye to the 512/255 constraint.
• I only use MP3 CDs as required ( ie if I am in the mood for whatever, I'll burn a CD)

ON THE COMPUTER

• I use a single product - MediaMonkey. Dont be fooled by the name - its 10 times more powerful and faster than iTunes.
• As I acquire new music, it get ripped to FLAC format. As it gets ripped I add a tag as to the source ( ie CD, LP, TAPE, DOWNLOAD, etc)
• One time only, I create 3 automated playlists to mimic the three CF cards, filter on non-CD music only
• Once every few months (or whenever) I:
  • use the 'rip/convert' feature of MediaMonkey to create 3 folders on the hard drive ( CF1, CF2 CF3). Each folder has subfolders by Artist. Each track is in mp3 format,
  • manually drag and drop the folders onto there respect via cards. To ensure correct order, I click on the last file, highlight the set, end with thw first file and then drop them onto the CF card
• As MediaMonkey uses an MDB file, a one time query can be set up to monitor the constraints. See below.
• Once in a blue moon I will burn an MP3 Cd of music I have a craving for.

IN THE CAR

• Music Box
  • per car controla and personal preference re sort of artists/albums
• CF cards
  • cards are phyiscally labeled as C (for Classic Rock...), J (for Jazz...) and P (for Pop...) so I dont have to think too hard to know whats on them
  • I might only change out the card once every few weeks
  • CF content appears in order of artist, and one click down are all the tracks. I simply do not bother with album as it truly doesnt not matter to me...my mood is dependant on the artist and the song...not what album it was released on.
• MP3 CD
  • only use the MP3 CD for as needed for specific music I may be in the mood for that month!
• TRUNK
  • I keep 6 favorite audio CD's in the trunk - have not changed them since I owned the car.

Anyway, the above works will for me, so thought I would share!

TMG

CF 1
Size - Max is 2000: 1569.6T
Tracks - Max is 512 : 436
Folders - Max is 255: 88

CF 2
Size - Max is 2000: 1299.6
Tracks - Max is 512 : 361
Folders - Max is 255: 29
CF 3
Size - Max is 2000: 1450.8
Tracks - Max is 512 : 403
Folders - Max is 255: 198

 

Personally, I just put everything on the iPod and use it exclusively - either though the aux inputs (old car) or iPod connection (new G35).

I thought it was bad enough having to deal with CDs in an old school CD changer. If I had my music spread out over several CF cards, MP3 CDs, CD changer, and Music Box, I think my head would explode.

 

As I said, personal choice. I used to use an ipod (and in dash CD's) all the time in my old car....and THAT drove me nuts....but I found no need for either of them now given I already so much music at my fingertips in the dash...with no external devices, no wires, just push a button , or voice activation, or touch control etc. Doesnt get much better. Its only one button to switch been the music box, CF card, single MP3 CD etc...

 

ThatsMyG: Thanks for your post, it actually helps seeing other peoples' music setups when trying to decide on a 'perfect' system..

I personally have figured out a decent system, though I'm trying out MediaMonkey right now..

I have most my music on my computer, but unfortunately a good amount of it is still spread across multiple external harddrives (my laptop just can't manage to hold ~100GB of music..), since I'm less concerned about lossless quality, I have most my music in MP3s, albeit with 256kbps encoding; I think that's pretty much indistinguishable on the G's sound system. This is how I do it:

Computer
Everything on iTunes, new rips done by iTunes, cd burning done by iTunes by making playlists of individual Artist/Albums and burning them with CD3 tags included.
Partial synchronization with iPod (only 40GB; mostly used for the gym)
Significant amount of unprocessed music on external HDDs...

Car
1. Most 'Western' music I have in album form I burn into audio CDs with iTunes, maintaining ID3 tag info, and I rip to the MusicBox on the car. I've pretty much filled the MusicBox this way, mostly with my hiphop and some trance.

2. I've got a couple of MP3 cds I keep around for rare occasions, but basically I only use MP3 cds as ThatsMyG does: on-the-fly burns of music I don't typically listen to.

3. I've got 2 2GB compactflash cards, one for music from back home ("ethnic" music hahaha), another for mostly rock, a genre I rarely listen to.

Basically the MusicBox is the ****... I also want to pick up more CF cards: one to put all my lounge and 'chillout' music on, another for trance/techno and a third for house/dance.. that way I've got the MusicBox free for only hiphop.

I love this car

 

Is it me or can you not control the ipod through steering wheel to go between songs? I can't get it to change sounds on my sterring wheel, only thing I had about the ipod connection.

 

...of course you cant.. how would an AV connection like the one in the car transmit commands back and forth..?

 

magic

 

• CF 1 is for ClassiC Rock and Oldies
• CF 2 is for Jazz, Swing, Big Band, Smooth Jazz, Rhythm & Blues
• CF 3 is for Pop , Showtunes and Soundtracks

dang, all my CF cards would be empty if I categorized them in those genres. lol

 

iPod '08-for-'07 kit needs to come out soon, plz.

 

With the 08's iPod link, you can skip songs on the steering wheel. You can also use the steering wheel's enter/toggle button to scroll between stuff like artists, playlists, genres, albums, etc.

IMO, the iPod link on the 08 G35/G37 is the best implementation of OEM iPod integration I have ever used.

If you do have an 08, and you have a song playing, just flip the "enter" button on the steering wheel up or down to change songs.