MP3 players... pros n' cons n' stuff

[MarkRyan]

I definitely recommend going into a retail store and playing with some of the display units (even if you don't buy from that store). Seeing the way the interfaces work and quick they load should help in making the decision.

[Cheebs]

I definitely recommend going into a retail store and playing with some of the display units (even if you don't buy from that store). Seeing the way the interfaces work and quick they load should help in making the decision.

I wasn't even aware that quickness was an issue... My Nomad did it like...instantly. Who are the notorious loading offenders?

And yeah, it sounds like I'll be taking my personal headphones to the store for listening tests.

[Josh]

And yeah, it sounds like I'll be taking my personal headphones to the store for listening tests.

Well duh.

What do you use anyway?

[MarkRyan]

I wasn't even aware that quickness was an issue... My Nomad did it like...instantly. Who are the notorious loading offenders?

When I was buying my player a couple years ago, every player I tested had slower menus than iPod, and significantly longer loading for both startup and starting songs. I was just testing stuff that was in stores, so it was mostly Creative and iRiver stuff, I believe. Never seen an Archos unit in a store.

[Josh]

I bought an Archos at a Circuit City, like, seven years ago.

[Cheebs]

Well duh.

What do you use anyway?

Direct Sound "Extreme Isolation" headphones.

They sound very warm... but perhaps a little too warm. For modern stuff they seem to be lacking the needed cripsy-ness. But for 70's and earlier rock and classical stuff they're great.

I got them because they are pretty much ear protection with headphones built-in: a must have for PFLing channels when I'm mixing a live gig, for placing a mic on a loud guitar cab in the studio, or for drumming to a click track. They're esspecially great when I've gotten a band's live mix to where I want it and I just need to turn the headphone volume to zero and save my ears for a bit in a loud club. Don't know what I'd do without them.

[Dolemite]

I'm going to be picking up a 30gig iPod Video soon. I've got some noob-ass questions:

1, Does iTunes require an internet connection? I've got 2 PCs, one I just use for the web, and a beefier one I use for A/V work that I purposely don't have hooked up to the net. Just wondering which one I should use.

2, How hard is it to rip a movie from a DVD and put it on the iPod? Someone lay down the basics or link me to somewhere that does.

Thx.

[sphere79]

I bought an Archos at a Circuit City, like, seven years ago.

I bought my first Archos at Target, also like 7 years ago. The second and third were purchased online, and my 4th - the 604 WiFi will be as well. They are moving more towards video, but these new devices do SO much. They have a DVR docking station to record (and control sat/cable) from TV and even a Sony external camera, currently used by law-enforcement in several European countries. They now can playback AAC, H.264, MPEG2, and even Divx files with Dolby surround. Not to mention being able to browse the web, check email and stream internet audio - or access media from my local PC.

Retail distribution has always been crappy, though with their 4th gen products they are now listing Wal-Mart, Sams, Target, Best Buy, etc. as retailers - though it may be mostly online sales. I was able to handle a 4th gen Archos for the first time at a Tweeter a few weeks ago, I can't wait until it's mine.

Direct Sound "Extreme Isolation" headphones.

I got them because they are pretty much ear protection with headphones built-in: a must have for PFLing channels when I'm mixing a live gig, for placing a mic on a loud guitar cab in the studio, or for drumming to a click track. They're esspecially great when I've gotten a band's live mix to where I want it and I just need to turn the headphone volume to zero and save my ears for a bit in a loud club. Don't know what I'd do without them.

I just bought these two weeks ago for the exact same use. They were expensive, but there aren't many options that do what these do. I like the fact that the sound is kind of "flat", the other headphones I was mixing with are artificially bassy, and were affecting the sound. Until we can multi-track record, this is how I'm doing things. Mix with the Behringer, monitor with the Direct Sound phones and record (44.1kHz full WAV) with the Archos. When we get the Fostex VF16 I want, the Behringer will be relegated to mixing the drum kit down to 2 tracks and nothing more. Then I get to haul the VF16 home, mix-down and EQ everything and them repeat for next time.

[MarkRyan]

1, Does iTunes require an internet connection? I've got 2 PCs, one I just use for the web, and a beefier one I use for A/V work that I purposely don't have hooked up to the net. Just wondering which one I should use.

iPods don't come shipped with software discs anymore (probably because they keep making the packaging smaller and smaller) so you'll need to download it. Other than, though, no, no Internet connection required. Unless you want to rip CDs and get track info from CDDB, as with any CD ripping program.

2, How hard is it to rip a movie from a DVD and put it on the iPod? Someone lay down the basics or link me to somewhere that does.

I haven't done any of my own ripping, just converted some episodes of Top Gear to iPod video format. The conversion took forever--dunno if it was the program I was using or what, but the hour long episodes took about three hours to convert. I imagine there are better solutions.

[Dolemite]

So, how exactly does iTunes work? Do you have to name and arrange all your songs by album manually, or does iTunes somehow do it for you? If so, how does it do it?

Sorry, I really know shit about iTunes.