Need Some Help

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:54 am

You guys seem to be knowledgeable in this kind of stuff...so I ask for you help. My new truck has "MP3" written on the front of the radio. I'm guessing this would allow me to hook up an I-pod to play tunes off of it through the truck speakers. My question is, how do I get this to work?

I fully realize my first step will be to actually OWN an I-Pod and get music downloaded into that. That requires a whole new series of questions and may require a couple of college courses, but to the matter at hand.

There appears to be no plug in or other device to allow the I-Pod hookup. Is this just a set of letters on the face of the radio to make it look more hip? Is this a standard face plate for all Chevrolets and mine just happens to be one without the MP3 hardware? Or perhaps, the likely answer, Lawrence is a moron and probably shouldn't even be allowed to drive the truck--let alone work with heavy machienry like an I-Pod.

Bob Loblaw · Post by **Bob Loblaw** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:58 am

Are you sure your CD player doesn't allow you to read data discs of mp3s?

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:00 am

Bob Loblaw wrote:Are you sure your CD player doesn't allow you to read data discs of mp3s?

Thats my guess too.

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:02 am

Again, I refer to the final line of my original post and ask.....what in the heck are you talking about?

Is there a data disk with an ipod or something like that? I'm not familiar with the thing--so maybe I'm not even knowledgeable enough to be asking for help.

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:04 am

I ask because I heard Limbaugh one day talking about an "MP3 harness" on his Caddilac or Lexus or whatever.....I was thinking there was some kind of a jack or cord that just plugged straight into the device and made the device the player or at least allowed the data to be transferred from said device (I-Pod) into the dashboard.

Again, I'm wandering in the wilderness even asking these questions. Maybe I should let my 11 and 6 year olds set all this up for me.

genlock · Post by **genlock** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:34 am

Music on your home or laptop computer may be recorded in the MP3 format. That format is different from the music on store bought CD's. If'n you want to play MP3's then you must have a player that recognizes the format and can decode it to audio. As for the iPod, some of these things have a plug harness available to hook to your auto sound system. I would check with your dealership for info on this.

Dave Loudin · Post by **Dave Loudin** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:39 am

What the esteemed Mr. Loblaw was talking about was a different method of burning a home-brew CD.

Step 1: get music on computer, either by copying off of your existing CDs, downloading from an on-line source, bogarting them from the station, whatever.

Step 2: If you are copying from other CDs, be sure the software is saving the songs on your computer in mp3 format. For stuff not in mp3 format, use a program that can convert other formats to mp3. There is no single answer on how to do this.

Step 3: Copy ("burn") these mp3-formatted files onto a blank CD. You likely have software already on your computer that will do this.

Enjoy.

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:42 am

Much obliged.

Bob Loblaw · Post by **Bob Loblaw** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:08 am

Step 3 addition: When burning the CD, make sure you are burning a Data cd and not a music CD.

The People's DJ · Post by **The People's DJ** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:16 am

Bob Loblaw wrote:Step 3 addition: When burning the CD, make sure you are burning a Data cd and not a music CD.

Step 4: Make sure the RIAA doesn't catch you if you downloaded the music by non-legal means.

David Paleg · Post by **David Paleg** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:22 am

Step 5: Don't play anything by any former American Idol contestants or your radio will activate the ejector seat.

Clay JD Walker · Post by **Clay JD Walker** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:14 pm

If I may add an additional step, Chris...put down the large jug labled "XXX" when you are near the computer device...that might, sorta help...

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:47 pm

The "real" first step.

Buy only Toyota products.

AmpedNow · Post by **AmpedNow** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:30 pm

Chris Lawrence wrote:I ask because I heard Limbaugh one day talking about an "MP3 harness" on his Caddilac or Lexus or whatever.....I was thinking there was some kind of a jack or cord that just plugged straight into the device and made the device the player or at least allowed the data to be transferred from said device (I-Pod) into the dashboard.

Audio line-in jacks are becoming very common in newer vehicles and aftermarket radios. It's the best way to listen to iPods and satellite radio.

In fact, on XM's latest radios, they no longer have the FM modulators built in.

Anyway, the harness is integrated on the dash to hold the iPod. It's pretty much standard equipment in luxury vehicles now.

Radios that have an mp3/WMA label on them are capable of playing data discs with music burned onto them in those formats.

Depending on bitrate, you can fit 200-300 songs on one disc. Although the generic standard is still 128kps, I would recommend at least 192kps @ 44.1 khz for better sound quality. If you have a high-end stereo, you will notice the difference. Don't bother with WMA if you can help it. It sucks compared to mp3.

Sorry if I confused you...

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 8:44 am

Fellers, I appreciate the help.... I can no understand a little more about the advantages to this. I mean 200 to 300 songs on one disk would allow me to consolidate all of my Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash onto one disk--and quit having to rifle through the floor board to switch stuff around while I'm doing 70 on the interstate.

However, having read K-Rocks post.....you might as well have written that in Chineese. I'll just try this novel concept and punch the "on" button and listen to the RADIO. It's the warm, comfortable blanket of what I know.

Chris Lawrence · Post by **Chris Lawrence** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 8:46 am

By the way Clay...if you look closely there are only 2 x's on the jug--meaning it still needs to be run off a third time to get to the good stuff.

I can't program an Mp3 player...but I DO know how to make moonshine. Not many newsmen can make that claim.

SPIKE NESMITH! · Post by **SPIKE NESMITH!** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:58 am

I tasted it once. I was blind for a month.

....happy days!

David Paleg · Post by **David Paleg** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:03 am

SPIKE NESMITH! wrote:I tasted it once. I was blind for a month.

You shouldn't have watered it down with ice. Try the high octane.

Dave Allen · Post by **Dave Allen** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:55 pm

I always heard Barbara Walters could make some killer shine. That's why her face looks like that.

AmpedNow · Post by **AmpedNow** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:08 pm

Chris Lawrence wrote:However, having read K-Rocks post.....you might as well have written that in Chineese. I'll just try this novel concept and punch the "on" button and listen to the RADIO. It's the warm, comfortable blanket of what I know.

I apologize. Some of this stuff is just technical by nature.

Just fiddle around with whatever program you use until you get the hang of it, if you have the patience.