MP3 help

[Claw75]

Sadly, my Sony MP3 player has died on me.  As all my music is stored on my PC in Atrac format on Sonic Stage, the easiest option would be to buy another Sony, but I think I want to take the opportunity jump on the Ipod bandwagon, as there are so many more accessories etc available.

Can anyone tell me if there is an easy way to convert all my Atrac files into MP3 files, and the easiest way to get them from Sonic Stage onto an Ipod?

[Colchester Kev]

Whilst reading the lates copy of Zoo magazine .. I saw this being reviewed

http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=1493

£69 for1Gb and £89 for 2Gb

they look pretty cool and I'm asking santa for a 2Gb one for Xmas.

[SupaMonkey]

I can't help you with your software issue but honestly, why does everyone love ipods so much. They put up a good marketing campaign and now everyone thinks they're great in spite of the fact you have to use their crappy itunes system.

Anyway, below is the mp3 player i have. It works just like a hard disc (i.e. you plug it in and drag and drop your files), it plays wma's (including encrypted ones) and mp3's and you can use it just like a hard disc if you have to move data from A to B. It is also smaller and cheaper than a 20 gb ipod. Archos were one of the first people to make jukeboxes (i.e. 20gb mp3 players) and i have had no problems after i installed the first update (you get that from their website).

I don't work for them or anything, i just get fed up with people running round thinking ipods are great.

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=3Z3H&SearchType=1&SearchTerms=archos+gmini&PageMode=3&SearchKey=All&SearchMode=All&NavigationKey=0

[Nakor]

Claw - If you are going to invest some kind of money in a new MP3 do some research.

The I' series of products from apple in the main are typical mass produced disposable stuff.

The Creative stuff is wonderful - well built with amazing sound and software quality.

Loads of good alternative's out there to Apple IMO.

Just a consideration.

[ifm]

Ipods are great!!
There is a reason they are the market leader.

Converting atrac to mp3:-

http://www.mp3-cd-converter.com/convert_mp3/convert_atrac_to_mp3.html

As for sonicstage to Ipod you need to use itunes (or other third party software) because it uses it's own music format.

[SupaMonkey]

Ipods are great!!

As for sonicstage to Ipod you need to use itunes (or other third party software) because it uses it's own music format.

 

[AceofWands]

You can also convert them using Sony Sound Forge version 8.0d

Get a 30 day trial here: http://www.download.com/3000-2170-10005603.html

 

[ifm]

Ipods are great!!

As for sonicstage to Ipod you need to use itunes (or other third party software) because it uses it's own music format.

 

You need to understand something i think:-

All music players use a specific format, the bigger companies use their own, the smaller ones use a generic format.

[SupaMonkey]

Ok, but to get from ATRAC to Itunes, you have to convert to MP3 and then from MP3 to Itunes. That's gonna take ages and be a pain in the arse. The problem with Itunes is that every single computer can play a wma or an mp3 but not every single computer can play an Itune without getting apple's special software from somewhere. If i want to give my mate some of my music, all i have to do is plug my mp3 player, and copy and paste. That's it. If i want to download music from the internet (via bit torrent etc.) it is easier to find it in mp3 format than any other.

I don't understand why people pay extra for something that is bigger, has a shorter battery life and is gonna make them spend longer arsing around with music files so they can listen to them.

I prefer archos to apple because they were the first (maybe second) to come up with a jukebox. If you look at their product line it is more advanced than apple's however they don't spend the money on advertising that apple do.

[Bongo]

I've still got my Diamond Rio PMP300... Now that's old skool 

I just wanted to say that if you start converting music from one format to another then you are going to end up with degraded sound quality so your best bet might be to rip the whole lot from CD again or whatever.

[SupaMonkey]

Lol, i still have my rio riot. It'll be an antique one day i'm sure.

[Claw75]

I am tired after reading those replies. Thanks so much everyone.  I think to save my sanity I will probably just get another Sony!

[Graham C]

iTunes don't use their own format, it's just standard mp3's.  What you can't do with an iPod is load it from iTunes, then unload it to another pc.

iPods are ace, all I use iTunes for is filling up my iPod with mp3's, no conversion necessary.

[SupaMonkey]

Really, i thought you had to convert. Ok, now i look stupid.

Er, sry ifm.

[Graham C]

All iTunes is is like a fancy libary for your mp3's.  You can also buy mp3's from the iShop and download podcasts and other stuff.  It's actually pretty good.