Anyone try connecting a Creative or other "MP3 Player" through USB port in a upgraded system. I have a 2008 MCS with the 10 speaker upgrade and when the USB is connected and I press MENU and select USB "Load" shows for a few seconds and reverts back to AUX.
I have a XM SkyFi3 connected to the AUX port and it works fine.
I tried to use a splitter for the audio feed (Turning off the XM), but that only causes the Creative ZEN to play but the sound breaks up. (Confirmed the player is working fine using ear phones) Also without splitter the ZEN works only using the audio(Headphone connection)
IF I completely unplug the XM SAT unit the "AUX" readout stays active.
Trying the USB selection shows "LOAD", but then reverts in a few seconds back to AUX (Even with SAT disconnected)
Any idea's?

 

What type of cable are you using to connect the ZEN to the USB port, Is it the one that came with the Zen? Also how many files do you have on your ZEN?

You Zen should be recongnised as a USB Device by the Mini. If you have a USB Stick I would put some music files (100-200) on it and try that to see if that loads.

 

The cable is from Creative (Standard USB).
Flash USB key does work with almost 3GB of music.
ZEN holds 8GB and has approx 6GB loaded.
I think the ZEN interface software and larger size is making the connection problematic.
I may have to use the Flash Key on USB and swap cables if & when I want to use the ZEN. If of course would have to be connected to the AUX audio port only and not the USB. Also if I wanted power, the lighter connection cable with USB output would work but is not ideal.
I have three power outlets(From one lighter port) coming from a three port connector located in the "hidden" glove box. No more than two are connected at any give time.
I don't want the cabling to get any further out of hand, but am thinking of selling the ZEN and get an IPOD to work around the issues.

 

There is a limit of 20,000 data items for the USB.

To explain data items - Each MP# has teh following tags, Title, Artist, Year, Genre etc. (all tags for mp3's) Each of these is considered a data item. So if you have 4000 songs with 5 data items each then you are very close if not over the limit. if you have 4000 songs with 6 data items each you ar definatlly over the limit. or 2000 song with 10 data itmes each.

With 6GB onthe ZEN you may very well be over the limit. depending on the tags you have set up for each track. This in itself should not make the system fail completely but very well make it very very difficult to use.

 

schatzy62
Thanks for the information. I think if the system is basically designed around the IPOD, then is should work fairly smoothly.
However, since these systems also offer sizes in excess of 8GB or more and work then I going to give the NANO 8GB a try and see what happens.

I was wondering if there is a "Reset" to the MINI computer side for the AUDIO.
The readouts seem now to be coming in a certain way and not showing the original options (USB/IPOD etc). I may be wrong since starting this project, but I do know there are resets in some settings areas.

 

[quote=bearcat245;2526997]schatzy62
Thanks for the information. I think if the system is basically designed around the IPOD, then is should work fairly smoothly.
However, since these systems also offer sizes in excess of 8GB or more and work then I going to give the NANO 8GB a try and see what happens.[\quote]

The diffence with the iPod is that the car controls the iPod and the iPod controls the fucntions so there is no limit to size on the drive size of the iPod. i use a 80 gig iPod with over 75 gig on it and it works fine.

I doubt the setting have hanged and there is no way to do a "reset" on the system with out taking it to the dealer.

Do you have NAV in your car?

 

No to NAV. Unit is the convenience package with 10 speaker system.
I believe it to be the Harmon Kardon system, but am not sure.

 

I had been using my Creative Zen Vision M successfully on the basic stereo system. I bought a Zen-USB cord off of E-Bay. But I've been using my wife's IPOD more often lately because it integrates much easier into the system. Like the others said, the Mini stereo seems to have trouble loading the files if you have lots on your player, but after a minute or two they show on the car's display. However, I found it was almost impossible to navigate through the files that way. Once you scrolled down the list you'd have to wait awhile for the slow interface to catch up. It was easier to just plug into the AUX input and use the Zen's buttons. Not very handy when driving. And not nearly as cool as the ease of using the IPOD through the steering wheel controls.

I can understand your devotion to the Zen - it plays much better and I simply hate Apple, but it's time to move on. And this is coming from a guy that stuck with 8-tracks and the Betamax format long past their heydays. Unfortunately the music player world has become Apple's domain. Creative made the better devices but rested too long on their laurels. When Creative dropped the ball Apple picked it up and ran with it. They have taken over the market and the Ipods work really nicely with the Mini. My wife's Ipod comes on only when I start the car. When I turn the Mini off, the Ipod shuts off. I can access the whole library much easier on the Ipod. And if you hate I-Tunes like I do, Media Monkey will also work in getting your tunes onto the Ipod.

Last suggestion - get a mini USB flash drive. You can still use the Creative Media Source program to arrange your files then load them on to the zip drive. I tried that for a week but found that I got richer sound using the stinkin' Ipod.

 

Well, I ordered a 8GB IPOD Nano. I have tried and will mess with a little more the USB Flash key (4GB)\, but already it only shows and plays on one song.
I have got to check the key and maybe re-sync it using iTunes.
Windows Media Player seems problematic, and this coming from an IT Manager.
Apple has been off my map for 15 years (I owned the first MAC's in 1985) and only switched due to work.
I will get this worked out soon. IPOD due here later this week.

 

Re-Sync with Media Monkey. Less clumsy and you can control what you sync.