Help With Sansa Clip

[covingtoncat73]

Their CS Chat is not open on weekends and I am having some problems with adjusting to the Clip and I know we have a few Clip users here.

Some of my iTunes music is MP4 and I chatted with a helpful Sansa rep who assisted me in figuring out how to convert in iTunes. Anything I have in MP3 seems to pop up in Windows Media automatically, so far so good. However, it takes literally HOURS to sync and click and drag in Windows Explorer doesn't seem to work at all or maybe is just taking a very long time as well. Seriously, it took 3 hours to get 71 songs on my Sansa.

Furthermore, if I import the CD of an audiobook and get it on my Sansa (which I did), how to I get it to have the "songs" in order?

The real problem, though, is the time it takes to get content on this thing. I am on the verge of returning it. I know I heard it is good for audiobooks but HELP. What am I doing wrong here? The iPods I have had were much easier to deal with.

[Bikeridr]

Hmm, ..?
I have a Sansa Fuze with 8GB internal and a 16GB MicroSD. It took me just under 25 minutes to upload some 3.000 tracks.
My wife has a 2GB Clip (not the plus version). I'ts me that updates the tracks on this one as well. Here, 2GB of tracks (around 350) takes less than 5 minutes.

I always use Windows Explorer and copy (drag-drop) from PC folder to "Music" folder of the Sansa.
Using any other method or "synching" seems too cumbersome and slow in my opinion.

So, if your Clip is any much slower than ours as mentioned, something is definately wrong with it or the settings of your PC.

Have you tried to update the firmware of your Clip? I did on ours and in addition to more file formats (.ogg and .flac) it/they became less prone to freezing and also more responsive over the USB connection.

Latest versions for the Clip is 01.01.35 & 02.01.35 (depending wether you have version 1 or 2)
and for Clip+ 01.02.15

[covingtoncat73]

Thanks. I just bought the thing so I think it is up-to-date. How does one update the firmware?

I do have a question on how to eject it properly. I can't find it on the little toolbar at the bottom of my computer or eject it in "my computer."

I see that I can drop and drag MP3 music to my Sansa if I drop it to the "music" folder in the Sansa. Unfortunately, a lot of my music I got from iTunes and is probably not compatible. I have done some looking around and found that I could burn them to a CD and rip them back as MP3s but we are talking a fair amount of music, if I add back stuff I have on an external hard drive (because Vista takes up so much room on my comptuer).

I could just use my Shuffle except for the audiobooks. I could use the Shuffle for the music and the Sansa for any MP3 music and audiobooks. I hate to spend $175 more and get an iPod touch. I really shouldn't/couldn't but I am really considering returning the Sansa and doing that. Can't until next paycheck, though. I thought it would be easier to click and drag (and it was once I figured out to send it to the Sansa's music folder and not just to the general Sansa) and I didn't realize about the MP4 issue, which is a real killer for me.

BTW, is there a way to uninstal Windows Media Player? It is a worthless program. I attribute the slowness of the sync to the WMP program and not the Sansa, since, once I figured out how, the click and drag worked.

[Bikeridr]

Well, buying a new device does not necessarily mean it has the newest firmware installed. None of ours did.
It's fairly easy to update the firmware. You'll find it here:
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/300

If your eject-thingy is missing in your taskbar, then Windows may have some faulty configuration. Have you checked/runned Windows Update?

Since my opinion about itunes or ipod or any apple product is not child or work safe to express on a public forum, I unfortunately can not nor have the knowledge to help you troubleshooting the mentioned programs/devices.

Which program do you use to rip the cd's? I would recommend "Exact Audio Copy" or CDEX for that task. They are easily configurable and makes excellent rips. As a "standard" media player for Windows I'd recommend WinAMP or Foobar2000. If you want a complete media player for both music and movies, check VLC Player. When installed, they can "steal" all media files from Windows Media Player and open by default instead of WMP. Also all mentioned software can rip to MP3. Winamp non-pro version will be somewhat slow, but it'll still work.

How to get the tracks in correct order depends on your naming scheme. I'd recommend to configure your ripping software to name as "01-trackname.mp3", "02-trackname.mp3" and so on.

How to uninstall WMP; never tried it myself (it just sits there on my PC without any file assiciations), but you might try the "add remove programs" and check the "install Windows" flip to see if you can untick WMP.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Bikeridr

Well, buying a new device does not necessarily mean it has the newest firmware installed. None of ours did.
It's fairly easy to update the firmware. You'll find it here:
http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/300

If your eject-thingy is missing in your taskbar, then Windows may have some faulty configuration. Have you checked/runned Windows Update?

Since my opinion about itunes or ipod or any apple product is not child or work safe to express on a public forum, I unfortunately can not nor have the knowledge to help you troubleshooting the mentioned programs/devices.

Which program do you use to rip the cd's? I would recommend "Exact Audio Copy" or CDEX for that task. They are easily configurable and makes excellent rips. As a "standard" media player for Windows I'd recommend WinAMP or Foobar2000. If you want a complete media player for both music and movies, check VLC Player. When installed, they can "steal" all media files from Windows Media Player and open by default instead of WMP. Also all mentioned software can rip to MP3. Winamp non-pro version will be somewhat slow, but it'll still work.

How to get the tracks in correct order depends on your naming scheme. I'd recommend to configure your ripping software to name as "01-trackname.mp3", "02-trackname.mp3" and so on.

How to uninstall WMP; never tried it myself (it just sits there on my PC without any file assiciations), but you might try the "add remove programs" and check the "install Windows" flip to see if you can untick WMP.

Yeah, I THINK I configured the iTunes to rip the CDs to MP3. I think I'm going to return the Sansa because now I have actually listened to stuff on it, I realize it keeps repeating and, yes, I have the repeat setting turned off. It is way more than $160 worth of trouble for me. I have always used iPod and iTunes and never had this level of frustration. I'll use my Shuffle until I can get a Touch.

[covingtoncat73]

And, actually, the 8G Touch is $200 brand new at Amazon right now and they have marketplace ones rated "very good" for less than that so, for another $100-$150, I would get a back-up eReader as well as a music player that works with my current system and, hopefully, doesn't have so many connection and repeating issues.

[covingtoncat73]

I returned the Sansa and got a Sony Walkman 4G (E Series)! I am liking it at least as much as the Nano so far. I think it and I will get along. It was at Best Buy for $70.

I'm listening to Saxons, Vikings, and Celts by Bryan Sykes, the British geneticist. After I take a shower (I just spent a couple of hours in the 90F heat at the Greek Fest and then mowed for 1/2 hr), I'll finish reading Deathless, eat a salad, and drink whiskey. Replacing an MP3 player is stressful!

[Poppaea]

I bought one on Saturday and it is so very hushed/muted. All my other players are playing considerably louder. I used the same music and computer to fill it up. What can I do?

[silverraven]

I don't have one on me right now, but I know under setting there is a choice of sound volume setting. I *think* they are normal or loud. Make sure you choose loud if you like a higher volume. I also highly recomend the .anythingbutipod. com forum for answers about any mp3 player.
S

[Poppaea]

Thank you, I will have another look in the manual about searching for this volume setting.

As for normal, I can barely hear it when I want to use it in the street.

[Poppaea]

I found out what it is. They are muted due to EU restrictions. One has to got to Settings--> reset facory settings---> and choose another region as Europe.

[Freeshadow]

just FYI: the free rockbox firmware works with some of the sansas