[Nightwing]

I've got a 2014 Comfort GL and would like some help with loading music into a USB to plug into the bike.
If I am in Windows Media Player and have ripped multiple CDs onto my 'ol kaput-compute, then after I synced said albums onto the USB, I notice they are folders on the USB. Is there a way to mix all the songs between the albums when on the bike? Or do I have to sync each individual song into the USB in order to have them all mixed up?

Hopefully I'm not confusing people. Basically I want to mix multiple songs from multiple CDs onto a USB.

 

[Darkside#1500]

The owner's manual describes it well. While you can dump all songs into one folder, there is a maximum number of files the bike will recognize so if you have a large library, you will need to split into folders. There is also a maximum number of folders. You should build the folders and fill them any way you want. The bike will read the files from the folder in alphabetical order so if you have a sequence you want to play, just add a number in front of the title. When on the bike, you can select a single folder or all folders and play them in order or randomize.

For example, I have a folder for each artist (not album). Then I have another folder for a short list of favorites with a number preceding the title. Most of the time, I play all folders on random but I sometimes play that one favorites folder in sequence.

The channel up button will bounce to the next song while channel down restarts that song.

 

[bcihil]

The owner's manual describes it well. While you can dump all songs into one folder, there is a maximum number of files the bike will recognize so if you have a large library, you will need to split into folders. There is also a maximum number of folders. You should build the folders and fill them any way you want. The bike will read the files from the folder in alphabetical order so if you have a sequence you want to play, just add a number in front of the title. When on the bike, you can select a single folder or all folders and play them in order or randomize.

For example, I have a folder for each artist (not album). Then I have another folder for a short list of favorites with a number preceding the title. Most of the time, I play all folders on random but I sometimes play that one favorites folder in sequence.

The channel up button will bounce to the next song while channel down restarts that song.

I did basically the same thing. Made folders for each artist or genre, oldies, rock, pop easy listening etc. . Copy the files you want to each of the folders. As Darkside said, a quick bump of the up and down will change to the next or previous song. Holding the button will change it to the next folder.
You don't have to sync the music to the USB. Make folders on the computer and then rip each album to the particular folder. Make folders on the USB with the same names and just copy them to the USB folders.

 

[Nightwing]

I did basically the same thing. Made folders for each artist or genre, oldies, rock, pop easy listening etc. . Copy the files you want to each of the folders. As Darkside said, a quick bump of the up and down will change to the next or previous song. Holding the button will change it to the next folder.
You don't have to sync the music to the USB. Make folders on the computer and then rip each album to the particular folder. Make folders on the USB with the same names and just copy them to the USB folders.

Ok, Thanks guys,
I’ll give that a try. So you basically have to pick your songs individually to build your folder right? Also if you hit random, the player in the bike will mix the folders differently each time you use it?
Jim

 

[bcihil]

Ok, Thanks guys,
I’ll give that a try. So you basically have to pick your songs individually to build your folder right? Also if you hit random, the player in the bike will mix the folders differently each time you use it?
Jim

When you save them in a folder on the computer, each album in a separate folder, named with the albums title. You can then copy that folder to the thumb drive. It should be an exact copy of what's on the computer. Right click on the computer folder and then right click on the thumb drive and right click paste.
The folder and all the songs in it will be copied to the thumb drive. Do the same thing for all the folders.
Sounds like a lot of work, but once you get used to it, it becomes second nature.
You can also use a standalone cd ripper program. I use one similar to this.

CD Ripper Software. Easily Convert CDs to MP3 or WAV

Convert CDs to MP3 or WAV files with the fastest CD ripping program for Windows. All-in-one CD ripper and CD to MP3 converter lets you save music on your PC and listen on any device.

www.nch.com.au

 

[TmDILL]

You need an MP3 player to play your thumdrive with all music in folders or all in one folder (the root folder) Plug the MP3 player using the bike's 3.5mm stereo plug. I have mine two ways. I have two MP3 players with each having nearly 400 plus songs. I also have a Digital Music Player that takes a USB thumb drive. It can be plugged into the connection that the CD Player would use if I had one. You control that player with the CD controls and each folder acts as a separate CD. I can load up to 95 songs each into 4 folders plus the root folder. My Digital Music Player sits in the cubby hole where the CB and CD Drive would normally be. And the corresponding connector is under the seat. What I like about the MP3 drives is I can switch from bike to truck when on long trips.

 

[dsurley]

I had all the songs on a mp3 player and they were on it by album
The battery in it would no longer hold a charge so I just used the computer to just coy the entire mp3 player onto a thumb drive
It works fine
On the bike there are choices between in order or random and it will show titles if they are available
I leave my thumb drive hooked it always starts back at last spot

 

[bcihil]

You need an MP3 player to play your thumdrive with all music in folders or all in one folder (the root folder) Plug the MP3 player using the bike's 3.5mm stereo plug. I have mine two ways. I have two MP3 players with each having nearly 400 plus songs. I also have a Digital Music Player that takes a USB thumb drive. It can be plugged into the connection that the CD Player would use if I had one. You control that player with the CD controls and each folder acts as a separate CD. I can load up to 95 songs each into 4 folders plus the root folder. My Digital Music Player sits in the cubby hole where the CB and CD Drive would normally be. And the corresponding connector is under the seat. What I like about the MP3 drives is I can switch from bike to truck when on long trips.

The 2014 has a USB connector in the trunk. Plugging in a thumb drive acts like an MP3 player and also let's you control everything with the handlebar controls.
I use that on my 2012, music in is separate folders. Acts like a CD player. I use a SD to USB adapter so I can carry 5 or six SD cards in a small box.

 

[Nightwing]

Thanks for all the advice, I might try a SD adapter, the thumb drive I have is only 3.7g, only used about a half a gig with 20 CDs so far. I've got a 32 gig coming. I have been ripping the CDs into my lapping-top, then loading each album into the USB, then opening two windows of the USB, (if you know what I mean...) then mixing the albums up by moving individual songs into other folders in the second window. I'm sure they will play in the order that I loaded them but, after a while I will know which song will come next, which bugs me. I would be happiest if all the songs would mix in a different order each time I started the player. (but then that's just me...)

 

[Nightwing]

I mentioned mixing songs randomly, I forgot i could control that on the dash…

 

[bcihil]

I mentioned mixing songs randomly, I forgot i could control that on the dash…

The only problem with that is the system does not remember what songs it has already played. It may play the same song a few times. The more songs you have, the less chance of repeats.

 

[pingenloff]

Also rename your USB or SD media to an 11 character name or less such as your last name. I use my last name and it appears in the LCD display on some of the media that I put it in

 

[Holylick]

I've got a 2014 Comfort GL and would like some help with loading music into a USB to plug into the bike.
If I am in Windows Media Player and have ripped multiple CDs onto my 'ol kaput-compute, then after I synced said albums onto the USB, I notice they are folders on the USB. Is there a way to mix all the songs between the albums when on the bike? Or do I have to sync each individual song into the USB in order to have them all mixed up?

Hopefully I'm not confusing people. Basically I want to mix multiple songs from multiple CDs onto a USB.

I keep an old iPhone plugged in the USB in the trunk. I have my music, the USB keeps it charged and I have an emergency 911 phone if I need it.

 

[Ram Night]

All I did was create 7 folders labeled as 1 through 7 on the usb drive. Then transferred the music from the files I created on the computer into each folder one at a time on the usb drive.

 

[bcihil]

All I did was create 7 folders labeled as 1 through 7 on the usb drive. Then transferred the music from the files I created on the computer into each folder one at a time on the usb drive.

Works every time. No sense making it harder than it is. You can also name each folder so you know what music is in each one.

 

[Ram Night]

Works every time. No sense making it harder than it is. You can also name each folder so you know what music is in each one.

This is very true. This system has worked great for 3 years so far.

 

[Nightwing]

Well, all I did was put all my music into one folder, Windows
Media Player didn’t balk at it….yet….

 

[bcihil]

I have over 200 songs in one folder. There are times in truncates a song though. Most have less than 100.