So here's what I've got so far...


My EMPEG had about 5K songs on it. I tried to do an upgrade to V3 Alpha 5 because I wanted to take use of the crossfading features...

Unfortunatly, I (the smart one), didn't notice that Alpha 5 doesn't support rebuilding databases


I downloaded an updated .jar file and I tried doing a command via the command line that was brought up in one of the threads:


C:\Program Files\jEmplode>java -classpath lib\jemplode.jar org.jempeg.empeg.prot
ocol.RebuildDatabase 10.0.3.130


Which, after a long time, yeilded this as a result:


operationStarted (): [RemoteFid: name=16df1; path=/empeg/fids0/; fullPath=/empeg
/fids0/16df1; fid=93681]
operationStarted (): [RemoteFid: name=16e01; path=/empeg/fids0/; fullPath=/empeg
/fids0/16e01; fid=93697]
operationStarted (): Writing tags ...
operationStarted (): Writing database3 ...
operationStarted (): Writing playlists ...


I thought I was good - But I was wrong


I still had no playlists being shown and could not sync up using emplode.


I've gotten my hands on a3 as of now (which I am told allows your to upload/download tunes and rebuild the database), but unfortunatly, I still cannot seem to sync up with it - Errors out everytime in emplode.


I've even tried going back down to V2.00 - to no avail. I still had no playlists.


I've used the builder utility (I don't care if I lose the Mp3s, I have them on my laptop) and it says it's "Already built".


I just loaded 2.00 consumer back on there... and it seem to be able to sync up... And lo and behold I have playlists again! But this still leaves the problem of no crossfading (the ENTIRE reason I messed around with V3 Alpha 3/5 in the first place...


(Can we not see how much Joey wants crossfading and is stubborn/impatient as all hell )



Any ideas are welcomed



Joey

Not to answer my own threads or anything...

But I *think* I've gotten things to work now, and I've written a lil' tutorial describing what I did to get where I am now... Off to test it in the car - Wish me luck!

1) Make sure you begin running v2.00 Final W/ Latest Hijack Installed

2) Apply v3.00 Alpha 3 Upgrade File

3) Using Logo Editor, Install Latest Hijack

4) Preform manual sync (use supplied .jar file availible @ http://www.inzyme.com/rio/empeg/, place in C:\Program Files\jEmplode\lib\) using command line (It may take a while, make sure your in jEmplodes directory):


C:\Program Files\jEmplode>java -classpath lib\jemplode.jar org.jempeg.empeg.protocol.RebuildDatabase <EMPEG IP ADDRESS>


5) Fire up the v2.10 Version of emplode (Availible here, http://www.empeg.com/v3alpha/ ), and sync up (Checking the media may take a LONG, LONG time with alot of songs).

6) Sync one more time (You have to sync twice).

7) Database should be adjusted to v3.00 Alpha 3 format! Enjoy!

8) You can NOW upgrade to v3.00 Alpha 5 if you like, but you CANNOT rebuild the database (add/remove tunes) with this version. You MUST downgrade to v3.00 Alpha 3 if you want to do that - I haven't wanted to mess with that

Then you are luckier than I. My alpha 3 database doesn't work with alpha 5, and I seem to be (maybe) the only one for whom it's true.

Well, myself haven't updated to V3.00 Alpha 5 out of fear of it messing up, I was just noting that you *should*, according to what I've read from other posts ( http://empeg.comms.net/php/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=empeg_general&Number=193898&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0 ), be able to do it at this point with no problems - Since the database is already in the correct format.

Some things I did notice however, as I was testing out my beloved crossfading feature

(And I apoligize if this has already been addressed in Alpha 5 and my fear of upgrading is having me list potential bugs that have been squashed) Here is the list:


-Yes, mine locked up once or twice as well

-When fast-forwarding (possibliy rewinding too?) the empeg sometimes kind of, "freaks out" and thinks, for a while... At times, it appeared to be so deep in thought, that it locked up.

-Crossfading is sketchy when you switch to a song only a few seconds into the current song you are playing (ie. a song comes up you don't like, so 2-3 seconds later you go to the next track) - for me the song faded out more quickly than it should have (it's set to 5.0s, did it in about 1.5s) and it faded into silence - not the text track. Then, it immidiatly came back up and began fading into the next track like it should have (although this fade was also only approx. 1.5s)

-I can confirm other posts that there is no little "beep" sound when you are choosing menu items - and yes I checked the volume level for the beep.

-It seemed to not remember that I wanted the volume "fixed" at it's current level (I change the volume via my head unit).

-It appears (and I don't know if this was a problem in v2.00, but then again I never noticed it if it was) that if the voltage of the car drops below a certain level (for me, if I'm idling at a stop light) the player's screen goes black, and when it gets enough voltage it does come back up - but not where it left off. The track seems to keep progressing, even though it's not outputting it to the RCAs. I could have sworn that before it would hold the song at it's current position and then continue when voltage was high enough again.


Some other thoughts I had about this lil' project:

-Since the database between v2 and v3 is differant, I'm wondering: are all of us that have upgraded to the v3.00 Alpha 3/5 database structure kind of screwed now? Can we go back down to v2.00 if these Alphas turn out to be too buggy, and if so, how easily / does anyone know the procedure?


I'll list other bugs I come across on this thread - In case anyone is interested.


Other than that - Crossfading kicks much butt

(1) v3a5 is safe, if v3a3 works.

(2) The crossfading and other bugs behave MUCH better (for me) in v3a5 than in v3a3.

(3) If your car voltage supply drops below about 10VDC, with *any* player software installed, then the audio will be muted (but not stopped), the player state will be written to flash, and the display will be blanked. If the voltage later ramps up above about 10VDC again, then the display will be unblanked and the audio will be unmuted. Design intent. Fix your power supply!

Cheers

It's that whole 150 Amp Alternator, Two Dry-Cell Batteries & 2, 1 Farad capacitors vs. the 3000 Watt stereo system battle.

Apparently, the stereo is winning

Ahhh... now I understand!

You are the guy who rattles my house foundation twice a day!

Cheers!

At your service

Oh, and I'm plesently happy to report that the "shock-absorbtion" the empeg offers has yet to fail me. *Knocks On Wood*

Although at times, I get scared by seeing the road getting "fuzzy" - the music dosen't

But *ahem* back on subject, is it as easy as I think it is to go from Alpha 3 to 5, back to 3 and then up to 5 again?

Just a matter of applying the respective upgrade files and NOTHING else (other than syncs between Alpha 3 and 5)?

Furthermore, is it possible to go back down to v2.00-final from v3 as well, or are we stuck at v3 now?

Furthermore, is it possible to go back down to v2.00-final from v3 as well, or are we stuck at v3 now?

You can go back to v2 just by applying a v2 upgrade file -- except that, if you've added or removed any music with v3, you'll need to force a database rebuild after installing v2 (e.g. by deleting /empeg/var/tags). The v3 player doesn't destroy the v2 database, but it doesn't keep it up-to-date either.

Peter

>Crossfading is sketchy when you switch to a song only a few seconds into the current song you are playing

I have noticed that one too.

> It appears (and I don't know if this was a problem in v2.00, but then again I never noticed it if it was) that if the voltage of the car drops below a certain level (for me, if I'm idling at a stop light) the player's screen goes black

Hmm, I have had the exact same problem since I switched. I assumed it was my alternator again, since I have had similiar problems before, but it is interesting you have been having the same problems since you switched as well. Could Alpha 5 by more sensitive to voltage drops? That would seem like a purely hardware issue, but what do I know.

So I got anxious and decided to throw on Alpha 5... And it appears, at least for me, that the "pause" button isn't working right. When I pause in a track, and then resume a few seconds later, it doesn't pick up where it left off. It's alsmot like the track keeps playing a bit in the background, and the pause just un-mutes it...

And for those that have read all of the threads, yes, my voltage was high enough while it was paused

When I pause in a track, and then resume a few seconds later, it doesn't pick up where it left off. It's alsmot like the track keeps playing a bit in the background, and the pause just un-mutes it...

that was a symptom for me when VBR files weren't being read right by emplode and was considered shorter than they actually were.

Is there any way to turn the beeps back on?

Not that I know of... Kinda poopoy if you ask me