iPod frustration

[cellio]

I wish that my iPod (nano, in case it matters) did volume-balancing for playlists. If I play an album everything's generally fine because the publishers of the album made track volume self-consistent (usually), but that doesn't help so much if you assemble a playlist from multiple albums. Publishers don't always agree on the same volume standards. It's irritating to have to adjust volume from track to track.

Editing the tracks themselves isn't the answer, unless you edit every track you might ever play. Every track is automatically part of at least three playlists -- album, artist, and genre -- along with whatever playlists you create. This needs to be a playback option, not an edit of the source data.

It seems hard to believe that this isn't there, but I can't find it. Now granted, the UI for the iPod isn't that intuitive to me [1], so it might really be in there and just not covered in the documentation that came with the iPod, but Google seems to agree that it's not there. How frustrating, and surprising.

[1] For example, I am still utterly mystified by what sequence of key-presses I accidentally issue from time to time that lands me in a "rate this song" mode with no clear way to abort.

Comments

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

Look for something in Options in iTunes called SoundCheck -- that will level the volume for all your music.

As for ending up on the ratings screen, you've pressed the center button too many times while the song is playing. Just hit it again, or hit menu. (Though if you actually want to rate the song, ratings can be used as criteria for setting up smart playlists.)

The documentation packed in with the iPod when you purchase it is not complete; it's just a QuickStart Guide. If you actually want the manual, you have to download it as a .pdf from Apple (http://www.apple.com/support/ipodnano/). Another great source for iPod tips, tricks, and tutorials is iLounge.com -- they have some excellent iPod 101 articles, and some very knowledgeable (if sometimes snarky) people on the forums.

[cellio]

Thanks!

The control gives me trouble sometimes, so I'm guessing that in those cases I trigger the middle button when I was aiming for the bottom one (pause playback or turn off). Good to know what I was really getting, since it wasn't what I was aiming for! And sometimes the buttons are just flaky; about one time in four when I try to turn it off I end up causing it to play instead.

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

I don't think the controls are flaky so much as super-sensitive. Flaky implies that they don't work the way they're supposed to. They are performing their function; they're just touchy. Doesn't help that the touch-wheel is a little smaller than on the full-size iPod.

[cellio]

Without better feedback it's really hard to tell. press and hold in the bottom center, but instead of turning off it starts play. I press what feels like the exact same spot to undo that, succeed, and then press and hold again to turn it off. It doesn't feel like I've changed anything, but obviously different sensors are triggering. It might not be flaky, but to this user it feels flaky, and I'm left wondering what I did wrong.

It seems plausible that the size of the wheel is part of the problem. I didn't realize it was different on the different players.

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

I *think* it is; don't quote me. I don't have a nano to compare.

Perhaps you're not holding it long enough?