Critical Mass

I use that. I prefer MP3's at 320, but 192 is almost as good. You can get larger ones. I believe they have 64 and 128 gig as well. Flash drive is small.

64 gig version:


128 gig version:


256 gig version:



The Rage goes up to 128 gigs:

These are all USB 3.0 compatible, so if you have a large library it won't take long to transfer them over vs USB 2.0 speeds. iTunes is also very easy to convert to MP3. Unless your music was bought through iTunes. I ripped all my CD's and imported them into iTunes at a variable bit rate for the best sound in MP3 format.

cfraser

An external USB HDD works fine (with no other PS I mean) in the glove box port, if you choose the type carefully. I used a 500GB one there for a while (Seagate, ~$40 + $15 for case), the type that fits a PS3. 500GB holds a helluva lot of MP3s even at 320kbps. I have FLACs and WAVs on that drive too; the WAVs played fine but now I forget about the FLACs (was almost 2 years ago)...

FWIW I used 320kbps VBR, and that works fine with the Ford system for those wondering. You can even fit an awful lot of 320kbps VBR on a 16GB stick, which are really cheap now (they vary widely in speed though, whether USB 3.0 or 2.0, which really only matters when loading them up).

mustangfan410

This is the flash dive that I'm planning on getting.
It's low profile so I dot bump into it while getting something out of the middle.

HotFrosty

Here's the one I'm using in the Armrest port.

cfraser

^ I didn't know you could get them that small, at least in 16GB or more. Probably couldn't 2 years ago. That's why I used the "glove box" port: a stick in the "armrest" port is always in the way, I use that cubby a lot, and you just know that accidentally smashing down on a regular-sized stick in the port is probably going to wreck something electrical (with my luck).

I think I'm going to get some of those tiny ones too.

Critical Mass

Yeah, I just wish you could transfer songs to the USB drive without having to take it out of the car and plug it into a computer inside the house. I'm spoiled I guess.

awoychosky123

I use one in my 06 stang with an aftermarket head and works great!

HotFrosty

I'm finding that it won't play the songs I put on it individually. it' plays artist that I put the whole album on but if I just put on one song from that artist I get nothing. I had them in a folder, took them out of that folder, I think more research is needed.

PJRManagement

Frosty, go back and read my instructions. The system needs the folders properly organized, identical to iTunes. Artist/Album/Track. You can't just copy the one track. You have to move back in the folders to 'Artist'.

HotFrosty

Yeah. I was trying to out smart it by putting all the singles in to one folder. But, you were right (I'm sure you get tired of hearing that). I hope after this weekend I can fix what I should have left alone.

PJRManagement

---
I'm wrong much more often, believe me! But I learned this stuff when I got the car in 2011. I love the Sync system, and having my entire music library at the touch of a button, or via voice command. Pretty cool. Yes, so, stick with the iTunes folder hierarchy (Artist/Album/Track), and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Critical Mass

Shouldn't do that unless your songs have no metadata tags.

If your songs have metadata tags attached to them it will work fine, if they've been stripped, that could be the issue. My music is just on the drive. No order, no folders. it's all just thrown in there. But it all has the proper metadata.

HotFrosty

I finally had a chance last night to remove my "one hitters" that I had messed with and just put in the whole folder for that artist on the USB. Then I removed the songs from that folder that I didn't want. Its working great now.
I still think it maybe haunted. Due to it just starting on the USB about 5% of the time but having to tell it to play the other 95%. Thanks all!

DeeJayTJ

you could probably get away with installing an old ipod touch with wifi (if the usb will charge it when the car is on) and that way when its parked in your driveway and in standby - the wifi would be on and you can transfer music that way.

Critical Mass

I just finished making my playlists in iTunes last night. I then purchased an app to export the library and the playlists to the flash drive. Should work fine, but won't know for sure until the ride home.

I have PCs and Macs but I prefer my new Mac Pro with SSD drive for messing with my music. One of my windows systems is a laptop that acts as an HTPC. Thank god Plex released their app for the Xbox One yesterday, I was tired of rencoding and uploading everything to One Drive.

If it all works out I'll be able to add a playlist for my wife as well.

Critical Mass

Mine does this too. See the Speed Volume Sensor thread.

You have to turn it to power on the car, but not start it. let it sit for about 30 seconds, and then turn the engine over and it will go back to your last setting, otherwise it defaults to the last radio station. They need to update the sync programming and fix the bugginess. I check about once a week for updates to this and the mobile apps issues.

THey have a huge list of supposedly compatible apps for Sync, and only a couple of them work. I got NPR news to be recognized 1 time, and then it crashed the system and now Sync won't find it again. Glympse is about the only app that seems to work all the time besides Destinations (which is a good app, it just needs some minor tweaks).

What bugs me is that back in 2009, they seemed to put more of a priority towards Sync than they do now. I can't even get a response from the Sync Destinations development team (Inrix) as to when they might update the App again even though I've sent several emails.

gjcavana

I wouldn't look for a lot up Sync updates. I think they are moving away from Microsoft and their Sync and are developing and new replacement for sync powered by QNX. QNX is a lot more stable. I believe that is what Bentley uses.

Critical Mass

They will have to fix the bugs. The 2015's are still coming with Sync.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2015...11-assist.html

Any switch they make is not coming any time soon.

Let's not confuse Sync with MyFordTouch.

Coyote5-0

I have a hodgepodge of music stored on my PC that is varying bit rate and file type (but all of them are Synch compatible). A lot of the albums and songs have bad or missing metadata tags. Does anyone recommend a program to fix this?

Critical Mass

Login to the Ford Sync page, down below they have an app that will fix this issue. All it does is fix the blank metatags and replace them with "unknown". Sync doesn't like blank metatags and will give a "Bad Media" error when trying to play those songs.

I think it's the "Sync My iTunes" file. should do the trick.


http://www.openviewdesign.com/index....=13&Itemid=124

The above link is what I used to create my playlists using Windows Media Player (I gave up on iTunes when I found this though I believe they have an app that will work for iTunes playlists as well, I haven't tried it yet).

Finally, check out this link for Metatagging your music:

http://lifehacker.com/5266613/six-be...-tagging-tools

Some are better than others but because my music selection is so large I used one that would try to pull metadata from several different sources. It did a pretty decent job but it didn't fix everything.

I think the App for The Mac O.S. and iTunes is called Playlist Exporter and it will convert your itunes playlists to something Sync will read. It's like 5 bucks. I would have used this as I find setting up playlists in iTunes to be a lot easier, but I didn't find it before I gave up and moed to Windows Media Player which is a bit buggy.


If you ask me for this information again tomorrow I will have forgotten most of it. So bookmark it and spread it around. lol.