Garmin Zumo 550 MP3 Random Play Algorithm

[jmdaniel]

2. The Zumo still lists the genre according to the embedded tags in the MP3 file itself. So even if you only have four genre folders, it may display a bunch more if you Browse by Genre. You have to use a music editor program to replace the genre tags in order to minimize the variations.

You can also do it right in Windows Explorer, by right-clicking the MP3, selecting Properties and Summary.

 

[gasportrider]

Okay, WOW!!!What a difference more folders makes in load time!

Created ten(10) folders, all at two levels from the root. (\Music\0\, \Music\1\, \Music\2\...)

Loaded the same 725 song files into the first seven folders with a maximum of 100 in each. All files in the exact same order as when they were separated alphabetically.

Startup time from power-on to music playing reduced from 2:50 to 1:55.

With the current Zumo software limited to 1,000 songs, I think I'm sticking with this ten(10) folder arrangement.

Jeff,

If your genre folders are named alphabetically; such as: Blues, Classical, Female Vocals, Instrumental, Jazz, Male Vocals, New Age, Rock, Seventies, Urban; will Zumo read them sequentially in this alphabetical order if you have used a music organizer to change the genre classification at the metatag level?

Do you think it will be beneficial in terms of load time to realphabetize the selections by song title within genre prior to downloading to the SDHC card? I note that on my current card, the tracks were recorded to the card in artist order rather than by song title order due to the display setting I had in effect at the time on MediaMonkey. You can see the sequence on the card by using Explorer tabs: View, Details, Arrange Icons by Modified. I have read many references to Zumo selecting first and foremost on song title among all the data in the metatag.

Thanks for all the expertise. It looks like all those miles in the Northeast gave you plenty of time for analytical thinking!

 

[HaulinAshe]

If your genre folders are named alphabetically; such as: Blues, Classical, Female Vocals, Instrumental, Jazz, Male Vocals, New Age, Rock, Seventies, Urban; will Zumo read them sequentially in this alphabetical order if you have used a music organizer to change the genre classification at the metatag level?

Hmmmmm...

I'm just not sure.

While testing, I logged the song# selections chosen by the algorithm. It seemed to follow a bubble-sort pattern, i.e. out of 12 songs it always chose #1 first, moved near the 75% mark (8-10), then something around the 25% mark (2-4), then the 50% mark(5-7), on to the end (11-12), then breaking down from there. The load speed seems to come from having each of those key target areas separated into different folders at the same distance from root.

Every selection was always based on the alphanumeric of the song title. Mixing and changing genres never had any effect on the algorithm selections, not even when selecting Genre, Play All, and then Random/Repeat.