[ktlocklear]

I'm a little behind the power curve when it comes to the I-pod world......but my 550 had a cd changer, and now with the M6 I just have the single disc player......so I'm considering alternative methods.

I did notice that there a 30 pin i-pod connector in the glove box, but I don't want to spend $150 + on a I-pod Classic, Nano, etc, so I was wondering if anyone has used an i-pod Shuffle? I think the only option for playback in the car is through the Aux port in the center console as the Shuffle doesn't have the connector to connect to the 30 pin connector in the glove box.
If i go Shuffle/ Aux port route, can i control it through the I-drive? Other option would be my phones mp3 player plugged into the Aux port. Same question....can I control it through the I-drive?

Thanks, and sorry for such dumb questions:sad1:

 

[Gian124]

Okay, this may be of little help to you... but I have thought of additional option(s) for you:

First, since you mention you were a little behind the power curve (by the way, are you a pilot by chance?... we use that term often in the Air Force)...
And you mentioned you were familiar with CDs, you will be happy to know that one single CD is more than enough. Our Stereos will play MP3 format, so you can put hundreds of songs on each CD in MP3 format (and put them in different folders to organize them) and your stereo will play and display the songs from the disc. This may be a cheap & simple solution for you.

I have tried iPod classic, iPod Touch, and iPod Nano (the newest) and they all work equivalently... you can control them via the iDrive. You certainly can play music from your phone, but they are so varied I have no idea what models work and how... nor do I know if they can be controlled through the iDrive.

I tried to use just the regular iPod sync cable + a male/male stereo plug on my iPod classic, but it did not work. I had to use the BMW proprietary connector (~$70 I think).

Anyway, I hope the info is somewhat useful.

Best of luck!!

 

[ktlocklear]

Ha, no not a wingnut in the air force.....although I was a Medic in the air force if that counts..lol

I knew the cd players played mp3 files on CD, but I guess I never though about creating a bunch of different folders on a disc....

So basically I just create named folders, and name the tracks within the folders and burn on a CD, and the I-Drive will display the folder and track names?

This is the first car I've had that has an aux jack and an i pod connector....so I got all excited:biggrinbounce:

 

[Gian124]

You will certainly prefer the iPod route as it is more dynamic than burning the now archaic physical media (CDs). However the cheaper route and less time invested in relearning would be the CDs.

Exactly as you described, you separate your files into folders (think of them as play-lists)... and name & file-tag the MP3s. I think the iDrive will allow you to select separate folders, however I usually only put one folder per disc as I have SO many songs in each. I basically only made one or two discs as temporary music as I had to reformat my iPod & computer... once done, I never used the disc(s) again... but they are a quick & cheap solution.

 

[ktlocklear]

I spent a better part of the day ripping CD's. Around 36 of them and around 3 gb worth. Put them on a dvd. Didn't think about it only working in the dvd drive....but it does work and it is catagorized on the I-drive. It'll hold me over I guess untill I can graduate to the IPod world, etc

 

[Gian124]

There you go!... I guess I made the invalid assumption that all your music was already digital format... well, now that you have the CDs ripped to your DVD in some kind of format, it will be easier to import them into iTunes (well, at least you don't have to repeat the process).

You will eventually want to switch over to iPod as it is more dynamic (you can more easily make and change playlists as opposed to creating new physical discs)... but this will at least hold you over in the meantime and save you some time & money

 

[ktlocklear]

Thanks for all the help/ tips.....I appreciate it. I've got probably another 60-70 cd's to rip, so i'll be busy for a while doing that...but yeah, I see an I-pod in the future.