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Most of you probably know this already, but I experimented with it today and found that the below format works in the 2019 RDX, so here it is.
A playlist is basically a list of instructions as to where to find a music file to play. Creating a playlist that works in the RDX is very simple, you just need to put the absolute path to a music file in a text file and save it in the root directory of your USB stick with a .m3u file extension.
As an example, your file should look like this in notebook, where each line points to the location of the song file:
Save this notepad file as 'MyPlaylist1.m3u'. (Use the filename that makes sense to you, as the system will display the playlistname as a choice in the menus) The ELS Audio Player will see this file when you select 'Playlists', and it will present you with the songs you selected in the order you selected them in. You can have multiple playlist without issue.
If you just have a USB stick with no folders and just files, then you would create a text file in notepad that looks like this:
You can also use a program to create you playlists, just be sure to edit the result if it does not include the '.\' at the start of each line. If that is not there the car will not see it. The '.\', or "dot-whack" as it's called by computer geeks, tells the player to reference the root directory of the USB stick. More advanced players assume this, but the ELS system does not.
Hope this helps, and again, if everyone already knows about all of this..........sorry!
I’m going nuts trying to figure out how to build a playlist. I can put three different references to the same HDTracks .flac file in a playlist and get them all to appear in the playlist. I can put three references to a flac file I ripped from cd to flac and they won’t be found by the playlist. I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.
These 3 songs appear in myplaylist1.m3u
.\Rolling Stones\Gimme Shelter.flac
.\Gimme Shelter.flac
Gimme Shelter.flac
These three songs will not appear in the same playlist
.\Harbor Lights\Harbor Lights.flac
.\Harbor Lights.flac
Harbor Lights.flac
The only difference I can identify is I bought and downloaded the Stones file from HDTracks. The Harbor Lights files were ripped to .Flac using Foobar2000. All .flacs show up in correct folders and play fine. I’m stumped. Any thoughts. Thanks
The HDTracks files are probably 24/96, which will not play in the car. They have to be 24/48. And be uncompressed (compression level 0)
If they play from the folder OK, but not from the playlist, then I have no clue. I have never seen that problem.
It looks like your playlist structure is fine. The playlists I have work perfectly, except the car puts them in alphabetical order. Not a big deal.
It also gets the graphics a bit mixed up until it begins to play.
The HDTracks files are probably 24/96, which will not play in the car. They have to be 24/48.
I thought I saw somewhere that 2 channel 24/96 files would play, but for multichannel, the files have to be 24/48. Am I wrong on that?
On a related note, how do hi-rez 2 channel tracks sound on the ELS 3D system versus multichannel tracks? I know multichannel will always sound the best, but is there a noticeable improvement going hi-rez for 2 channel versus your run-of-the-mill track downloaded from Spotify or Apple Music?
I use MediaMonkey, and it saves relative paths, so they still work when you copy them to a USB stick.
But almost all Music Management software can do it. Even most players can.
I tried the .\ method and followed the instructions.
the rdx didn’t pick it. It shows playlist title with 0 songs
i will try media monkey but I am sure it’s the same as vlc.
will update
I tried the .\ method and followed the instructions.
the rdx didn’t pick it. It shows playlist title with 0 songs
i will try media monkey but I am sure it’s the same as vlc.
will update
.\ means the current directory. So you have to store the M3U file where the files are. For exmaple, if your USB stick looks like this:
Then your M3U file should live in the ROOT of your USB drive and look like this:
.\PinkFloyd\ComfortablyNumb.mp3
.\BillyJoel\Pianoman.mp3
Actually I dont think you need the first .\ at all, you can just do it like this:
PinkFloyd\ComfortablyNumb.mp3
BillyJoel\Pianoman.mp3
If you wanted a playlist of ONLY PinkFloyd music you could store the M3u file in the \PinkFloyd folder and it should look like this: (casue the .\ mean "current folder")
.\ComfortablyNumb.mp3
.\LearningTofly.mp3
Advanced. If you wanted a playlist with all PinkFloyd and one Billy Joel song, you COULD actually store it in the PinkFloyd folder, and it would look like this: (two periods ".." means 'up one folder')
.\ComfortablyNumb.mp3
.\LearningTofly.mp3
..\BillyJoel\Pianoman.mp3
Using Media Monkey gives me the following
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:168,Pearl Jam - Gonna See My Friend
01. Gonna See My Friend - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:183,Pearl Jam - Got Some
02. Got Some - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:178,Pearl Jam - The Fixer
03. The Fixer - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:171,Pearl Jam - Johnny Guitar
04. Johnny Guitar - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:216,Pearl Jam - Just Breathe
05. Just Breathe - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:239,Pearl Jam - Amongst the Waves
06. Amongst the Waves - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:249,Pearl Jam - Unthought Known
07. Unthought Known - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:160,Pearl Jam - Supersonic
08. Supersonic - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:214,Pearl Jam - Speed of Sound
09. Speed of Sound - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:245,Pearl Jam - Force of Nature
10. Force of Nature - Pearl Jam.flac
#EXTINF:177,Pearl Jam - The End
11. The End - Pearl Jam.flac
And it still shows 0 songs on my RDX on this titled playlist
I have tried both ways. the RDX just does not not pick up either of the ways sometimes, it is not consistent, so I gave up on the playlists. If you all find a consistent way, let me know
Playlists can be located in the following locations on your USB device (when viewed on your computer).
1. Playlist at the root level: E:\MyPlaylist.m3u
2. Playlist in a playlist folder: E:\Playlists\MyPlaylist.m3u
3. Playlist in an album folder: E:\PinkFloyd\MyPlaylist.m3u
Here is my understanding of the "." and ""
. (by itself without the "") refers to the current directory and is used for "relative" file references.
.. refers to a directory one level above the current directory and is also used for "relative" file references.
\ is used as a folder separator and must follow a "." or ".." when specifying a relative file path.
If it appears as the first character in a file path, it refers to the root level of the device.
The location of the playlist determines the "current directory".
Using the playlist locations above, the current directories are:
1. \
2. \Playlists
3. \PinkFloyd
Using "relative" file references, the playlists would contain the following to locate the files correclty for playback.
I can place the playlist in any of the locations above and the player will find the songs correctly for playback.
There is no ambiguity as to where the songs are located.
Album folder: E:\PinkFloyd\MyPlaylist.m3u .\ComfortablyNumb.mp3 \PinkFloyd\ComfortablyNumb.mp3
..\BillyJoel\Pianoman.mp3 \BillyJoel\Pianoman.mp3
I also use MediaMonkey for my collection and to create and sync my USB device for the RDX. In the sync process there is a checkbox to "Force relative paths", which I leave unchecked.
Here is a sample of songs in one of my playlist files:
