Help! Clip+ skips thru each song playing perhaps 1/10th of a second of each... endlessly

While I am a new Clip + owner, I am not new at digital music, so please bear with me as I outline all these details. I am sure you will agree, this is totally baffling.

I have a hard-drive based music server onto which I’ve ripped all my music. I like to keep things in MP3 format, 320kbps fixed bit rate (as opposed to VBR), stereo.

The music plays fine on WMP, WinAmp, and my older Sony MP3 player.

Enter the Clip+.

  1. I have no trouble copying the music over either by dragging and dropping or via WMP, depending on whether I put it in MSC or MTP mode (i.e. both work).

  2. In both cases, ie whether I drag and drop or sync with WMP, I see all the files on the Clip+, correctly listed with artist, title, etc. (I always label everything with MP3 Tag Tools).

  3. When I try to play the songs, they play for approx 1/10th of a second, then skip to the next song, play that one for 1/10th of a second, and so on, through the whole list of songs. Each time it displays the song title correctly.

  4. I returned the Clip+ and exchanged it for a new one, twice, just in case. No dice.

  5. The firware was updated, but it made no difference to the situation.

  6. This is the same whether I am using my XP or Vista machine.

  7. As an example, here is a tag for a song that I am trying to play. Is there anything on this tag that would lead you to believe that it wouldn’t play on the Clip+?

Thanks in advance

Mike

Sorry I didn’t get the tag to display in my previous post. Here it is:

FileName

03 Liberation.mp3

Title

Liberation

Artist

Pet Shop Boys

Album

Very

Year

Comment

Track

3

Genre

FilePath

Y:\Pet Shop Boys\Very\03 Liberation.mp3

TagInfo

ID3v2.x Tag

FileSize

9,832,458 bytes

HeaderPosition

2026 bytes

Length

4:05

MPEGVersion

MPEG 1.0 Layer 3

Bitrate

320 kbps

Frequency

44100 Hz

Mode

Stereo

Frames

9416

CRC

No

Copyright

No

Original

No

Emphasis

50/15 ms

Lyrics

No

Picture

No

Can you fast-forward through the file(s)? If not, I’d suspect the file(s).

Interesting, I never thought of that. If I hold down the fast forward button, yes I am able to fast forward through the song. As soon as I let go of the fast forward button, it immediately skips to the next song, then the next, and so on, just as I described.

Just ran EncSpot on the files, and here’s what it says, if that is any help (just wrote down some of the more important output)…

Encoder: Gogo (after 3.0)

Bitrate: 320

Frames: 9413

Safe Joint Stereo: No

ABR Bitrate: Unknown

AthType: 0

Does any of this raise a red flag?

It sounds like you’ve stumbled upon the heretofore-unmentioned undocumented irreversible scan mode…:wink:

Having the exact same problem with my new clip+. Any solutions yet? Or do I just return it? I’ve had this for all of one day. Before this I had a Sansa Express (it worked beautifully). Any suggestions?

Update. Returned the first one. The replacement is doing the EXACT SAME THING! And yes, updated firmware, reformatted, tried several different albums, etc. etc. etc. I give up. Too bad. This is the perfect type of player for me.

dnick wrote:
Update. Returned the first one. The replacement is doing the EXACT SAME THING! And yes, updated firmware, reformatted, tried several different albums, etc. etc. etc. I give up. Too bad. This is the perfect type of player for me.

Then obviously it must be something with your files and/or ID3 tags…


dnick wrote:
Update. Returned the first one. The replacement is doing the EXACT SAME THING! And yes, updated firmware, reformatted, tried several different albums, etc. etc. etc. I give up. Too bad. This is the perfect type of player for me.

Then obviously it must be something with your files and/or ID3 tags. You didn't give any details about what (or how) you're using, so we can't offer any help. I'd suspect it's the tags, though.

 

Tapeworm wrote:

Then obviously it must be something with your files and/or ID3 tags. You didn’t give any details about what (or how) you’re using, so we can’t offer any help. I’d suspect it’s the tags, though.

It would be obvious if these music files weren’t the same ones I’ve been using for the last two years in my old Sansa Express. Never occurred to me Sandisk would change they way a player would read them. Funny how these worked perfectly in the Express. What’s the big difference between Express and Clip+? And since I also use Windows Media 11, I assumed this would work without issues as it did on my other Sandisk Express MP3 player (did I mention that already?). Silly me for believing the ‘gurus’ would have a useful answer rather than a condenscending attitude. Forgive me for asking.

Not trying to be condescending at all, but if you are having the same identical problem with 2 players that very few others are experiencing, then you must come to the logical conclusion that the problem is on your end, not SanDisk’s.

Have you checked your ID3 tags?

The Express is an old, old player and I’ll bet it was perfectly happy with v1 ID3 tags. For best results, use ID3v2.3 !SO 8859-1 format for the newer Sansa palyers. You can dowload a free program, MP3TAG that will make quick work of checking and/or changing your tags if necessary.

What is the source and format of the files that won’t play?

Have you run CkdDsk or error-checking on them?

Have you tried re-ripping one to see if plays differently?

Have you tried different ripping software?

Do the files that won’t play have DRM-encryption?

You tagged onto an existing thread with no other comment than you are having the exact same problem. Frankly, we hear this a lot, and many times it is  not the exact same problem, although the symptoms may be similar or virtually identical. In other words, the cause could be different, and unless you tell us exactly what you’ve got, what you know, what you don’t know, what you’ve tried, what’s worked and what hasn’t, no one here can really give you any specific advice.

We’re all here to help each other, but unless you give us something to work with, there’s not much we can do. Some of us may be Guru’s, but we’re not mind-readers. :wink:

dnick wrote:

It would be obvious if these music files weren’t the same ones I’ve been using for the last two years in my old Sansa Express. Never occurred to me Sandisk would change they way a player would read them. Funny how these worked perfectly in the Express. What’s the big difference between Express and Clip+? And since I also use Windows Media 11, I assumed this would work without issues as it did on my other Sandisk Express MP3 player (did I mention that already?). Silly me for believing the ‘gurus’ would have a useful answer rather than a condenscending attitude. Forgive me for asking.

Not trying to be condescending at all, but if you are having the same identical problem with 2 players that very few others are experiencing, then you must come to the logical conclusion that the problem is on your end, not SanDisk’s.

Have you checked your ID3 tags?

The Express is an old, old player and I’ll bet it was perfectly happy with v1 ID3 tags. For best results, use ID3v2.3 !SO 8859-1 format for the newer Sansa palyers. You can dowload a free program, MP3TAG that will make quick work of checking and/or changing your tags if necessary.

What is the source and format of the files that won’t play?

Have you run CkdDsk or error-checking on them?

Have you tried re-ripping one to see if plays differently?

Have you tried different ripping software?

Do the files that won’t play have DRM-encryption?

You tagged onto an existing thread with no other comment than you are having the exact same problem. Frankly, we hear this a lot, and many times it is  not the exact same problem, although the symptoms may be similar or virtually identical. In other words, the cause could be different, and unless you tell us exactly what you’ve got, what you know, what you don’t know, what you’ve tried, what’s worked and what hasn’t, no one here can really give you any specific advice.

We’re all here to help each other, but unless you give us something to work with, there’s not much we can do. Some of us may be Guru’s, but we’re not mind-readers. :wink:


dnick wrote:
Silly me for believing the 'gurus' would have a useful answer rather than a condenscending attitude. Forgive me for asking.

Not trying to be condescending at all, but if you are having the same identical problem with 2 players that very few others are experiencing, then you must come to the logical conclusion that the problem is on your end, not SanDisk's.

 

Have you checked your ID3 tags?

 

The Express is an old, old player and I'll bet it was perfectly happy with v1 ID3 tags. For best results, use ID3v2.3 !SO 8859-1 format for the newer Sansa players. You can dowload a free program, MP3TAG that will make quick work of checking and/or changing your tags if necessary.

 

What is the source and/or format of the files that won't play?

 

Have you run CkdDsk or error-checking on them?

 

Have you tried re-ripping one to see if plays differently?

 

Have you tried different ripping software?

 

Do the files that won't play have DRM-encryption?

 

You tagged onto an existing thread with no other comment than you are having the exact same problem. Frankly, we hear this a lot, and many times it is not the exact same problem, although the symptoms may be similar or virtually identical. In other words, the cause could be different, and unless you tell us exactly what you've got, what you know, what you don't know, what you've tried, what's worked and what hasn't, no one here can really give you any specific advice.

 

We're all here to help each other, but unless you give us something to work with, there's not much we can do. Some of us may be Guru's, but we're not mind-readers. :wink:

 

Maybe try a test:

Reformat the Clip+ under its Settings (note:  this will wipe out your content–save it to your computer first, if you want) and reapply the latest firmware (see the sticky thread at the top of the forum). 

Then, rip a CD using your computer, being sure to have the ID3 tags filled in, using the ID3 tag version the Clip+ uses (see above).  Move the songs to your Clip+, and see if it plays correctly.

At that point, if it does, move an old (your current) CD’s worth of music to the Clip±-do those play ok as well, or is there an issue, now?

Just trying to help you isolate things–

I had already reformated and reapplied updated firmware, resync’d only one album using Windows Media 11 (didn’t work), redid all the above steps and dragged and dropped one album (didn’t work)–this seemed like standard proceedure. The only thing I did not do was to rename using new tag because no where in any of the Sandisk documentation does it mention this as a potential problem. And no where could I find any allusion to this until this particular thread. I have already sent the second one back, but will probably get one more (since this is the only mp3 player with the exact features I want…namely expandability, size and the clip itself). At that point, I will try the ID3 tag fix. Thank you for the help.

I bet it has to do with the ID3 tags.  A few podcasts that I had that had everything seemingly correct refused to play, until I ran them through MP3Tag, and then they were fine.  Actually, all I did was resave the tag info. under MP3Tag (a single button press).  The tags really can screw matters up …

@miikerman wrote:
I bet it has to do with the ID3 tags.  A few podcasts that I had that had everything seemingly correct refused to play, until I ran them through MP3Tag, and then they were fine.  Actually, all I did was resave the tag info. under MP3Tag (a single button press).  The tags really can screw matters up …

Ditto on the tags.  Even if the audio portion of the file(s) is/are perfect, without proper ID tags; many (most) audio players will refuse to play them.  MP3Tag is simple to use and is good assurance that your files will play properly.

Even if your tags look perfect, run your audio files through MP3Tag.  I had a case yesterday where I had 2 albums that refused to play, and appeared to have perfect tags.  I stripped the existing tags, ran them through MP3Tag, and all the files played perfectly after that. 

This was more of a problem on my Fuze. (RIP) But has happened on a few albums with the clip+

Reripping and encoding (with error correction if CD in bad shape) has always corrected this problem for me.

.ogg files at -q 6 and song management using MSC mode. I use a number of different players in Linux and can’t say it happens more in on app or another.