How I create playlist for MSC to read internal and external

SanDisk MP3 players Sansa® Fuze™
1

this is for creating playlist to play songs from 

internal and external on the Fuze.

(sorry if this is a rehash but I found basic guides here)

for the FUZE with a 4Gb memory card installed

the Fuze is configured for USB as a MSC

Fuze firmware version 01.02.26A

computer is running Windows XP SP3.

I’ve spent hours reading various news groups and 

trying different recommendations so, if you have 

better idea I might try it, but I need to get other

things done. :slight_smile:  if you have issue with this document

like “I have no Idea what your saying” please,

let me know. (I think it makes sense, but am tired)

"MUCH thanks to all those who spent time on groups

asking questions, asking help, giving ideas, and

writing a wonderful scripts.  all have helped 

make this where it is now."

software needed:

usbdlm.msi or usbdlm.zip

   I used usbdlm.msi from

   USB Drive Letter Manager - USBDLM

PlaylistCreator3_Setup.exe

   I downloaded it from

   http://www.oddgravity.de/app-opc.php

FuzePLAConvert_2008-11-19

   I downloaded it from

   http://www.elenthara.de/Software/Python/FuzePLAConvert\_2008-11-19.zip

Python  

   I downloaded it from

   Download & Install Python - ActiveState

directions:

1:  I installed “Playlist Creator 3” (use what ever playlist 

    creator that will work).  I doubled clicked 

    PlaylistCreator3_Setup.exe and installed it.  

    

2:  I installed “FuzePLAConvert.zip” by unzipping it to a directory.

    I installed it in "C:\Documents and Settings\

    <wife>\My Documents\My Music\<where FuzePLAConvert is>".  

    

3:  I installed Python by double clicking 

    ActivePython-2.6.2.2-win32-x86.msi.

4:  I installed usbdlm.msi by double clicking, however 

    I’m still working on getting it to work the way I 

    want it to.

5:  plug in Fuze.  you will need to note the drive letters

    for FuzePLAConvert configuration

6:  now configure FuzePLAConvert.  go to the directory 

    you installed it in and edit FuzePLAConvert.cfg 

    (refer EX:4) edit as needed

6:  now configure “Playlist Creator 3.6” you need to 

    to set (can also be done when creating playlist)

    where .m3u file will be saved

    

7:  you are now ready to create playlist for you Fuze.

    refer to the following instruction I gave to my wife.

usage instructions for my wife:

--------------------Begin wife’s instructions------------

  1.  connect “Fuze” through USB, 

    verify the drive letters are “SANSA FUZE” L: and

    “SANSA MEM” M: if not refer to "Change Drive 

    Letters".  

    

At this point you can create playlist and convert them.  

  1.  open “Playlist Creator 3” 

  2.  drag the files from the “Fuze” to “playlist creator” 

    adjust playlist order as needed, when done save it 

    in .m3u and save it in "C:\Documents and Settings\

    <wife>\My Documents\My Music\<where FuzePLAConvert is>\playlist".  

    

  1.  next go to the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\

    <wife>\My Documents\My Music\<where FuzePLAConvert is>\playlist", 

    next you must change the extension from .m3u to .m3u8 

    so FuzePLAConvert.py can use it.  

    

  1.  now verify the playlist has absolute paths "H:\MUSIC\

    misc\01-Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You.flac".

    (refer EX:). 

    You CANNOT have relative paths. (refer EX:1)

   

  1.  Now double click “FuzePLAConvert.py” on the desktop, 

    this will run the tool which will convert any .m3u8 

    to a .pla and save it in “SANSA FUZE”\PLAYLISTS&nbsp;

    (refer EX:2,3).

you should now be able to run the playlist and it will play 

from both INTERNAL an EXTERNAL files.

EX:

my-tests.m3u8

#EXTM3U

#EXTINF:226,Empire Records (OST) - 01 - Til I Hear It From You

H:\MUSIC\misc\01-Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You.flac

#EXTINF:183,Bring Yer Wellies - 03 - Never Drink 'Em Dry (Johnny Tarr’s Funeral)

H:\MUSIC\Celtic\Gaelic Storm\Bring Yer Wellies\03-Never Drink 'Em Dry (Johnny Tarr’s Funeral).flac

#EXTINF:325,Nine Lives - 05 - We’re All Looking

I:\MUSIC\Rock\Steve Winwood\Nine Lives\05-We’re All Looking.flac

#EXTINF:182,Just Can’t Get Enough- New Wave Hits Of The '80s Volume 12 of 15 - 06 - They Don’t Know

H:\MUSIC\misc\06-Tracey Ullman - They Don’t Know.flac

EX:1

my-tests.m3u8 (this WILL NOT work with FuzePLAConvert.py)

#EXTM3U

#EXTINF:226,Empire Records (OST) - 01 - Til I Hear It From You

\MUSIC\misc\01-Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You.flac

#EXTINF:183,Bring Yer Wellies - 03 - Never Drink 'Em Dry (Johnny Tarr’s Funeral)

\MUSIC\Celtic\Gaelic Storm\Bring Yer Wellies\03-Never Drink 'Em Dry (Johnny Tarr’s Funeral).flac

#EXTINF:325,Nine Lives - 05 - We’re All Looking

\MUSIC\Rock\Steve Winwood\Nine Lives\05-We’re All Looking.flac

#EXTINF:182,Just Can’t Get Enough- New Wave Hits Of The '80s Volume 12 of 15 - 06 - They Don’t Know

\MUSIC\misc\06-Tracey Ullman - They Don’t Know.flac

EX:2

my-tests.pla

(empty its a place holder)

EX:3

my-tests.pla.refs

/mmc:0:/MUSIC/misc/01-Gin Blossoms - Til I Hear It From You.flac

/mmc:0:/MUSIC/Celtic/Gaelic Storm/Bring Yer Wellies/03-Never Drink 'Em Dry (Johnny Tarr’s Funeral).flac

/mmc:1:/MUSIC/Rock/Steve Winwood/Nine Lives/05-We’re All Looking.flac

/mmc:0:/MUSIC/misc/06-Tracey Ullman - They Don’t Know.flac

EX:4

FuzePLAConvert.cfg

[Settings]

FuzeDrive: L:

FuzeSDCard: M:

PlaylistDirectory: C:\Documents and Settings\<wife>\My Documents\My Music\<where FuzePLAConvert is>\playlist\

“Change Drive Letters”

the best way to fix the issue would be to change the 

drive letters of “SANSA FUZE” “SANSA MEM”, however

for simplicity sake, edit “FuzePLAConvert.cfg”

and put in the correct drive letters (ex:4).

“SANSA FUZE” is “FuzeDrive:”

“SANSA MEM” is “FuzeSDCard:”

--------------------End wife’s instructions--------------

notes:

.m3u

from what I can tell you can save it any where and 

it will be read.  your .m3u can only see files from 

the drive that the .m3u is on 

.m3u and .m3u8

.m3u is and ASCII plain text file 

.m3u8 indicates a unicode version of it.

The configuration is the same however,

the conversion utility uses the unicode

version of the playlist.  

.pla I don’t know know why its used as a place holder

the creator of FuzePLAConvert spent a lot of time

and knows a lot more about it than I do.

of course I have to thank my wife.  To make her happy 

I went through all this.  left to my own devices I 

would have had separate .m3u’s for internal and external

and just lived with it and been ok with that.  :)

I do hope this will help others, if not my wife is happy

so life is good.  :)

2

Excellent.  M3U / M3U8 procedures can be intensive.  Reminds me of this packet:

592×896 59.3 KB

If your wife (Flight Director) gives the requisite approval, your mission is a success.

An alternative is to use MTP mode, as the Fuze will automatically bypass the relative path issue.

µsansa

3

Can you clarify what you mean by using MTP mode?  I want to create a playlist that can access songs that are stored on either the internal memory or the microSD card.  The procedure that’s given seems rather long and complicated, and I’d rather do it an easier way if I can, preferably just using WMP 11 without having to use the additional programs.

4

MTP is one of the mode of the sansa Fuze which means Media Transfer Protocol which we can use to transfer songs from any Music subscription and creating a Playlist in the Fuze the other mode will be the MSC which is a Mass Storage Class which means a storage class only which is also the same as memory card and flashdrive, the best way to create a playlist is under MTP which you can follow the step by clicking the link below;

http://kb.sandisk.com/cgi-bin/sandisk\_en.cfg/php/enduser/std\_adp.php?p\_faqid=6&p\_created=1221199598&p\_sid=CUcmbRCj&p\_brand=&p\_accessibility=0&p\_redirect=&p\_lva=&p\_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjAxLDIwMSZwX3Byb2RzPTAmcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhvdyB0byBjcmVhdGUgYSBwbGF5bGlzdA\*\*&p\_li=&p\_topview=1

There is also other way to create a playlist in the external memory card, try to click this link;

 http://kb.sandisk.com/cgi-bin/sandisk\_en.cfg/php/enduser/std\_adp.php?p\_faqid=214&p\_created=1223507278&p\_sid=CUcmbRCj&p\_brand=&p\_accessibility=0&p\_redirect=&p\_lva=&p\_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjAxLDIwMSZwX3Byb2RzPTAmcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhvdyB0byBjcmVhdGUgYSBwbGF5bGlzdA\*\*&p\_li=&p\_topview=1

Thanks and hope this will help. 

5

keberloo, I have seen those MTP instructions before, but my understanding is that for either method, all of the songs in the playlist must either be in the internal memory OR on the microSD card, but you cannot have a playlist that includes songs from BOTH places.  Is that correct?  My goal is to be able to load a song into either the internal memory or the microSD card, and to be able to create an auto playlist that can include songs from both places.  Is that possible, without going through the long process in the original poster’s instructions?

6

sonoma03, if ia got you correctly you want to load a playlist both in the internal and external memory with same songs? I did try to duplicate this issue  I tried it myself on my sansa Fuze and I use Windows Media player 11, first the fuze must be on MTP mode and open the Windows Media player, you will notice on the left side on the lower part there will appear 2 sansa Fuze which is the Internal and external memory, try to drag the playlist on both memory and you must sync one memory at a time, it works for me I have 2 playlist in my player both contains the same songs.

Hope it works for you as well.:wink: 

7

Well, not quite.  I DON’T want the same playlist or the same songs duplicated in 2 places.  I want a SINGLE playlist that contains different songs that may be located either in the internal memory or on the microSD card.  Duplicating songs in both locations defeats the purpose of having the extra external memory in the first place.  But so far, what I’ve read seems to indicate that when using Windows Media Player, all the songs in the playlist have to reside in the same memory (internal or external) as the playlist itself.  I’m looking to see if it’s possible to get ONE playlist that accesses songs in both memory locations without having to duplicate the song in both places, i.e. have the Fuze treat the microSD as a true extension of the internal memory.

8

Yes it is possible, just make sure the Fuze is on MTP mode and us the Windows Media Player to transfer playlist both in Internal memory and micro sd.

9

@sonoma03 wrote:
keberloo, I have seen those MTP instructions before, but my understanding is that for either method, all of the songs in the playlist must either be in the internal memory OR on the microSD card, but you cannot have a playlist that includes songs from BOTH places.  Is that correct?  My goal is to be able to load a song into either the internal memory or the microSD card, and to be able to create an auto playlist that can include songs from both places.  Is that possible, without going through the long process in the original poster’s instructions?

I know it is a few days late, but I just bought a microSD card today and now I could test my suggestion for a simpler approach: Choose a text editor (e.g. vi on Linux or Notepad on Windows) and enter the playlist files by hand. No need for any piece of other software!

There is no magic around. You need two files (replace anyname with what you want)

- anyname.pla is an empty file

- anyname.pla.refs contains the audio file names with absolute path and prefix “/mmc:0:” for internal or “/mmc:1:” for external storage. See the example of the initial post. Linux users should note that the line endings must be DOS type (CRLF).

Hope this mission can be achieved by most wifes and astronauts :wink: