Should I buy a Nomad Jukebox 3? Questions....

[d.d.t]

I'm investigating MP3 player/recorders and so far the Creative Nomad
Jukebox 3 looks like the best fit for my needs.

However, I haven't been able to find much information about it, even
in the manual, which I downloaded from Creative.

So my questions are:

Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
system? Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
to play them? That is how I prefer to put MP3s on a player (the iPod
doesn't let you do this--rather, you can put any files on it manually,
but if they are MP3s, the iPod player won't see them, and you also
can't take MP3's OFF of the iPod onto a computer--big downside IMO).

Recording is important to me. Has anyone tested the NJ3's recording
capabilities? I'm interested primarily in recording live audio using a
high-quality external microphone (if there is no ext mic jack, line in
is OK as I have a mic with a preamp to bring it to line level). I read
somewhere that the NJ3 can record directly to 44.1 WAV as well as MP3
at any bitrate you choose. Is this true?

What is the UI like for recording? I want it to be as simple as
possible--you press a button and it starts recording (unlike the
archos). I'd prefer it if there was an automatic recording level
option. Is there?

If you make one recording and then another (without renaming the first
recorded file), will it overwrite the first recorded file?

What is the sound quality like on recordings made by the NJ3? Is it
suitable for music or just voice recordings? Comparable to minidisc or
DAT?

Overall impressions of the NJ3? My important criteria are: sensible
UI, ease of managing thousands of mp3s by various id3 tags as well as
file/folder structure, ability to generate playlists based on same,
repeat/shuffle options for these playlists, etc. I'd also like to
store non-audio files on it (that is, use it as an external hard
drive). Sound quality? Battery life?

I know it's kind of big compared to the iPod. It looks like a CD
player. Does it in fact play CDs as well as everything else? I
thought I read something to that effect. If that is true, does it play
MP3 cd's as well?

Thanks for any answers you may have.....you can post a reply. If you
prefer to email me, change the word garbage in my email address to
another word, specifically the word dan. And if I am in the wrong
newsgroup, please direct me to the correct one.

Thanks.

[ReEfErMaDnEsS]

you should look here::

www.nomadness.net


"d.d.t" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm investigating MP3 player/recorders and so far the Creative Nomad
> Jukebox 3 looks like the best fit for my needs.
>
> However, I haven't been able to find much information about it, even
> in the manual, which I downloaded from Creative.
>
> So my questions are:
>
> Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
> system? Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
> to play them? That is how I prefer to put MP3s on a player (the iPod
> doesn't let you do this--rather, you can put any files on it manually,
> but if they are MP3s, the iPod player won't see them, and you also
> can't take MP3's OFF of the iPod onto a computer--big downside IMO).
>
> Recording is important to me. Has anyone tested the NJ3's recording
> capabilities? I'm interested primarily in recording live audio using a
> high-quality external microphone (if there is no ext mic jack, line in
> is OK as I have a mic with a preamp to bring it to line level). I read
> somewhere that the NJ3 can record directly to 44.1 WAV as well as MP3
> at any bitrate you choose. Is this true?
>
> What is the UI like for recording? I want it to be as simple as
> possible--you press a button and it starts recording (unlike the
> archos). I'd prefer it if there was an automatic recording level
> option. Is there?
>
> If you make one recording and then another (without renaming the first
> recorded file), will it overwrite the first recorded file?
>
> What is the sound quality like on recordings made by the NJ3? Is it
> suitable for music or just voice recordings? Comparable to minidisc or
> DAT?
>
> Overall impressions of the NJ3? My important criteria are: sensible
> UI, ease of managing thousands of mp3s by various id3 tags as well as
> file/folder structure, ability to generate playlists based on same,
> repeat/shuffle options for these playlists, etc. I'd also like to
> store non-audio files on it (that is, use it as an external hard
> drive). Sound quality? Battery life?
>
> I know it's kind of big compared to the iPod. It looks like a CD
> player. Does it in fact play CDs as well as everything else? I
> thought I read something to that effect. If that is true, does it play
> MP3 cd's as well?
>
> Thanks for any answers you may have.....you can post a reply. If you
> prefer to email me, change the word garbage in my email address to
> another word, specifically the word dan. And if I am in the wrong
> newsgroup, please direct me to the correct one.
>
> Thanks.

[Arny Krueger]

"d.d.t" > wrote in message
om
> I'm investigating MP3 player/recorders and so far the Creative Nomad
> Jukebox 3 looks like the best fit for my needs.
>
> However, I haven't been able to find much information about it, even
> in the manual, which I downloaded from Creative.

I own one, how about that?

> So my questions are:

> Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
> system?

No.

> Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
> to play them?

No. All PC access to the NJ3 has to be through CL utilities. They are drag
and drop, but you need more than just the Windows Explorer.

>That is how I prefer to put MP3s on a player (the iPod
> doesn't let you do this--rather, you can put any files on it manually,
> but if they are MP3s, the iPod player won't see them, and you also
> can't take MP3's OFF of the iPod onto a computer--big downside IMO).

Look at the iRiver IFP-120.

> Recording is important to me. Has anyone tested the NJ3's recording
> capabilities?

Yes. They work very well.

>I'm interested primarily in recording live audio using a
> high-quality external microphone (if there is no ext mic jack, line in
> is OK as I have a mic with a preamp to bring it to line level).

There's no mic jack. There are analog and digital line-in connections.

>I read
> somewhere that the NJ3 can record directly to 44.1 WAV as well as MP3
> at any bitrate you choose. Is this true?

Pretty much. I've done both.

> What is the UI like for recording?

Basic. You can set levels, but shouldn't. You can select recording mode. You
can start and stop the recording.

> I want it to be as simple as
> possible--you press a button and it starts recording (unlike the
> archos). I'd prefer it if there was an automatic recording level
> option. Is there?

There is no ALC (good!)

> If you make one recording and then another (without renaming the first
> recorded file), will it overwrite the first recorded file?

No, the recordings are named with time and date stamps.

> What is the sound quality like on recordings made by the NJ3?

Near-CD quality, very near.

> Is it suitable for music

Very much so.

>or just voice recordings? Comparable to minidisc

better than MD

>or DAT?

About equal to DAT but more time capacity and more robust.

> Overall impressions of the NJ3?

Big and bulky compared to its newer competition but sounds great. You can
change the batteries without tools.

>My important criteria are: sensible
> UI, ease of managing thousands of mp3s by various id3 tags as well as
> file/folder structure,

There really is no folder structure on a NJ3. You can have playlists which
are in a separate list. However, the actual music files are in a flat
structure.

> ability to generate playlists based on same,

You can do that.

> repeat/shuffle options for these playlists, etc.

They are there.

>I'd also like to store non-audio files on it (that is, use it as an
external hard
> drive).

You can store other kinds of data files on it, but all file access has to be
through Creative's utilities.

> Sound quality?

Essentially CD quality for recording and playback.

>Battery life?

Depends on how you use it. With 2 batteries I get about 8 hours recording or
playing .wav files. I rarely use it for MP3s, but my limited experience
suggests that MP3 files dramatically extend battery life because of the
vastly reduced hard drive activity.

> I know it's kind of big compared to the iPod. It looks like a CD
> player. Does it in fact play CDs as well as everything else?

Nope, the NJ3 is just a hard drive player.

> I thought I read something to that effect. If that is true, does it play
> MP3 cd's as well?

Nope. Not a chance.

[Arny Krueger]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message

> "d.d.t" > wrote in message
> om
>> I'm investigating MP3 player/recorders and so far the Creative Nomad
>> Jukebox 3 looks like the best fit for my needs.
>>
>> However, I haven't been able to find much information about it, even
>> in the manual, which I downloaded from Creative.
>
> I own one, how about that?
>
>> So my questions are:
>
>> Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
>> system?
>
> No.
>
>> Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
>> to play them?
>
> No. All PC access to the NJ3 has to be through CL utilities. They are
> drag and drop, but you need more than just the Windows Explorer.
>
>> That is how I prefer to put MP3s on a player (the iPod
>> doesn't let you do this--rather, you can put any files on it
>> manually, but if they are MP3s, the iPod player won't see them, and
>> you also can't take MP3's OFF of the iPod onto a computer--big
>> downside IMO).
>
> Look at the iRiver IFP-120.

correction: IHP-102

[Arny Krueger]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message

> "Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
>
>>
>> Look at the iRiver IFP-120.
>
> correction: IHP-102

Correction: IHP-120

[ReEfErMaDnEsS]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message

>
> > Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
> > system?
>
> No.

WRONG....you just need REAL software....www.redchairsoftware.com....why
should you suffer with poor software when there are better alternatives

>
> > Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
> > to play them?
>
> No. All PC access to the NJ3 has to be through CL utilities. They are drag
> and drop, but you need more than just the Windows Explorer.
>
see above

[Todd H.]

(d.d.t) writes:

> Recording is important to me. Has anyone tested the NJ3's recording
> capabilities? I'm interested primarily in recording live audio using a
> high-quality external microphone (if there is no ext mic jack, line in
> is OK as I have a mic with a preamp to bring it to line level). I read
> somewhere that the NJ3 can record directly to 44.1 WAV as well as MP3
> at any bitrate you choose. Is this true?

WAV, yes. mp3 I don't know. I have original NJB and it records only
to WAV at any bitrate I select.

I have an extensive page on NJB recording and mic selection that may
interest you. You don't have to spen a ton on a mic to get excellent
recordings. You don't even have to spend money on a preamp if you pick
the right mic.

http://toddh.net/music/njb/

> What is the UI like for recording? I want it to be as simple as
> possible--you press a button and it starts recording (unlike the
> archos). I'd prefer it if there was an automatic recording level
> option. Is there?

No, not that I'm aware of. Any recording level adjustments are just
doing digital math and throwing away high order bits--there's no
analog recording level adjustment support in the hardware.

The UI involves pushing the EAX button, scrolling to the Recording
section, pressing the ARM soft button, hitting the Play button, and
engaging the lock switch if you wanna make sure it keeps going.

REcording is stopped by hitting hte stop button, then hitting the Save
soft button to save the track.

A subsequent recording is made by hitting the ARM soft button, and
hitting the play button.

Having never used the ARchos, I can't offer comparative analysis.
But I can say it's not as simple as hitting a record button.

> If you make one recording and then another (without renaming the
> first recorded file), will it overwrite the first recorded file?

No. It names the files automatically with numeric suffixes.

> What is the sound quality like on recordings made by the NJ3? Is it
> suitable for music or just voice recordings? Comparable to minidisc or
> DAT?

It's been excellent in my experience with the original NJB. .

As for your file storing requirements, I think that's possible.
nomadness.net is a great web site and has links to vendors of such
software. I don't think the junk Creative software works with it out
of the box. I'm a big fan of the notmad jukebox from Red Chair
software. It is an excellent piece of software that allows you to
forgo the creative software entirely.

Best Regards,
--
/"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | Todd H
\ / | http://www.toddh.net/
X Promoting good netiquette | http://triplethreatband.com/
/ \ http://www.toddh.net/netiquette/ | "4 lines suffice."

[robobass]

I have been using one for about 1 1/2 years for live recording and
mobile mp3 playback. Just a few things...

1. The original os had auto level control. If that is so important
then you could perhaps get that firmware, though I wouldn't want it
myself.
2. Data transfer is not fast, even with the firewire port, so I would
not recommend using it as a harddrive unless you are talking about
very small files.
3. It records very well. If you have a good mic preamp, probably
better than most portable DATS.
4. Buy it from somewhere to which you can easily return it. I have
several problems with mine (my first one worked perfectly, but it got
stolen) and get an extended warranty if available.

Also, Is there really anything else out there which works as well as a
portable recorder? I have seen nothing.

Robobass

[Len Moskowitz]

robobass > wrote:

>Also, Is there really anything else out there which works as well as a
>portable recorder? I have seen nothing.

You might have a look at our PDAudio system:

http://www.core-sound.com/HighResRecorderNews.html

--
Len Moskowitz PDAudio, Binaural Mics, Cables, DPA, M-Audio
Core Sound http://www.stealthmicrophones.com
Teaneck, New Jersey USA http://www.core-sound.com
Tel: 201-801-0812, FAX: 201-801-0912

[GMAN]

In article >, "Arny Krueger" > wrote:
>"d.d.t" > wrote in message
om
>> I'm investigating MP3 player/recorders and so far the Creative Nomad
>> Jukebox 3 looks like the best fit for my needs.
>>
>> However, I haven't been able to find much information about it, even
>> in the manual, which I downloaded from Creative.
>
>I own one, how about that?
>
>> So my questions are:
>
>> Can I treat the Nomad Jukebox 3 as an ordinary hard drive on my
>> system?
>
>No.
>

With certain software you can store and move back and forth regular data files
on the Nomad.

>> Can I drag MP3s to it using Windows Explorer and then be able
>> to play them?
>
>No. All PC access to the NJ3 has to be through CL utilities. They are drag
>and drop, but you need more than just the Windows Explorer.
>
Not true, this software and many others can communicate with the Nomad series.
Even Media Player 9 on Xp can talk to the nomad directly now.

I use this from dbpoweramp

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/sveta-portable-audio.htm

"Sveta Portable Audio replaces the cumbersome program that was supplied with
your mp3 player, no longer do you need to go through 1 million steps just to
send a file. Sveta is compatible with most mp3 players, check here to see if
yours is supported. "

Sveta Portable Audio does it all:

Rip an Audio CD straight to your portable player,
Smart Conversions - high bitrate files to lower bitrates, or one audio format
to another automatically on the fly!,
Combine multiple memories into one (eg. Internal and External Flash),
Send files with just two clicks!
Large number of players supported, handles all audio formats: mp3, ogg, wma,
FLAC, mp4, aac
Works with Windows 95 / 98 / ME / NT4 / 2000 / XP (** Windows 95 is not USB
compatible **)

>>That is how I prefer to put MP3s on a player (the iPod
>> doesn't let you do this--rather, you can put any files on it manually,
>> but if they are MP3s, the iPod player won't see them, and you also
>> can't take MP3's OFF of the iPod onto a computer--big downside IMO).
>
>Look at the iRiver IFP-120.
>
>> Recording is important to me. Has anyone tested the NJ3's recording
>> capabilities?
>
>Yes. They work very well.

Agreed, i use it regularly to rip audio from DirecTV music stations and dub to
CDR

>
>>I'm interested primarily in recording live audio using a
>> high-quality external microphone (if there is no ext mic jack, line in
>> is OK as I have a mic with a preamp to bring it to line level).
>
>There's no mic jack. There are analog and digital line-in connections.
>

You can use a amplified mike. Read the manual

>>I read
>> somewhere that the NJ3 can record directly to 44.1 WAV as well as MP3
>> at any bitrate you choose. Is this true?
>
>Pretty much. I've done both.
>
>> What is the UI like for recording?
>
>Basic. You can set levels, but shouldn't. You can select recording mode. You
>can start and stop the recording.
>
>> I want it to be as simple as
>> possible--you press a button and it starts recording (unlike the
>> archos). I'd prefer it if there was an automatic recording level
>> option. Is there?
>
>There is no ALC (good!)

Agreed, with a ALC , you get the annoying breathing sound that you so
commonly see in cheap VCR's now with not volume adjustments.Its better NOT to
have it.

>
>> If you make one recording and then another (without renaming the first
>> recorded file), will it overwrite the first recorded file?
>
>No, the recordings are named with time and date stamps.
>
>> What is the sound quality like on recordings made by the NJ3?
>
>Near-CD quality, very near.
>
>> Is it suitable for music
>
>Very much so.
>
>>or just voice recordings? Comparable to minidisc
>
>better than MD
>
>>or DAT?
>
>About equal to DAT but more time capacity and more robust.
>
>> Overall impressions of the NJ3?
>
>Big and bulky compared to its newer competition but sounds great. You can
>change the batteries without tools.
>
>>My important criteria are: sensible
>> UI, ease of managing thousands of mp3s by various id3 tags as well as
>> file/folder structure,
>
>There really is no folder structure on a NJ3. You can have playlists which
>are in a separate list. However, the actual music files are in a flat
>structure.
>
>> ability to generate playlists based on same,
>
>You can do that.
>
>> repeat/shuffle options for these playlists, etc.
>
>They are there.
>
>>I'd also like to store non-audio files on it (that is, use it as an
>external hard
>> drive).
>
>You can store other kinds of data files on it, but all file access has to be
>through Creative's utilities.
>
>> Sound quality?
>
>Essentially CD quality for recording and playback.
>
>>Battery life?
>
>Depends on how you use it. With 2 batteries I get about 8 hours recording or
>playing .wav files. I rarely use it for MP3s, but my limited experience
>suggests that MP3 files dramatically extend battery life because of the
>vastly reduced hard drive activity.
>
>> I know it's kind of big compared to the iPod. It looks like a CD
>> player. Does it in fact play CDs as well as everything else?
>
>Nope, the NJ3 is just a hard drive player.
>
>> I thought I read something to that effect. If that is true, does it play
>> MP3 cd's as well?
>
>Nope. Not a chance.
>
>
>
>