Question About iPod and Custom EQ Settings

[Pokeylicious]

I've just recently downloaded iTunes 4.5 and somewhere in the literature, it says that you can use custom EQ settings and transfer those settings to your iPod.

I've discovered how to use the custom EQ settings, but my question is, how do I use these custom settings AFTER I've transferred them to my iPod? I've tried setting the EQ to flat, and I get nothing. set EQ to off: Nothing.

If anyone can tell this iTunes Newbie how to actually USE this, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[AndyH]

Originally posted by Pokeylicious
I've just recently downloaded iTunes 4.5 and somewhere in the literature, it says that you can use custom EQ settings and transfer those settings to your iPod.

I've discovered how to use the custom EQ settings, but my question is, how do I use these custom settings AFTER I've transferred them to my iPod? I've tried setting the EQ to flat, and I get nothing. set EQ to off: Nothing.

If anyone can tell this iTunes Newbie how to actually USE this, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
According to an Apple support document that I've read in the past, you're supposed to set the EQ on the iPod to the "Flat" setting, this will utilize a song-specific EQ setting (if one was set for that song).

However, that was only for the EQ settings that Apple setup in iTunes and didn't work for custom EQ settings. Can you pleae point out where in the iTunes 4.5 documentation it mentions this new feature?

[Luminocity]

AndyH,

The statement is mentioned on the following webpage:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/jukebox.html

They state:
Fine-tune Your Listening
Adjust the frequency range of each track individually with a 10-band equalizer. What?s more, iPod will use these custom settings on playback. iTunes also offers over 20 presets designed for different types of music. Or improve playback quality simply with the exclusive Sound Enhancer.

I have spent a good deal of time trying to get this to work with no success. I really want it work, because it comes pretty close to resolving my number one issue with the iPod, and that is the lack of an onboard multiband EQ. If this would work, you could create you own custom EQ, select all of the songs on your player, and assign that EQ to every song. Once you sync up, you would be good to go. Unfortunately, it seems that this officialy stated feature does not work.

Begin plead

If anyone knows the scoop on this, please share it in this thread.

End plead

[Tennessee Bob]

I talked to Apple Customer Support and they told me the end around on EQ was to set it on iTunes as desired and leave the EQ on iPod off so as to not drain the battery. Thus far I have only tried this today and it seems to work, but more testing is needed.

[Luminocity]

Tennessee Bob said:
"I talked to Apple Customer Support and they told me the end around on EQ was to set it on iTunes as desired and leave the EQ on iPod off so as to not drain the battery."

Now I'm really confused. The part where Apple Customer Support said "leave the EQ on iPod off so as to not drain the battery" implies to me that Apple is saying don't use any EQ at all.

Tennessee Bob, what is your take on that statement? When you say that you tried this out and it "seems to work", are you saying that the music on the iPod is playing with your custom EQ presets, or are you saying that the music plays with your custom EQ presets on iTunes, but not the iPod?

I would not be pursuing this issue if it were not for the statement on the iTunes webpage that asserts that the iPod can use your custom EQ settings for playback.

[AndyH]

Originally posted by Luminocity
AndyH,

The statement is mentioned on the following webpage:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/jukebox.html

They state:
Fine-tune Your Listening
Adjust the frequency range of each track individually with a 10-band equalizer. What?s more, iPod will use these custom settings on playback. iTunes also offers over 20 presets designed for different types of music. Or improve playback quality simply with the exclusive Sound Enhancer.

I have spent a good deal of time trying to get this to work with no success. I really want it work, because it comes pretty close to resolving my number one issue with the iPod, and that is the lack of an onboard multiband EQ. If this would work, you could create you own custom EQ, select all of the songs on your player, and assign that EQ to every song. Once you sync up, you would be good to go. Unfortunately, it seems that this officialy stated feature does not work.
I just tried to get it to work again, and still no dice. I created a custom EQ setting that totally exaggerates the bass frequencies, applied it to a song in my iTunes library, synced iTunes with my iPod (I saw the song transfer to the iPod), and played that song on the iPod with the EQ set to "Off" and with the EQ set to "Flat". Both sounded identical, and neither used my custom EQ setting.

[dmt1]

The custom EQ settings still don't work on the ipod, only on Itunes on your computer--it's a mistake on the Apple page, been there from day one of Itunes 4.5. The presets work (and are transferrable to your ipod on a song for song basis, as Andy said), but the custom EQ's unfortunately as of yet still cannot be transferred over. Apple should correct the page, it's been recognized since the day 4.5 was out...

[Tennessee Bob]

Luminocity -

I have read both here and on Apple's site regarding battery conservation that the use of the equalizer on your iPod will drain your lithium battery faster. Not terribly so mind you, but it reduces your battery life. An Apple rep confirmed this on the phone explaining that use of the equalizer on the iPod brings the hard drive into play and that affects battery life.

He told me that use of the iTUNES equalizer was an end around by way of pre-setting on a song by song basis the different settings you want and not using the iPod's hard drive/equalizer in the process and hence saving battery life.

By testing I only meant that I have tried it and it seems (emphasis on seems) to be transferring the equalizer settings. By more testing I only meant that time will tell. Maybe I'm wrong.

Sorry if I confused. I am a newbie so defer to the advice of the others.

Peace.