Babylon 5 episodic cds

Maybe I am a little wierd but everyday on my way to work I listen to the SIL cd on my car stereo. I have been doing this for several years now and have still not tired of it. I find it relaxes me and brings me back to my favorite moments of that episode.
I am curious if anyone else listens to their B5 cds on a regular basis. Or maybe I am completly alone in my addiction to Christopher Frankes music. However, when I am lifting weights it is definitely hard rock I listen to.

thanks
dennis

You're not alone. While I tended to rotate between episodic CDs, Sleeping in Light and In the Beginning were my favorites. Unfortunately, a year ago I ended up with a car with no CD player and I miss it.

Jan

Jan said:

Unfortunately, a year ago I ended up with a car with no CD player and I miss it.

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I have that same problem right now. Isn't there a way to transfer CDs to an iPod or non-iPod MP3 player? I'd like to carry around a large variety of CDs (if not my whole library of about 180 CDs) to listen to on the road using a system that is independent of the sound system of the particular vehicle I'm in, and the iPod/MP3 player and a pair of earbuds seems like a lightweight, compact way to do that.

KoshN said:

Isn't there a way to transfer CDs to an iPod or non-iPod MP3 player?

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Wow.

I'm actually shocked that people on this board aren't aware of 6+ year old technology.

Yes KoshN, there is. Its called a Personal Computer. You put your CDs in, and iTunes (or just about any other "jukebox" type music program) will rip the songs off of the CDs and convert them to MP3 format. You can then put those MP3s on an iPod or any MP3 player. From there, you can sometimes interface with cars (some have kits) or simply use headphones.

I listen to B5 music quite frequently. I think the only episodic CD I don't have that I've seen listed on the Sonic Images website is "And The Rock Cried Out No Hiding Place". Other than that, I've got every B5 CD I've ever seen. I love the music from the show.

Jan said:

Unfortunately, a year ago I ended up with a car with no CD player and I miss it.

Jan

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I got a rather nice Sony Am/Fm/CD player installed for $100, and have seen things for half that. No car should be without music! I measure out-of-town trips I take in how many CDs I can listen to, not miles...

Recoil said:

Wow.

I'm actually shocked that people on this board aren't aware of 6+ year old technology.

Yes KoshN, there is. Its called a Personal Computer.

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Hey, nobody likes a smartass. Until recently, I've been satisfied with just playing my CDs, but now I'm often stuck in a vehicle that is not mine, and that doesn't have a CD player (company vehicle, AM/FM Stereo only), often for 8 hours or more at a time.

Recoil said:

You put your CDs in, and iTunes (or just about any other "jukebox" type music program) will rip the songs off of the CDs and convert them to MP3 format.

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Copy, yes, knew that. Convert? Didn't know that. Seems too easy, and something the music industry would try to prevent. See, by nature, I am not a pirate, so I never investigated the whole ripping thing. I've always just bought the CDs and played 'em. Never dreamt I'd be able to put so many CDs on an iPod/MP3 player. Now, if I could put my whole 180+ CD library on one or two 30 GB iPod or MP3 players, that'd be great.

You can then put those MP3s on an iPod or any MP3 player.

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My question was partly about CAPACITY, i.e. approximately HOW MANY CDs can you fit in an iPod/MP3 player? I don't intend to download ANY music, just buy it on CD, put whole albums up on the iPod/MP3, and have it sorted by genre and/or group.

From there, you can sometimes interface with cars (some have kits)

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Can't do that. It's not practical, and against the company policy to make changes to the vehicles.

...or simply use headphones.

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That's the idea.

KoshN said:

Copy, yes, knew that. Convert? Didn't know that. Seems too easy, and something the music industry would try to prevent. See, by nature, I am not a pirate, so I never investigated the whole ripping thing. I've always just bought the CDs and played 'em. Never dreamt I'd be able to put so many CDs on an iPod/MP3 player. Now, if I could put my whole 180+ CD library on one or two 30 GB iPod or MP3 players, that'd be great.





My question was partly about CAPACITY, i.e. approximately HOW MANY CDs can you fit in an iPod/MP3 player? I don't intend to download ANY music, just buy it on CD, put whole albums up on the iPod/MP3, and have it sorted by genre and/or group.

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MP3 files take about 1 megabyte a minute.
1 GB (Gigabyte) = 1024 megabytes
So a 1 GB MP3 player can hold about 1000 minutes of music.

As for the number of CDs that can be copies onto a MP3 player look at the number on minutes on your CD and do the maths.

Can't do that. It's not practical, and against the company policy to make changes to the vehicles.




That's the idea.

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Note in Britain it is illegal for the driver to wear earphones whilst driving.

KoshN said:

Can't do that. It's not practical, and against the company policy to make changes to the vehicles.

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Depending on what piece you buy to be able to play your iPod in your car, there isn't ANY changes that has to be made. My best friend has a gizmo that she plugs into the cigarette lighter port, and she then plugs her iPod into that gizmo, and then just tune the regular radio to a specific channel and whatever's playing on the iPod will then be received on that radio channel. There is no modifications to the car at all.

As for ripping and piracy, from everything I've read, ripping CDs that you own falls under "fair use". You could even make a full copy of the CD for yourself for archival purposes. It's distribution to others that makes it piracy, not the ripping. If you listen to a lot of music through your computer, ripping your CDs will save a lot of wear on your CD drive.

A_M_Swallow said:

MP3 files take about 1 megabyte a minute.
1 GB (Gigabyte) = 1024 megabytes
So a 1 GB MP3 player can hold about 1000 minutes of music.

As for the number of CDs that can be copies onto a MP3 player look at the number on minutes on your CD and do the maths.

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Thanks for the info. One 30 GB player ought to do it.

Note in Britain it is illegal for the driver to wear earphones whilst driving.

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Probably is, here in the US as well, even if you use the kind of earphones that let outside noises through, and/or keep it turned down enough so it's possible to hear traffic sounds, sirens, etc.

vacantlook said:

Depending on what piece you buy to be able to play your iPod in your car, there isn't ANY changes that has to be made. My best friend has a gizmo that she plugs into the cigarette lighter port, and she then plugs her iPod into that gizmo, and then just tune the regular radio to a specific channel and whatever's playing on the iPod will then be received on that radio channel. There is no modifications to the car at all.

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I tried something like that,except that it was battery powered, and as the batteries ran down, I had to fiddle with the potentiometer to tweak the frequency back to the where the radio was set about every 15 minutes. It was a pain in the butt, and never worked very well, receptionwise, either. Maybe the ones they sell as iPod accessories that are powered from the cigarette lighter are better.

As for ripping and piracy, from everything I've read, ripping CDs that you own falls under "fair use". You could even make a full copy of the CD for yourself for archival purposes. It's distribution to others that makes it piracy, not the ripping. If you listen to a lot of music through your computer, ripping your CDs will save a lot of wear on your CD drive.

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I figure if I've already bought the CDs, I ought to be able to put 'em on an iPod/MP3 player. I'm just jazzed that I'll probably be able to put all my CDs on one player. There will be no more deciding which CDs to take with me, and talk about weight savings!

Currently I have a 10" portable DVD/CD player and some nice earphones that I always take with me, but it's too unwieldy to play while I'm driving, and so I only use it when I have to wait somewhere. The B5 movie collection, Crusade, and Salem's Lot (1977) are in my grip at the moment. Crusade is always with me.

KoshN: I'm sure you know by now, that I can't help but be a smartass.

Your point about it being so easy to rip MP3s off of CDs is something the music industry (RIAA specifically) has been trying to fight for years. But bottom line, yes, its extremely easy to make MP3s of your CDs --- as it should be as far as I'm concerned. I've always thought the RIAA should worry about people illegally downloading music, or illegally posting their own music for others to share (which makes me a big hypocrite). I believe if I bought a CD I should be able to put it in whatever damn format I want --- digital or otherwise. They try to fight all of the above.

They, however, are unsuccessful. So yes, you can easily take any CD you own and rip it to MP3 format.

As far as capacity, that depends on the quality of the MP3. Many out there are 128kbps in quality. This is OK, but by not really great. 320kbps is what is called CD quality. 192kbps is what many people believe to be very good digital quality. I have a hard time telling the difference between 192kbps and listening to a CD. I have an 80GB iPod. I can't tell you for sure the number of albums that can fit on it, but I can tell you that I have over 12,000 songs on this iPod (most of which are at 192kbps quality).

So depending on the device, you can fit a TON of albums on it.

Also, as far as modifications to a car....

I do know that an iPod can broadcast its music on a certain frequency (88.xxxx or something...I cant be sure). Its at the low end of the FM spectrum, and is unused by radio stations. You can set your iPod to PLAY and tune your radio to that frequency, and it will pick up your own iPod in the car. I've got a direct plug into my stereo, so I don't use this, but it can be done --- either in a car or at your home with your stereo.

Recoil said:

KoshN: I'm sure you know by now, that I can't help but be a smartass.

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Like Vir, I must not have been paying attention.

As far as capacity, that depends on the quality of the MP3.

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Song, not player, right? Or are you talking about the quality of the player, possibly limited by its CPU and other chips (D/A, A/D, memory, cache) that might affect its I/O speed?

Many out there are 128kbps in quality.

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I guess you mean songs that are hosted on servers out there. I don't intend to download, but rather buy the CDs and use the PC to put them on the player, I guess via USB 2.0?

This is OK, but by not really great. 320kbps is what is called CD quality. 192kbps is what many people believe to be very good digital quality. I have a hard time telling the difference between 192kbps and listening to a CD. I have an 80GB iPod. I can't tell you for sure the number of albums that can fit on it, but I can tell you that I have over 12,000 songs on this iPod (most of which are at 192kbps quality).

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Based upon what you've said, I'll probably go for whatever player can take ~ 200+ CDs in 320kbps.

Recoil said:

Also, as far as modifications to a car....

I do know that an iPod can broadcast its music on a certain frequency (88.xxxx or something...I cant be sure). Its at the low end of the FM spectrum, and is unused by radio stations. You can set your iPod to PLAY and tune your radio to that frequency, and it will pick up your own iPod in the car. I've got a direct plug into my stereo, so I don't use this, but it can be done --- either in a car or at your home with your stereo.

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There's also the type that sends the RF signal through a ~1/4" dia. shielded wire to a T-connector, where the player comes in at the bottom of the T, the car antenna comes in at the left, and it all goes out to the car stereo at the right side of the T. No "Broadcast" involved and it still comes in over 88.1, 88,3, 88.5 or 88.7 MHz (or was it KHz, can't remember). The T-connector type gives a much cleaner signal.

When you rip from a CD, your computer will let you select the quality. I usually use 192kbps. You get fit more songs on an 80GB harddrive at 192k than you can at 320k. Songs are hosted on servers, legally and illegally. Sites like allofmp3.com allow for downloads as well as apple's iTunes store. So there are lots of ways to get MP3s. Sound like you are more interested in just converting your own library (which I have done as well).

Recoil said:

When you rip from a CD, your computer will let you select the quality. I usually use 192kbps.

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Well, I guess 320Kbps is also an available setting, but maybe that depends on the software used to do the ripping. I'd want the best quality.

You get fit more songs on an 80GB harddrive at 192k than you can at 320k.

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Well, yeah, obviously. More bits per second equals more bits per song, and fewer songs per GB of storage space on the player.

Sounds like you are more interested in just converting your own library (which I have done as well).

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Exactly. It looks like a half dozen CDs in their jewel cases would weigh more and be more bulky than an 80GB iPod/MP3 player housing 180+ CDs. That's a helluva difference in convenience and portability.

I have several of the B5 CD's, but don't listen to them very much. When I do, it's usually the Volume 1 & 2 CD's.

Also remember that all computer files have to be backed up. A second 80GB disk will do.

I am new to this forum and a lot of B5 stuff. Can some one tell about these music CDs please.

TT.

Terrible Tim said:

I am new to this forum and a lot of B5 stuff. Can some one tell about these music CDs please.

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Christopher Franke, the composer for B5, made available quite a number of CDs that had the music from different episodes as well as two music suites and CDs from the movies. Check out the Sonic Images site.

Jan