Can I import person EQ into ipod?

[bomberman]

I mean 20g ipod.Can I use the EQ settings that I created in itunes?

 

[Bolt San]

No, it's been tried.
Unless that's some sort of new firmware thing.

 

[Jon L]

I just tried this again and failed again. Why, why, why doesn't Apple allow this one simple thing that would make my life so much easier...

 

[aki]

I haven't tried this (since i don't use iTunes - i use the Winamp iPod plugin), but according to Apple's documentation, it will only use the imported EQ settings for a song IF you have set the EQ on the iPod to "Flat". That's right, not "Off", but "Flat". Apparently, that is the distinction between these two settings.

I haven't seen anyone else point this out before, so i'm not sure how true it is, but it was definitely somewhere on the Apple website.

 

[blessingx]

Aki, I hadn't heard that, but a search seems to indicate you're right (though not sure how limiting his 'preset' is). Great news if true. Can anyone else confirm this? Create a wacky preset to make it obvious.

On a related (if possibly out of date) note, these charts are interesting.

 

[aki]

Now that i'm home, i can post a link to the Apple support page that explains this the most clearly.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61567

So that sounds like its official and it should work.

 

[leon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aki I haven't tried this (since i don't use iTunes - i use the Winamp iPod plugin), but according to Apple's documentation, it will only use the imported EQ settings for a song IF you have set the EQ on the iPod to "Flat". That's right, not "Off", but "Flat". Apparently, that is the distinction between these two settings.

Nope, that refers to the 22? presets Apple provides, not the manual ones you might have made and saved in iTunes. I remember reading that a very long time ago, and trying it out for myself.

Apple says in that document:
Quote:

Notes 1. iPod does not use custom equalizer settings made in iTunes... 2. You can't create custom equalizer settings on iPod, or transfer custom settings to iPod.

THIS is what many of us are pining for, and would like Apple to implement, whether to cater for personal preferences or to cancel out the quirks of particular headphones

 

[blessingx]

That article talks about iTunes 2. Not sure which version the one I referenced is (nor what they mean by presets). Does anyone have any information on a more recent version? Can anyone test?

 

[leon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx That article talks about iTunes 2. Not sure which version the one I referenced is (nor what they mean by presets). Does anyone have any information on a more recent version? Can anyone test?

Allow me to put that question to rest...

Apple's terminology is probably different from what we're used to, but not too hard to define:

"equalizer presets" = the presets they give us on iTunes & iPods;
"custom equalizer settings" = where we fiddle with individual frequency bands and save it as a new preset in iTunes.

I made a "custom equalizer setting" called "ipodtest" in iTunes, in which everything above 500Hz was dragged to the bottom (around -12dB - whacky enough?). I then set one song on my iPod mini to use this as default in iTunes, and checked that it worked (*1).

I then ejected the mini and played the song. Switching repeatedly between EQ off and the flat preset, there was no perceivable difference - unlike when I toggled EQ on and off in iTunes.

To double check, I did the procedure again, but used the "small speakers" preset instead. I'd set the iPod's EQ to flat, then played the song, and went back to EQ to turn it off. There's a noticeable change in sound(*2) and I'd think this is working as advertised in Apple's document - if you assign their presets to the songs, the iPod will recognize your setting. The iPod in its current state won't replicate an EQ preset you created in iTunes.

I used iTunes 4.6 Mac and an iPod mini with soft/firmware 1.1.

*1: If I played the song before in the list using another preset, iTunes will switch to my whacko preset for this song, and snaps out of it on the next song.
*2: "Small Speakers" dulls the high frequencies considerably, so when you switch to something else the change is obvious.

 

[blessingx]

Sh1t. My hopes were raised there for a few hours. Thanks for trying leon.

 

[bomberman]

Thank you!I will try it!!

 

[aki]

Oops, sorry guys. I mis-read the original question. I thought he was saying he just wanted to use the iTunes selected EQ for his mp3s.

And yes, there's no way to define your own EQ settings (or what i'd call "customize EQ settings") for the iPod. I've gone to great lengths in pursuit of this, even to the point of reverse-engineering the binary file format of the ipod internal file for EQ ("IPodEQPresets") and hacking it. No dice. The file seems to be ignored by the current firmware... which is pretty odd. Surely the file has a purpose?

You might be interested to know however, that the file format stores both a 10-band version of the EQ (which corresponds directly to the iTunes EQ controls), and a 5-band version of each EQ setting (ie: less accurate representation). My guess is that the iPod only has a 5-band EQ implemented.

 

[Flasken]

how about altering the mp3 files themselves prior to transfering?

 

[leon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flasken how about altering the mp3 files themselves prior to transfering?

I think that's against the spirit of Head-Fi, but I can see how it would be a viable option for others.

 

[aki]

I don't keep multiple copies of my MP3s ... it would suck if i alter EQ on the files on my iPod and then when i copy them off the iPod and play them on something else, and find the EQ aint suitable. The files should be left alone, i also dislike the idea of using mp3gain for this reason.

Not to mention, i might want to change EQ settings once in awhile, that would mean i'd have to re-rip, and re-encode, and re-process.

the ipod needs a customizable EQ, *waves fist at Apple*