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#314603 - 02/10/2008 11:54 Karma dead
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Long time no see, but have no idea where else to ask this question. My Karma no longer communicates when I plug it into the dock (tried 2 docks). I reckon I'll just buy a new mp3 player, but does anyone know of another player that lets you set bookmarks like the Karma did? I've had iPods and iRivers before (a long time ago) but neither of those did.

Any help appreciated

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#314605 - 02/10/2008 14:12 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Quote:
have no idea where else to ask this question.


(There's actually a "Rio Hard Drive Portables" section of the bulletin board.)

Perhaps we can get your Karma working again for you.

First question: Have you used the paper-clip reset switch?

When you said "it no longer communicates", please be more specific. Does the computer detect its existence at all? If it does, is there an error message when you attempt to run Rio Music Manager?

Are there any errors displayed on the player's screen? Aside from the connection issue, does the player work normally without showing signs of trouble?

Have you installed a new operating system onto the computer recently, for example, upgrading to Vista? Have you tried re-installing Rio Music Manager since doing so?

Have you tried using both the USB cable connection to the dock, as well as the ethernet connection to the dock? Do you get different results for each?

You said you tried different docks, but did you try different USB cables? Did you try plugging the USB cable directly into the Karma instead of the dock? Did you try a different USB port? Did you verify that the USB port and USB cable work for other devices other than the Karma?

If you'd rather just toss the player instead of diagnosing it, perhaps someone here on the BBS would like to take it off your hands.

Regarding your main question: I don't know if the new iPods have bookmarks or not. You could try one out at an apple store if you have access to one of those where you live.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#314607 - 02/10/2008 14:19 Re: Karma dead [Re: tfabris]
drakino
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
The iPods don't have manual bookmarks like the Karma, but it will save your position in a file if it is marked as a certain type. If it is an audiobook, podcast, or a few other formats, the players will auto save position and even sync this info back to iTunes.

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#314608 - 02/10/2008 14:35 Re: Karma dead [Re: drakino]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Originally Posted By: drakino
The iPods don't have manual bookmarks like the Karma, but it will save your position in a file if it is marked as a certain type. If it is an audiobook, podcast, or a few other formats, the players will auto save position and even sync this info back to iTunes.


Yeah, not what I need though. I listen to a lot of spoken word recorded off the radio, typically a playlist of 100+ programmes, sometimes I get the urge to play some music so I set a bookmark and come back to where I was in the playlist. A really really cool feature.

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#314609 - 02/10/2008 14:36 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Just to add to Tony's suggestions, have you tried using the Ethernet interface on the dock? I have always used that in the past.

I will take the unit off your hands for spares if you are going to chuck it out. My Karma is going to be used instead of my empeg in my car shortly (I want something I can hide in the car and not take with me so that's the iPhone ruled out smile )

Cheers

Cris.

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#314610 - 02/10/2008 14:38 Re: Karma dead [Re: Cris]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
I always thought you could craft a spectacular car mount out of a Karma dock.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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#314611 - 02/10/2008 14:43 Re: Karma dead [Re: tfabris]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Tony, the reason that I asked here rather than the Rio HD Portables section is that I'd tried all the things I could think of (paperclip reset, new dock, new usb cable, different usb port, plug/unplug, restart PC, restart player etc), and kind of guessed I'd be looking for a new player, not a fix.

I have recently changed from Win2K to Vista but have had no previous issues with RMM.

The only thing I didn't try that you've listed was to plug the player in direct to USB/power cables, have just done that, and guess what? It worked. Whenever I dispose of it I'll definitely let the guys here know, I've got 3 lots of accessories and 2 (both now functional) players in nice leather cases.

Many thanks, as usual wink

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#314612 - 02/10/2008 14:44 Re: Karma dead [Re: Cris]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Originally Posted By: Cris
Just to add to Tony's suggestions, have you tried using the Ethernet interface on the dock?


I'd forgotten it even existed blush

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#314613 - 02/10/2008 14:49 Re: Karma dead [Re: andym]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
You must have read my mind wink

The new smart comes with a lockable glovebox (all together - WOOOOOHOOOO!) so the 2 options were empeg in glove box or karma in glovebox. Both won't let me select or skip tracks, still thinking on that one.

Anyway, this is pretty off topic smile

The karma is well worth saving, still the best music player I have ever used. I really miss the hard buttons on the iPhone to skip tracks when it's in my pocket.

Cheers

Cris.


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#314614 - 02/10/2008 14:53 Re: Karma dead [Re: Cris]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
By far the best player I've used, and I kind of like it's lumpiness. I use mine almost exclusively in the car, it's plugged in to the CD changer jack on the back of my headunit (Audi), all that's visible is a bit of cable with a 3.5mm plug on it that I tuck under the seat when not in use, this means I can control it while driving.

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#314615 - 02/10/2008 15:29 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Originally Posted By: tahir
Tony, the reason that I asked here rather than the Rio HD Portables section is (...) I'd be looking for a new player, not a fix.


Still would have been on-topic for that section. "What is a good Karma replacement?"

Which, from the looks of things, is still an unanswered question for you, since the iPods don't have the bookmarks feature.

I've gotta say, the Empeg guys seem to have a knack for inventing must-have features that no one else can duplicate. After 8 years, I'm still carrying my Empeg-Car with me everywhere I go because I can't live without some of its features. Things like "Enqueue" that the iPod and its ilk still don't implement.

Quote:
The only thing I didn't try that you've listed was to plug the player in direct to USB/power cables, have just done that, and guess what? It worked.


Ah! Bad dock, then, or since you tried two docks, more likely a bad dock-connector on the Karma. Perhaps enough years of inserting and removing the thing from the dock have messed up its connector, perhaps breaking one or more of the solder joints that connects the dock-connector to the circuit board. Possibly fixable.

In any case, I'm glad you got it working for now.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#314616 - 02/10/2008 15:31 Re: Karma dead [Re: tfabris]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
Oh hey, hang on. Do the Karma docks *require* the AC adapter power in order to get a connection going? If so, maybe that's the source of the problem, a bad AC adapter power supply. When you tried the two docks, did you use the same power supply for both of them?
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#314619 - 02/10/2008 15:56 Re: Karma dead [Re: tfabris]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Same PSU in both docks, and direct to the Karma

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#314624 - 02/10/2008 17:11 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31594
Loc: Seattle, WA
When plugging that PSU direct to the Karma, does it work and does it charge the Karma?

If so then my guess is it's probably the dock connector thing I said rather than the PSU thing.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#314643 - 03/10/2008 07:25 Re: Karma dead [Re: tfabris]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Yup, looks like it's the docking port on the Karma that's buggered

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#314648 - 03/10/2008 15:52 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
rubennyc
member

Registered: 27/01/2006
Posts: 142
Loc: New Jersey, USA
FWIW: vibez has the same Bookmarking as the Karma (dubbed "Sessions" for some reason) and has Enqueue (not sure if behaves exactly like the empeg but I use it all the time).

Still waiting on a 16 GB flash version that was due to be available this week. 32 GB has also been promised, but no ETA on that.

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#314649 - 03/10/2008 16:31 Re: Karma dead [Re: Cris]
oliver
addict

Registered: 02/04/2002
Posts: 691
Originally Posted By: Cris
The karma is well worth saving, still the best music player I have ever used. I really miss the hard buttons on the iPhone to skip tracks when it's in my pocket.


I completely agree. When I was skiing last winter on the chair lift. I was thinking, it would be awesome if Hugo coded a quick double press on the iPhone mic clicker that would skip the current playing track. So I tried, and it does. Thanks Hugo! This has helped me quite a bit with using the iPhone as my main portable mp3 player.

I'd much rather have my karma at all times, however it's alot easier to buy another iPhone than a karma, so mine just hangs out on my desk in the dock.
_________________________
Oliver mk1 30gb: 129 | mk2a 30gb: 040104126

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#314679 - 05/10/2008 05:22 Re: Karma dead [Re: rubennyc]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Forgot about the vibez players, will take a look when my karmas finally die.

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#314910 - 12/10/2008 09:18 Re: Karma dead [Re: tahir]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1913
Loc: London
Just been reading the "CF card in karma" thread, looks like my Karma's will live for a while yet smile

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#315640 - 29/10/2008 02:40 Re: Karma dead [Re: oliver]
altman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/05/1999
Posts: 3457
Loc: Palo Alto, CA
Originally Posted By: oliver
Originally Posted By: Cris
The karma is well worth saving, still the best music player I have ever used. I really miss the hard buttons on the iPhone to skip tracks when it's in my pocket.


I completely agree. When I was skiing last winter on the chair lift. I was thinking, it would be awesome if Hugo coded a quick double press on the iPhone mic clicker that would skip the current playing track. So I tried, and it does. Thanks Hugo! This has helped me quite a bit with using the iPhone as my main portable mp3 player.

I'd much rather have my karma at all times, however it's alot easier to buy another iPhone than a karma, so mine just hangs out on my desk in the dock.


Not my feature idea, but yes most useful... in the 2.1 builds a triple click skips back a track, too smile

Hugo

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