I was able to get my Win 10, 64bit laptop to see the empeg using a USB 2.0 to Serial Adapter cable, but it takes forever to load/sync music to the player.

Question is Can I use this setup (USB to Serial adapter cable and laptop) to upgrade or change the drive when necessary, or do I need to go to a back up machine using 32 bit and install Emplode on it then do the update/upgrade VIA the onboard serial?

I know just enough to be dangerous and smart enough to know my limitations and skill level.
Currently running Win 10 x64 and Emplode 2.0

Thanks

It would. Serial is ~11KiB/second. From memory, USB is ~0.5MiB/second (50 times quicker). It could be quicker, but we used the same (slow) serial protocol over USB. USB requires 32-bit Windows.

Ideally, use Ethernet. You'll get much quicker speeds (usually limited by the disk in the empeg). As usual the FAQ has you: https://riocar.org/FAQ/6/248.html#248



Maybe. The empegUpgrade process is a bit timing-sensitive, so might not work with USB/serial adapters. The last time I did an upgrade, I did it with the disks physically connected to a Linux desktop, but that's outside most people's comfort zone.



If you have one available, that'd potentially be best.

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly to give more advice. Here, let me see if saying his handle three times works: tfabris, tfabris, tfabris.

Loading music onto the player is indeed fastest when using ethernet.

The USB-to-serial adapter is indeed for doing disk upgrades and other debugging/maintenance. If you've got a working one, then you're in good shape there, it should work fine with EmpegUpgrade and terminal programs like Putty and Hyperterminal. Just don't try to load music with it.

Thanks Tony and Rodger.
I had read the FAQ but I was still a bit unsure of the usb2seral adapter cable.

Since Just a few Ted Nugent albums was taking around 20 hours, I killed it.

I think I will just set up my old Thinkpad that is running Win7 I think, but has USB, Serial, and Ethernet on it and use for loading music and upgrading.

Thanks so much for the info!
Now I just need to find a dock or the plans to build one, although the ML Dock is still the ultimate dream.

It has been ten years or so since I last added anything to my empeg. It turns out that Mozart hasn't written any new music since 1791, so I never felt the necessity.

However... I recently discovered Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" (at the age of 77 years old!) and omigod what an experience. I fully understand why the official video on YouTube has more than 1.7 Billion views. A good number of those are mine.

Do I understand correctly that since my computer is 64 bit, running Windows 11, that I cannot install and successfully run Emplode to add music to my empeg?

tanstaafl.

In theory, 64 bit Win 11 should be just fine. I could be wrong: Try it out on your Win11 machine and let us know if it works OK?

Also, definitely watch the 2018 biopic movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" if you haven't already. I think it's very fun and I loved it very much, even as I was noticing every little factual detail that they changed: Having been a Queen fan throughout the 1970's I was very sensitive to where certain songs fell in the movie's timeline.

Somewhat to my surprise, I actually have emplode installed in my computer now, it is emplode v2.0.19.0. Is this what I should be using? I haven't had a car for the past two years or so that would conveniently accept the empeg without a fair bit of butchery, so at this point I'm not even sure where either of my empegs are. I'll find them tomorrow, then start pestering you about how to use emplode.

I have watched the Bohemian Rhapsody movie at least three times now, once on NetFlix, once on a DVD player with bad color saturation (almost black and white) and finally on a properly working player. I'll probably watch it again in the next week or so.

If you haven't already done so, you must watch Frank Beato's interview with Brian May, followed by an intensive chord-by-chord analysis of the song itself. For instance, "OK, it starts out G-Minor 7, then B-Flat 7, and to E-Flat Major and beautiful, then right to C-Minor..." You'll get a lot more out of this than I did, with fuzzy 60 year old memories from my music theory classes but I learned a lot about Bohemian Rhapsody over the three times I watched this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ym7X_wCsPQ

tanstaafl.

The version of Emplode that I'm running just says "2.0" when I look at its "About" box. I'm sure the version you're running should be fine.

I indeed have seen that Rick Beato video, it's great (edit: I just re-watched it again too). In general I like both his interview videos and also his song analysis videos, good stuff. And Brian is just amazing in interviews, he always seems so earnest and friendly. (Also I'd sent you a link to that exact video back in 2021, but it's nice to have the link repeated here for anyone else who hasn't seen it.)