Random playing flawed ?

I've worked with the various configuration options available on the MarkII, and different play lists, etc., and it seems that the "randomizing" of a playlist is rather flawed. I've noticed how, by sheer chance, the same artist will play twice, and other songs just never get played. Etc etc.

I'm sure I'm not the only person that's noticed this. ?

Randomising is something that is a well known problem on the empeg.

It should, however, de-duplicate the playlist, when randomising - do you have the same track twice, in different albums? I.e. once on a compilation with a slightly different name or something?

I believe, but can't verify, that this is greatly improved in 1.1

Tony, should this be a FAQ?

Paul.

Paul Haigh, Reg. 4120
(mk1) 6GB, Blue, 00254
(mk2) 12GB, Red, 00357

From the meet I did get the impression that 1.1 will have far better random play code. Even the ability to hop in and out of random mode and such. If I remember right, the empeg will basicially use entopy to seed the random generator.

They should also work this option in with the Playlist Options (edited through emptool)... there you specifcy some vague references to a % of songs you want played randmonly (what's up with THAT? I mean, if you want random, get it... if not, don't) and with the Shuffle option, too, on the main Empeg device menu.

I've noticed how, by sheer chance, the same artist will play twice

As Hugo said at the Q&A session at the owner's meet... "That's statistically interesting" (with a big grin).

What he means is that it's normal for the same artist to get played twice in a row in a truly random shuffle.

There have been some complaints (some by me) that the randomization routines don't seem to shuffle "hard" enough, so that I get interleaved sets of two artists. They said they will be working on the randomization code a little bit in that area. Perhaps it will be better in 1.1.

and other songs just never get played. Etc etc.

It has long been reported that version 1.1 will have optional "weighted" shuffles, so that least-recently-played songs will tend to trickle toward the top of the shuffle.

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Tony Fabris

It should, however, de-duplicate the playlist, when randomising - do you have the same track twice, in different albums? I.e. once on a compilation with a slightly different name or something? Tony, should this be a FAQ?

Yes.

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Tony Fabris