PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

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#6,154,773, and other patents issued or pending.

CDDB is a registered trademark of Gracenote. The logo and logotype, the Gracenote CDDB

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trademarks of Gracenote. Music Recognition Service and MRS are service marks of Gracenote.

tradenames, including without limitation, PHATNOISE, PHATNOISE CAR AUDIO SYSTEM,

PHATNOISE MUSIC MANAGER, PHATBOX, SSA/VOICE, DPGT and DMS are proprietary to

PhatNoise, Inc.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Getting Started

The PhatNoise Car Audio System is one of the most advanced digital

automotive music systems available today. By offering one-touch

access to a virtually unlimited number of MP3s, WMAs and other music

files, it provides music lovers the ultimate in power and flexibility

through its seamless automotive integration.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Four steps to a quick start

This manual contains step-by-step instructions for the operation of

your PhatNoise Car Audio System. Here is a quick overview of the four

major steps:

Step 1) Installing the PhatBox in your car. For more information on

how to install the PhatBox in your car, see section I.

Step 2) Installing the PhatNoise Music Manager software on your PC.

For more information on how to set up your PC, see section

II.

Step 3) Creating playlists of your favorite music. For more

information on creating and managing playlists, see section

III.

Step 4) Playing your music through your car stereo head unit by

switching to the CD changer mode. For more information on

operating your head unit, see section IV in this manual.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

System Components

Please check to make sure your PhatNoise Car Audio System package

is complete. You should have received all of the following parts:

1 PhatBox

1 PhatBox connector cable

1 DMS cartridge

1 USB cradle with attached USB cable

1 USB cradle power adapter

1 PhatNoise Music Manager software CD-ROM

PhatBox

PhatBox connector cable

DMS Cartridge

USB Cradle

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

USB Cradle power adapter

PhatNoise Music Manager

software CD-ROM

Mounting Screws

Manuals and Guides

There are two manuals that are included with your package – these

manuals provide essential information for installing and using your

PhatBox.

PhatNoise Car Audio System User’s Manual – This manual, a

general guide for installing and troubleshooting the PhatNoise car

audio system.

PhatNoise Quick Start Guide – A guide specifically designed for your

radio. This points out the features specific to your radio and vehicle.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

PhatBox Overview

The PhatBox chassis is the “brain” of the PhatNoise Car Audio System.

It is a computer that you install permanently in your vehicle. The

PhatBox software and the music files themselves are contained on the

cartridge that is inserted into the PhatBox.

Note: Please refer to the included Quick Start Guide for

detailed connection diagrams for your radio.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

DMS Cartridge Overview

The DMS cartridge is what makes the PhatBox flexible. Just like a

computer hard drive, its huge storage capacity can accommodate

thousands of music files.

When inserting the DMS Cartridge into the PhatBox, make sure the

cartridge slides all the way in until the latches click. Press the release

button whenever pulling the drive out of the cradle or the PhatBox.

Do not open the DMS cartridge casing. Doing so will void

your warranty. Only use genuine DMS cartridges with your

PhatNoise Car Audio System — other cartridges with other

drives inside will not work with your system.

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USB Cradle Overview

The USB cradle plugs into the USB port in the back of your computer.

Inserting the DMS cartridge into the USB cradle allows your computer

to download and store music files in your DMS cartridge. This cradle is

USB 2.0 compatible for fast transfer speeds.

It is highly recommended that you use your USB cradle with a high-

speed USB 2.0 port in order to achieve the fastest transfer rate.

There are many brands of inexpensive USB 2.0 PCI adapter cards

available today.

Please be careful when the DMS cartridge is in the USB cradle.

If you bump or drop the USB cradle and DMS cartridge while

in use, you may damage the unit.

Important! Download and install the PhatNoise Music

Manager software in your computer before you connect the

USB cradle to your computer.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Safety and Handling Precautions

Do not install the PhatBox on the rear deck of a car where it will be subjected

to direct sunlight and high temperatures.

Do not install the PhatBox where it will be subjected to hot air from the

heater or any other high-temperature location.

Do not install the PhatBox where you cannot firmly secure the unit, or in

high-vibration areas.

Do not install the PhatBox in an area of high humidity or where large

amounts of airborne dust/dirt are present.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Section I: Installation Guide

For your convenience, the PhatBox has already been configured for

your head unit. For the PhatBox to recognize this configuration,

you must insert the DMS cartridge into the PhatBox, prior to

installation.

If you have no experience installing car audio equipment, we

recommend you go to a professional installer for the mounting

and wiring of the PhatBox.

Before mounting the PhatBox

Please consider the following when mounting your PhatBox:

Mounting Location

The PhatBox can be mounted anywhere in the car. The three most

common locations are the trunk, under the passenger seat, or in the

glove box.

If you already have a CD changer installed in the trunk, we

recommend that you install the PhatBox close to the existing CD

changer. This will make wiring the PhatBox easier.

Mounting Orientation

The PhatBox should be mounted in the vertical, horizontal, or upside

down positions. Avoid mounting the PhatBox on an angled surface for

best shock performance.

Avoid mounting the PhatBox where screws could hit wiring or fuel

lines.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Mounting Clearance

You must leave the front of the PhatBox unobstructed to allow the

DMS cartridge to be removed from the DMS cartridge slot.

The PhatBox cable needs at least 3 inches of clearance to keep the

cables from straining or bending unnecessarily. Please keep this in

mind when choosing a mounting location.

Connecting the PhatBox to your head unit

As far as your car stereo head unit is concerned, the PhatBox appears

to be regular CD changer. For this reason, the PhatBox is connected to

the head unit the same way a CD changer is connected.

Please refer to the included Quick Start Guide for detailed

installation instructions for your particular radio and vehicle.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Once you have made all the connections and the PhatBox does not

begin playing back, please check the front lights for the following:

No lights come on at all:

Possible Cause

Solution

The PhatBox connector cable and/or

head unit wiring harness is connected

incorrectly.

Reconnect the PhatBox connector

cable and/or head unit wiring

harness correctly. Make sure each

connection is firmly connected.

A fuse in the car has blown.

After checking for short circuits in the

wires, replace the fuse with one with

the same rating.

The lights are on constantly (NOT blinking) and never turn off:

Possible Cause

Solution

The car and/or radio was on during

installation.

Turn car and radio off. Remove the

PhatBox connector cable. Wait 10

seconds. Reconnect the PhatBox

connector cable. The lights should

turn on, and then turn off and stay

off.

The DMS cartridge is not fully inserted.

Fully insert the DMS cartridge.

The green light blinks for 10 seconds, then turns off, then blinks for

10 seconds, then turns off…this cycle repeats continuously.

Possible Cause

Solution

File(s) on your cartridge may be corrupt.

Reinstall PhatBox firmware. See

Appendix A for details.

The green light blinks at a steady rate for longer than 20 seconds.

Possible Cause

Solution

You have updated the firmware on the

DMS cartridge and the PhatBox is

reprogramming itself.

DO NOT REMOVE THE DMS

CARTRIDGE. Allow the PhatBox to

reprogram itself for up to 10

minutes. When reprogramming is

complete, the lights will turn off and

stay off.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Section II: Setting up at Home

Installing the PhatNoise Music Manager software

The PhatNoise Music Manager software is included on the CD found in

your package. You can use the software to create and manage

playlists of MP3s, WMA and WAV files.

You must install the PhatNoise Music Manager software on

your computer before you connect the USB cradle to your

computer.

To configure the software, it is very important to follow these steps in

order. Windows 98 Second Edition and above (Windows

Millenium, Windows 2000, Windows XP) is required to use the

PhatNoise Music Manager.

1. Exit all running Windows programs.

2. If the DMS Cartridge is inserted into the USB cradle, remove it

now.

3. Insert the PhatNoise Music Manager software CD into your PC's

CD-ROM drive. Wait a few moments. The PhatNoise Music

Manager software installation program will launch automatically.

4. If the PhatNoise Music Manager software installation program

does not run, follow these steps to run the software manually:

a. Click the “Start” button in the lower left corner of your

screen and select "Run...". The Run dialog box appears.

b. Type the following text in the drop-down list box:

d:\PMM_setup.exe

where "d:" is the letter corresponding to your CD-ROM

drive.

c. Click OK.

5. Follow the instructions to install the PhatNoise Music Manager

software.

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6. When the installation is finished, the setup program will ask you

to reboot the computer.

7. Once rebooted, plug the power connector into the USB cradle.

Make sure the other end of the power cable is plugged into a

wall outlet before connecting the USB cradle to your computer.

8. Connect the USB cradle to a USB port on your PC. (We

recommend that if your computer does not already support USB

2.0, that you purchase a USB 2.0 PCI adapter card to take

advantage of the much faster transfer speed).

9. Insert the DMS cartridge firmly into the USB cradle. Avoid

‘slapping’ the cartridge into place. The green and red indicator

lights should illuminate. The DMS cartridge will then be detected

by the operating system.

10.

After an initialization period, an “Autoplay” dialog box will

appear:

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

11.

12.

Let the Autoplay feature finish.

Next, dialog boxes will appear for two new drives, labeled

PHTDTA and PHTSYS:

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

13.

For each dialog box, select “Take No Action” and check

“Always do the selected Action”, then Click “OK”.

14.

Your DMS is ready!

If you have USB 2.0 ports installed on your machine, but the

cradle is plugged into a USB 1.0 port, Windows XP will give

the warning below. To solve this, plug the cradle into a USB

2.0 port.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Section III: Creating and Managing Playlists

This section of the instruction manual serves to introduce the

core features of the PhatNoise Music Manager software. To

explore all the features of the software, press F1 while the

Music Manager is running

MP3 Files and ID3 Tags

The PhatNoise Music Manager software allows you to organize, play,

and create digital music files. These music files come in many

different formats, but the most popular is the MP3 format. While this

manual usually refers to MP3 files, the same actions apply to any

digital music file format.

An MP3 file is a compressed audio file that can be listened to on the

computer. An MP3 file is made of two parts, the audio data and the

ID3 tag. The audio data uses high quality music compression to make

storage and movement of music easy. The ID3 tag enables the

PhatNoise Music Manager to organize music files.

The ID3 tag and music data is analogous to a book jacket and the

pages inside the book. Whereas the pages contain the book’s story,

the book’s jacket contains the author's name, the book title, and a

short summary. An ID3 tag contains information about the Artist, Song

Title, Album Title, and Genre, and the rest of the MP3 file is the audio

content. MP3 files possessing an incorrect ID3 tag will be improperly

filed, much like a book with the wrong book jacket would be misplaced

in a library.

Now it’s time to start using the PhatNoise Music Manager. The

following sections will walk you through the core features including:

1. Creating MP3 files from an Audio CD

2. Organizing music files and playlists

3. Transferring MP3s and playlists to the DMS cartridge

Launching the Music Manager

1. Launch the PhatNoise Music Manager software. You can do this

one of two ways:

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

o Double-click the PhatNoise Music Manager icon on your

desktop.

o Click “Start”, select “Program Files”, and select the

PhatNoise Music Manager icon.

2. You will see the Music Manager splash screen, then the “Load

Songs” screen will appear.

3. Choose a location on your computer that contains songs you

wish to load into the PhatNoise Music Manager database. This

may be a music folder you already have (i.e. “C:\My Music”).

Navigating the Program

Each icon on the left of the application’s screen represents a different

interface and part of the software.

Library View

CD Encoder View

Update Device View

Web Browser View

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Converting an Audio CD to computer files

The CD Encoder view allows you to create MP3 files from your CDs.

1. Switch to the CD Encoder view by pressing this button:

2. Insert the CD into the computer. Press the Load CD button.

3. If the computer is connected to the Internet, the songs names

will appear next to the track number as follows:

4. If you are not connected to the Internet, the tracks will be listed

"Track 01", "Track 02", etc.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

5. Edit the “Artist”, “Title”, “Genre”, and “Year” information if it is

missing or incorrect.

6. Choose the tracks to encode using the checkboxes.

7. Choose the file format to encode.

8. Choose the bitrate of the file to be created.

We recommend the MP3 format at 192kbps for the best

combination of sound quality and file size.

9. Press the Start Encoding button in the Encode panel and the

process will begin.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Finding Music

First, display the library of music you have loaded into the Music

Manager. Click on the Library View button:

The Library view appears:

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

There are many ways of finding music with the PhatNoise Music

Manager. Here are a few you may find useful:

Search Box: Type artist, album, genre, path, or filename information

into the search box and view the results below.

Browse View: Click the browse view button to see a breakdown of

your music library by Artist and Album. Hint: Right click on “All

Songs” and choose “Enable Genre Browsing” to see the available

Genres as well.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Media Explorer: Open the Media Explorer tree to see where your

music is located. This display mirrors how your music is stored on

your computer.

Creating Playlists

A playlist is a collection of songs. It can simply be a collection of

songs you choose (static) or a playlist based on criteria (dynamic).

Adding songs to a static playlist

1. Click the Create playlist button. Enter a name for this playlist,

choose Empty Playlist, then press Ok

2. Click on the All Songs playlist.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

3. Find the songs you wish to include in the playlist, and then

highlight the desired songs.

4. Drag the desired songs into your playlist.

Adding songs to a dynamic playlist

1. Click the Create playlist button. Enter a name for this

playlist, choose Dynamic Playlist, then press Ok

2. The playlist properties window will automatically appear.

3. To add criteria to a playlist, select the criteria to add.

The criteria category selected will determine what is displayed

in the criteria window. For example, if Artist is selected, then

a list of all Artists is displayed.

If File Path is selected, an input box appears at the bottom

of the criteria window. Simply enter the path and press Add.

If Most Recent Songs is selected, then an input box will

appear at the bottom of the criteria window. Enter the

number of most recent songs to add and press Add.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

4. Each time you select a playlist in the PhatNoise Music

Manager software, the list of criteria in that playlist is checked

against the MP3 collection on your PC's hard drive. All songs

that match the criteria are automatically added to your

dynamic playlist.

Accessing the DMS Cartridge

1. Insert the DMS cartridge into the USB cradle. The LED lights on

the cradle will flicker when the cartridge has been properly

inserted.

2. Access the Device view by clicking the Device button.

3. The Devices view appears:

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

The Device view is organized in two parts:

• The PhatNoise Music Manager Playlist and Windows

Explorer panels

• The All Supported Devices panels

4. Activate the PhatNoise DMS cartridge by clicking PhatNoise

DMS in the All Supported Devices panel.

When the DMS cartridge is connected properly, a summary

screen appears with a red GO button.

If a blue Reconnect button appears, click on it to activate your

DMS cartridge.

If the DMS cartridge has not been configured properly, a

configuration wizard will launch. For more information, refer to

Appendix A: Updating the Firmware in your PhatBox.

Adding Music to the DMS Cartridge

The DMS cartridge stores all music in playlists. The PhatBox can play

these playlists directly, or sort all the music by Album, Artist, or Genre

for you in the car. Here are several ways of placing content on your

DMS cartridge, depending on how you like to organize your music.

CD Based: If most of your music will come from CDs, follow

these steps to use the PhatBox like a large CD player with browsing

capabilities.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

1. Find the base folder where all your encoded CDs are located

using the Media Explorer. In this example, it is under C:\My

Music:

2. Drag the Folder onto the bottom left space of the window to

create a “virtual” Disc 1. On the bottom right you can see the

music contained in this Disc (see next page).

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

You can also browse this content in the car by Album, Artist, and

Genre; no further setup is necessary to do this.

Skip to the next section titled ‘Ejecting the DMS’ to begin copying your

music to the DMS cartridge.

Playlist Based: If you like to create custom mixes of music,

follow these steps:

1. Select All Songs, then choose the songs you would like to place

on the DMS.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

2. Drag the selected songs onto the bottom left space of the

window to create a “virtual” Disc of these songs.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

3. Give the Disc a name by selecting the disc twice – this name will

be read aloud to you in the car when you play this disc.

4. You can also directly drag a playlist you created earlier, listed

under All Playlists, onto the DMS.

These virtual discs are now available in the car with the same names

and numbering using the Playlist mode.

Ejecting the DMS

When you are finished modifying the contents of the DMS disc, click

Save/Eject DMS. This step will copy all new songs, databases, and

other system files to the cartridge. When done, the DMS cartridge

drive letters will be removed from Windows and you can pull out the

DMS cartridge.

Wait until the software displays a message indicating it

is safe to remove the cartridge. Removing the cartridge

before this message appears will corrupt the hard drive.

The PhatBox can handle as many as 9999 separate Disc

numbers, with up to 9999 songs per Disc number. The

total number of songs on the DMS Cartridge must not

exceed 30,000.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Syncing Music

The PhatNoise Music Manager has a one-click synchronization feature.

This allows you to easily update the DMS cartridge with new music you

may have.

In the Device view, a yellow star next to the Disc icon denotes a

dynamic playlist. This playlist is set to find songs that match certain

criteria. In the example below, the “My Music” Disc reflects all songs

that are stored in the folder “My Music”:

When the Sync DMS button is pressed all of the discs with a yellow

star will be updated if new matching content is available.

If a disc has fresh content after syncing, the yellow star will turn blue

and the new files will be highlighted. Be sure to click Save/Eject

DMS to apply the changes.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Section IV: Operating the PhatBox

The PhatBox is controlled through the CD changer controls of your

existing car stereo head unit.

The PhatBox operates differently than a standard CD

Changer! Please read the instructions below carefully to

learn how to properly use the PhatNoise Car Audio system.

Becuase every radio is designed differently, please refer to the

included Quick Start Guide to learn how to use the buttons on

your particular radio.

Most radios have limited control and display capabilities. These

limitations caused PhatNoise to reinvent the user interface for your

PhatBox. We call this new method of operation SSA, which stands for

Simple Stereo Architecture. This system maximizes the

functionality and ease of use of the PhatBox through voice prompting,

while using the existing equipment in your car.

SSA allows you to quickly switch between different playback modes.

These modes determine the next song that will play. You can browse

through lists of playlists, artists, albums and genres without taking

your eyes off the road. Please read this entire section to get a better

idea of how this system works.

Starting the PhatBox

The PhatBox is available through the CD mode of your radio. The unit

powers on and off automatically, and resumes where you last left

playback.

To begin playback:

1. Insert the DMS cartridge into the cartridge slot of the PhatBox.

2. Turn on your radio and switch to the CD mode. This is labeled

CD or MODE on your radio.

3. Playback will resume where the system last stopped.

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Using SSA

The SSA interface mirrors the music organization performed by the

PhatNoise Music Manager on your home PC. You can access the

Virtual Discs in the order you placed them onto the DMS cartridge via

the Playlist Mode, or you can have the PhatBox sort the music by

Album, Artist, or Genre via the corresponding playback modes.

Playback Modes

Mode 1 is Track Mode

In this mode (if available), the Track up/down buttons move

playback to the next/previous track determined by the active

playback mode. The possible active playback modes are playlist,

album, artist or genre. Please read the section “Active Playback

Modes” (on the following page) for a more detailed explanation of

active playback modes.

Mode 2 is Playlist Mode

In this mode, you can move playback to the next/previous playlist.

The PhatBox will announce the name of the playlist out loud to you.

Entering playlist mode sets the active playback mode to Playlist

Playback.

Mode 3 is Album Mode

In this mode, you can move playback to the next/previous album.

The PhatBox will announce the name of the album out loud to you.

Entering album mode sets the active playback mode to Album

Playback.

Mode 4 is Artist Mode

In this mode, you can move playback to the next/previous artist.

The PhatBox will announce the name of the artist out loud to you.

Entering artist mode sets the active playback mode to Artist Playback.

Mode 5 is Genre Playback Mode

In this mode, you can move playback to the next/previous genre.

The PhatBox will announce the name of the genre out loud to you.

Entering genre mode sets the active playback mode to Genre

Playback.

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Mode 6 is Features Mode

In the Feature mode you can set special features and options of the

PhatBox. The Track up/down buttons change the feature to be

selected. To make a selection, press the SCAN or Fast Forward

button. A voice will describe the features that can be activated.

To learn how to access each of the modes using your particular radio,

please refer to the included Quick Start Guide.

Active Playback Modes

With the SSA interface system, there are always 4 different possible

songs that can play after the current song. The song that plays next is

determined by the active playback mode.

Changing modes does not change the CURRENT song that is

playing, it changes the NEXT song that will play. The only way that

you can change the song that is currently playing is by pressing the

Track up/down buttons.

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Playback Example

Our current song playing is “Love my way” by Beth Jones. This song

has the following ID3 tag information:

Playlist

My Music

Album

The Best of

Beth Jones

Artist

Beth Jones

Genre

Rock

Looking at all the 4 lists on the PhatBox, you can see this particular

song’s location in each list from the arrows illustrated below. The

Active Playback Mode is currently set to Playlist Playback (e.g. we

are listening to our “My Music” playlist).

Listening

to Playlists

All Playlists

→ My Music

Party Mix

All Albums

Award Time!

Best of Classical

Blender

Digitize This

Don't Know Why

Mix It Up

Rockin Boots

Sunday Night

→ The Best of Beth Jones

This is Express

All Artists

→ Beth Jones

Blender

DJ Freddy

Express Mail

All Genres

Blues

Classical

Hip-Hop

Punk

→ Rock

Grand Prix

Mobile Army

Rick's Jamhouse

The Gangles

Various Artists

Now we want to change to Genre Playback Mode; this will let us listen

to other songs that have the same genre as the current song, “Love

my way”.

Listening

to Genres

All Playlists

All Albums

All Artists

All Genres

→ My Music Award Time!

Blues

→ Beth Jones

Blender

DJ Freddy

Express Mail

Grand Prix

Mobile Army

Rick's Jamhouse

The Gangles

Various Artists

Party Mix

Best of Classical

Blender

Classical

Hip-Hop

Punk

→ Rock

Digitize This

Don't Know Why

Mix It Up

Rockin Boots

Sunday Night

→ The Best of Beth Jones

This is Express

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Now the next song we will hear is of the Rock genre. Since we are not

changing the genre, the current song will continue until it is finished

playing. If we were to change genres to Blues, then the first Blues

song would begin playing.

Other Notes

Voice Prompting

When changing modes, the PhatBox will announce which mode it is

entering. This will help you as you learn the functions of the buttons

on the head unit. After using the PhatBox SSA interface for a period of

time and the functions of the buttons are memorized, you can disable

this voice prompting in the Features Mode. The voice that announces

the album, artist and genre cannot be disabled.

Random Play

Some head units have a Random button (usually labeled “RDM” or

“MIX”). If you press the Random button, the next track is picked

randomly from the current list of tracks, or from the entire cartridge.

These two options can be chosen via the Features Menu (mode 6).

The Album Sort Order

When in Album mode, albums are sorted first by artist name then by

album name. For example, consider the table below. It is sorted

alphabetically by album name without regard to the artist name.

Artist Name

Album

Album Name

Number

Grand Prix

Various Artists

Blender

Mobile Army

The Gangles

DJ Freddy

Award Time!

Best of Classical

Beats and Rhymes

Digitize This

Don't Know Why

Mix It Up

Rick's Jamhouse

Blender

Rockin Boots

Straight Up

Rick's Jamhouse

Beth Jones

Express Mail

Sunday Night

The Best of Beth Jones

This is Express

If a user were listening to album #3 “Beats and Rhymes” by the artist

Blender, it would be difficult to find out that the other album by the

same artist -- “Straight Up” -- is also present in the database.

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To alleviate this, the SSA album mode sorts by artist first, then

alphabetically sorts by album name. Our example now looks like this:

Artist Name

Album

Album Name

Number

Beth Jones

Blender

The Best of Beth Jones

Beats and Rhymes

Straight Up

DJ Freddy

Mix It Up

Express Mail

Grand Prix

This is Express

Award Time!

Mobile Army

Rick's Jamhouse

The Gangles

Various Artists

Digitize This

Rockin Boots

Sunday Night

Don't Know Why

Best of Classical

Seeking

The seek operation is similar to a CD player: while listening to a song,

a seek will forward or rewind to another part of the song. Stopping

the seek operation will resume playback.

When seeking in Artist or Genre modes, letters of the alphabet are

announced. This allows you to quickly find an artist or genre

alphabetically.

When seeking in Album mode, artist names are announced (since

albums are sorted first by artists).

Note that the seeking operation is different from the track change

operation. On some radios, seeking is performed by holding the track

button down. On other radios there is a separate seek button; holding

the track button down performs the same action as pressing the track

button just once. To distinguish between the two actions, we use the

following notation:

Track backwards

Track forwards

Seek backwards

Seek forwards

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Appendix A: Updating the Firmware in your

PhatBox

Your PhatBox has firmware programmed inside of it. It has already

been setup at the factory to work with your car stereo head unit.

PhatNoise periodically releases updates to the firmware in order to fix

problems or to provide feature upgrades. A notice of firmware

updates may appear on the PhatNoise website, or you may be

contacted via the email address you registered with PhatNoise when

you loaded your PhatNoise Music Manager Software onto your PC.

In the event of a firmware update, follow these steps:

1. Insert the DMS cartridge into the USB Cradle.

2. Launch the PhatNoise Music Manager by double-clicking the icon

on your desktop

3. Press the Device button.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

4. Click the text PhatNoise DMS and then press the “GO” button.

5. Press the Hardware Options button.

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6. If you have the Ford/Visteon MACH MP3 Jukebox, make sure the

‘Installed Product’ is the MACH MP3 Jukebox. Otherwise,

‘Installed Product’ should be PhatNoise Car Audio System.

Press the Start Wizard button to begin the update process.

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7. The wizard will begin. Press Next to skip the introductory

screen.

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8. Press the Check for Updates from PhatNoise Website button

to load the latest set of head unit firmware available for

download.

NOTE: if the Version number of the firmware package is higher

than the version number in your “Current Setup,” it is newer

firmware. Left click on the firmware package you want to

download (there may be only one).

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9. Press the Next button. The window will display information

about this particular version of firmware.

10. Press the Next button one more time. This screen summarizes

the options you have chosen. Press Update PhatNoise DMS

when you are done, and the firmware will then be downloaded to

your DMS Cartridge.

Make sure you are choosing the correct options.

Reprogramming the PhatBox for an incorrect head unit

may damage your system

11. The wizard will close. Now press the Save/Eject DMS button.

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After completing these steps, your DMS cartridge is set to reprogram

the PhatBox with the firmware you just downloaded. Now the

PhatBox can be updated using the following steps:

12. While your car radio is off, insert the DMS cartridge into your

PhatBox.

13. Turn on the radio and verify that the PhatBox powers on (the

green light begins to blink).

14. While the green light is blinking, the PhatBox is reprogramming

itself. This will take about 7 minutes.

Do not pull the cartridge out while the lights are

blinking.

15. You may turn off the radio and lock the car – the PhatBox will

turn itself off when done.

When the PhatBox is done reprogramming, all the PhatBox lights will

turn off. Now the PhatBox is ready for normal operation again.

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Appendix B: Troubleshooting

Note: For the latest support information, please check the

PhatNoise website and support sections:

http://www.phatnoise.com

http://www.phatnoise.com/support

When Installing the PhatBox:

Problem

Cause/Solution

No lights come on at all.

The PhatBox connector cable and/or head unit wiring

harness is connected incorrectly. Reconnect the

PhatBox connector cable and/or head unit wiring

harness correctly. Make sure each connection is

firmly connected.

Or,

The DMS cartridge is not fully inserted. Fully insert

the DMS cartridge.

Or,

A fuse in the car has blown. After checking for short

circuits in the wires, replace the fuse with one with

the same rating.

The green light blinks for 15

seconds, then turns off, then

blinks for 15 seconds, then

turns off…this cycle repeats

The DMS cartridge is not fully inserted. Fully insert

the DMS cartridge.

Or,

continuously.

File(s) on your cartridge may be corrupt. Run the

PhatNoise DMS Doctor on your computer and follow

the recommendations.

The green light blinks at a

steady rate for longer than 20

seconds.

You have updated the firmware on the DMS

cartridge and the PhatBox is reprogramming itself.

DO NOT REMOVE THE DMS CARTRIDGE. Allow the

PhatBox to reprogram itself for up to 10 minutes.

When reprogramming is complete, the lights will

turn off and stay off.

Using the PhatBox:

Problem

Cause/Solution

The radio displays NO

The system is still booting. Please wait up to 15

MAGAZINE or CHK MAGAZINE. seconds for the system to boot, and switch back to

CD mode.

Or,

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

The DMS cartridge is not fully inserted. Fully insert

the DMS cartridge.

Or,

File(s) on your cartridge may be corrupt. Run the

PhatNoise DMS Doctor on your computer and follow

the recommendations.

The radio displays NO CD.

No playlists were found on the DMS cartridge.

Please place playlists on the DMS cartridge using the

PhatNoise Music Manager.

Or,

File(s) on your cartridge may be corrupt. Run the

PhatNoise DMS Doctor on your computer and follow

the recommendations.

General Cases:

Problem

No Sound.

Cause/Solution

- Adjust the volume of the head unit.

- Make sure the PhatBox cable is correctly

connected to the head unit.

- Make sure the head unit has the CD changer as

the active source.

- Make sure the navigation or telephone mute is not

activated.

The head unit does not

recognize the PhatBox.

- Make sure the PhatBox cable is correctly

connected to the head unit.

- Note that during firmware reprogramming (green

light flashing), your head unit will NOT recognize

the PhatBox – for this reason, it is often better to

have the head unit off during programming.

File(s) on your cartridge may be corrupt. Run the

PhatNoise DMS Doctor on your computer and follow

the recommendations.

No Sound. The head unit

cannot access the PhatBox.

Green light on PhatBox blinks

and does not stop blinking.

If you have just downloaded new firmware, this is

normal. Wait about 7 minutes until the green light

stops blinking, then both lights should go off.

Many things can cause a ‘skip’, or any break in

audio playback.

Audio skipping occurs during

playback.

If you are hearing breaks in playback, here are

some things to check:

1. When you hear a skip, restart the track (or

seek backwards a bit) to hear if the skip is

actually in the music file.

2. Note that on some SSA radios, when the

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

playback mode changes a brief mute in sound

may occur. This is normal and a property of

the radio.

3. Check to see if you are you using the latest

firmware and desktop software. This is very

important, as software is updated frequently.

4. Sometimes a heavily fragmented cartridge

can skip due to increased seek times.

Defragment the cartridge for best

performance.

WMA files are not playing in

the PhatBox

Some software such as Windows Media Player

features copy protection in their WMA encoding

tools. This prevents the tracks from playing on any

device other than your computer. Disable any

"Copy protect music" checkbox when encoding

music (consult your software’s manual for more

information).

PhatNoise Music Manager

software errors containing a

“Codebase” message.

The PhatNoise Music Manager database files have

been corrupted.

To fix the database:

- Close the PhatNoise Music Manager software.

- Run the Database Doctor in the PhatNoise

Music Manager folder on the Start Menu.

The PhatNoise Music Manager

playlists are missing or not

working properly.

If this does not fix the problem, delete the folder

“Data” in the PhatNoise Music Manager installation

directory (usually C:\Program Files\PhatNoise Music

Manager). Please note that this will erase the

entire user’s database and playlist files. All the

songs will need to be reloaded and the playlists will

need to be redefined.

When transferring files to the

The DMS has been mounted incorrectly, or

DMS a message appears “Long improperly formatted. Cancel the current copy

Filenames not supported”

operation, eject the cartridge, close the PhatNoise

Music Manager, restart the PhatNoise Music

Manager, and try the operation again.

The external AC/DC power adapter is not

connected. Make the connection is firmly

connected.

When a DMS cartridge is

inserted into the USB cradle,

neither the green nor the red

light turn on.

Or,

The DMS cartridge is not inserted all the way.

Apply gentle pressure with your hand to the top of

the DMS cartridge to see if this makes the lights

come on. If the lights go off right away after you

remove your hand, the lever switch inside the USB

cradle may be out of alignment. In this case,

contact the customer service listed in Appendix E.

- Make sure the computer is running Windows 98,

Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

WinNT 4.0 and Windows 95 do not have

USB cradle is not recognized

properly.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

proper USB support.

- The USB interface has been disabled in the system

settings or in the motherboard BIOS.

Check your voice prompt settings:

Voice prompts are missing in

the car

1. Insert the DMS.

2. Open the Device view and select the DMS.

3. Press the Hardware Options button.

4. Open the DMS Database/Voice Prompts

tab and click Fix Voice Prompts.

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Appendix C: Important Safety and Handling

Instructions

FCC WARNING

This equipment may generate or use radio frequency energy. Changes or

modifications to this equipment may cause harmful interference unless the

modifications are expressly approved in the instruction manual. The user

could use the authority to operate this equipment if an unauthorized change

or modification is made.

NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a

Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are

designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment may cause harmful interference to

radio communications, if it is not installed and used in accordance with the

instructions. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur

in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference

to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the

equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the

interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to

which the receiver is connected

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL INSTRUCTIONS

Installation Precautions

Mounting location precautions to ensure and observe:

1. The unit is not subject to direct sunlight.

2. The unit is not near heat sources (such as heaters).

3. The unit is not exposed to rain or moisture.

4. The unit is not exposed to excessive dust, sand or dirt.

5. The unit is not subject to excessive vibration.

6. The fuel tank should not be damaged during installation.

7. There should be no wire harnesses or pipes under the place where you

are going to install the unit.

8. The spare tire, tools or other equipment in or under the trunk should

not be interfered with or damaged.

9. Make holes only after making sure there is nothing on the other side of

the mounting surface.

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Digital Media Storage Cartridge Precautions

1. Do not remove the DMS Cartridge from the PhatBox Player unless

the PhatBox Player is turned off.

2. Do not remove the DMS Cartridge from the USB Cradle until

downloading is complete.

3. Do not leave the DMS Cartridge in locations with high temperatures and

high humidity, such as on a car dashboard or in the rear window where it

will be subject to direct sunlight. Do not subject the DMS Cartridge to

extreme cold temperatures.

4. Do not place more that one DMS Cartridge at a time into the PhatBox

player.

5. Do not drop the DMS Cartridge or subject it to a violent shock.

6. Do not spill liquid on the DMS Cartridge or submerge the DMS Cartridge in

liquid.

7. The only effective protection for data and other material stored on the

DMS Cartridge is the regular backing up of that data by you, the

consumer. PhatNoise Inc. shall not be responsible for the loss of any such

data or other material.

PhatBox Player and USB Cradle Precautions

1. Never spill liquid of any kind on the PhatBox Player.

2. Do not place the PhatBox player on an unstable cart, stand or table. The

product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.

3. Do not use any object to probe the opening of the product and do not put

any body parts or other foreign objects in the opening of the product- this

may result in bodily injury and can also damage the product.

4. Avoid severe impact. Do not drop the PhatBox player on a solid surface

or drop a heavy object on the PhatBox player.

5. Take care when plugging and unplugging cables.

6. Do not hold the PhatBox or the USB Cradle by the cables alone

7. Do not remove the DMS Cartridge from the USB Cradle when the green

activity light is on.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SERVICE ANY PART OF THE

PRODUCT YOURSELF. SERVICING SHOULD ONLY BE

DONE BY QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

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Appendix D: Using Audible content with your

PhatNoise Car Audio System

Introduction

Audible is a huge collection of audio programming delivered digitally over the

Internet, anywhere, anytime. At audible.com, you can choose from over

4,500 audiobooks and 14,000 other audio programs. You can download

those programs to your computer and listen immediately, or you can transfer

them to your PhatBox and listen on the go.

Getting Started with Audible

This guide is a brief introduction to using the PhatNoise Music Manager with

Audible content. For a thorough explanation of the Audible service visit

Audible’s website at www.audible.com, and view the PhatNoise Music

Manager Help File by pressing F1 while the program is running.

Creating a new Audible.com account

To get started, please perform the following steps:

1. Go to the Library View by clicking the Library Button.

2. Click "All Audible Content".

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

3. When you click the "All Audible Content" link for the first time you will

be presented with the following dialog box:

The Audible User Name Entry dialog box gives you the following three

options:

Welcome - Tell Me More!

Click the Tell Me More! Button to get more information about

audible.com

Existing Users - Click Here!

Click the Existing Users Click Here! Button if you already have

an audible.com account.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Enter your audible.com username and password. Then press the

OK button.

A dialog box will appear asking if you would like to synchronize

your subscriptions with the Audible.com servers. We

recommend you press the Yes button.

New Users - Click Here!

Click the New Users Click Here! Button to create a new

audible.com account and take advantage of our special

introductory offer.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

You will be taken to the new user signup page at audible.com.

Please follow the instructions on the site.

Once you have registered at the audible.com site, return back to the

PhatNoise Music Manager. Now that you are a registered audible.com user,

click the Existing Users - Click Here! button and follow the steps explained

above.

Once your audible.com username and password have been entered, you will

be ready to download Audible content for use with the PhatNoise Music

Manager and your PhatNoise Car Audio System.

Audible Content on the PhatNoise DMS

Audible files are transferred to the PhatNoise DMS in much the same way as

mp3 files are transferred to the PhatNoise DMS. The only difference is that

most Audible files are indexed according to chapter or section breaks in the

content. A new track will be added for each index point. This will allow for

easy navigation in the car.

To transfer Audible files to the PhatNoise DMS, follow these steps:

1. Insert the PhatNoise DMS cartridge into the USB cradle.

2. Click on the Device View button

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

3. Click on the "PhatNoise DMS" text under the All Supported

Devices panel

4. Click on the red GO button

5. On the top portion of the Device view click on the "All

Audible Content" text in the Playlist panel

6. Drag an audible file to a DMS disc

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

You will notice that the Audible file will be added, and each section

break will correspond to a track on the PhatNoise DMS.

Assigning a track to each index point is meant to assist you in finding

your place in longer audiobooks and/or periodicals.

Dynamic Audible Subscription Discs

It is possible to create discs that will automatically update with issues of

Audible subscriptions. To create a dynamic audible subscription disc, follow

these steps:

1. Click the Disc Wizard button from the PhatNoise DMS view.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

2. Choose "Audible Subscriptions" from the "Create From"

drop down list.

3. Select one or more Audible subscriptions and click one of the

Create buttons

4. You will then be asked if you'd like to include all of the issues

of the subscription, or only the most recent issue. Click yes or

no as desired.

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To update the Audible Subscription Discs

Discs will automatically be updated when you click the Sync DMS button.

Saving Your Changes

When you have finished organizing your Audible content, click the

SAVE/EJECT DMS button.

Playing Audible content in your car

A playlist with Audible content on it will auto-resume. The Auto-resume

feature allows the PhatBox to remember where playback stopped in a

playlist.

For example, suppose you are listening to an Audible playlist and you switch

to a different playlist. At any point you return to the Audible playlist, the

PhatBox will remember where you left off and will resume at that point.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

Appendix E: Contacting PhatNoise Support

Need help? What goes where, compatibility, and troubleshooting?

First, check our Frequently Asked Questions:

http://www.phatnoise.com/support/faq/

If you can’t find the answer to your question there, please feel free to

Web/Email:

Phone:

http://www.phatnoise.com/support

310-954-3650

Call center is available 10:00am – 6:00pm PST Monday through

Friday.

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PhatNoise Car Audio System User Manual

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