Music player that can play 60 second previews

[Target]

Looking for an app that I can use to review >800 tracks. 

Background is that the files were all on a USB stick in my wifes car, and some were displaying odd artifacts at the beginning of the track when played on the car stereo. 

Rather than scrapping the whole lot I'm wanting to review them to see if any are actually corrupted or whether the problem may lay with the player (its in a 4 year old subaru)

60 seconds should be more than enough to id any offenders, and I can listen to them while I do other things.  Having to do it manwelly is tedious, and gets in the way of work

Idea's or suggestions appreciated! 

[4wd]

You could try mplayer if you don't mind the CLI:

Code: (text)

mplayer -endpos 00:01:00 *.mp3

[lanux128]

Maybe this AHK script can be of help.

Usage: Define a valid path before running the script. Press Win+t to tag the files that you don't want. Later review the "TaggedFiles.txt" in the same path as the script.

Code: ( autohotkey)

#SingleInstance force
#NoEnv
SetWorkingDir, %A_ScriptDir%
CoordMode, ToolTip

hotkey:= "#t"            ; win + t = tag file(s) to a text file
timetoplay:= 60              ; 60 seconds
path:= A_ScriptDir   ; put literal paths in quotes, e.g. "C:\Mp3"

Loop, Files, % path . "\*.mp3", DFR 
{
Hotkey % hotkey, TaggedFiles
SoundPlay % A_LoopFileFullPath
tagged := A_LoopFileFullPath
ToolTip % A_LoopFileFullPath . " (" A_Index . ")",800,0,1
Sleep, % timetoplay*1000
Continue
}
Sleep 5000
MsgBox,64,, % "End of line, click OK to exit."
ExitApp 
Return

TaggedFiles:
FileAppend, % tagged . "`r`n", TaggedFiles.txt
ToolTip % "Tagged: " . tagged,800,25,2
Return

#q::ExitApp    ; win + q = exit

[Target]

don't mind the cli, but damn if the help file for mplayer isn't exactly helpful here.  I assume that there's no option for a recursive search with this option...

that AHK script is a winner (dunno why i didn't think of that).  Only thing I would like to see is some sort of delay between the tracks, ie the instant transition from track to track is somewhat jarring, though it does keep me focused (I added a 2 second mute at the end of the loop. does the trick) 

[IainB]

@Target:
This problem sounds kinda familiar, but it might help to know more about it.
I would suggest that, if you haven't done so already, then it might save some time to identify the problem more precisely. Just look simply at a couple of those those tracks that consistently display sound artefacts when played on the car's audio system. If they consistently display the same artefacts when played from the same USB stick, but on another player, then you will have probably correctly identified the problem (corrupted data), but not its cause.

If otherwise though:
(a) Can you also hear the artefacts when the radio is on and whilst the car is being driven and the engine is running?
(b) Do the artefacts when playing the mp3s only occur whilst the car is being driven and the engine is running?

In either case, then, from experience (and if it's a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle), I would suggest that you check over the condition of the car's ignition system, in particular the HT leads. If the sparkplug leads are invisibly breaking down (end-of-life) or have old suppressors (which could be invisibly failing), then there'd likely be a lot of strong bursts of electo-magnetic radiation going on under the hood due to sporadic HT arcing. This radiation could usually cause interference on the car radio aerial or any unshielded audio wires and would typically come out variously as a regular "ticking" sound, or intermittent pops, crackles or "whizzing" sounds.

The same thing could happen if the spark plug insulators are failing (like the HT leads and suppressors, they don't last forever, but plugs do need to be periodically replaced, whereas HT lines tend to last longer and thus get overlooked), or it might just be that the spark plug gap has not been checked at relevant service intervals for a long time and has worn too wide and now needs to be reset to its correct gap for that plug+vehicle. In the latter case, once the plug gaps are set correctly and assuming the plugs and HT leads etc. are otherwise OK, then your engine will probably run smoother and get some power back.

Just some thoughts.

[Target]

Some feedback in case its useful to others......

I couldn't get mplayer to work with that string, nor could I decipher the command line options (there appear to be hundreds, most relating to video...)

The AHK script worked, but audio disappeared after 2 folders, and only a reboot resolved it (until the next 2 folders...).  I could open/play the files manually regardless

Final solution - I eventually found that 1by1 had a configurable 'intro scan' function that does exactly what I wanted.  I knew it was there, but last time I used I don't think the play time was configurable 

EDIT:  Maybe worth noting that the 'preview' function in 1by1 only works on a folder by folder basis.  Not quite as convenient, but it's working for me...

[4wd]

Strange about MPlayer, I literally just downloaded, extracted, used the command on both video and audio files, and it worked.

[app103]

I'll bet that Skwire could add this as a feature in Trout.