iPod: About the Equalizer

iTunes equalizer presets

iPod's equalizer has the same equalizer presets as iTunes (except Loudness). This allows a high level of integration between iPod and iTunes.

After you encode or "rip" a song using iTunes, you can assign that song one of 22 equalizer presets. Once you assign a preset to a song, iTunes will use it each time you play the song. When you copy the song from your computer to iPod, the equalizer preset you chose in iTunes is also copied, and iPod will play the song with the same preset. For example, if you assign a song the "Rock" preset in iTunes, iPod will play that song with the "Rock" preset and iPod will play the song with the same preset as long as the EQ on the iPod is not set to off

If you don't assign a preset to a song, iTunes and iPod simply play the song as it was encoded, unless you turn on the general equalizer, which applies to all songs being played. In this case, though, that equalizer preset is not saved with each song.

iPod's equalizer settings offer a wide range of options, which are explained in the next section.

iPod EQ settings

EQ - Off

• iPod does not use the equalizer. Songs play as they were encoded.
• Songs that have been assigned an equalizer preset in iTunes do not play with that setting.

EQ - Flat

• Songs without an equalizer preset assigned to them in iTunes play as they were encoded (same as EQ - Off).
• Songs that have been assigned an equalizer preset in iTunes play with that setting.

EQ - (other)

• Songs without an equalizer preset assigned to them in iTunes play using the EQ setting selected on iPod.
• Songs that have been assigned an equalizer preset in iTunes play with that setting, not the one selected on iPod. You can temporarily play a song using one of iPod's other EQ settings as follows:
  
  1. Play the song on iPod.
  2. While the song is playing, press the Menu button until you have navigated to the main screen.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Select EQ.
  5. Select a particular EQ setting you want to try.

  The song will play to the end with the new EQ setting. The next time the song is played, it will play with the EQ setting assigned to it in iTunes.

Notes

1. iPod does not use custom equalizer settings made in iTunes.
2. You can't create custom equalizer settings on iPod, or transfer custom settings to iPod.
3. Turn EQ off if you don’t use it. Equalizer is a feature that uses your iPod battery more quickly. If you don’t use EQ, your iPod will play tunes longer. Adding EQs to playback uses more of your iPod processor, since they aren’t encoded in the song. If, however, you’ve added EQ to tracks in iTunes, you’ll need to set EQ to “flat�? in order to have the effect of “off,�? because iPod keeps your iTunes settings intact.