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FAQs and Troubleshooting Tips |
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| In general, the performance of any website can be affected by one or
more computer-related variables, so it's a good idea to be aware of the following whenever you need to do some
troubleshooting: |
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- type of computer, media player, platform, and browser
- internet connection speed and security settings
- web server availability, possible local power interruptions
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| With the above factors in mind, much of the information presented here
addresses questions and situations that are specific to http://www.musical-designs.com. In addition,
we also examine some of the compatibility issues that exist with today's burned CD-Rs and, more importantly, let
you know what we do to maximize the playability of the CD-Rs that you purchase from us. |
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| Because your feedback is very important, please don't hesitate to let
us know if the suggestions given here don't resolve the problem you're experiencing. We want our site to run
as efficiently as possible, and the difficulty that you've encountered could easily be the result of something we've
done on our end ... so it's always a good idea to keep us informed! We aren't computer experts by any means,
but (thankfully) we have access to people who are, and it's our hope that the following information will be
helpful to you. |
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| Thank you, |
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* The information shown below was last updated on April 28, 3008 * |
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- Demos via Free Audio Streams - Musical Designs wants to keep your search for
floor music as quick, easy, and low-cost as possible ... so whenever we can supply online audio streams without
charging you to listen to them, we're going to do it! With this said, you should know that some of our song
demos are provided as non-downloadable in order to comply with specific licensing requirements.
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- Demos via MP3 Download - Because permission to stream audio isn't
always granted in the primary license, some of our floor routine songs need additional licensing in order for us to
provide you with access to online demos. These demos can be purchased in the download section of our site:
shop.musical-designs.com ... we hope you'll link over there to see
what songs are available. Please note that in order to facilitate prompt e-mail delivery of your download
link, payment for these MP3 downloads must be made through PayPal, and as soon as the PayPal checkout process has
been completed, you'll receive your download link via e-mail (so please be sure to provide an accurate e-mail
address)!
The good news is that from time to time, we'll run specials on these demos by making them available for free, so
be sure to watch for this. 
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If you have a dial-up internet connection, you may occasionally experience difficulty during the download process
... if at all possible, we recommend that you access your download link from a computer with faster connection
(such as cable modem or DSL).
If you run into any problems during the MP3 download process, please let us know -
we're happy to help!
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- FYI regarding individual song purchases: We do not offer a download option for the non-demo,
competition versions of our floor routine songs. But rest assured: our turnaround time is very quick ... once your order
has been received, we'll usually mail out your floor music within 24-48 hours!
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General info about downloaded MP3s (and
other audio files): Most of the audio files made available for
download and/or e-mail these days are provided in MP3 format (although other types of audio files are becoming more and
more prevalent). When an MP3 is downloaded from a site and then burned to a CD, there are a number of reasons why
this newly-burned CD might not be playable on certain CD players (more discussion concerning compatibility issues
with burned CDs follows later). While we realize that our downloading limitation for individual song purchases might be somewhat inconvenient for customers who need their floor music right away, please know that the audio CDs which
we mail to you are generally more playable and more dependable than CDs burned from downloaded MP3s ... definitely worth the extra few days' wait! |
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About digital audio files: |
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| Digital audio is delivered in many different formats. In
addition to standard CD Audio (CDDA), some of the other major audio formats include WAV, AIFF, AU, MP3, MPEG,
AAC, WMA, RAM, and QT. Some audio files are readily streamable (such as WMA, ASF, MP3, AAC, QT, and
RA/RAM/RM); others are not (such as AIFF, AU, and WAV). Since most of the hardware and software players
found on the market today can support multiple audio formats, it is our hope that you'll never have any problems
playing digital audio files and burned CDs. The reason we even mention this here is to let you know that
in case you do run into a problem at some point, it will help to be familiar with the most common types of audio
formats. |
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And just one more thing while we're on this topic:
From what we've read, certain brands of iPods don't play MP3s (something to keep in mind if you're having
trouble playing an MP3 on your iPod). |
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MEDIA PLAYER: Our streaming audio files are
formatted either as MP3s or as Windows Media files (.wma extension). These types of audio files can be played on
most media players, with iTunes and Windows Media Player being 2 of today's more popular media players. And most
of the other media players (such as RealPlayer, AudioActive, Destiny Media Player, Sonique, StreamWorks, Musicmatch
Jukebox, Apple Quick Time, WinAmp, etc.) can usually be configured to play MP3 and WMA files, so you shouldn't have
any trouble hearing our online demos. |
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INTERNET CONNECTION: Customers who have dial-up
internet connections might occasionally experience streaming audio difficulties. If it's at all possible for you
to increase your modem speed, this would be ideal (your internet service provider should be able to assist you there).
Or, as an alternative, see if you can use another computer with a faster connection speed. |
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SERVER ISSUES: Streaming audio problems might occasionally be caused by server-related issues, and if this is the case, we hope that you'll be patient and try to play our song
demos at a later time. Depending on where you live and what kind of internet connection you have, there could be
several web servers between your computer and our website's server. |
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BROWSER ISSUES: Are there recent browser updates
that should be installed on your PC or Mac? (Some of the more popular browsers include Internet Explorer,
Safari, Netscape, Mosaic, Mozilla, Firebird, etc. If you're running an older Mac system, we're told that the best bet
for a modern browser is iCab 3.0 ). |
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AOL/NETSCAPE: In addition to the above information,
if you're an AOL/Netscape user, you might need to adjust your security settings (sometimes it helps if you can delete
your cookies and past history). |
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Please let us know if these
suggestions still don't help to resolve the problem! |
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| For example: the contents in your basket
get deleted or your mailing / shipping address isn't recognized as being valid. |
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If your browser and your internet service provider are the same
entity (such as for AOL customers), we recommend that you 1) clear your cookies, 2) delete your past history, then 3)
go back into our store and place your order again. Following these steps will usually solve the problem. |
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But if the above steps don't help, you might try to download a
browser that's different from the one you're using. Sometimes changing browsers will work (consider browsers
such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, etc.). Also, if you can use another computer,
chances are that the browser (and the connection speed) will be different than the computer you're using at home. |
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And speaking of connection speeds, whenever data is transmitted
over phone lines, the faster the modem speed, the better. For customers who are using a dial-up modem or who have
an ISDN internet connection, you might want to consider increasing your connection speed if at all possible (your
internet service provider should be able to assist you). Or, if you have access to another computer with a faster
connection speed (such as cable modem or DSL), this is another good alternative. |
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| The bottom line here is this: if you're having difficulties
placing an order online, you can always order over the phone. Just give us a call
anytime, toll free*! |
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*A special note to our International customers: at this
time, our toll free number is limited to the US and Canada only. If the suggestions given here don't help to
resolve your problem, please e-mail us about it. We welcome your business and can usually come up with other
options that will help the online order process work for you. |
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| (FYI: technically, the floor music we furnish for you is burned on
CD-R discs; please know that CD-Rs are not the same as Compact
Disc Digital Audio CDs (a.k.a. "CDDA"). Since most people refer to
CD-Rs as CDs, this is what we're doing here. |
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| Important note:
Please be assured that before your CDs leave our studio, they've already been played
twice on a portable CD player (which is comparable to what most gyms have). They're played the first time to
make sure the burn was finalized properly, then after the labels have been applied (bubble-free of course), we listen to
the CDs a second time for a final quality check. And even though they are very carefully packaged to prevent
breakage during shipment, it's certainly possible for one or both of your CDs to become damaged while in transit.
Should this occur, we're happy to replace the damaged CD(s) for you at no charge (there is a time limit on this
policy, please see our Return Policy for more information). |
| Some of the most common reasons (and possible solutions) why burned CDs don't play
properly are listed below: |
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The lasers in some older CD players might only be able to play CDs that are
manufactured with blue dye. In response to this possibility, we supply you with two different brands of CDs
whenever possible - one of them being a CD that is manufactured with blue dye. Unfortunately however, CDs
manufactured with this type of dye also tend to be more susceptible to damage from exposure to heat and sunlight, so
please keep this in mind. |
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In addition, there are a few older CD players that aren't able to play an 80-minute
CD. While this is not a very common occurrence, we mention it here just to let you know. Name brand CDs
with a 74-minute capacity aren't always available, therefore you should expect your song to be burned on an 80-minute
CD. |
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| You never know from meet to meet what kind of CD player the host gym will use.
If one of our competition CDs doesn't play, try the other one (and if possible, try to use another CD
player, too). And if neither of your CDs is playable on any of the CD players that are available to you, please
see our Return Policy for more information. |
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We always purchase high quality, name brand CDs (such as Taiyo Yuden, TDK, Memorex,
Maxell, etc.) because they're much more reliable than off-brand CDs. The write speed rating is important to
know because the higher the write speed certification (generally 32x or faster), the more sensitive the CD will be to
heat and sunlight. Because the CDs that we burn for you are rated at 48x or higher, they should be kept away from
heat and out of the sun as much as possible. |
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| Type of Audio File used in the Burn |
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All of the competition CDs supplied by Musical Designs are burned as Audio CDs using 16-bit, 44.1 kHz wave files (.wav file extension). Our gymnastics demo CDs are also burned with wave files. As a general rule, this type of sound file format is playable in any standard audio CD player, DVD player,
or CD drive on your computer. Because CDs burned from MP3s are not always compatible with some CD players, the Audio CDs that we send to you are never burned from MP3s. Please bear in mind that while using our wave file Audio CDs isn't a 100% guarantee, they
are still much more reliable than CDs burned from MP3s. |
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Regarding the burn process itself, here's a good rule of thumb: the lower the write
speed, the more stable the burn. In keeping with this rule, our competition and demo CDs are all burned at very
low write speeds, usually at either 4x or 8x (and never any faster than 16x). All of these write speeds are
considered "low" and result in very stable burns. |
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Due to many reasons, including the factors described above, the expected lifespan of a
burned CD will vary from disc to disc. Additionally, quality of care and storage environment are also very
important considerations. Please be sure to keep your CDs out of direct sunlight and away from high heat and
humidity as these types of conditions will adversely affect the longevity and playability of a CD. |
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Regarding everyday use, the most typical culprits for gymnasts to watch out for are ...
you guessed it: chalk dust and fingerprints! CDs that are stored at the gym, in your gym bag, and left in your car
can easily get dirty, scratched or broken, so please take extra care and you'll be able to enjoy your floor music for a
very long time. |
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| What to do when your CDs arrive from us:
Upon receipt of your competition CDs (or your demo CD), if you find that one or both of our
CDs won't play for you, try using another CD player first (home, car, gym, or CD-rom drive in your computer). It
may be that the CD player itself is one of the older players described above. However, if you do try another CD
player and find that one or both of your CDs still don't work, please let us know of your difficulty and we'll send you
a replacement CD at no charge (there is a time limit on this policy - see our Return
Policy for more information). |
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| And here's an "FYI" for later on:
If one of your CDs eventually becomes unplayable after a while (or gets lost or broken), you
can always order a replacement CD online for $5 plus shipping. |
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