What is an “iPod” or MP3 Self-Guided Walking Tour?

Self-guided audio walking tours are another way for visitors to become familiar with an area. Our tours are guided audio expeditions of popular locations with local narratives, music and sound effects. The tour begins at a starting location, where you’ll be oriented with the speaker and given some instructions regarding the tour.

Throughout the tour, our professionally recorded guide will lead you through the city with comprehensive directions while showcasing points of interest along the way. Each package includes the audio tour file, a map that clearly outlines the tour on a street plan, and simple instructions for following the guide. The tour files are in MP3 format; you can listen to them on your own MP3 player. The tours can be downloaded in minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you’ll always have convenient access to the information.

Where do the tours begin?

Meeting sites and directions for tours can be found within the tour map. Most tours do not conclude where they begin, but in close proximity. Our tours will provide directions to local sites as the tour is in progress, as well as directions back to the place where your tour originated.

When can I take a tour?

Anytime! However, the optimal time suggested is during business hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., because each tour helps you discover private and hidden locations that may adhere to posted hours of operation.

How long does a tour take?

The length of each tour depends on your walking pace, how much time you spend at each location, and any “distractions” along the way. However, most tours last approximately 1 to 2 hours. The tours average between one and three miles. In addition, please note that the audio tour is an outdoor journey and does not include admission into any of the locations. You are welcome to visit any of the locations you choose. Stop by the local visitor’s bureau or contact the individual locations first, for their hours and admission prices. As a courtesy to other visitors, please turn off your portable device before entering any of the buildings on the tour unless otherwise referenced.

Do I need to print the instructions and bring them with me on the tour?

You may want to print and read the instructions before you begin, but we also include a recorded version at the beginning of each tour. Instructions are on Track 1, and you can listen to it any time before you start the tour, or even later if you want a refresher.

Do I have to do the whole tour at once?

No, you can do as much or as little as you wish. You can even leave a tour one day

and resume it on another day.

Do I have to play the tour tracks in order & do I have to start with track #1?

No and no. You can start anywhere you like. You can go to any point on the map and

listen to the track with the corresponding number. Each track does direct you to the next stop on the tour line, but you can listen to content and proceed to wherever YOU want to go next.

Where can I get a map for my tour?

You can download a PDF of the tour on the website. You’ll just need a PDF viewer such as Acrobat Reader, which is available free from www.adobe.com.

TECHNOLOGY:

What are MP3 files?

MP3’s are relatively small audio files that offer excellent sound quality. They are formed by ‘compressing’ regular audio files (such as .wav files) and removing some information. The information that is removed allows a much smaller file size and has a minimal effect on the sound quality of the audio. For this reason, MP3 files have become extremely popular for Internet users. Their smaller size allows for faster downloads and less storage space, without losing sound quality.

What hardware and software do I need to begin my tour?

You will need a device capable of playing MP3 files, e.g. an MP3 player or an iPod. You will need a means of un-zipping your downloaded file. Windows XP has file un-zipping software built in. Older versions of windows will require WinZip. If you do not already have WinZip, a free evaluation copy can be downloaded from www.winzip.com. You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader or a similar program to read and print the instructions and map, both of which are labeled PDF files. This can be downloaded free from http://www.adobe.com.

To play downloadable audio files in the MP3 format on your computer, you will need to download and install a software program such as Windows Media Player, iTunes or Winamp, to name a few. This software is usually available as freeware (free software) or shareware (download and pay a fee after a trial basis) and allows you to organize and play your audio downloads from the Internet.

What are the system and device requirements for listening to these tours?

Most computer systems today are capable of performing the tasks needed to download and store these files. Below are some estimated specifications of what is required:

Windows – Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, Vista, or XP

128 MB RAM

300MHz or faster

Sufficient hard drive space to download the files (see storage requirements)

Cable modem or DSL recommended

An up-to-date browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox)

Macintosh – Mac OS 9 or later

128 MB RAM

Sufficient hard drive space to download the files (see storage requirements)

Cable modem or DSL recommended

An up-to-date browser (e.g., Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox)

How much space is required to store tours on my hard drive or MP3 player?

Each tour contains multiple tracks, and the total space required for each tour is

approximately up to 150MB depending on the tour.

Can I use a dial-up modem or do I need a cable modem or DSL?

Although a cable modem or DSL would yield faster downloads, our tours can easily be downloaded with a dial-up modem and a little patience.

Which digital music files will work with my portable player?

Any tour downloaded directly from this site is in the MP3 format (44.1 khz, 128kbps), and will work with all/most digital music players.

Do I need an iPod to do the tour?

An iPod is just a specific brand of MP3 player made by Apple. There are lots of other

MP3 players available on the market. If you have one, you can do these tours.

I don’t have an MP3 player, but I do have a portable CD player. Can I do the tour?

Yes, but only if you have a CD burner on your computer. You’ll download the audio files to your computer, and then burn the files onto a CD. Put the CD in your portable CD player and enjoy exploring!

Can I listen to the MP3 audio files on my computer?

Absolutely! If you don’t already have a software program on your computer designed to play MP3 files, you will need to download and install a software program such as Windows Media Player, iTunes or Winamp, to name a few. This software is usually available as freeware (free software) or shareware (download and pay a fee after a trial (basis) and allows you to organize and play your audio downloads from the Internet.

How do I download the tour?

Every tour you wish to download will be available on the tour’s  main page. Simply click the “Download” button and save the files to a location on your computer.

How many times can I download my tour?

Since our tours are provided free of charge, they may be downloaded as many times as you would like. However, you may only copy the files you download onto CDs or other devices for personal use.

How do I download the audio tour to my computer?

The following instructions are for Windows users:

Step 1: Click the “Download” link on whichever city’s main page for the tour you would like to save.

Step 2: Save the zip file “Name of Tour.zip” to the hard drive of your computer in the

My Documents folder. A box will appear letting you know that the download is

complete. Click Open Folder to get to the file.

Step 3: In the My Documents folder, right click the zip file and click Extract All.

Step 4: The extraction wizard will appear. To continue, click Next. The folder should

automatically appear as the destination. To continue, click Next to extract the files. If

the folder name does not automatically appear, click Browse and find and highlight the folder.

Step 5: When extraction is completed, a box will appear notating that the files have been successfully extracted from the directory. To continue, click Finish. You are now ready to listen to the files on your computer by double-clicking on and listening to individual tracks, or by choosing the option to Play All under the music tasks section.

Importing the audio tour to your MP3 player

Step 1: After downloading the files to a folder on your computer, import the folder titled “Name of Tour” into the MP3 player software that you use, such as iTunes, Windows Media Player or Winamp, by following the documentation for your software.

Step 2: Synchronize your portable MP3 player with your computer to copy the files to your device. NOTE: The instructions can vary depending on numerous factors, including your MP3 player, MP3 player software, computer, computer operating system, etc. Please refer to the specific instruction manual for your software or portable device.

How do I add the tour audio files to my iTunes?

Once the files have been extracted (unzipped) from your My Documents folder, a

separate folder will open showing each individual audio file and a PDF of the map.

These individual audio files can be copied and pasted (or just drag and drop) into iTunes or any other MP3 compatible audio player, such as Windows Media Player.

Step 1: Open iTunes and click on File in the upper left corner to open the drop-down menu. Move the cursor down to Add Folder to Library and click on it.

Step 2: The Browse For Folder dialogue box will open. Find the audio tour file folder by clicking the My Documents folder in the dialogue box. Click on the audio tour folder to highlight it.

Step 3: Click OK and the x# of audio tracks for the audio tour will be imported into

iTunes.

Step 4: Under the File menu, choose New Playlist. When you are prompted to name your new Playlist, title it “Fill in the blank.” 

Step 5: Select (highlight) all x# MP3 Audio Tracks.

Step 6: Drag and drop all x# MP3 Audio Tracks into the new Playlist, “Fill in the blank.”

Step 7: Synchronize your MP3 Player after you set up the new MP3 Audio Tour Playlist and you are now ready to begin your tour.

Additional format & downloading details

For optimal listening, we recommend that you turn off the Crossfade Playback setting in iTunes. To do this:

• Click on Edit in the upper left corner of iTunes and open the drop-down menu and click on Preferences.

• Click on the Playback tab at the top of the dialogue box.

• Uncheck the Crossfade Playback check box and click OK.

• After you have taken the TravelTex MP3 Audio Tour, you may want to turn the

Crossfade Playback setting back on by reversing the steps above and checking the

Crossfade Playback check box.

Listening and taking the audio tour

Each TravelTex tour stops at 10 locations, with the exception of the Dallas Arts District Tour which stops at nine locations. When you arrive at each location on the tour, your audio tour narrator will announce the track number and the location name. Your tour narrator will give you a brief history of that particular location.

At the conclusion of the recorded location information for each stop, there will be a pause before the next track. That pause will indicate that the audio portion for that particular location has concluded. The tour narrator will return to give you directions to the next stop.

NOTE: The TravelTex audio track numbers do not correspond with the stop numbers on the city map, since the audio tour includes recorded walking directions. Each of those directional segments has their own individual audio track number. Please reference the map & soundtrack details to match the audio tracks with their corresponding stop numbers on the map.

As a courtesy to other visitors, please turn off the MP3 audio tour if you enter any of the buildings on the tour. Use caution when crossing streets, looking both ways and crossing only at cross-walks and only when you have a green light. For your safety, we recommend not listening to the audio tour or anything else on your MP3 player when crossing any street.

Can I burn an audio tour to a CD?

Yes, the tour file is small enough to fit on a standard audio CD or two. Check that your computer is equipped with an internal CD-R/RW drive. If it does not, you will need to use an external CD burner. When burning CDs for audio content, you will need to use a good quality CD-R disk. Note: CD-RW disks are mostly used for computer data. Audio CD players won’t be able to read these types of disks even when they contain only CD audio tracks.

There are a variety of programs available for PC and Macintosh computers that allow you to burn files to a CD. Please consult your computer’s instruction manual for additional support for your specific program.

PAYMENT:

How much does a tour cost?

TravelTex is offering tours free of cost. We encourage you to use these free tours as a way to enhance your visit.

What do I get for free?

After clicking the “Download Now” button, you will begin the process of downloading the entire tour in MP3 format. Our tours are composed of individual tracks of each location, and you are also able to download a map in PDF format suitable for printing.

Our tours are designed to guide you without constantly referring to the map, but you may find it a convenient reference at times. If you wish to burn the tours to a CD, you may do so using whatever CD burning software you have available.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

Why won’t my tour download?

In some cases, your Internet browser’s settings may prevent you from downloading our tours. Go to the “Tools” menu on your browser and scroll down to the “Pop-Up Blocker” prompt. Click on “Turn Off Pop-Up Blocker,” as our site uses this function to begin the download process. Some security settings in different browsers may prevent you from downloading files to your computer. Please check your particular system’s documentation.

The tour I downloaded is incomplete. Can I download again?

In some rare cases, while downloading large files, your web browser or ISP may reset your connection to our download servers. If this occurs, just download the corrupt files again before your authorization expires.