By Finlo Rohrer BBC News

Craig David spoke of his passion for mobiles in Barcelona

Craig David was the star attraction at the world's leading mobile phone fair 3GSM in Barcelona where he addressed delegates on music and the mobile.

The self-confessed gadget freak and R&B star said he had gone to Barcelona to tell manufacturers how they could better serve musicians like him and customers alike.

"It is just to do with how important the mobile has been to me in making my music," he told the BBC News website.

"It has become something for me to create music, to lay down stuff, ideas and songs onto my phone like a dictaphone then I can go back into my studio and use the ideas."

Music on the go

David, who lost out in the Best British Urban Act category at this week's Brits, said his mobile was vital as he spent much of his time on the road.

When it was monophonic or polyphonic, it was never a great depiction of my music Craig David

"When I was out in Asia, I was on the bullet train travelling between two different performances. I felt inspired. It was my first time in Japan and I felt a bit like in the Sting classic an Englishman in New York.

"I took a picture of the bullet train and the people walking on, then stored that onto my phone and linked it to the song, got back to my studio, downloaded it and it put me right back into the moment."

The end result from was World Filled With Love from the Southampton-born R&B star's second album.

David, who releases his new single Unbelievable in March, wants the phone manufacturers to continue improvements in memory cards and MP3 playback in phones, but is amazed at how far the technology has come.

"As a kid, I used to see my friends hanging onto really massive Motorolas, with no line rental, pretending to talk into them. Now I've got a tiny mobile in my hand."

And the arrival of real tones on mobiles means David is now happy to hear his music played out on mobiles.

"I'm happy that we have now got to the place of real tones. When it was monophonic or polyphonic, it was never a great depiction of my music.

"Now, being able to edit my own ring tones so it maintains the integrity of my music, now the speakers have got so much better, it's fully formed."

But he confesses there are still ringtones that drive him mad.

"With the Crazy Frog, it was so heavily played. The way that the English public are, if it is slightly annoying everyone gets it."

One medium

The singer said in his own home audio, visual and lighting systems were linked by an interface that could be programmed by text message.

He shares the belief of many in the mobile industry that users will eventually prefer to have one device for all communications, audio, stills, and television.

"The iPod was an incredible invention," he said.

"[But] it will get down to one medium for all. You have seen how cameras have become a major part in phones, the mega pixels are rising.

"I am here as someone who uses the phone not only for creating, but also to say there are limitations, and to see where we can merge the two together, music and mobile. There has never been a complete link between the two."