BCX3 by Barrcode
Last updated 19th September 2009

BCX3 is the latest release from Barrcode.  Originally known as BCX2 and used by various radio stations (such as Capital FM, Essex FM, Invicta FM) this software has evolved to include MP3 support, enhanced voicetracking, updated playlist and IP network commands.  BCX3 can read playlists compiled via a range of popular music schedulers - this includes basic M3U playlists.

BCX-DJ
There is now a "DJ" version of BCX3, aptly named BCX-DJ - click here for the website.  Whilst many of the advanced configuration settings are missing from BCX-DJ, you can actually activate them by pasting sections from a "proper" BCX3 config file.  This means that if you've taught BCX3 how to read M3U (or fixed-field) playlists, you can do the same with BCX-DJ.  The DJ version of BCX also includes the Playlist Voice Tracker (shown below), however you cannot record voicetracks or import them as "over cuts" so you are restricted to a simple segue adjuster (which is still quite useful).  As with BCX3, BCX-DJ will not use multiple soundcard outputs on the Advanced Playlist unless it is loading a "scheduled playlist".  It will not give you the green, blue, red arrows on a manually-created playlist unless you edit it in Notepad.  This was an issue that I pointed out to Barrcode in 2006 however it doesn't appear to have been addressed.

BCX Segue/Voicetrack Editor

It is important that your StationPlaylist categories start with MU - So MU DISCO would be an example of a Disco group of songs.  BCX3 allows playlist triggers to determine what type of audio appears on each playlist line... This could be Music, Jingles, Adverts or Liner/Text Notes.  Jingles should have ID preceding any Spot Group name and Adverts should have the letters AD.  This is how I have arranged my configuration, but you are free to choose your own BCX triggers (although these seem like the most obivous ones!).  If you're not really fussed about having Music, Jingles, Adverts and Liner Notes appear in differing colours - Simply select :\ at the start of the filepath and set that as a "Music Trigger" - all audio will then be coloured as "Music".

eg: C:\Music\Clash - Rock The Casbah.mp3 - any audio file will then be read

...and here's how you tell BCX3 how to read those complex playlists:

click the images for a bigger version

Here's how StationPlaylist Creator's configuration screen looks with this arrangement:

BCX now handles voice-tracks and level-ducking of music - You simply double-click the song you wish to voice-track into on the playlist.  If you are scheduling playlists, you can either schedule "break notes" to indicate where your presenters should record VTs, or just let them insert VTs as they see fit.  The voice-track filenames actually relate to the playlist filename, so scheduling voice-tracks from your scheduler is not technically supported.  You'd have to save the playlist as a .pltxt file and manually alter each voice-track to PlType=13 in the playlist file.

The .bcx info files reside in the same folder as the actual audio file.  This can be a pain if you have a single folder of all your songs and then another folder (with sub-folders) of your playlist songs.  In order to copy only the relevant .bcx files to each sub-folder - Use XCOPY via the START-RUN CMD MS-DOS screen...  Simply use the following command: xcopy *.bcx c:\playlist\current /u Use this for each destination folder and only the existing .bcx files will be copied.  You MUST first load the folder in Button Box/Detail Dir so that there are basic "blank" .bcx files for every track - Then you can XCopy your proper .bcx files with all the timing info etc.  As Xcopy is a DOS program, you will need to ensure that your folder names do not contain spaces.

Also - if you wish to search via Genre within BCX, you can set the following attributes in your .bcx files:

[INFO]
Artist=Alphabeat
Title=Fascination
Ending=e
Year=2008 - not searchable
Genre=POP1

Any cached ButtonBox can be searched using the above fields - I use POP1, POP2, POP3 to denote a normal daytime song (1 being current, 3 being old etc).  You could also use multiple Genres like this: Genre=AC1/POP1 .  This would be a song that is high-rotation Adult Contemporary AND Pop.  You can obviously use your own method of Genre tagging - just consider that all the above fields are considered when searching, so if you're searching for GOLD tracks, you'll also get Spandau Ballet's Gold appear!

Getting mAirList data into BCX3
If you want to export your mAirList cue data (artist, title, cue in, ramp, fade out and comment fields) to BCX3 .bcx files then you can download my mAirList2BCX script which willl do that for you.

DARP and ProTrak- by Chris Oakley
Last updated 8th October 2009

A semi-official support forum (with downloads) can be found at DarpZone... DARP and ProTrak can also be downloaded from my Downloads area...  For those who wish to be really adventurous, you can import an AudioEnhanceDPS library into DARP (or Chris Moses' RSPlayer) by exporting the Library to a txt file and importing manually into the relevant MDB database file.  You may notice that DARP carts database is password protected - This is simply to prevent it from being edited outside of DARP.  The password is moogmoog

You will need to convert the timings using PasteSpecial as the values will be in seconds and DARP uses milliseconds.  Generally, you'd import the data into Excel and perform the conversion, then paste the columns into the database.  The advantage of this is that if your DPS library has intro/outro points set, DARP will also see these and you'll have an almost perfect automation-ready system!  This process is quite involved but if you know how to bulk-copy tables from Excel to Access then you won't have too much trouble.  Paste your ID3 Years into the Artist2 field in DARP so that you can see the track's "year" in the log viewer (see below).

You can download my DARP Manual if you like - it contains pretty much everything you need to use DARP in a standalone or networked environment.  This manual was last updated on 8th October 2009 and includes a brief introduction to getting Powergold to produce DARP playlists.

ProTrack is the free scheduler for DARP - there is NO DOCUMENTATION for this software and you may struggle to get it working, it is quite a chore the first time around but once you've grasped the way it works, you can produce basic schedules with play to hour, news junctions, and clock texts etc.  There is a very basic segue editor built into DARP which allows you to override the overlaps of items within the programme log.

DARP licences via DarpZone are/were £100/year or £300 for a lifetime code.  I suspect you may be able to haggle if you are a personal (or non-profit) user.

DARP Cart Player

DARP Playout Log - click for a larger version

DARP Audiowall - click for a larger version

IRN via Satellite
Last updated 19th September 2009

IRN via Sirius
The main IRN and programme feeds can be found on the Sirius satellite at 4.8'E (that means you aim the dish in a rough southerly direction!).  I have successfully received Sirius on a Zone2 minidish although you are advised to use a dish that's at least 1m in diameter for a good, strong signal in all weather.  A generic digibox is also required - these can be picked up from Maplin or a specialist satellite web-store for between £30-60.  As usual, a simple satellite meter is a valuable tool!

Frequency: 12.111GHz
Polarization :Horizontal
Symbol Rate :27500
FEC : 5/6

Other Parameters
Transponder : 21
SID 273
PMT 4368 - 4369
Audio PID 4369 (1111 hex) , 4370 (1111 hex), 4371 (1112 hex), 4372 (1113 hex)
Multiplex Data 4625 (1211 hex)
Clear Text 4360 (1216 hex)
Video PID 8191

IRN180 is on the left carrier, IRN90 on the right. Both carry news/sport audio clips/feeds.  You should be able to select via your remote which channel is output from the IRN channel (ie: left to output, right to output or both/stereo).  You'll also be able to hear the main Fresh40 and Hit40UK feeds.  There is also an ad-hoc channel which IRN lets broadcasters lease - it's currently got a networking cleanfeed courtesy of The Local Radio Company.

IRN via Hotbird 7A - IRN is NO LONGER on HOTBIRD, this information is for reference only!
Community stations and RSLs can benefit from IRN's hourly news service using the IRN180 feed on Hotbird 7A.  The satellite is located at 13 degrees east - This means 13 degrees "from south", not north!  A standard Sky digibox has been used to receive this (ie: a Pace box).  If you are moving a Sky mini-dish, you will almost certainly need to raise the angle of the dish by a few degrees to receive a good signal - This is because (at my location), the Sky Digital Astra2A at 28'E is at 25' whilst Hotbird is 29'.  The slightly larger Zone2 dish (for Scotland) is recommended for more reliable reception over a basic dish.

If you're using a Pace digibox, simply select "Add New Channel" and enter the following details:
Frequency : 10.949 GHz
Polarisation : Vertical
Symbol Rate : 27500
FEC : 3/4
Other Parameters
Transponder : 122
SID 7449
Audio PID 5811
Video PID 5301
Network ID 318

Finding the Satellite!
If you've never aligned a satellite dish before, be warned that the signal displays built into most satellite receivers are rubbish (ie: they're too slow).  Even for a one-off job it is worth spending £10 on a simple satellite finder meter.  These are powered by the digibox and offer an analogue meter plus a tone which varies in pitch according to the strength of the signal.  A sensitivity control allows you to wind down the level (as it'll go off the scale!) and move the dish each time to get the best reading from the meter.  A 1m F-type patch lead is essential here - simply plonk the meter onto the satellite bracket where you can see/hear it, move the dish accordingly and keep adjusting the knob so the reading is "5" until you can't get any more signal.  Expect to find several satellites if you swing the dish around - with a satellite meter you can be aligned in a matter of minutes.

You can also get a double LNB that has 2 pickups - Allowing you to receive your normal domestic 28'E Astra (Sky Digital) and Hotbird 13'E.  These LNBs are ideal if you are only allowed 1 dish and need to receive Sky as well.

Satellite Alignment Calculator: http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/08/12/satellite-alignment-calculator-v2/
Kingofsat Listing for 13'E: http://en.kingofsat.net/pos-13E.php
Kingofsat Listing for 4.8E: http://en.kingofsat.net/pos-4.8E.php

mAirList Automation/Live-Assist Playout Software
Last updated 10th January 2010

mAirList is fantastic program written by Torben Weibert and offers a variety of facilities for live-assisted and automated radio stations.  It is available in several "editions", depending upon your end-use and budget.  The Edition vs Features table can be found here.

You Design the Layout
You are able to configure the screen layout and options to your own design and use only the facilities you require.  For instance, you can enable 1 Playlist and only 1 assigned Player to it - Or (if you have a multi-channel sound card), you can assign 3 Players to that Playlist.  Unlike many system, mAirList is flexible in that a Player can overlap audio whilst in Automation (so a simple automation machine need only 1 Player).  A Cartwall is also available - the Ramp/Outro markers can be shown in the progress bar of each Cartwall button which means that even songs can be fired from a touch-screen and include the vocal countdown.

v3.1 Alpha of mAirList includes the ability to add "command buttons" to the layout which can perform any mAirList Command eg: AUTOMATION NEXT , CARTWALL 1 START or any of the many internal commands to control sound hardware (line-in muting), load playlists or control a USB I/O device.

Hardware, Serial, TCP/IP Commands
mAirList can also send/receive various commands (not only within itself) but via serial and TCP/IP connections - You could have a setup with 3 Playlists (1 for Automation and 2 for split Adverts/Jingles) and insert "commands" into your main Playlist to start Playlists 2+3 whilst waiting for them to play upto the next Break Marker.  These can be scheduled by your scheduler or added manually.

M3U Playlists
Industry-standard M3U-formatted playlists can be loaded for playout - this permits most schedulers to be used with mAirList.  StationPlaylist can schedule for mAirList including the Break/Command options for controlling playout/splits.

Split Ads and Playout
A certain US-written automation software supplier boasts that you can run multiple copies of their software on your on-air PC and split adverts or run more than 1 station from a single computer.  Of course, with mAirList - you can just add as many Playlists as you have radio stations/transmitters!  Now you can handle multi-way split advert breaks all from 1 program.  Simply create 1 Playlist and Player for each split and arrange the layout to suit.  You can schedule your main playlist to send an internal (or or network IP) command to start the Playlists and wait for them to finish - 1 split Playlist will obviously need a "return to automation" command at the end of each Ad Break.  Keyboard keys can be mapped to several commands allowing a single button (such as a Tipro keyboard) to start a 3-way split advert break.  The configurations are almost infinite.

Of of the screen layout, text font/size/colour and other attributes are controlled via the skin.ini file - The layout (size/position) of screen objects (Playlist, Players, Cartwall, Clock etc) are controlled by the main program which can open a layout window and allow you to move each object "live" and save the settings aftewards.  A dual-head graphics card is great if you wish to display a Playlist, several Players, Cartwall and File Browser.  Virtually any layout is possible, limited only by your imagination.

mAirList to Delimited File Script ...  This script exports the mAirList information to a delimited text file.  My delimiter is the ¬ character as there is no likelihood of it appearing in a song string!  I use this script to merge my mAirList data into the ID3 tags of my songs via MP3Tag which allows you to tag files from a text file, eg:

• %artist%¬%title%¬%cue%¬%intro%¬%sectone%¬%segue%¬%end%¬%comment%
  The ARTIST, TITLE, CUE, INTRO and SEGUE fields are directly compatible with StationPlaylist (APE)
  The ARTIST, TITLE, INTRO, SECTONE and END fields are directly compatible with AudioEnhanceDPS (ID3) - the DPS Segue marker is called SECTONE and is the time (in mS) from the end of the file.

If you want to export your mAirList cue data (artist, title, cue in, ramp, fade out and comment fields) to BCX3 .bcx files then you can download my mAirList2BCX script which willl do that for you.

Split Advert Help
Here are some tips for split adverts and multi-platform distribution (that sounded quite posh).  Using a hidden feature called "Regional Containers", you can define several sound devices (a multi-channel or surround-sound card is a must) and give them names ie: "Hot Hits FM West" and "Hot Hits FM East".  By adding some custom commands to your scheduler (Natural Music, PowerGold and StationPlaylist Creator are 100% compatible), you can create split adverts and jingles very easily.  The #mAirList commands can be entered as BreakNotes (or Clock Text) and your audio inserted in-between them using the following format:

#mAirList BEGINREGIONCONTAINER container title
#mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\Audio\Region 1 - Jingle 1.mp3
#mAirList ENDCONTAINER
#mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\Audio\Region 2 - Jingle 1.mp3
#mAirList ENDCONTAINER
#mAirList ENDREGIONCONTAINER

The above example is a 2-way split, here's a 3-way:

#mAirList BEGINREGIONCONTAINER container title
#mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\Audio\Region 1 - Jingle 1.mp3
#mAirList ENDCONTAINER
#mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\Audio\Region 2 - Jingle 1.mp3
#mAirList ENDCONTAINER
#mAirList BEGINCONTAINER Container
C:\Audio\Region 3 - Jingle 1.mp3
#mAirList ENDCONTAINER
#mAirList ENDREGIONCONTAINER

You can add as many regions as you have sound devices.  A pro multi-channel or surround-sound card is essential - You can utilize the front/rear outputs to create your splits if you wish.  In mAirList, the Regional Container will appear as a single item and play within the main Playlist.  Although it'll appear to "play" via one of the main Players, the sound of each regional audio file will be sent to the specified device.  This negates the need for a separate Playlist/Player per split - saving system resources.  You'll also have to be monitoring "off-air" in order to hear a Regional feed as they won't be playing via a fader ;)

Configuration
Add this bit to mairlist.ini, the description can be whatever you like:

[Regions]
Item0=Hot Hits AM
Item1=Hot Hits FM
Item2=etc
Item3=etc

You can define as many Regions as you need - The new mAirList v3 has a nice feature on the Cartwall which allows a CartStack to be created and with each press of the Cartwall button, each audio item is fired (EncoDAD users will recognise this as a Rotate Cut) - you could stack-up all your Regional IDs into one Cartwall button and simply press it each time you wanted to fire a split jingle.

Microphones
Last updated 21st October 2009

This article will outline several studio-quality microphones, their price, good/bad points and also (where possible) some sound clips...

Microphone Pulley System
Last updated 19th September 2009

This design first appeared on my website in 2003 and is probably the most popular topic that you lovely readers contact me about ;)  The description below is quite dated and various people have found ways of making them - but the basic concept/design is shown below.

This device is used at many radio stations (BBC Radio 1, Capital FM, Kiss100, Virgin Radio) as a means of controlling the presenter's microphone without using a traditional anglepoise (lamp arm).

This has several benefits:-

• Reduces clutter on work-surface

• Noise-free movement

• Can be moved when not needed

• Can be positioned anywhere within a 3-dimensional area

• Download the Clyde Broadcast PDF Document for their version of the Mic Pulley
  From memory, the manufacturer of this product was a company called DC2Light.

It's only real drawback is that it can only really be used for the presenter, it cannot easily be swung around for others to use. The pulley works by using counter-weights, the Microphone acting as the "load" - It is suspended by 3 cords (nylon or fishing line) from the ceiling and routed to a corner of the studio where they drop down alongside the wall with the 3 counter-weights on the end.  Once balanced, the mic pulley will allow the presenter to move the microphone just by "picking it up" and placing it where they need it. The Mic Pulley works best with a split-desk configuration - A console with 2 fader banks angled away from the Presenter and allows the centre of the desk to be used for notes and scripts.

Construction & Details
The Microphone mount is made out of a turned piece of wood (Grandad helped here), this has a metal 5/8" thread glued into it which screws directly onto the Mic holder. I have reproduced the image below, I am no artist so I hope that this is understandable! There are 3 small holes drilled (vertically) through lip of the wooden holder, and these have the nylon cord (or fishing line) threaded through them. The top of the holder can hold a Microphone flag (as seen on reporter's microphones).

These are some of the mounts that I've made using a wood-lathe - they can be painted to match your studio decor or left au-natural!

All 3 suspension wires travel up to a metal eyelet, which is screwed into the ceiling. These are available in most DIY stores. If using fishing line, then movement of the Microphone is virtually silent. All of the 3 wires are then routed to a corner of the Studio, and each pass through a further eyelet (6 required in total), which distance each counter-weight so that they do not bang against each other.

The counter-weights are made out of 3 pieces of copper water-pipe, about 1.5cm diameter. At the bottom of each piece of pipe, I have wedged half a wine-cork (which, in my house, are in plentiful supply) which stops the metal ball-bearings (or marbles) from falling out. The ball-bearings are probably the easiest objects to use as weights, since you can place them one-by-one until the system balances. An alternative is sand, but it could get messy. Drill a 3mm hole through the top of the pipe (horizontally) and thread a tie-wrap through - This will support the nylon cord (I used fishing line) whilst the weight is hanging in the air.

The 3 wires are mounted in a triangle formation, 1 in front of the presenter, facing forwards and the other 2 each side and behind. The ceiling mounts need to have a diameter of between 2 and 3 metres to allow for proper movement of the Microphone. The only thing you need to do next is attach your Microphone and wire it up. I suggest making a special coily lead using as light-weight cable as possible. The coiled cable should travel about halfway up the centre-wire and then plug into a ceiling-mounted XLR socket.

XLR Connections
Pin1: Screen (black or screen)
Pin2: + Phase (red)
Pin3: -  Phase (white)

MP3Tags - manipulating APE and IDv3 tags for playout applications
Last updated 26th December 2009

I use MP3Tag to manage my collection of music - the tags that I enter are standard ID3 v1+2 Artist, Title, Genre and Year.  I also use several broadcast-friendly fields such as Category, Gender, Intro, Opener and EndType.  Luckily, these extra tags are able to be read in a couple of playout applications, namely: AudioEnhanceDPS (IDv3) and StationPlaylist Studio (APE).

I use the following tags (some are AudioEnhanceDPS tags rather than official ID3 ones):

• %CATEGORY% - Playlist category/song type (a mirror of the Genre field)

• %CUE IN% - Time (in mS) when the song starts

• %COMPOSER% - Gender of track: Duet, Female, Group, Male

• %END% - (e)nd or (f)ade

• %OPENER% - 0 is normal, -1 is opener

• %LEVEL% - Usually 1 but you can use DPS Levels to specify popularity of a particular category

• %SEC TONE% - Time (in mS) when the next item will start.  Note: this is time FROM the end of the file, not the start!

• %INTRO% - Time (in mS) before the vocal

• %DISCNUMBER% - CD Number from my own personal collection

• %TRACK% - Track number from my own personal collection

StationPlaylist Studio compatible tags are:

• %CUE% - Time (in mS) when the song starts

• %INTRO% - Time (in mS) before the vocal intro

• %SEGUE% - Time (in mS) when the next item will start

• %SEGUEDB% - A value of 1 tells SPLStudio to automatically segue based on a dB threshold. Set to -12 (or another dB value) for "segue based on level".

So - in short, if you want to use (or currently use): AudioEnhanceDPS, BCX3, DARP, mAirList or StationPlaylist Studio - you can share the data and move it from one system to another using either this article or a script from my Downloads page.

mAirList to Delimited File Script ...  This script exports the mAirList information to a delimited text file.  My delimiter is the ¬ character as there is no likelihood of it appearing in a song string!  I use this script to merge my mAirList data into the ID3 tags of my songs via MP3Tag which allows you to tag files from a text file, eg:

• %artist%¬%title%¬%cue%¬%intro%¬%sectone%¬%segue%¬%end%¬%comment%
  The ARTIST, TITLE, CUE, INTRO and SEGUE fields are directly compatible with StationPlaylist (APE)
  The ARTIST, TITLE, INTRO, SECTONE and END fields are directly compatible with AudioEnhanceDPS (ID3) - the DPS Segue marker is called SECTONE and is the time (in mS) from the end of the file.

How I Handle My Data
This is a simple step-by-step guide to how I import new music into my collection...

• Put new songs into a folder called HOLDING ZONE

• Ensure filenames are ARTIST - TITLE

• Load songs into MyLibrary, set Cue, Intro and Segue points plus other attributes (Gender, End, Tempo etc)

• Details are then saved to APE/ID3v1+v2 tags plus .bcx data files

• Move songs to main MUSIC folder

This process allows for seamless integration with 4 playout systems (plus my own project, JockMaster)

Natural Music
Last updated 19th September 2009

Natural Music is a scheduling package mainly used in the United States by radio stations who wish to control the rotation of their songs - It's a direct rival to RCS Selector, Music1 and Powergold.  See further down for my Powergold section...

These import settings were created via MP3Tag which has produced a comma-delimited output file.  I use the Track field to denote an Hour Opener.  Note that I have also selected WEBAudioSource as an import field - This allows Natural Music to play the file in your default media player.

You can use the "Test Next Song" button to check each line before you import.

Song Data - Title/Artist
Here's the main information panel for a song card - You can edit/set various options here.  Most of this can be imported via your CSV/Library file.

Song Data - Music Coding
This is where your music attributes are defined - Gender, Mood, Tempo etc.

You can also specify whether a song belongs to a Style, DayPart ID and AlsoProtect code.  See my Rules info below for how these attributes can help scheduling.

I use the ID3 Track field to denote an Hour Opener (a song with a powerful start).  This is shown by the asterisk * symbol.

Song Data - Internet Links
By importing the filename as a WEBAudioSource, you can listen to your songs via Natural Music.  Here's where you can manually set the file.

Style Codes
You can specify songs with a certain feel: Disco, Love etc.  These can be restricted using the Rules config (see below).

Also Protect Codes
You may know this one as "Related Artists".  Here, you can specify groups and their soloists in order to keep them apart.

My example here shows "Genesis" - which also has Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins assigned the AA AlsoProtect Code.

Same with the White Stripes - I have also set the "Raconteurs" with the WS code.

Other Codes
Another set of rules which can be used to aid scheduling.

I use these to define my End and Fade songs - Because you cannot specify how a song ends within the Clock dialogue, you can use the Rule settings to limit how many of each type is played per hour (or played in a row).

See the Rules screenshot below for details.

DataPart Codes
I have 2 DayPart codes defined here - This shows the Explicit Songs group which are not allowed to be scheduled between 6am and 7pm.  Any song with rude lyrics has been assigned this DayPart ID.

As you can see, I also have a "Love Songs" group, this is set to only play between 9pm and Midnight.

Rules Configuration
These are the main rule settings.  Here you can see my Other and Style codes and how they are used in the scheduling process.  It's possible to define Artist and Gender rules, too.

Artists are set to never play more often than every 3 hours, with an "ideal" of 5 hours.

Because I like hearing bands, I've got the Gender rules for Male and Female soloists set to a maximum of 5 per hour, whilst up to 8 groups can be played.

When Disco songs are selected, I've opted to prevent for than 3 disco tracks in a row from being selected as well as ensuring that a maximum of 8 per hour are played.

You can use more than 1 RuleSet if you wish - This enables you to assign a specific RuleSet for certain times of the day.  An example of this is perhaps a Saturday night where you wish for the majority of songs to be Disco tracks - So you'd want to change the Style-Disco rule to enable more songs to play and probably more in a row.

NowPlaying Goodies
Last updated 19th September 2009

You will need some PHP knowledge in order to make use of these scripts...

AudioEnhance PlayingNow Template
StationPlaylist Studio Template

Paste the template file into the window on the NowPlaying page in either PlayingNow or Studio, and set the FTP details for your site.  Then, in your page, use a PHP Include statement to reference the now playing file:

Here is a typical example of using the strings in a PHP page:

You can easily add/remove the strings to suit your needs but my examples serve as a starting point ;)

Phone Calls OnAir
Last updated 19th September 2009

One of the common issues with a small/budget studio is how to get telephone callers onair via the desk.  A few problems spring to mind: cost of telephone balance unit, line quality, and clean-feeds.  There are various telephone hybrid boxes available (the most common being Sonifex).  There are other makes that are not as pricey - Expect to pay at least £150 for a basic "passive" unit.  Another way is to take advantage of the internet and use voice-over-IP (SIP or Skype) - Personally, I prefer SIP as you can get a variety of software switchboards, phone clients and actual telephone hardware.  The "real" phones just need an ethernet connection and run without a PC (initial setup/admin is done via a web-browser).  3CX offer a free SIP-based PBX server that handles multiple lines, extensions and voicemails.  It even offers the "press 1 for sales, press 2 to technical support" virtual receptionist.  Voicemails are saved in WAV format and can easily be edited+played live onair with little fuss.

See my SIP VoIP section for more info on this software. 

Clean Feeds: This is a common problem with budget mixers.  Luckily, we usually have an AUX bus to play with - this is exactly what we need.  A broadcast telephone system requires a clean-feed to be sent back down the phone line to the caller - There are 2 ways of achieving this:  Either by a special clean-feed output whereby the mixer does it for you, or by using an external box that takes a feed of the main mixer output and the telephone signal and phases the telephone out.  The former is the preferred way!

Using your AUX bus is simple: Plugthe AUX output into your telephone hybrid, but turn down the AUX knob on the telephone channel - In other words, the caller gets the whole mixer EXCEPT their own voice.

You may wish to insert a signal processor between the hybrid and the desk - In the past, I've used a Behringer Multicom to provide a noise-gate and a bit of compression/limiting.  You can do the same for the AUX output if you wish - you'll need to experiment with a few calls to see/hear how it all sounds as landlines and mobiles tend to vary.

Powergold
Last updated 11th October 2009

Powergold is something I demo'd in late 2008, and I quite like it - far more than Natural Music.

Powergold is a lease-only program and sadly is not available "buy-out" - They also have an interesting licensing procedure whereby they licence you a "folder" for your library meaning that you can only manage 1 database (fair but sneaky!).  Playlist exports can be done for most playout systems by selecting it from the drop-down list, or you can create and save your own custom template - this allows Powergold to interface to practically any automation system available.

Here's the Powergold Library view - it shows a tree-view of Categories (both music and non-music) along with sub-folders with those categories.  The song viewer is totally configurable and you can choose to display any song property that you like.  You may sort via any visible field - or create a custom filter, eg: show songs in your global folder with a Genre of LOVE that you want to move into a special category.  Any field can be filtered in this way (or added to the filter rule).

This is the Clock window that lists how the hour looks and what is scheduled.  The red entries are Properties and are extra bits of information about a song - you may create as many properties as you wish.  Typically, they would be used for Gender, Opener and SweepIntros.  This means you can force a Powergold to pick a Category item with a particular property at that particular position: a song with a powerful intro for your top-of-hour, a song with a vocal so that a sweeper can play into it...

Properties can be set in bulk - ie: you can highlight all your Duets and mark them as such, or add Years to a customer "Property".  The example below shows a typical clock-list of items with Properties in use:

Powergold's website has a very good set of tutorial videos for most of the program's features - click here to see it.

PowerGold Tips 'n' Tricks
Some solutions to commonly-asked questions...

Importing Your Data
This is a task that you will (hopefully) only have to perform once... A few custom fields (and Song Properties) need to be created so that Powergold has as much detail as possible from your import file.  Typically, I would include: Artist, Title, RunTime (mm:ss), Year, Year (property), Genre (property), EndStyle, Gender (property), Notes,  FileName (custom field).

I cannot stress how amazing MP3Tag is for things like this - the exporting of your tag data is achieved via an export file that accepts any valid IDv3 field (or custom field).  Download my Powergold Export File as a guide.  You can also use MyLibrary for song tagging as it exports a delimited file which Powergold can read.

BIG TIP!  I strongly advise you to ensure that your songs are correctly tagged and have as much information as possible - there are various auto-tagging applications out there so if you wish to bulk-add years or correct spelling mistakes, then so much the better.  Remember - a scheduler doesn't know that BRIAN FERRY and BRYAN FERRY are the same person - so check your tags/filenames...

It is possible to "update" Powergold's database with new ID3 data (such as Intros) as you tag them - you have the option of modifying existing songs when you import from a text-file.  This process, however, will replace any matching fields - so, if you're original MP3 has a blank year field and you've filled it in from Powergold, you will loose that year data!  The workaround is to either update your details via MP3Tag and "slipstream" them into your existing Powergold database, or (the better way), create a 2nd export template in MP3Tag (and a matching Powergold Import template) that only contains the Artist, Title and whatever fields you wish to update (ie: INTRO).

For updating Powergold with new ID3 data - this export template will allow you to update the Powergold database with the new information.  It should only contains the fields that you have updated as all others will be erased ;)

It is likely that you will be presented with errors during this process as Powergold's Artist and Title fields are limited to 50 character - So if you import fields are longer, you will be asked if you want to match the imported song with an existing library song.  The following example shows the import wizard of a tab-delimited text file as created by MP3Tag...

Importing Data

The most important aspect of database is for it to know where your songs are - Unfortunately, the HardDiskLocation field only permits a maximum of 75 characters for the file - which is fine for cart-number files but a bit rubbish if you're using Artist - Title.mp3 so the first thing you need to do (yes, before you import any music into Powergold) is to create a CustomField called FileName which will allow you to import longer filenames into the database.

Also remember to include that field in the Automation Export Template as most default to HardDiskLocation ;)

The Opener properties of 0 and -1 were inherited from AudioEnhanceDPS so I've kept to the format.  -1 denotes an Opener and 0 doesn't.  You can easily do a mass-change of -1 to "Opener" later on - this is one of Powergold's usefuly features: the ability to mass-change fields/properties...  This is good if you need to tweak your imported data or need to move songs around in bulk.

Getting StationPlaylist Studio to accept PowerGold logs
The following is the result of a few hour's day's head-scratching and several cups of coffee...

Powergold outputs a daily schedule file - SPL Studio prefers an hourly playlist (otherwise you lose ability to handle events/timings).  Due to this small hurdle, a little bit of Visual Basic was called for - PlaylistSplitter reads a folder of playlists (such as M3U files) and splits them up into hourly files, eg: SEP14.M3U becomes SEP14-00.M3U , SEP14-01.m3u , SEP14-02.m3u and so on up until SEP14-23.m3u.

Suggested PowerGold Output Template:
#EXTINF:0,|ARTIST|TITLE|CATEGORY|MACHINE|SLOT||INDEX|||||||
FILENAME (CUSTOM FIELD)

Default SPL Creator Output Template (for reference):
#EXTINF:%S,|%a|%t|%c|%E|%M|0|%C|%i|%Y|%Z|%q|%o|%Q|%O
%n%p\%f%e

Default SPL Creator BreakNote Template:
#EXTINF:%S,|%a|%t|%c|%E|%M|0|%C|%i|%Y|%Z|%q|%o|%Q|%O
%n%u

%E = Timed Event Type: 0=Non-timed, 1=Schedule Next, 2=Instant
%M = Timed Minute of event, 60=End of hour
%C = Track type: 0=Song, 1=Spot, 3=BreakNote, 7=Voicetrack

Break-Notes MUST be entered into the Music Library as a "non music event".  SPL Studio uses 2-lines per playlist item and we can't do that using an AutomationCommand or  Clock Note.  The following shows the minimum requirements for a valid playlist type:

NORMAL BREAK NOTE
#EXTINF:0,|Break Note|:20 AD BREAK|Break Note||||3|||||||
:20 AD BREAK

TIMED BREAK NOTE - schedule-next, 58 mins past hour
#EXTINF:0,|Break Note|MOVE HERE @ 58|Timed Break Note|1|58||3|||||||
MOVE HERE @ 58

JINGLE/SPOT GROUP
#EXTINF:0,|Ident|Music of Your Life|Jingles||||1|||||||
C:\JINGLES\Ident - Music of Your Life.mp3

DRY/VOICETRACK
#EXTINF:0,|Dry|Now Playing Everywhere|Sweepers||||7|||||||
C:\JINGLES\Dry - Now Playing Everywhere.mp3

SONG
#EXTINF:0,|Finley Quaye|Sunday Shining|My Music|||||||||||
C:\MUSIC\Finley Quaye - Sunday Shining.mp3

This is the automation export template, taken from automation.aut which resides in your library folder.  You can open this file in Notepad and paste this data in directly and then it'll appear in the automation drop-down list.  I think this method is easier than squinting at my screenshots ;)

Powergold Automation Export - click for larger images

[StationPlaylist Studio]
Name Of Automation System=StationPlaylist Studio
Type Of Automation File=Other
Delimiter=
Use Command Scheduler=False
Use Voice Tracks=False
Extra Lines Below Songs=0
Apply Clock Note Line And Space Rules=False
Apply Clock Note Printing Rules=False
Notes On Separate Lines=False
Notes On Separate Lines Wrap=False
Output File Name Mask=MMMDD
Output File Name Extension=m3u
Other Output File Name=
Destination File Path=C:\Powergold\Library
Header File=Header.txt
Footer File=
Traffic Default Media=
Traffic Default Hard Disk Location=
Traffic Default Source=
End Of Song Delimiter=
Field 1 Name=Character String
Field 1 Character String="#EXTINF:0,"
Field 1 Width=10
Field 2 Name=Character String
Field 2 Character String="|"
Field 2 Width=1
Field 3 Name=Artist
Field 3 Width=0
Field 4 Name=Character String
Field 4 Character String="|"
Field 4 Width=1
Field 5 Name=Title
Field 5 Width=0
Field 6 Name=Character String
Field 6 Character String="|"
Field 6 Width=1
Field 7 Name=Category
Field 7 Width=0
Field 8 Name=Character String
Field 8 Character String="|"
Field 8 Width=1
Field 9 Name=Machine
Field 9 Width=0
Field 10 Name=Character String
Field 10 Character String="|"
Field 10 Width=1
Field 11 Name=Slot
Field 11 Width=0
Field 12 Name=Character String
Field 12 Character String="|0|"
Field 12 Width=3
Field 13 Name=Index
Field 13 Width=0
Field 14 Name=Character String
Field 14 Character String="|||||||"
Field 14 Width=7
Line 2 Field 1 Name=Custom: FileName
Line 2 Field 1 Width=0
Database Filename=music.txt
Hours To Create Monday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Tuesday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Wednesday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Thursday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Friday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Saturday=111111111111111111111111
Hours To Create Sunday=111111111111111111111111

The Header file requires some changes, too... In SPL Studio, each hour requires the #EXTM3U header and for debugging with my PlaylistSplitter application, I have added a break-note to show the Clock Name and Hour so that you can tell if the hours are aligned correctly.  You don't want this breaknote if you also export to a normal M3U as some players (mAirList, for example) will report a missing file based upon the 2nd line <ClockName> etc.  SPL Studio has it's own Hour Headers anyway but the example below is a starting point for you.

This is the Header File. Each hour line begins with a triple slash followed by the hour (00-23).
Beneath each hour line, optionally insert one or more lines of Header text.
Header text is the first thing in the hour. (Do not delete the hour lines.)
In addition to text, you can optionally add System Variables anywhere in your header files.
***Beginning of Header File***
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///00
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///01
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///02
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///03
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///04
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///05
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///06
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///07
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///08
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///09
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///10
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///11
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///12
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///13
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///14
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///15
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///16
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///17
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///18
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///19
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///20
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///21
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///22
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00
///23
#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:0,|<Break Note>|<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>|NOTES|||0|3|||||||
<ClockName></ClockName> Clock for <Hour>HH</Hour>:00

There'll be more added to this shortly ;)

RDS Control over IP
Last updated 19th September 2009

Using Pira's free "Magic RDS" software (below), you can set all the usual parameters (PS, PT, RT and TA flag etc) locally at your studio and then use their Remote COM Port utility as a virtual serial-port to link the software to the encoder.

The Remote COM Port utility sits on the same machine as your RDS encoder and accepts incoming connections via IP and presents them as a virtual COM port which then talks to the RDS unit.

RPL Radionet MC2 Mixing Product Information
Last updated 19th September 2009

The models I had were made in 1997 and were originally in the SBN studios before being used on the short-lived station Zeta Digital.  I sold on the split-desk and kept the 12ch main frame console for a while.  After some assistance from a couple of radio colleagues, I was able to obtain plenty of information (along with a photocopy of the set-up guide).  Unfortunately, Roy Parsons of RPL Radio was no help at all and didn't even reply to any of my e-mails, nor did he bother to respond to my phone calls.  The following information is based upon my notes and details supplied by Iain Betson and Richard Lawley.

Noise Level -78dBu
Input Level 0dBu or -10dBu
Distortion 0.01%
Max Output Level +25dBu

Main PCB Cermet Trim Pots
Under the 2 master modules, you will find a raised PCB mounted above the main channels PCB for that section. Both boards contain trim pots.

Raised PCB: 4x grey trim pots, 2 trim pots mounted sideways
Grey Top pair: Desk Out Left/Right Trim
Grey Bottom pair: Record Out Drive Left/Right Trim
Sideways pair: Cue Level reference to Desk Output

To calibrate - Run a 0dB tone (Cool Edit) through a channel on PreFade, set the Cue Level reference so that the meters read PPM 4. Then adjust the top pair of grey trims to set the main desk output level. Now you can set the record output to match the main desk out.

(hint: alternatining between the desk/rec monitor will enable you to see the differing PPM values)

Bottom PCB: 10x blue trim pots

PGM Button
Allows monitoring of the local desk output.

REC Button
Allows the monitoring of the record bus. This is the whole desk output unless the Record Defeat button is selectedd.

Record Defeat
This button allows channels to be removed from the main mix and sent only to the record output - for off-air recording/production.  Pressing both the PGM+REC buttons together will create a mix of both
desk and record outputs, allowing you to voicetrack. ie: divert your presenter mic via the Record Defeat option, and still monitor the playout channels so you can talk in/out the music.  The Record Defeat also allows the local microphones and telco channels to interact with each other. ie: if you use Record Defeat with the presenter mic and telco channel, the caller is sent a clean feed of the record mix, allowing you to hold an off-air (recordable) conversation with them.

RPL 828 Router - an offer/accept unit
A transmission router using the "offer/accept" principle. It allows up to 4 stereo sources to be switched in this way, plus 2 more stereo inputs to be toggled on/off (such as news/sat feeds).  This configuration can allow 4 Studios to be routed on-air, or 2 Studio plus their stereo Playout feeds. The 8 Buttons for this config would be: Studio 1 / Auto 1 / Studio 2 / Auto 2 - offer+accept for each.

You'd then have 2 final stereo inputs that can be switched on/off via I/O signalling from your mixer  or playout system... Typical usage would be IRN/Hit40UK satellite feeds or remote sources that need
to be routed to air during automation.

Powers-up with LEDs 1+8 illuminated, therfore:

1: Automation
3: Studio 1
6: Studio 2
8: IRN/Satellie

Control Pin (to Gnd) Audio Input LED Low
6 1 18+23+25
7 3 18+23+25
9 6

Toggle - for IRN/Outside Source Feeds
10 8

Serial Port Pinouts
Last updated 19th September 2009

I regularly connect things to my computer's serial port - I nearly always end up Googling for the pinouts!  So, here's a list of the pins and their use:

1: DCD Data Carrier Detect
2: RX - Receive Data
3: TX - Transmit Data
4: DTR - Data Terminal Ready
5: Ground
6: DSR - Data Set Ready
7: RTS - Request To Send
8: CTS - Clear To Send
9: RI - Ring Indicator

EchoLink PTT Switch: CTS - this is a simple push-to-make switch that enables EchoLink to be used with a fist mic (it auto-selects the Mic Input)
EchoLink COR Sense: DSR - runs off the radio's squelch pin, +5v for busy (but can be inverted for 0v busy)
EchoLink PTT: RTS - +v when EchoLink wants to transmit.  Optocoupler or NPN transistor required for PTT interfacing

SIP VoIP PBX Switchboard
Last updated 19th September 2009

Using an account/s via the Sipgate website, you can direct a national/local/geographical number to your computer's VoIP software (such as X-Lite) or dedicated telephone hardware.  3CX off a great free PBX server which runs in the background on your PC and takes incoming calls from multiple SIP accounts, handles dialling out, DDI, voicemail and a digital receptionist ("press 1 for sales" etc).  Any internal SIP phone (whether software or a "real" phone) can dial out (subject to account credit) to an external BT number or make/receive calls within the local switchboard.  You can call an extension directly or dial a digital receptionist extension to go through the menu options (if you can't remember the extension number!).

As you can see - the configuration of the server is quite simple and accomplished via your web-browser.  Simply enter the username/password of your main SIP account/s and add some extensions - then point your soft/hardware SIP phones to your local server.  Great if you've got a few rooms that all have (W)LAN and may benefit from being able to call each other.

The only minor issue with 3CX is you are only given one generic voicemail greeting.  I have gotten around this by adding a further Digital Receptionist for each custom voicemail greeting.  You can then record a custom greeting and only offer a "press 0 to return to main menu" option.  Then use the final setting to default to your voicemail extension after a few seconds.

Your incoming SIP account can divert to a 2nd destination outside "office hours" (which you can define).  Ideal if you want the phone to ring in your bedroom after 9pm and before 9am, but downstairs during the day/evening.

Sonifex Discart Wiring
Last updated 19th September 2009

These machines were 3.5" floppy disk jingle players/recorders. They used 1.44MB(2MB) + 2.88MB(4MB ED) disks to play audio at various sample rates from 22KHz to 48KHz... A normal 1.44MB HD disk could fit 37 seconds of 44.1KHz, 16bit stereo audio - useful for jingles and adverts.

DX300 TripleStack Player/Recorder
This had only 1 stereo output and the slots did not overlap.  Used with a mini-keyboard, you could easily record and name tracks.  4MB ED disks are now very rare, and the drives have been obsolete since 1999 (Sony and Mitsumi made them).

Remote Start Pinouts

• Pin 1 0v (common)

• Pin 2  play 1 switch (momentary make to common)

• Pin 3  play 1 lamp

• Pin 4  play 2 switch (momentary make to common)

• Pin 5  play 2 lamp

• Pin 6  play 3 switch (momentary make to common)

• Pin 7  play 3 lamp

• Pin 8  Recue switch (momentary make to common)

• Pin 9  Recue lamp

• Pin 10 Record Tally (Open collector 40ma sink in record)

• Pin 11 Studio on line

• Pin 12 Select Switch (momentary make to common)

• Pin 13 Cue Output

• Pin 14 Cue Output

• Pin 15 Cue Output

Sonifex microHS Cart Machine Wiring
Last updated 19th September 2009

Once the unit is powered and connected to a Mixer, you can insert a Cartridge - The machine will engage the Pinch Motor to bring the Capstan just behind the tape. The STOP light will also illuminate. If the interlink cable on Socket C is connected to another machine(s) then the Q LED will illuminate to show that Sequence is possible - To disable, press the STOP button twice.  You can disable the Primary Cue during Playback (loop mode) by pressing START while playing. This illuminates the L LED and the Cartridge will play continuously until you press PLAY to re-activate the Primary Cue, or STOP.  To Fast Cue a Cartridge to the next Primary Cue, just press the FAST button. The audio will mute and the cart will cue-up at 3x normal speed.

Download Sonifex CQ Cart Machine Brochure : page 1 / page 2 / page 3 / page 4
Scanned by me from the original - if you want the full-size version, please contact me ;)

Pin Connections - Playback Unit
Socket A - Machine Remotes (6way Belling Lee Bleecon)
Pin1: Stop Switch
Pin2: Stop Lamp +
Pin3: Fast Switch
Pin4: Fast Lamp +
Pin5: Play Switch
Pin6: Play Lamp +
Screen: Common

Socket B - Record Unit Remote Link (7way Belling Lee Bleecon)
Pin1: Record Stop
Pin2: Common
Pin3: Right Head
Pin4: Record Enable
Pin5: Left Head
Pin6: Rec Fast Enable
Pin7: Cue Head
Screen: Screen

Socket C - Machine Interlink, Triple Stack (4way Belling Lee Bleecon)
Pin1: Common
Pin2: Secondary Cue
Pin3: Remote Play
Pin4: Tertiary Cue

Signal Outputs - XLR-3-32
Pin1: Screen
Pin2: + Phase
Pin3: -  Phase

FSK Output - XLR-4-32
Pin1: Screen
Pin2: + Phase
Pin3: -  Phase
Pin4: n/c

Pin Connections - Record Unit
Socket D - Machine Remotes (6way Belling Lee Bleecon)
Pin1: Tertiary Switch
Pin2: Tertiary Lamp
Pin3: Secondary Switch
Pin4: Secondary Lamp
Pin5: Record Switch
Pin6: Record Lamp
Screen: Common

Socket B - Record Unit/Replay Machine Remote Link (7way Belling Lee Bleecon)
Pin1: Record Stop
Pin2: Common
Pin3: Right Head
Pin4: Record Enable
Pin5: Left Head
Pin6: Record Fast Enable
Pin7: Cue Head
Screen: Screen

Signal Inputs - XLR-3-31
Pin1: Screen
Pin2: + Phase
Pin3: -  Phase

FSK Input - XLR-4-31
Pin1: Control Common
Pin2: Control FSK
Pin3: Common Input
Pin4: FSK Signal Input

Signal Outputs - XLR-3-32
Pin1: Screen
Pin2: + Phase
Pin3: -  Phase

Canford Audio stock the 2pin power connectors, and the mini-DIN remote plugs.

LED Displays
The front panel LEDs: P, S, T, L + Q are used to indicate the Cue conditions and the mode of machine operation. The Primary (or Stop) Cue P will illuminate when a Stop Cue is detected. Similarly the S or Secondary Cue indicator will illuminate when a Secondary Cue Pulse is detected. The T indicated will illuminate when a Tertiary Cue is detected. The LED L is an indication of the LOOP status of the machine and when L is illuminated, the Primary + Secondary Cues are ignored by the machine which will continue running but illuminating the relevant front panel LED. The LOOP status, enagaged by pressing the Play switch twice is useful when testing and aligning the machine. The LED Q when illuminated, indicates that the machine will automatically "sequence" when connected as a triple-stack player, ie: Machine #1 when playing will start Machine #2 at the Secondary Cue...etc... This mode can be disenabled by pressing the STOP switch twice before inserting the Cartridge.

Cartridge Fail
A faulty Cartridge having a back tension higher than normal will be detected by the X-2 sensor circuitry and drop the pinch roller from PLAY into the REST position, ie: fully down and flast the STOP lamp rapidly. The Cartridge must be removed from the Machine if faulty. A rapidly flashing STOP lamp indicates a Cartridge fail.

Timer
The digital timer fitted to the X-2 player has several functions. The timer illumination acts as an "ON" indicator, showing that the Machine is ready for use. The timer indicates 1/10th seconds, seconds, minutes and tens of minutes, and is reset to zero by re-inserting a Cartridge into the slot. When running normally in PLAY mode, the timer will indicate the actual running time of the Cartridge. When a Secondary (FAST) Cue is detected, or when the Machine is placed into Fast Cue the timer freezes to indicate programme time.

When the Cartridge stops on the Primary (STOP) Cue, the timer will indicate the total Cartridge time from start to finish. This reading is held on the timer until a new Cartridge is inserted.

Studio OnAir Lights
Last updated 19th September 2009

You'll see these at the studios of Capital/Virgin...etc. They are basically a wooden mount with a radio-clock and several lamps - These show Mic Live, Phone, Alert and other messages that are useful to the presenters. I made a small one of these about a year ago, and have decided to make a larger (more sexy!) one... It's made from 18mm MDF which you can pick up at any decent DIY store, some sticky-back plastic (aka: Fablon).

The circular hole is made according to the size of your radio clock. I suggest the 12" Smiths RTR30 from CPC, it's £28 but worth it. Very reliable. I don't recommend the Canford Audio ones as I've encountered 2 that have gone a bit loopy - That's not to say they are bobbins, just that I prefer the one I use.

If you're prefer a software option - check out mAirListClock and StudioScreen ;)

Here is a quick drawing of the unit

Now we come to the lights and switching circuitry - This is best achieved by mounting it in a 1U rack-case. If you are using a broadcast mixer, it should have an "on-air signalling" output (a latching contact when the mic is on). The Track End, Studio On and Phone lights are a little more complex. The "Track End" light is sourced from the EOM pins of your CD/MD machines (Denon DN machines are compatible). This provides a visual warning that the song/item is about to finish.

This works in the same way as your mic-live light. A closing contact will drive a relay, this switches over the mains to the lamp. Depending on how you configure the logic, the "Track End" light can remain static, or flash with the CD/MD machines. If the phone channel has a remote for the "on" LED, you can wire that up to the switching circuit.