Airtime Setup Query
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Chris ReevesChris Reeves
    Posts: 1Member
    Dear Sourcefabric users

    I am the newly appointed manager of RED Radio at the University of Essex.

    Unfortunately, I took over what can only really be described as a sinking ship. My technical knowledge isn't that advanced and I was left with no training or documentation as to how our setup actually works.

    My members are looking to me to introduce some new functions to our system, and I was wondering if you could help me determine if they were possible with airtime.

    I have limited knowledge of our current setup, but I will tell you what I know.

    We operate through an Alice board, with two connected computers.

    One computer has uses an old version of Myriad, along with an automation program called DiAttoire (or something similar)

    The second computer uses SimpleCast to broadcast over the web. However I intend to make the switch to Icecast

    We have a number of inputs including 3 microphones, a phoneline, mp3 jack, CD player and a turntable/mixer setup.

    The features I am looking to add are as follows:

    1) The ability to easily record and upload shows to the shoutcast system, or into mp3 format. I read that you can record to souncloud using your software, that would be great.

    2) The ability for users to broadcast remotely on some basic pc software, something I believe your software does.

    3) The ability to record and create our own jingles

    4) The ability to measure how many people are tuned in

    I realise this is a fairly large and complicated list, but if airtime can accomodate these needs I would be over the moon.

    Whilst our current setup works, it is fairly unreliable on the broadcast front, and lacks the features that a modern radio station should have.

    My main question will airtime it be compatable with our current hardware setup, especially the Alice board?

    Many thanks for your time in advance,

    Marshall
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  • Vote Up0Vote Down Matt GreenMatt Green
    Posts: 18Member

    Hi Chris,

    I am a former student radio station manager, so know exactly where your at! I took over what also could be described as a sinking ship. Fortunately - with a bit of help you should be able to get it afloat.

    Quote:
    We operate through an Alice board, with two connected computers.

    One computer has uses an old version of Myriad, along with an automation program called DiAttoire (or something similar)

    The second computer uses SimpleCast to broadcast over the web. However I intend to make the switch to Icecast

    We have a number of inputs including 3 microphones, a phoneline, mp3 jack, CD player and a turntable/mixer setup.


    Your current setup sounds perfectly adequate for student radio, and I must admit I am slightly jealous of your Alice mixer! Smile

    I assume you use Myriad for 'manual', presenter controlled, playout. And Direttore (which I assume is what you meant) must be doing your automated playout when there is nobody around?

    The second computer which is doing your streaming, if you want to use Airtime, would be what you need to change.
    SimpleCast is just a client for a Shoutcast/IceCast server - so you must have one of those running somewhere?


    Quote:
    1) The ability to easily record and upload shows to the shoutcast system, or into mp3 format. I read that you can record to souncloud using your software, that would be great.


    When you schedule an event within playtime, you have the option to have it as a recorded live event. When you do this the show is recorded at the scheduled time and added to the database. You can also mark it for upload to soundcloud if you so wish. So for this Airtime should meet your requirements out of the box.

    Quote:
    2) The ability for users to broadcast remotely on some basic pc software, something I believe your software does.


    This can be done using the Icecast mount's configuration and a client application such as SimpleCast. It is easy enough to do, but will require a bit of configuration. Nothing we cant talk you through here on the forum though.


    Quote:
    3) The ability to record and create our own jingles


    I'm not 100% sure I understand what you mean here? Would you be able to clarify and I will do my best to give you an answer.

    Quote:
    4) The ability to measure how many people are tuned in


    Icecast has a statistics page which gives you information like this - so again using an Airtime/Icecast setup will give you what you need.


    Quote:
    I realise this is a fairly large and complicated list, but if airtime can accomodate these needs I would be over the moon.


    Hopefully you will be able to sort everything you are after with Airtime or other solutions which I can suggest for you.

    Quote:
    My main question will airtime it be compatable with our current hardware setup, especially the Alice board?


    Yes. Airtime is essentially a gateway between your studio output and the streaming server. You will feed the audio output from your Alice mixer into your second PC's soundcard (as I assume you do now?) into it and then Icecast will output it to the stream.
    (Its a bit more complicated than that, and will need a bit of configuring but it shouldn't be too hard).

    When are you looking at making these changes - because the release of v2.0 has some new features (specifically rebroadcast of stream) which would be very helpful.

    I hope this helps you a bit?


    Matt
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