Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

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phonic
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Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by phonic »

1. Is it possible to separate the Advertising programme and run from a different PC? For example if someone calls for an advert, we don’t need to run to the studio and push the live presenter out the way to check slots,etc, but can be edited via a location PC in the office. I’ve noticed the programme when run outside of Proppfrexx has a password?

2. We plan to keep the setup the same with one control room that all studios feed to. What is the best practice for sending external studio audio to ProppFrexx ONAIR? Via Icecast server.

3. Region Settings from my searching uses multiple PCs running in master/slave configuration? Is it not possible to have different adverts tagged to route to different streams? For example: region1 -Stream1 - location 1 Transmitter Region2 -Stream2 - Location2 Transmitter and MAIN = ALL, so you can do targeting advertising for a customers.

4. We would like to take advantage of fader start automation on the Sonifex S2. What hardware would you recommend that works with Proppfrexx?

Thanks for your time in answering my questions.
phonic
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by phonic »

Thanks for your reply.

I will have a go with the shared advert directory. I was wondering how it linked and collected the information already entered. Is this also stored within the same advert directory? Does ProppFrexx rescan the directory automatically when changes are made to the directory?

"2. No. Icecast (or a like) add a huge latency. Best practice today is an Audio over IP driver for real-time bi-directional communication.
This is basically a virtual sound card driver which instead of using a physical card uses the network as it's transport layer.
The alternative to it is still a pure analog line ;-)"

That sounds interesting. We've used Sonifex PS-SENDS for some years that are Barix boards inside with added balanced and digital inputs.

Is this ProppFrexx offers or do I need to purchase additional software?
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radio42
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by radio42 »

1. When you made changes in the Advert Manager - you can click on the SYNC button. When you do so, this will notify ProppFrexx to reload the changes made. Else you can also decide to do it manually from within ProppFrexx.
Or at a last option the Advert Storage is always reloaded in the night at around a few minutes before midnight.

2. Yes, but I guess they also do offer Dante or Ravenna AoIP drivers.
However, this has nothing to do with FaderStart triggers.

3. I am not sure what you mean by: Is this ProppFrexx offers or do I need to purchase additional software?
ProppFrexx doesn't come with PS-SENDS or AoIP or alike, if that was the question.
phonic
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by phonic »

I think we're getting mixed up. talking about multiple things at the same time.

The PS-SENDS are hardware units from Sonifex we use to send live broadcasts to the main studio from other studios.

I was asking the best way to use this within Proppflex. I think I've found a way using "MODSTREAM_WATCHER_START http://ps-send-studiourl:port/studio1" in a script. Seems to work fine. just need to set the length of the programme, and add to the schedule.

AoIP would be of interest to link studios for multi studio live broadcasts. I was asking if Proppfrexx had the facility to do this or need to buy additional software from another company.

With regards to fader start/stop it requires some hardware USB/PCIe as it's a 9 pin D-type:
Pin 1: Opto isolated Line 1 start NPN collector.
Pin 2: Common NPN emitter for Line 1 start and stop.
Pin 3: Opto isolated Line 1 stop NPN collector.
Pin 4: Opto isolated Line 2 start NPN collector.
Pin 5: Common NPN emitter for Line 2 start and stop.
Pin 6: Opto isolated Line 2 stop NPN collector.
Pin 7: 0V logic.
Pin 8: General purpose I/O 1.
Pin 9: General purpose I/O 2.

Psquared sell the PCIe-1730 Hardware I/O Card for connecting the Sonifex S2 to their software Myraid for fader start/stop. Will this hardware work with Proppfrexx, or do you recommend another that will do the same job?
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radio42
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by radio42 »

PS-SENDS: understood.

The MODStream-Watcher is one option, you can also directly schedule a URL, e.g. within a script using the 'LoadTrack' mode. (Press and hold the SHIFT-Key and click on the '...' button at the end of the Enty line to invoke the ULR selector, there you can also specify a duration).

AoIP: I guess Sonifex also offers modules from Dante or Ravenna for their S2 (as alternatives instead of the Barix).
I am not selling these modules, nor the AoIP sound card drivers for the PC, but you can purchase them either directly from Sonifx or any other dealer. They operate like any other sound card, but are virtual in the network.

USB/PCIe (1730): I currently don't support that card (but the Velleman or the I/O Warrior card - not sure, if they also work with the Sonifex), but it seems, that adding support for the 1730 wouldn't be very difficult - but I might need to charge a bit for that custom support.
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radio42
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by radio42 »

1. Yes. The ProppFrexx Advert & News Management can of course be used on a different PC - that's also the reason, what it is a separate module. You basically just have to use a shared and common Advert-Storage-Path (e.g. a networked folder).

The default password is 'ProppFrexx', if ProppFrexx ONAIR and the advert model share the same password, it is just suppressed when invoked directly. You define the master password in the general setings of each module.
For adverts it is also there to protect access.

2. No. Icecast (or a like) add a huge latency. Best practice today is an Audio over IP driver for real-time bi-directional communication.
This is basically a virtual sound card driver which instead of using a physical card uses the network as its transport layer.
The alternative to it is still a pure analog line ;-)

3. Multi-Region Advert Support is explained here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1744&p=8553
The main issue of multi-region adverts are, that each region adverts might be so different (in length), that it is impossible to just 'tag' an advert-track with a region.
In a multi-region advert scenario it has to be ensured, that the total advert block-length is automatically adjusted to an equal length across all regions, so that the underlying program is synced all over.
This can only be ensured with multiple ProppFrexx instances, basically one for the MAIN program/region and one for each advert region.
Note, that you can 'connect' your audio again as explained via AoIP drivers.

4. I don't know what IO possibilities the Sonifex has, but it looks it uses the old contact closure triggers?
If that is the case, it might work with a Velleman I/O or the I/O Warrior cards.
Or does the Sonifex S2 already work with some more modern interfaces, like Ember+, Livewire+, HTTP, Midi or alike?
phonic
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by phonic »

Thanks for getting back to me.

The AoIP form Sonifex is not a module for the S2 and they say it does not over the internet, only local network. Our studios are in different cities, and they don't have a solution for full duplex audio at the moment only the S2-SENDS that we currently use and are perfect for sending audio form the S2 at remote studio to the live broadcast control room, as they don't need to be full duplex for that. DEVA Broadcast has a Full Duplex codec IP Audio(DB910) but been saying coming soon since last year. We will see.

I've gone ahead and purchased the Enterprice version for the main control room PC(just got the key, thanks), and will use it to link the other studios at scheduled times so they can go live. One issue I've noticed using Load track is that it constantly loads the url multiple times into the playlist. Is that normal behaviour?

I will need to purchase 4 more licenses, but not sure about the version I will be needed. but as all adverts, news will play from the central machine, I guess I don't need the enterprise version on all of them?

With regards to fader start hardware, I will see if the other hardware you listed will work first, and will let you know.
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radio42
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by radio42 »

Probably you have just one script-line in your script, which is the LoadTrack line?!
Note, that the playlist will query at the beginning at least one track per DJPlayer (e.g. 3) plus the defined ‚Look Ahead‘ value.
If the script doesn’t contain enough lines for this it starts looping the script (at the defined ‚Loop Line‘ value).
In your case it might simply loop that single script line.
To resolve define at least one additional script-line and set the Loop Line value to 2. Eg:
1. LoadTrack, your url
2. Random, a media lib
phonic
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by phonic »

Thanks I think I've solved it now. I added a track and set the repeat to line 2. Thanks for all your help.

Do I assume right that to make the studios slaves(keeping the control room as the master) I would need the Enterprise Edition in all studios?

Thanks again for all your help.
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radio42
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Re: Some questions. Advertising, streaming, and auto fader start.

Post by radio42 »

Yes, that is right - for multi-region advert support all studios needs to run the Enterprise.

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