# HotTrack (Command Center Only)

HotTrack is a feature for owners of our ChannelCaster 4, ChannelCaster 8, and ChannelCaster 16 switcher-based systems. It is used to play a digital audio file such as a DJ liner or call letters over the top of a live satellite audio feed, When a relay closure is received on a particular relay channel, Command Center plays the specified audio file.

Known variously in the industry as "Magic Calls" or "Miracalls," these are floating events that typically play an audio file over the ramp of a song, using the same voice as the satellite DJ who is presently on the air.

Examples

# HotTrack 2 Comment CallLetters
# HotTrack 7 Comment JonSmith

In the first example above, Command Center will listen to relay channel 2, and if a closure is received, a file marked with the Comment "CallLetters" is played. In the second example, Command Center will listen to relay channel 7, and if a closure is received, a file marked with the Comment "JoeSmith" is played.


IMPORTANT: HotTracks can do automatic rotation!

HotTrack is a very cool feature! It can find and play a single file, if only one such file exists, or automatically rotate through all the files meeting your criteria. Going back to the first example above, if there is only one file on your hard drive that has been given the comment, "CallLetters," then each time a relay closure is received on relay 2, that same file will be played. If more than one file has the comment, "CallLetters," Command Center will rotate through them, "cart-style." In no case do you ever need to specify a path or filename, and it doesn't matter where you hide the files on the hard drive, even if you scatter them all over the place. The correct file or files will be found and played.

You can have more than one HotTrack active at the same time, for instances where your satellite format requires that you play different types of "magic call" announcements at different times in the hour.


TURNING OFF A HOTTRACK

To "turn off" a HotTrack, use the Ignore command, like this:

Examples

# Ignore 2
# Ignore 7

When Command Center sees an Ignore command, it will no longer listen for signals or play the HotTrack that had been assigned to the specified relay channel.


SPECIAL USES FOR HOTTRACK FEATURE

Because this feature leverages the amazing database-like structure of the underlying operating system, yoiu can actually set up rotations using any wording, and even any attribute you like, giving you power to do just about anything you can dream up with this feature. How crazy does it get?

What if you wanted to do a show like that madman financial guru on cable TV who has a set of pushbuttons with sound effects assigned to them? Granted, you could assign them to configurable buttons in the Command Center interface, but you could also literally wire them up to physical pushbuttons on a control surface, and assign cuts to them, and each button would cycle through a set of corresponding sound effects. For example, if button 1 is an explosion, and it's wired to relay input #1 on the switcher, you could add a line in your program log that looks like:

# HotTrack 1 Comment BOOM

Each time you hit the button, a different explosion could be heard. In all cases, HotTracks play over the top of whatever else is already being played. They are independent, floating audio events, just like the hot tracks you can assign to configurable buttons in the MyShow and ButtonPad areas of Command Center. The difference is that these are intended to be played only when a signal comes in from the outside, from a satelllite receiver or a physical pushbutton.


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