TUNETRACKER SYSTEM IN ACTION - TuneTracker

TuneTracker™ Preferences

Many TuneTracker™ features can be customized to meet the needs of your station. Here is a list of Preferences options, by tab. You get to TuneTracker Preferences via the "Settings" pull-down menu at the top of the TuneTracker Basic™ or by clicking the "System Prefs" button in TuneTracker Command Center™.

Taking the time to understand all of the available preferences in TuneTracker™ will make your radio station better, because you will be able to take full advantage of all the options available to you.

IMPORTANT

Remember to click SAVE AND USE when you are done making changes to your TuneTracker Preferences, so they are remembered and used.


AUTOMATION TAB

Reboot Recovery Options

    Do not start CC...

    With this selected, TuneTracker will not launch when your computer starts up.

    Start CC...

    With this selected, your computer will start TuneTracker™ and SoundPlay on bootup, go into Auto-On mode, and start playing automatically. Where it starts playing depends on how other Preferences in this section set.

    Start and KickStart CC...

    This option not only launches Command Center at bootup, but puts your TuneTracker System into "KickStart" mode, which will attempt to keep it afloat even if something should go wrong. For example, if Command Center were to stop responding, a separate program running in the background would detect it, kill Command Center, and restart it. If it happens repeatedly, KickStart will reboot your computer to attempt to clear the problem. This feature is not offered due to a weakness in Command Center, which is a highly stable program! It is simply another way we try to make our system absolutely bulletproof.

    Note:   Be aware that if you close Command Center manually, KickStart will stubbornly try to restart it. So if you truly wish to close the program, you will need to turn off KickStart in Preferences, choose "Save and Use," and reboot the computer, after which, you will be able to open and close Command Center program manually again without worrying KickStart.
    After reboot start log at...

    Nearest Event...

    If this option is selected, Command Center will begin with the item in your program log that is closest to the current time, based on calculated running times within your program log.

    Nearest Second...

    This option will cause Command Center to not only select the correct event based on running times, but also to calculate the exact second in the event where it should start, essentially joining the audio file, live event, pause-for event, or switcher event, "in-progress." This feature is especially useful for stations that broadcast blocks of programming or satellite-based programming.

    The "nearest second" feature can also be invoked manually, which is useful if you need to immediately move to the specific event that should be playing at the current time of day, and even to the exactly correct second in that event. Just hold down the shift key on your keyboard, and tap the spacebar one time.
     x  (TT Basic Only) Set Program Log Repeat to on...

    When you reboot, this tells TuneTracker to use its Infinite Walkaway™ feature, looping the Program Log Queue back to the beginning when it has finished playing through all the logs in the list.
     x  (TT Basic Only) Attempt to resume after "last played event"...

    On TuneTracker Basic systems, this option will restore your broadcast to the very next event after the one that was playing when your broadcast was interrupted by a power outage or whatever else caused a reboot. If a significant amount of time has passed in the interim, TuneTracker™ will instead estimate the best place to start based on the hour statements, Time-Corrects and interrupts in your log.

When Restarting SoundPlay...
    (TT Basic Only)  Kill encoder process...

    If you have launched multiple instances of SoundPlay's LiveEncoder plug-in, it is necessary to give TuneTracker instructions as to what encoder tool you have engaged so it can be properly reset if SoundPlay needs to be killed or restarted. As an example, if the encoder program you are using is /boot/home/config/bin/lame then that's exactly what you should enter into the text box here. This feature is not required in versions of SoundPlay released after about 2003. Do NOT take this as a signal to upgrade your version of SoundPlay! Stay with the version distributed with your TuneTracker System or you may run into problems with compatibility.

Silence Sensor
    When activated, forward to next event after x many seconds if audio is lower than a specifed volume.

    This setting determines the silence threshold at which the TuneTracker silence sensor will kick in. The lower the number, the quieter it must be before it is considered "silence." We recommend a setting of 0.01. Then, specify how many seconds you wish to pass before TuneTracker reacts by advancing to the next audio event. By default, the value is eight seconds.

    If, while using the live option to relay live audio, your audio source (such as a satellite feed) has some hum in it, you may need to increase the threshold number to something higher than 0.01 to compensate, otherwise the hum along may keep the silence sensor from kicking-in.

    In newer versions of Command Center, you will see a dropdown box for choosing either SoundPlay silence sensor (to respond to silences from SoundPlay, or "BT Switcher," which takes its silence sense triggers from your Broadcast Tools switcher. If you are using the switcher, that's the only preference you need to set here. If you're using SoundPlay, set a threshhold as described above, and set the length of time you wish to wait before advancing when silence is detected, as described below.

    NOTE   The silence sensor settings in Preferences are "semi-dynamic." That means if you change them and then select "Save and Use," they will become the default until further notice. However, if you turn the silence sensor on and off automatically using your program log, it will not affect default settings found here. If silence sense is not working, it is possible your log turned the silence sensor off but failed to turn it back on again. That can occur if your log is structured in such a way that it is possible for a Time-Correct or interrupt to "skip over" the "#SS Off" line in your log. If that occurs, go into Preferences, assure it is turned on, and choose "Save and Use" to assure TuneTracker is silence sensing again.

Voice Track Transitions (Command Center Only)
    Ducking

    When TuneTracker plays a voice-track over the top of a song, either over its OnRamp (intro) or OffRamp (end), it turns the song down by an amount you specify here. .25 (25%) is the default and will work well for most situations.

    Fade Duration

    When the voice-track is done playing over the intro of a song, the song's volume is turned up. The Fade Duration determines how rapidly the volume of the song is turned up. We recommend you make the number .5 (half second) up to 1.5 (one and a half seconds) depending on the "tightness" of your station's format. Fade durations faster than .5 seconds tend to get a little choppy and abrupt.
Favorites Folder (Command Center Only)
    This option lets you specify a folder you'd like instant access to, such as your station's main Station folder, your Music folder, your Commercials folder, or most likely of all, your Program Logs folder. When you hit the "F" key on your keyboard (just remember, "F" as in "Folder"), whatever folder you have specified here will appear instantly over the top of TuneTracker Command Center™, making it easy to drag-n-drop in program logs and audio files. Hint: If you frequently drag-n-drop from two different folders, such as Program Logs and Music, create a new folder to be your Favorites folder, and then create links inside that new folder that lead to the Program Logs and Music folders. That gives you quick access to either one!
Normal Transitions
    You may select either "Volume fade" or "Overlap" as the approach you would like to take in transitions between audio cuts. For nearly all situations, we recommend using "overlap," set to 1 second. If no transition is desired, choose "overlap" and set to 0. See Recording Announcements and Editing Files for Best Performance for suggestions on how to structure recordings for clean transitions in TuneTracker.

Interrupt Transitions
    This sets the default amount of time in which there is a transition between two audio events while TuneTracker is performing a time-based "interrupt" command (see commands for more info). Here, we recommend a "Volume Fade" rather than an overlap. If your program log does not specify how long it wants interrupt transitions to last, TuneTracker™ will default to whatever number you enter here. We have found five seconds to be a nice sounding fade when transitioning to a network feed or other time-sensitive event.

Misc
    Disable Time Corrects

    There might be times when, during long periods of live operation, you would prefer complete manual control over the contents of the playlist. For those times, you can place an x in the Disable Time Corrects box to keep TuneTracker™ from doing Time-Corrects and other automation functions you do not desire. Normally this should NOT be checked, because it causes TuneTracker™ to ignore all automation commands.


     x  Loop Program Log Queue

    If this is checked, TuneTracker will automatically go back to the first program log in the queue when it runs out of them. Without this being checked, TuneTracker will come to a stop when it reaches the end of the queue. In TuneTracker Basic, this option is called  x  Repeat and is found on the front of the program's interface between the Program Log Queue and the Active Program Log window panes.


    NTP Settings (Command Center Only)

       x  Enable NTP...at server

      In TuneTracker Pro™, a special feature allows you to input the IP address of an NTP (network time protocol) server on the Internet, for instant, regular updates of your computer's system clock at times that won't interfere with the timing of your on-air programs. Here are some known reliable network time servers. Input the numbers from the second column of one of the listings below, however for most situations we recommend that instead you simply enter the following line, which gives you the best shot at always getting a time update when you want one:

      pool.ntp.org

      Server IP Address to Use
      US WI ntp3.cs.wisc.edu 128.105.37.11
      US KS npt1.kansas.net 199.240.130.1
      US NAVY tick.usno.navy.mil 192.5.41.40
      US VA ntp.cmr.gov 140.162.8.3
      NASA ns.arc.nasa.gov 128.102.16.2
      US NIST time.nist.gov 192.43.244.18



    Time announce folder (Command Center Only)

      In TuneTracker Pro™, use this to set the default location where your time announce files are located.


    Query spotIDs on volume (Command Center Only)

      This dropdown button lets you choose the location where TuneTracker should look for commercials scheduled by your Traffic software.


    Query rotations on volume (Command Center Only)

      This dropdown button lets you choose the location where TuneTracker should look for text files when using the Index Card and Cart button features.




SWITCHER TAB (Command Center Switcher Customers Only)

 x  Enable ToneTracker
    Enables "ToneTracker," switcher component of your Command Center software, so that it can interface with your switcher.
Plugged into [   ]
    Use this dropdown box to tell Command Center which serial port you have the switcher plugged into. Normally it is Serial 1.
Switcher type: (Switcher model detected)
    In Command Center 3.3 and higher, automatically detects and displays your switcher type. If it displays , you have a connectivity or software problem.
 x  Reserve switcher channel for Command Center audio
    If selected, and an Input and output are specified, Command Center will hold that audio route open at all times on the switcher. It is to the specified input that you should then connect the audio from your TuneTracker computer. .

 x Permanent Relay Listen

    By checking the x-box and specifying a Relay channel, you are telling TuneTracker to constantly "listen" to that relay channel, regardless of whether other channels are also being listened-to, and to respond with an event start when a closure is heard on that channel. This is useful when setting up a physical push button to start the next TuneTracker event.


LOGGING TAB

Incremental Logging

 x  Enable Report Log...to path

    As a general rule, we suggest you leave this one unchecked, since it creates rather large files that take up a lot of space unnecessarily. The Report Log is only needed as a diagnostic tool in cases where there are technical problems, and we can tell you when it will be useful to turn the feature on. It is useful as a troubleshooting tool. Specify the place where you want the log saved, and the default naming pattern you would like it to use in the "to path" box.


 x  Enable As-Run Log...to path (Command Center Only

    If you are using Command Center or the old "TuneTracker 2 Pro" to integrate commercial logs generated by third party traffic software, enabling this logging feature will generate an "As-Run" log for you, for use in posting data back into your traffic and billing software for billing purposes.

    The format displays start time, SpotID (cart no.), actual playing time, and description. It is comma-delimited (comma-separated) and if opened under BeOS, looks like this example:

      Example

      12:23:11 ,DA5956,01:00,PORTLAND YACHT SERVICES|BB 3-D
      12:24:11 ,DA7133,00:30,ROWE AUBURN|TOO GOOD TO BE TRU
      12:24:41 ,DA5027,00:29,IRIS NETWORK|CRUISE NFL

    When viewed in Windows, the file will not appear in individual lines as shown above, due to Windows' unique "carriage return" requirement. This should not be a problem for your traffic software. Our simple layout should be easily importable into your traffic/billing software for posting purposes. If not, traffic companies are generally very good about providing simple filters that will allow importation.

    "To path" lets you alter the path to which the current_song file is saved. The default path is /boot/home. Be certain to type in a default filename you'd like used, such as "asrun_", making the entire path shown in the text box, /boot/home/asrun_. Each as-run log's filename is date-stamped. The extension ".txt" is automatically added to the end of your files.


 x  Enable Current Song Logging...to path

    Current Song and Next Song logging is only intended for those who want to upload listening information to the Internet. If you do not, you can just leave everything unselected in this section.

      The "current_song" file is a simple text file which contains information about the song that is currently playing in SoundPlay. You may use x-boxes to select which information about the song will be logged. The items you choose will be separated in the text file by whatever text you type into the "separator" text box. By default, the separator is a semi-colon (;).

      "To path" lets you alter the path to which the current_song file is saved.


 x  Enable next song logging...to path

    The "next" file is a simple text file which contains information about the song that is currently playing in SoundPlay. This file can be uploaded via an available SoundPlay plugin called TrackWatcher which is included in the Extras folder. Each time SoundPlay starts a new file, TrackWatcher notices and runs a script of your choosing. This script, which you must design, can be used to upload the next_song file to the Internet for display in a web page or by whatever method you choose. You may select which attributes from among those offered will be displayed in the current_song file.

    The "To path" lets you alter the path to which the next_song file is saved. You are also given a number of options as to what information you'd like included in the current_song and next_song files, and what separator to use between them.


 x  Update web site...script (Command Center Only)

    Use this feature to perform any scriptable task you like, each time a song plays. When each song starts, TuneTracker Command Center™ will run the script of your choice, performing tasks limited only by your own creativity. User your imagination!

    The most common use is to use a script to upload the current_song and next_song information to the Internet, so it can be displayed on your web site. This requires a script that can log in to your web location and store the two files in the proper location. TuneTracker Systems offers script-writing services, so contact us, tell us what automatic behavior you need, and we'll try and design a custom script that can accomplish it.

    The "script" text box tells Command Center the name and location of the script you wish to run.



MISC TAB (Command Center Only)

About
    Clicking this button gives you information on the version and "build" of TuneTracker you are using.
 x  Minimize SoundPlay (Command Center Only)
    This assures that when you start up TuneTracker (which in turn launches the SoundPlay audio player), that SoundPlay launches minimized so the window is never in the way.
Program-log queue type:

You can select one of three ways to tell Command Center which program logs to use. You can select the approach that makes the most sense for your situation and the way you like to work, by choosing the "Program log queue type" option on the Misc tab inside Command Center's System Prefs.

  1. Editable Loop  This is the approach Command Center will use automatically, if you don't specify one of the other two methods. It lets you drag in program log files using any file names you like, and build as long a list of program logs as you like. Command Center will play one day after another until it reaches the bottom of the list, then it will loop back around to the top and play the first file again. You can access the Program Log Queue by hitting the number 2 on your keyboard (just remember, "TWO for Q"), or by right-clicking on your running program log and choosing "View Program Log Queue." If you have no logs loaded, the empty-looking left side of the Command Center screen is the queue. You can add program logs to the queue using drag-n-drop. The easiest way to access program log files you wish to drag into the queue is to hit the letter "F" on your keyboard, which opens your Favorites folder. By default the favorites folder is /boot/Station/Logs/Program Logs/ (be absolutely certain the path shown in System Prefs ends with a slash / character! Assuming you have stored your program logs in that folder, you can then just drag them into Command Center from that folder, one after another.

    The first log you drop into the empty Program Log Queue can be placed anywhere in the window pane, and it will automatically be placed in the top position. Any logs you drop in after that should be hovered over another log already in the queue, and then released. You'll know where it will fall by watching for a blue "drop-line." You can insert logs at the end of the list, or between logs already in the list. You are not limited by the number of positions visible on the screen. By using the scrollbar, you can add an unlimited number of logs to the queue. You can come back later and add more logs to the queue at any time by just re-opening the queue and dropping-in additional logs. To eliminate a log you no longer need, right-click on it and choose, "Remove."

    Command Center which program log you wish to broadcast by double-clicking on it. When you do so, Command Center will load that program log into its active memory, find the right time-of-day to begin broadcasting, and wait for you to hit Start.

    Important:  If you later make changes to the Program Log Queue, always double-click on the current day's program log to reload it. If you don't, Command Center may not know what log to use when you close the queue.

    Important:  Starting with Command Center 4, the editable Program Log Queue loops automatically. When Command Center gets to the bottom of the list of logs, it loops back around to the top of the list and starts running through it again. Thus, if that is not your intention, be certain to keep adding fresh logs to the bottom of the list. If you want Command Center to come to a dead stop after playing through a series of logs, we suggest you use the "Lock-to-Date" approach below.


  2. Lock-to-Day  This one's very simple. As you create new program logs, name them according to the day of the week on which you want them to run, as follows: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Do not use file extensions such as .log. Just the plain, day-of-the-week for the filename. Store them in the Favorites folder you have specified under the Automation tab in System Prefs. If you have not specified a different one, the default there should be /boot/Station/Logs/Program Logs. Whenever you generate fresh program logs in TuneStacker, overwrite the ones already in your Favorites folder, using the same filenames already mentioned. Command Center will note the day-of-the-week from the computer's built-in clock/calendar and will automatically assure that the correct day's program log is playing.

    Important:  This is the best option to choose if you are automatically generating your program logs each week. This process can be completely automated using a script we can develop for you inexpensively. It's a wonderful approach for stations that want to "set it and forget it." Contact us for details.


  3. Lock-to-Date  If you wish to create a program log for each unique program day and assure that only that log plays, no matter what, Lock-to-Date is for you. As you generate program logs in TuneStacker, do so into your Favorites folder using the broadcast date as the filename, like this: MMDDYY (Month Day Year). Examples: 112709 means November 27, 2009. 030310 means March 3, 2010. Do not add file extensions such as .log. Just use the date as demonstrated, as the filename. Command Center will stubbornly refuse to play any program log other than the one for the current day's date.

    Important:  This approach assumes you will have the required logs in place. If you do not, and Command Center arrives at a date for which there is not a file with a corresponding filename, it will sit there peacefully, doing nothing, until the phone rings at 3 a.m. and the General Manager disturbs your dreams with words of unpleasantness.


Broadcast Ops

     x  Auto-Save DND Program Log Edits (Command Center Only)

      Keep this checked if you want drag-n-drop changes made to your current day's program log to be written to the program log file. This is generally recommended, though if you constantly re-use the same program log file without regenerating it, and only wish the changes you make to be used during the current day's broadcast, then keep this item unchecked.

    Text Editor App (Command Center Only)

    Allows you to select the text editor you wish Command Center to launch when you select the right-click option, "Open Program Log in Editor." We generally recommend the Pe editor (included in our distributions) which is the nicest and most full-featured.

Preview
    Lets you choose, from a dropdown box, the audio hardware on your system you wish to use when previewing an audio file off-air. To use this feature, you must have more than one sound card in your system, and you will need to select a sound card other than the main default sound card being used by your TuneTracker computer. To determine which is the default card, look in your BeOS/ZETA media preferences and select "Audio Settings." The default will be identified. When selecting your Preview sound card, choose another card rather than that one. If you are unsure about a good, compatible sound card to use for Preview, we have an excellent, inexpensive one available for sale that works great. Contact us.

VU meter (Command Center Only)

    Allows you to select the frame rate for the VU meter. The default is 43 frames per second, though if you have an especially slow computer or notice slowdowns while running TuneTracker along with processor-hungry tasks like TuneStacker™ and TT Anywhere, you can throttle the VU meter back to much slower frame rates, or even turn it off completely.

 X  12 Hour Clock (Command Center Only)

    Preferred by most people, the 12 hour clock is the default in TuneTracker. If your operation requires military (24 hour) time, just uncheck this option.

Network
    This feature is presently not implemented.


Weather
    Set these preferences to allow TuneTracker to retrieve current conditions and forecast information for your area (conditions info available for much of the world...forecasts for most of the United States)

    _x_ Enable weather updates

    CLick the dropdown button to select your country, state, and the city nearest you.

    ___ Convert to metric if you are in a country where temperatures are expressed in Celcius.



APPEARANCE (LOOK AND FEEL) TAB (TuneTracker Basic Only)

 X  Shade Selection with Light Grey (TuneTracker Basic Only)

Makes selected item in TuneTracker window panes easier to read. Currently playing song's color (TuneTracker Basic Only)

    Drag the sliders to change the color that will be used to mark the currently-playing audio event in your program log window.


Next-to-play song's color (TuneTracker Basic Only)

    Drag the sliders to change the color that will be used to mark the next-to-play audio event in your program log window.


Elapsed time LCD color (TuneTracker Basic Only)

    Drag the sliders to change the color that will be used for your elapsed time counter.


Time remaining LCD color (TuneTracker Basic Only)

    Drag the sliders to change the color that will be used for your time remaining counter.
    Expand at Startup (TuneTracker Basic Only)
       x  Program Log Queue

        Causes the Program Log Queue to be visible when TuneTracker launches. Default is "on."


       x  Output Log (TuneTracker Basic Only)
        Causes the Output Log dropdown list to be visible when TuneTracker launches. Default is "off."
Misc
     x  Do not lock tracks when in live mode (TuneTracker Basic Only)

      To help protect against accidentally shutting off a song in SoundPlay during a live show, we disable SoundPlay's "Eject" button while in Live-on mode. You can bypass this option, but we recommend against it.


    Localization (future feature)
      Check this dropdown box to select a language. Currently, only English is offered.




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