Important: Some elements will appear incorrectly in text format (function keys, tables, graphs, etc). This manual is provided only to give a concept of the elements of operation, not to subsitute for an official manual. Please contact us to obtain a users manual!
Attention: This information is intended for use by our customers and those considering purchase. Viewing or using for any other purpose is prohibited.
Copyright 1996 by John L. Zolkoske. All rights Reserved
Third Edition: August, 1996
Information contained in this document may change without notice.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the
prior written permission of John L. Zolkoske.
Acknowledgments:
SoundBlaster, SoundBlaster16, SoundBlaster16 Multi-CD, SoundBlaster AWE32 PNP, SoundBlaster Pro, and any other products bearing the SoundBlaster name mentioned in this documentation and software package are registered trademarks of Creative Labs, Incorporated.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
MS-DOS and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
PDISO-8 is a trademark of Keithley Instruments, Inc.
PCL-725 (PC-LabCard) is a trademark of Advantech Co. Ltd.
PKZIP, PKUNZIP, and PKSFX are registered trademarks of PKWARE, Inc.
All other products mentioned either in this documentation or in the software package itself are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
I wish to thank the many who have given me both technical assistance and moral support throughout the duration of this project.
: In order to conserve natural resources, Auto-Mate Systems uses recycled materials wherever possible. This manual was printed with recycled paper, containing a minumum post-consumer content of 20 percent. Auto-Mate Systems encourages the recycling of any paper waste created using our products.
Software License:
The following agreement sets forth the terms and conditions for use of the enclosed software. Unless specifically outlined elsewhere, you may use this software at a singe computer. You may have a working copy of this software on only one computer system at a time. You may transfer one copy of this program to floppy disk or tape for backup purposes.
You may not give, rent, sell, lease, time-share, sub-license, or lend this software to anyone. You may, however, sell the software to a third party provided that the party agrees to comply with all conditions and terms of this agreement. Furthermore, you must agree to transfer to the purchasing party all existing original copies and backup copies of this software at the time ownership is transferred. You must destroy any copies of the software that are not transferred at the time of sale, including copies stored on hard-disk, tape, diskette, or any other means of storage..
If this software has been purchased as an upgrade, you may not transfer ownership of this software to a third party without transferring ownership of the originally purchased software package as well. Conversely, you may not transfer ownership of the originally purchased software without transferring ownership of the upgrade software package as well.
You are prohibited from purchasing this software with the intent of re-selling it to generate profit, without a re-seller license agreement.
It is a violation of this agreement to attempt to decompile, reverse-engineer, or disassemble the software.
This license is effective until terminated. You may terminate this agreement by destroying all original software along with any copies made, as well as accompanying documentation. This license will also terminate if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this agreement.
The Auto-Mate software and accompanying documentation are protected by the United States copyright laws. Any use of this Software or documentation in violation of these laws constitutes immediate termination of this license. You will also be subject to fines and, or, imprisonment to the maximum extent of the law.
Limited Liability:
This software and documentation are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. John L. Zolkoske and Auto-Mate Systems specifically disclaims all other warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to merchant ability and fitness for a particular purpose. John L Zolkoske does not warrant that this program will meet your requirements or that the operation of any element of this software package will be uninterrupted or error free. John L. Zolkoske shall not be held liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential or other damages arising from use of this software.
John L. Zolkoske or Auto-Mate Systems shall not be held liable in any way for damage or destruction of equipment caused either directly or indirectly as a result of following the procedures and installation instructions described within this manual - whether or not elements of these procedures and instructions are subsequently found to be faulty. All suggestions, procedures, and instructions in this manual are offered on a "use at your own risk" basis.
Limited Warranty:
It is warranted that physical diskettes enclosed in this package are free of defects in material or workmanship for the period of 60 days from the date of purchase. In the event of discovery of a defect during the warranty period, the diskette(s) will be replaced when the defective diskette(s) are returned by the owner. The remedies for this breach of warranty are limited to replacement diskettes only and cover no other damages, such as loss of profit, special, incidental, consequential and similar claims,
If any terms of this agreement are found to be unenforceable, it shall not affect the validity of this agreement, which shall remain valid according to the terms set forth herewithin.
Copyright Reminder
The Auto-Mate and The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat are fully protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. Each set of software we sell contains a built-in identification code which allows us to trace any pirated (illegally copied) software back to the originating party. Do not give a copy or copies of this software to anyone - for any reason - as pirated software has a way of multiplying quickly. When pirated software is traced back to the original purchasing party, that party may become subject to massive fines and/or imprisonment.
Send In your product registration card TODAY!!
In order for you to obtain full technical support and other services, we need to know who you are!
Thank you for purchasing The Auto-Mate. It is our hope that you find our software a cost-effective improvement to your facility. More importantly, it is my hope that this product will make your life in the hectic and competitive broadcasting industry a little easier, and more enjoyable.
Sincerely,
John L. Zolkoske
[Back to Top]
Table Of Contents
Section IGetting Started
Introduction1-1
Technical Support1-3
Diskette Replacement1-5
How The Auto-Mate Works1-6
Using the Manual1-7
Maintaining System Reliability1-7
Software/Operating System Compatibility1-8
Section IISoftware Installation
Installing Sound Card2-1
Installing Software2-1
Recording/Playback Problems2-4
Altering CONFIG.SYS2-7
Altering AUTOEXEC.BAT2-9
Re-Installing Software2-9
Running The Auto-Mate from Windows
TM2-10
Starting The Auto-Mate from DOS2-12
Configuring for Plug and Play (Windows95
TM)2-12
Section IIIRecording with The Auto-Mate
Recording Screens !-#3-1
Entering Recording Information3-2
Recording Settings3-7
Making the Recording3-8
Section IVPlayback with The Auto-Mate
Random Playback $4-1
Edit Spot/PSA Rotation File4-2
Edit Stop-Set Break Times4-3
Set Random Playback Defaults4-4
Set Relay Card Operations4-6
Random Playback Mode4-7
Automatic Power-Loss Recovery4-11
Automatic Reboot4-11
On-Air Assist Mode % 4-12
Pick-List Playback Modes ^4-15
Immediate Playback Mode4-15
Template Creation and Playback4-19
Running Custom/Daily Templates4-20
Resuming Playback4-20
Working with Templates4-20
Transfer/Import Templates4-22
Verification Logging On/Off4-23
View/Print Verification Logs4-24
Set Relay Card Operations4-26
Automatic Power-Loss Recovery4-28
Automatic Reboot4-28
Section VUtilities (
Set Default Audio Levels (Playback)5-1
Set Default Audio Levels (Recording)5-4
Print List of Recordings5-8
Build Spots from .WAV files5-8
Import Recordings via LAN5-11
Erasing Recordings5-15
Set Current Time5-16
Set Current Date5-16
Section VIRelay Card Setup
Relay Card Functions6-1
Supported Relay Cards6-4
Relay Card Control Panel6-5
Initial Setup6-5
Relay Overrides6-8
Testing Relays6-10
Relay Card Wiring6-10
Section VIIGame Port Wiring
Warnings7-1
Soldering the Connector7-3
Fining a Working Comm. Port7-5
Checking for Operation7-6
Closure Sensing (Random/Pick-List)7-8
Section VIIISimple-Sat Automation
1. Introduction8-1
Getting Started8-1
How it Works8-1
Connecting with Console8-2
Audio Muting (via SoundBlaster
TM) 8-3
Audio Muting (via Relay Card)8-6
External Audio Muting8-7
2. Working with Templates & 8-8
What is a Template8-8
Working with Daily Templates8-8
Building Commercial Breaks8-10
Building Commercial Breaks8-10
Working with Custom Templates8-13
Creating NEW Template8-13
Erasing OLD Template8-14
Erasing all Spots from Template8-14
Copying Template Data8-15
Printing Template8-15
Transfer/Import Template8-16
3. Satelite Control Mode *
Running a File8-18
Entering Playback Mode8-18
Satellite Playback Options8-20
Manual Overrides8-21
Simple-Sat Playback8-22
Audio Switching Overview8-24
Resuming Playback8-25
Satellite Audio Source8-25
Audio Card Settings8-26
Verification Logs8-28
Automatic Time Correction8-31
Automatic Break Correction8-31
Set Current Time/Date8-32
Edit Announcer Schedule8-32
Audio Switching Schedule8-34
Output Closure Schedule8-35
Set Relay Card Operations8-37
Automatic Power-Loss Recovery8-38
Section VIIIISystem Configuration
Setting up a System9-1
Stand-Alone Operation 9-2
Dual Control Operation9-4
External Interface Operation9-10
Appendixes
Appendix A: Recording Rate TablesA-1
Appendix B: System Requirements/
Technical Data A-3
Appendix C: System Storage CapacityA-5
Appendix D: Connecting Audio ConsoleA-7
Appendix E: Common Error CodesA-8
Appendix F: Networking (LAN)A-9
Appendix G: TroubleshootingA-11
Appendix H: Technical SupportA-16
Index of TopicsB-1
[Back to Top]
Menu Structure of Auto-Mate Version 3.0 - page 1
<F1> Record Spots ¾® <F1> Record
<F2> Audition
<F3> Erase
<F4> Edit Data
<F5> Re-Record Last
<Esc> Quit
<F2> Record Music ¾® <F1> Record
<F2> Audition
<F3> Erase
<F4> Edit Data
<F5> Re-Record Last
<Esc> Quit
<F3> Record Liners ¾® <F1> Record
<F2> Audition
<F3> Erase
<F4> Edit Data
<F5> Re-Record Last
<Esc> Quit
<F4> Random Playback Mode ® Random Playback Mode Menu
¯
<F1> Random Playback Mode
<F2> Edit Spot/PSA Rotation File
<F3> Edit Stop-Set Break Times
<F4> Set Random Playback Defaults
<F5> Set Relay Card Operations
<F6> Verification Logging ON/OFF
<F7> View/Print Verification Logs ¾® Verification Logs Menu
¯
<F1> View Verification Log
<F2> Print Verification Log
<F3> Copy Logs to Floppy
<F4> Restore Logs From Floppy
<F5> Erase Log Contents
<F6> Erase a Range of Log
<F7> <Reserved>
<F8> Return to Main Menu
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F8> Display Current Settings
<F9> <reserved>
<F10> Exit to DOS
<Esc> Return to Main Menu
Menu Structure of Auto-Mate Version 3.0 - page 2
<F5> On-Air Assist
<F6> Pick-List Playback Modes ® Pick-List Playback Mode
<F1> Immediate Playback Mode
<F2> Run a Custom Template
<F3> Run a Daily Template
<F4> Resume XXXXX.TPP (last played template)
<F5> Work with Templates
¯
<F1> Work with Daily Template<F2> Work with Custom Template
<F3> Create a NEW Custom Template
<F4> Erase an OLD Custom Template
<F5> Print Template Contents
<F6> Transfer/Import Template
¯
<F1> Import Pick-List Template
<F2> Transfer Pick-List Template
<F3> Setup Transfer/Import Defaults
<F4> Return to Main Menu
<F5> Exit to DOS
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F7> Return to Main Menu
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F6> Verification Logging (Toggle on/off)
<F7> View/Print Verification Logs ¾® Verification Logs Menu
¯
<F1> View Verification Log
<F2> Print Verification Log
<F3> Copy Logs to Floppy
<F4> Restore Logs From Floppy
<F5> Erase Log Contents
<F6> Erase a Range of Log
<F7> <Reserved>
<F8> Return to Main Menu
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F8> Print Template Contents
<F9> Set Relay Card Operations
<Esc> Return to Main Menu
Menu Structure of Auto-Mate Version 3.0 - page 3
<F7> Edit Satellite Templates ¾¾® Template Programmer Menu
¯
<F1> Work with Daily Template
<F2> Work with Custom Template
<F3> Create a NEW Template
<F4> Erase an OLD Template
<F5> Erase ALL Spots From Template
<F6> Copy Daily Template Data
<F7> Print Satellite Template
<F8> Transfer/Import Template
¯
<F1> Import Pick-List Template
<F2> Transfer Pick-List Template
<F3> Setup Transfer/Import Defaults
<F4> Return to Main Menu
<F5> Exit to DOS
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F9> HELP
<Tab> Satellite Control Mode (see <F8> from Main Menu)
<Esc> Return to Main Menu
<F8> Satellite Control Mode ¾® Satellite Control Options
¯
<F1> Run Daily File
<F2> Run Custom File
<F3> Resume XXXXX.TPD
<F4> Audio Source/Audio Card Settings
¯
<F1> Set Main Satellite Audio Source
(toggle AUDIO/RELAY card)
<F2> Audio Card Settings
<F3> Help
<F4> Return to Main Menu
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F5> View/Print Verification Logs ® Ver. Log Menu
¯
<F1> View Verification Log
<F2> Print Verification Log
<F3> Copy Logs to Floppy
<F4> Restore Logs From Floppy
<F5> Erase Log Contents
<F6> Erase a Range of Log
<F7> <Reserved>
<F8> Return to Main Menu
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
Menu Structure of Auto-Mate Version 3.0 - page 4
<F6> Verification Logging ON/OFF (toggle on/off)
<F7> Automatic Correction Settings ® Correction Settings Menu
¯
<F1> Automatic Tine Correction
<F2> Automatic Break Correction
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F8> Set Current Time/Date
¯
<F1> Set Time
<F2> Set Date
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F9> Edit Announcer Schedules
<F10> Audio Switching Schedules/Set Relay Card Operations
¯
<F1> Edit Internal Switching Schedule
<F2> Edit Output Closure Schedule
<F3> Set Relay Card Operations (Satellite)
<F4> Help
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<Tab> Edit Satellite Templates
<Esc> Return to Main Menu
<F9> Utilities ¾¾¾® Utilities Manager
¯
<F1> Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK)
<F2> Set Default Audio Levels (RECORDING)
<F3>Print List of Recordings
¯
<F1> Print Spots
<F2> Print Music
<F3> Print Liners
<F4> Utility Menu
<F5> Main Menu
<F4> Build Spots from .WAV files
<F5> Import Recordings
<F6> Erase Recordings
¯
<F1> Erase Spots
<F2> Erase Music
<F3> Erase Liners
<F4> Utility Menu
<F5> Main Menu
Menu Structure of Auto-Mate Version 3.0 - page 5
<F7> Set Current Time
<F8> Set Current Date
<F9> Set Relay Card Operations
¯
<F1> Relay Card Initial Setup
<F2> Satellite Playback Relay Controls
<F3> Random Playback Relay Controls
<F4> Pick-List Playback Relay Controls
<F5> Pick-List/Random Relay Overrides
<F6> Test Relays
<F7> Return to Main Menu
<F8> Exit to DOS
<Esc> Return to Previous Menu
<F10> Exit to DOS
<Esc> Return to Main Menu
<F10> Exit to DOS ¾¾¾® (to C:\AMATE prompt)
[Back to Top]
I. Getting Started
Introduction:
You have just purchased one of the best values available in broadcasting today. It is a powerful software package known as The Auto-Mate. Not only will this system turn your computer into a cart machine emulator, but it will also become an automated disk-jockey, playing music, spots, and liner material - all at the touch of a button. If you have purchased the Simple-Sat Satellite Automation software, you will have automation capabilities with your satellite network that were up to now available only in systems costing thousands of dollars more. Auto-Mate Version 3.0 incorporates the ability to integrate relay cards into your system, opening up vast opportunities for automation control.
The essential concept behind The Auto-Mate is that it allows you to record anything you want, and then play it back whenever you want. Everything is self-contained. There are no carts, disks, records, or tapes to get lost or make a mess as they pile up. A variety of information about each recording is listed on the screen for you and instant playback of each recording is available. Really, the Auto-Mate is two computer systems in one. First, it is a digital recorder and player. Secondly, it is a database program. For every recording, there is a corresponding data file. These data files will display account names for spot recordings, artist names on music recordings, start and kill dates, announcer names, and so on.
Seeing the continuing advent of digital technology in the broadcasting field, we felt it was time to bring this digital storage/playback capability to those who may not wish to spend the many thousands of dollars required to purchase the most basic of digital systems. Even if you plan to buy one of the more sophisticated systems in the future, The Auto-Mate is an excellent interim solution while the rapidly changing marketplace has a chance to stabilize. The Auto-Mate is also a great way to learn about digital audio for those who are new to these concepts. Whatever your reason for choosing The Auto-Mate, our system takes cost savings to a new level. How were these savings achieved?
You take-on Responsibilities:
This element is the most important in the low-cost equation. By purchasing this software, you have agreed to do much of the work of maintaining the hardware yourself. Unless you buy a pre-built unit from an independent party, you will be responsible for choosing a suitable system in which to install this software. You will also be installing the audio card (if you don't already have one), perhaps a relay card, and you must install the software.
Keeping it Simple:
It is expected that technology will improve the quality and features of computer products as time goes on. In the broadcast industry, tremendous improvements are being made with digital automation systems on an continual basis. Digital systems are now capable of some great things such simultaneous record and playback, overlap, cross-fade, and so-on. Of course, these features come at a great cost. The Auto-Mate is a no-nonsense approach to the situation. Our goal is to provide the greatest number of features possible without going to the next step of development which would add tremendously to costs.
Sound Card:
The Auto-Mate uses a common SoundBlasterF audio card for which you will probably pay less than $200. "Broadcast" grade cards offering stereo audio are usually priced minimally in the thousand dollar range - just for the card. Still, the SoundBlasterF gives you excellent sound reproduction, with more built-in fidelity and compression options than many commercial grade cards.
Computer Hardware:
Consider that you may use your existing computer or upgrade your own hardware and install The Auto-Mate software yourself. Many vendors of digital audio systems make a substantial profit on the hardware they sell you. Some system makers mark-up equipment to twice the price - or more - of what you might pay for a similar item from your local computer supplier. We do not wish to degrade other companies, as those businesses definitely fill a need. We simply feel that our system is the perfect solution for those seeking the most value for their money and are not afraid of doing some of the setup and maintenance work themselves.
Another factor to consider is that of cost as your station desires increased processor speed or storage capacity. Most hard-drive automation system makers frown on - or prohibit - users from trying to upgrade their own equipment. At Auto-Mate systems, we say, get your best equipment deals wherever you can find them, and upgrade your system at will.
Pre-Built Systems:
Auto-Mate Systems may make agreements to sell copies of our software to resellers who may have sold you your computer equipment along with the software. We felt that many potential users do not have the desire or time to build their own computer systems. On the same token, we are software developers who have no desire to build, sell, or service hardware. We strive to deal only with reputable dealers, but have little control over their hardware offerings and pricing. Just be aware that you will be paying more for the convenience of buying a pre-built system. Please also be aware that Auto-Mate Systems cannot answer questions or fix problems related to computer hardware whether or not you have built your own system or purchased hardware from a reseller.
As mentioned, we try to deal only with resellers who - to the best of our knowledge - are honest. We cannot, however, endorse a specific service provider as these are independent businesses operating out of our control.
Software Technical Support:
( (503)-769-2886(AUTO) (
Technical support costs can be astronomical, and must be factored in to the price of any hardware or software. In using this package, you should be aware that we offer no claims of continual technical support, or support on-demand.
30 Day Support Period:
Our current policy is to offer 30 days of no-fee technical support. The full support period generally begins when you receive your software, and lasts for 30 days beyond that date. We will support you only on a limited basis before receiving your product registration card. Please be aware that this support is designed largely for technical, not operational, questions. There is ample information contained in this manual and on-line software help files in the program to familiarize you with The Auto-Mate. However, we recognize that there may be operational questions to which you can't find the answers. In these cases, we will be happy to speak with you during the 30 day support period at no fee. The goal in setting our policies is to prevent people from becoming dependent on expensive telephone support instead of finding solutions in the manual.
After 30 Days:
Once up and running, we seldom hear from most of our users. However, there are those who - for one reason or another - end up substantially increasing our support load month after month. Two main problems exist in this area. 1., Experimenters who alter their system continually, and then need technical support, 2., purchasers who encourage staff to call our support line rather than having questions referred to a qualified person in the facility, - or - 3., users who do not have access to a competent broadcast engineer or computer diagnostic have For these reasons, we have instituted a support fee which is designed to help us cover our costs.
Support Fee After 30 Days:
All users have the option of subscribing to a yearly support fee. The current support fee is $60 per year. This support fee is purposely kept very low so that everyone can afford to use it. In order that we can continue to offer this low fee, we ask that you call us for support only when you cannot find resolution to your own problems expending a reasonable amount of effort. This fee is subject to increase in following years if we determine that our support costs exceed revenue derived from the fee. Prudent use of technical support will help us achieve our goal of offering services at an affordable price to all.
The support fee is due by December 31st of each year and covers each user from January 1 through December 31st of the following year. We will attempt to send you a reminder of the due date of the fee each year. Users who do not pay the fee and determine they need support later in the year must still pay the full $60 before receiving support - regardless of when calling in the year. Users who purchase their software mid-year will be offered a pro-rated fee for the remainder of the year. Use the following chart to determine your fee.
Month Software PurchasedTotal Support Fee Due for Current Year
January$55
February$50
March$45
April$40
May$35
June$30
July$25
August$20
September$15
October$10
November$5
December$60 (for the following year)
Support Policy:
· Support is defined as any question that directly relates to the operation of your Auto-Mate software mainly including operational problems or questions
· Support does NOT include assistance in resolving hardware difficulties. Though we may be able to offer general suggestions, we cannot be expected to be able to isolate and resolve problems with your hardware - whether or not the problems are causing malfunction in the process of recording or playback of audio.
· A user is defined as being at a specific site. Thus a user with two or more systems at the same physical site (such as an AM/FM combo station) may pay only one annual fee. However, a group owner with software at multiple sites must pay the annual fee for each site using Auto-Mate software where support may be needed.
· If a user purchases the software from a third party, eligibility still exists for annual support.
· There will be no refund or rebate for unused support.
· No guarantee is offered or implied regarding our ability to solve any problem to your satisfaction.
· The support fee is subject to change from year-to-year.
· Users who do not pay the annual fee and then discover they need support later in the year must pay the annual fee before receiving support. There will be no pro-rate for any previous months in the year.
The support fee is the same regardless of who pays for the line charges. You will be responsible for telephone charges if you catch us live. If you get our recording, we will absorb the long-distance charge when returning your call. Also, we ask you to be as specific as possible in leaving a message about the problem so we can have the answer researched before returning your call. Outside the U.S.A, support is provided at the same price as above, but all phone charges must be paid for by the caller. The return of phone calls to users outside the U.S.A. will simply be to tell the user that we are now available to be reached live.
The support fee and support policies are subject to change year to year. We will attempt to notify all users of changes in the support policy or fee structure as they occur.
A few More Words on Technical Support:
In order to keep costs low, we do not offer around-the-clock technical support. In fact, many times you will get connected to our voice mail. This is all the more reason to be self-sufficient in being able to solve your own problems. The support fee we have instituted is only designed to keep us from losing money, and should not be lead to expectations that you will be able to get instant assistance. Please be aware that response may not be immediate, and our resources to assist you with certain problems are limited. Keep in mind that helping you is our top priority and the lack of ability to always be there is simply an economic reality.
Diskette Replacement:
You are encouraged to make a backup copy of the installation disks and store them in a safe place for use if the original diskettes become defective. Please make the backup copy shortly after receiving your Auto-Mate software.
Your original floppy diskettes are warranted to be defect free for a period of sixty days from purchase. We will provide replacement diskettes at our expense during this warranty period. However, you must follow the following procedures to be eligible for replacement diskettes:
1. Send in your product registration card. We cannot send
replacement diskettes to anyone who has not completed
and returned the registration card.
2. You must supply us your program serial numbers for
confirmation.
3. Promise to send us the set of defective diskettes.
If you experience problems with the diskettes after the sixty day warranty period, the replacement procedure is as follows:
1. Send a check or money order for $12.50 to cover our
shipping and handling - along with the defective
diskettes.
2. If you need the diskettes quickly, we will send the
replacement diskettes C.O.D. You will also be charged
applicable COD shipping charges. You must supply
your program serial numbers via telephone and send us
the defective diskettes.
Currently, we ship via U.S. Priority mail which generally takes three days or less to all points within the U.S.. Special shipping requests or overseas shipping will result in extra fees.
Again, no replacement disks can be sent unless you have returned your filled out product registration card.
Failure to return the defective diskettes on the honor system will result in the loss of this service should you need it again in the future.
The price for replacement diskettes is subject to change based on our expense incurred in providing this service.
How The Auto-Mate Works:
The critical element in The Auto-Mate is the SoundBlasterF card. This product is designed for use with the SoundBlasterF (SB) series of cards from the SB PRO to the most recent derivatives of the SB16, including the AWE 32 series of cards. This software will not operate with other brands of sound cards - or if it does, we are not aware of it. Everything The Auto-Mate does is dependent upon the proper installation of the SoundBlasterF in your computer.
The SoundBlaster series of audio cards is constantly evolving. Therefore if you are unsure about using a particular card, we recommend that you consult your local computer peripheral dealer or retailer who can best inform you about the features of new sound cards. Of course, we will help you to the best of our ability if you call us. To the best of our knowledge, new SoundBlaster audio card developments will continue to be fully compatible with The Auto-Mate.
After the audio card and The Auto-Mate software is installed, you will connect your computer to your studio console. Simply wire an input and output from your console to the sound card jacks in the back of your computer. One cable goes from a standard line level audition output of your console to the line input of the sound card. Another cable will go from the output of your sound card to an unused input of your console. The output level is 4 ohms (standard) - with variable output volume. You must connect the wiring at the sound card using mini plugs.
The Auto-Mate makes recordings of Spots, Music, Liners, and Legal I.D.'s. Each recording is called a "file." Actually, a recording is called a WAVE file - a certain format of sound recording. All recordings in this format have a .WAV file extension. Along with each .WAV file is a corresponding data file (.DAT extension). The .DAT file holds information like the title, length, artist, etc.
Recording and playback is very simple. First, when making a recording, you give each file a unique name, such as S12345. After a recording is made, you simply need to re-enter the S12345 to play the recording you made. In pick-list modes, you may simply look for the S12345 file name using your up and down arrows. Pressing enter when S12345 is highlighted allows you to place it in the queue to hear it.
For automation in random playback mode, there are certain parameters you choose. These parameters include the number of spots in each break, number of songs between spot breaks, and so on. In actual playback, the computer randomly chooses all music to be played - trying to never repeat a song until all have been played. All spots are played randomly from a list you create. All liners are played on a totally random basis. Legal I.D.'s are randomly selected as well, and are played near the top of each hour. The computer is able to tell the difference between spots, music, and liners because all spots automatically begin with S, all liners L, and all music files M.
If you have purchased the Simple-Sat Satellite Automation system, or Version 3.0 relay based software options, please refer to the Simple-Sat section for complete details on the operation of that element of The Auto-Mate.
Using this Manual:
We have attempted to make this manual as easy to use as possible. If you have time, you may wish to read it cover-to-cover. Knowing how most people use manuals, we don't anticipate many of you doing this. Therefore we have covered each operation of the software individually so that you can go directly to each area of interest. The Auto-Mate was designed foremost with ease of use in mind. Therefore, you may find it easy to work with the system without referring to the manual. We do implore you, however, to at least read the installation instructions before continuing.
The main method of moving around in The Auto-Mate is with the function keys. You will often see, for example, !, located next to an option described in this manual - along with a description of that function. These are the function keys you must press to accomplish each task. If another keystroke is required to undertake a function, such as Enter, Tab, or PageUp or PageDown, these too will often appear as the following: e, t,p, etc. This makes it easy to see which keystrokes you will have to make.
If you hate reading manuals, we still encourage you to review entries in the manual entitled NOTE and WARNING. They will look like this:
FNOTE: Generally, these are useful bits of information that can make your use of The Auto-Mate easier.
MWARNING!: Generally, these messages involve situations that could cause your system to malfunction if instructions in this area are improperly followed.
/NETWORKABLE !: This message is shown at locations where you may be able to take advantage of a particular feature with a Local Area Network. To take advantage of these features, your main Auto-Mate equipped computer system must be able to become a client and other drives on connected computers must be accessible by your main Auto-Mate equipped Computer. For more details on networking, please see Appendix F.
Maintaining System Reliability:
The Auto-Mate software has been shown to be very reliable in operation from its earliest version. In almost all cases, when problems develop, they are related to some type of hardware difficulty. This is especially true if your software has been reliable from the time of installation and problems begin some time later. Since Auto-Mate Systems is not a supplier of hardware, you will be responsible for maintaining your hardware in a condition that maximizes system performance.
Defragmenting Hard-Drive:
MWARNING!: It is critical to run a hard-drive defragmentation/optimization utility on a regular basis. MS-DOS® has a built-in utility for this purpose called DEFRAG which may be run from the command line. Defragging your hard-drive is important because the process of recording and erasing audio files can tend to cause data to be chunked-up on the hard-drive in multiple locations. Eventually, the system may slow down or have a hard-time operating if the files are too mixed-up. The intervals between your defrags will depend on how much recording and erasing is done. If your facility is a regular recorder and eraser of material, you may want to run the defrag on a weekly basis. Those who do very little recording may need to do a defrag every month or so. However, The advice of your local computer expert should be sought out for advice in this matter.
Maintaining ON-AIR Status:
Reliability is the number one goal at Auto-Mate Systems. Still, continuous system reliability cannot ever be guaranteed - or even expected. Our software is complex and computers are extremely intricate devices. While computers are usually extremely reliable - they have been known to break-down or basically 'go bananas'.
Our advice to prevent down-time includes the following:
·
· Always make at least one backup copy of your original systems disks (as soon as you get your software) and keep them where you can find them! Don't lose this manual, either!
· Either maintain analog copies of all material that is recorded into the system, or make regular backups of your hard-drive onto a backup tape or other archival storage device.
· Have someone at your station, or know someone (i.e. the local computer expert), who can familiarize themselves with the software and your hardware should a break-down occur. It is better to have someone around who already knows the hardware if getting back up-and-running quickly is the goal.
· Have a back-up plan in mind: Sometimes a computer may become damaged and need replaced or repaired. You may wish to have another computer in your building earmarked for use as an emergency backup.
· Keep an ear on your station. While walk-away time is great, it is never pleasant to come back to the station to find it has been off-the-air for several hours because of a hardware failure. You may want to buy a silence sensor hooked to an auto-dialer that calls you if you lose audio for more than several minutes.
· As mentioned previously, maintain your system in a responsible manner and don't expect your hardware to last forever.
Software-Operating System Compatibility/Incompatibility:
MWARNING!: It is not advisable to run The Auto-Mate software as a sub-process under Windows® or OS/2®. NEVER run Auto-Mate software under these environments if you are utilizing Pick-List Playback or Random Playback Modes.
Auto-Mate software performs best when installed in a computer system containing only a recent version of MS-DOS. It is, of course, possible to run our software if you have a variety of software in the system including operating systems such as Windows 3.1®, Windows 95® or OS/2®. However, it is not recommended that you try to run Auto-Mate software as a sub-process under these operating systems. This is especially true if you will be running Pick-List Playback and/or Random Playback Mode which have automatic reset features. The automatic reset, if activation becomes necessary, will not operate properly if Auto-Mate software is being run underneath the Windows or OS/2 environment. Automatic reset is a built-in feature of your software that causes the computer to reset itself if a compromising condition is found in system memory that could lead to the system halting.
Another negative impact of having programs like Windows running in your system is that it tends to reduce the amount of available conventional memory for the operation of Auto-Mate software. A lot of free conventional memory is very important to the operation of your Auto-Mate software - as we will discuss throughout this manual.
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II. Software Installation
Please read this section thoroughly. If you do not follow these instructions explicitly, your software may operate incorrectly - or not at all.
Installing the Sound Card
Your first task will be to install the sound card inside of your computer. To accomplish this, please refer to the instructions that came with your sound card. Make sure that you check the operation of the card using the built-in test programs that come with your sound card software package.
FNOTE: Make absolutely sure you install the SoundBlasterF software on drive C in your system. The Auto-Mate looks for all sound drivers and related files on drive C.
Be sure to take your time. If you have any problems, please call the technical support numbers for the sound card manufacturer. Do not proceed until you are confident the sound card is operating correctly in your system.
F IMPORTANT NOTE regarding SoundBlaster software installation: If your sound card was manufactured in mid-1995 or later, choose Custom Installation and answer 'Y' at the prompt asking if you would like to load the DOS drivers everytime you start up your system. In most cases, choosing the recommended 'Full' installation will NOT install the DOS drivers.
If you do experience difficulties in making the sound card operational in your system, please contact technical support at Creative Labs. The phone number will be located in the literature that came with your sound card.
Installing the Software
After you have confirmed the proper operation of the sound card, it is time to install the Auto-Mate standard software.
The software will create four new directories:
C:\AMATE - for the program itself.
C:\AMDATA - for the data file of all recordings.
C:\AMWAVE - for the actual .WAV files (recordings).
An additional AMWAVE directory is created on all other
resident hard drives in your system.
C:\AMTEMPLT- Stores the templates you have created in the
Pick-List mode. These templates will have a
file extension of .TPP (Pick-List). Satellite
templates are also stored in this directory with
an extension of .TPL and .TPD. Satellite
verification logs are also stored here with an
extension of .LOG. A variety of operational
data files are stored here as well.
It is critical to note that the Auto-Mate operating software must be placed on drive C. If for some reason you don't have a drive C or it has insufficient space, you must re-configure your system so it will accept The Auto-Mate software on drive C. The Auto-Mate standard version 2.1 will use about three megabytes of hard drive space for the operating program (about four megabytes total will be used with Simple-Sat option). The Auto-Mate version 3.0 software can use as much as five megabytes of hard drive space. Also, even if you don't plan to use drive C for recording, make sure there is enough space for the data files, templates, and verification log files. Generally, you will want to have at least fifteen megabytes reserved on your C drive at all times for these data storage functions
Your Auto-Mate software package consists of two floppy disks. The files are compressed on the floppy, and will be "exploded" to normal size on the hard drive. The first is called SETUP DISK 1.
To install The Auto-Mate, please follow these instructions closely:
1. Place the SETUP DISK 1 in floppy drive A or B.
2. Make sure your DOS prompt is at A or B, wherever the disk is located. Then, type:
AMSETUP e
3. You may choose to install the software or to install the sound card driver updates. Use your keyboard up and down yz arrows to make the selection. Generally those with a SoundBlasterF card manufactured after early 1994 will not have to go through the driver installation process. However, those who experience problems when trying to run The Auto-Mate after installing the software and are using an older card may have to return to the setup disk and install the driver updates. This is discussed more in an upcoming section.
Let's take a moment to examine the software installation procedure:
Install Auto-Mate Software on Hard Drive:
1. You are asked which floppy drive the setup disk is in (A or B)
2. You are prompted to Insert Setup Disk #2.
3. AMATE directory is created on drive C:
4. Program Files from Setup Disk 2 are copied into the AMATE
directory. The files are de-compressed they are copied..
5. AMDATA directory is created on Drive C (unless it already exists).
6. AMWAVE directory is created on Drive C (unless it already exists).
7. AMTEMPLT directory is created on Drive C (unless it already exists)
8. The system is searched for additional hard-drives, and additional
AMWAVE directories are placed on all other hard drives
(unless they already exist).
This completes installation of your Auto-Mate software.
To run the software, type:
CD\AMATE e
-then-
MAINMENU e
-or-
A e
There are portions of your software that will run fine even if the sound card is not set-up properly. These include the main menu, the data entry portions of the recording and playback screens, and miscellaneous utility screens. If you are going to have problems, they will almost certainly be when you attempt to initiate actual recording or playback. If the sound card is not set-up properly, you will be prompted with an error message. In some cases, the screen will simply disappear and you will be returned to a previous menu.
If you experience problems such as noted above, please proceed to the following section. Otherwise, you may pass beyond the sound card troubleshooting section.
Recording/Playback Problems?
After installing the Auto-Mate software, some users may note that their system plays and records sound as normal, but the Auto-Mate will not record or playback. It is important to distinguish The Auto-Mate recording and playback process from the WindowsF recording and playback process as the two are unrelated. If you cannot achieve recording and playback with your Auto-Mate software, please follow the steps below to make your Auto-mate system functional. If you are experiencing intermittent problems and have exhausted your options in this section, please refer to the trouble-shooting section in the back of the manual...
MWARNING!: You should not have certain TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) programs loaded into computer memory while The Auto-Mate is running. Some TSRs that are stored in system memory - such as SB16MIX (the pop-up mixer utility that may have come with the sound card software) - will interfere with memory that should be allocated for The Auto-Mate. If you experience a fatal error while running The Auto-Mate, check for, and eliminate any offending TSRs from memory. TSRs that utilize extended memory should not pose a problem.
If you are unable to make recordings or play recording you have made, the cause can almost always be traced down to the lack of functioning DOS sound drivers in your system. We will now step you through a process to determine which will be the best course of action to take.
Problem: Recording is attempted. No unusual error prompts appear, but after pressing e to begin recording, the system dumps out to previous menu or DOS, or freezes.
- If YES then, -
Check This: Are you attempting to record using compression? If so, are you sure your sound card is equipped with an Advanced Signal Processor compression chip.
Solution: Turn off compression capability in the recording default settings section of the utilities menu and try again. (See utilities section for detailed instructions on how to turn off compression.)
-otherwise-
Problem: Upon entering the recording screen after pressing ! from the recording data entry screen, you are immediately returned to the previous menu (Version 1.0, 1.4, 2.0, or 2.1), or see the following message (Version 3.0):
SoundBlaster(tm) ERROR!
Unable to make recording.
Note Error and Correct:
BLASTER environment is not
valid - or no card present.
{Press Any Key}
- If YES then, -
Check This: Exit to DOS. Type: MEM /P /C e. This function lists all of the resident drivers in the system. You will likely see a variety of resident drivers listed. Included in these should be the SoundBlaster drivers CTMMSYS and CTSB16. If you have the Advanced Signal Processor installed (for data compression), you should also have the CSP driver present in system memory.
F IMPORTANT NOTE: If your sound card was manufactured in mid-1995 or later, and the Full Installation option (the recommended option) was chosen during installation of the SoundBlaster software, it is likely that your DOS sound drivers were NOT installed. SoundBlaster drivers are now being installed only if you choose Custom Installation and answer 'Y' at the prompt asking if you would like to load the DOS drivers everytime you start up your system. Make sure you choose the Custom Install option and answer 'Y' at the appropriate prompt.
Solution: If you do not have these drivers present in system memory, you will have to re-install your SoundBlaster installation software. When doing this, it must be specified that you wish to install the DOS drivers. How you are guided through this process will depend on which card you are using and when your card was manufactured. We will focus our instruction on cards manufactured after mid-1995 - most of which don't automatically install the DOS drivers.
First, answer this question: Was your sound card manufactured after early 1994?
- If YES, then proceed to Re-Installing SB
Software.
- If NO, you will have to install the driver
updates using The Auto-Mate installation
diskettes, so proceed to the section entitled
Installing Driver Updates.
Re-Installing SB Software:
If your sound drivers did not show up when you did your show mem command, it is probably because the DOS drivers were not installed when the sound card was originally installed in your computer.
To install the DOS drivers, re-install your SoundBlaster software from the installation diskettes or CD-ROM that came with your SoundBlaster card (not your Auto-Mate installation diskettes). Be sure to choose Custom Installation, answering 'Y' at the prompt asking if you would like to load the DOS drivers everytime you start up your system. The SoundBlaster install diskettes will install the DOS drivers and automatically update your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. After doing the re-install, check for the drivers again using MEM /C /P. If you still have trouble getting your DOS drivers installed, please call us or SoundBlaster technical support.
Installing Driver Updates:
If your sound card was manufactured before early 1994 and your drivers are not installed, you should try re-installing the SoundBlaster software as described above. However, it is likely that the drivers pre-date the required versions for Auto-Mate software. If any problems are experienced such as WAVE ERROR #22 or other error messages relating to the drivers after confirming that the drivers do exist on your system, you will need to return to the setup utility and select Install SoundBlasterF Driver Updates, which is discussed in the following paragraphs. Some will need to alter their CONFIG.SYS, which is discussed in a following section.
Install SoundBlasterF Driver Updates:
The type of problem that may necessitate installation of the driver updates is the appearance of Driver Error #22 when attempting recording, a message stating the computer needs AUXDRV 3.02 or higher, or some similar error.
We will now briefly look at the steps required for installing the updated drivers.
A. Which Floppy Drive is the Setup Disk In (A/B):
Enter the letter of the drive in which the floppy is currently located.
B. Please Enter the SoundBlasterF Directory Path Name Now:
The computer searches for any directory that begins with SB. Hopefully, you will see a directory name appear above such as SB16. All SoundBlasterF software is contained in a directory that begins with SB. Therefore, if your software is contained on drive C, and is actual SoundBlasterF software, a directory name should appear. You simply have to type the directory name you see - exactly as it appears - such as SB16 e. If the computer doesn't find the directory, you will be prompted. Please check and make sure you have entered the directory name correctly if this happens.
C. Is this correct (Y/N) ?:
The computer wants to confirm the type of audio card you have. If something looks awry, you may answer N and view the listing of the known SoundBlasterF series. Note that new unlisted cards will be treated as an SB16.
The setup program then checks to see if your system needs its drivers updated. The only time your drivers may need to be updated - in most cases - is if your sound card was manufactured before 1994. If the drivers need updated, the program will copy the usable drivers over the top of the old ones in the DRV directory of your sound card. The purpose of this is that The Auto-Mate will not run with older drivers. Using outdated drivers will give you this, or a similar error when you try to run the program:
I need AUXDRV 3.02 or Higher
This update program installs version 4 SoundBlasterF drivers. If your drivers are already the current drivers, you will see the message: No drivers were updated.
This completes the installation of the drivers. Note that if the drivers were updated, there is a strong chance that the CONFIG.SYS file needs updated as well. See the following section of this manual for further details.
Altering CONFIG.SYS
Due to changes in the installation software now being delivered with the SoundBlasterF cards, we have changed the CONFIG.SYS check-out routine from the earlier version 1.0. If you know your sound card was manufactured before early 1994, you will need to follow the steps as shown in the following paragraphs. However, if your card was distributed from the factory after early 1994, please attempt running The Auto-Mate software before going to all of the trouble of editing the CONFIG.SYS. Unless you have an old card, the chance is very good that your Auto-Mate software will run just fine with no modification to CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. There is no use in potentially breaking something that doesn't need fixed. It is important to make sure that your DOS drivers exist on the computer. Simply re-installing the SoundBlaster software and making sure you select the DOS drivers for installation can save you a lot of time and trouble in trying to do your own editing of CONFIG.SYS.
FNOTE: The following instructions need only be followed if you are using a sound card manufactured and distributed before early 1994, or if you experience problems after attempting to run the software with a card manufactured after that time. Upgraded users from any earlier Auto-Mate software versions will not have to make any new adjustment to their files even if using an older card (assuming you are using the same computer system). You may need to alter the CONFIG.SYS on a newer card if you had to alter the DMA channel.
In some cases, you will have to make an addition to your CONFIG.SYS file for The Auto-Mate to work. If you have DOS 6 or higher, you can - from the root directory - type:
EDIT CONFIG.SYS e
To make sure you are in the root directory type CD.. (two periods) e. You should see a single C prompt that looks like this: C:\>_. If you have done this correctly, the DOS editor will load and the CONFIG.SYS file will appear on the screen.
If you do not have the DOS editor, you will have to use the old EDLIN program. For a complete discussion of this, please consult your DOS users documentation. However, to view the current CONFIG.SYS initially, you may simply enter the following: TYPE CONFIG.SYS e. Remember to do this at the root directory.
When you have your CONFIG.SYS file on the screen, look for the following lines:
DEVICE=C:\SB???*\DRV\CSP.SYS /UNIT=0** /BLASTER=A:220***DEVICE=C:\SB???\DRV\CTSB???.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5^^ +
DEVICE=C:\SB???\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
(*,**,***,^,^^,+ = see notations for details)
If you do not see these lines as shown above, add them at some point in your CONFIG.SYS file. Please make sure any existing SoundBlasterF function statements precede these new statements. SoundBlasterF statements usually contain the word "BLASTER" somewhere on the line. Note that it is probable that you will have no other SoundBlaster statements in the CONFIG.SYS.
* SB??? = Path of SoundBlaster card software directory
for example: SB16 or SBPRO.
(Varies based on your sound card model.)
** The /UNIT=x should be increased by one if there is another hardware dependent driver installed (which is unlikely).
*** This entire line may be omitted for systems with card that does not contain an Advanced.
Signal Processor.
^ The commands: /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 may be absent in the CSP.SYS line. Instead
you may see /P:220. This is common in newer systems. This should not be changed.
+ The CONFIG.SYS /BLASTER= setting and the BLASTER= environment string in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file must be equal.
^^ The H should be replaced with a T for some sound cards, especially the SoundBlaster Pro. In most cases the H or T, whichever is appropriate, will already be present on this line.
Reset (Restart) the computer for the changes to take effect in the CONFIG.SYS file. The Auto-Mate will not work without doing this.
FNote: If you fail to add the new CONFIG.SYS lines properly, or don't reset the computer before running The Auto-Mate, you will probably see the following (or a similar) message when you try to run The Auto-Mate:
BLASTER Environment is not valid.
The program will not run until this problem is resolved by making sure the CONFIG.SYS is properly altered.
CONFIG.SYS Troubleshooting Check List:
r
If you should see the BLASTER Environment is not valid error appear, the problem is likely in the CONFIG.SYS file. Read through the following check list if you have a problem of this nature.
Remember that you must reset the computer after installation of the software for CONFIG.SYS changes to take effect.
*Check to make sure you have entered the lines exactly as shown in this documentation.
*Be sure you have entered the correct SoundBlasterF Path in place of the SB???.
This may be SBPRO or SB16, or whatever the path may be of your sound card software.
*Make sure you edited the CONFIG.SYS, not the AUTOEXEC.BAT, two commonly
confused files.
* Try moving the new lines to a different location in the CONFIG.SYS file - such as to the
very end, or toward the top.
*If you still can't get your software to work after trying all of these remedies, now might be
the time to call for technical support.
FNote: A major source of card malfunction is attempting to record with the compression option turned on while using a sound card that does not have compression capability. Before calling for support, make sure your compression mode is set to N/A, and try again. To disable compression, choose ( Utilities, and @ Set Default Audio Levels (RECORDING). Then use your cursor arrows to move around and disable compression.
Altering AUTOEXEC.BAT
If you would like your Auto-Mate to come up automatically each time you start the computer, use your DOS editor or EDLIN to change the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to the following:
CD\AMATE
MAINMENU
These lines should come before any other pre-existent lines that load a program such as WIN, WP51, etc The executable program first named in the AUTOEXEC.BAT will be loaded first.
Some users who mainly use Random Playback Mode or Pick-List Playback Mode may wish to have the start-up file set as RANDMUS (for Random), PLAYBACK (for Pick-List), or PLAYSAT or BREAKFIG (for Simple-Sat) instead of MAINMENU. Doing this will insure that playback resumes in the event of a power outage.
Setting SoundBlaster Audio Levels in AUTOEXEC.BAT:
Upon entry to the main menu, your Auto-Mate software automatically sets the default audio levels, including bass and treble, to the proper levels that have been specified in option ! (Set Default Audio Levels) from the utilities menu. However, there are times when you may wish to have individual playback modules re-start after a power outage (as discussed in the previous paragraph). In these cases, returning immediately to the playback modules will not allow the main menu to set the bass and treble and master output volume levels. In these cases, you will want to add the following lines the AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
CD\AMATE
SBLEVELS
-then, on the next line-
RANDMUS (Random)
-or-
PLAYBACK (Pick-List)
-or-
PLAYSAT (Simple-Sat)
-or-
BREAKFIG (Simple-Sat)
Adding the line SBLEVELS to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file before running the appropriate playback module will set the audio levels to the desired levels.
FNote to Version 1.0 Users: The AUTOINIT file that may be contained in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file has been rendered obsolete. Please change the line in your batch file from AUTOINIT to MAINMENU if necessary. You may leave the autoinit file on your AMATE directory (it only uses 20,000 bytes) or erase it by typing DEL AUTOINIT.EXE e while at the C prompt in your AMATE directory.
FNote: The MAINMENU file sets the input and output levels as well as bass and treble to default settings that you specify in a utility screen (( Utilities, and then ! Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK)) .
Re-Installing The Auto-Mate Software
At some point it may become necessary to re-install the Auto-Mate software on the same computer you initially installed it on. This is a fairly easy process. However, you will need to re-configure a number of program settings unless you follow these instructions.
Should you ever need to re-install the Auto-Mate software, installing the software over the top of the existing software will cause a prompt to appear before each file is overwritten asking whether you wish to overwrite the existing files. Simply answer A at the prompt to overwrite all files. You may also choose Y if you would like to be prompted whether or not you wish to overwrite each file that already exists on the computer.
Running The Auto-Mate from WindowsF:
As a convenience to those users who are using the SoundBlasterF Wave Studio or another WindowsF based production system, we will provide instructions on how to run The Auto-Mate software directly from the WindowsF environment.
MWARNING! - We do not specifically endorse running The Auto-Mate from WindowsF, especially if you will be undertaking recording or playback with The Auto-Mate. Often, memory areas occupied by the Windows system will come into conflict with the memory that The Auto-Mate uses to control the sound card. However, you may find it useful to be able to access and edit templates or other non-sound related program areas without completely exiting Windows.
MWARNING! - NEVER run The Auto-Mate under Windows if you will be running Pick-List or Random Playback Modes while running The Auto-Mate as a sub-process under Windows. These modules have an automatic reset feature that will not function properly, if activated under the Windows environment!
FNote: As stated above, you may experience problems operating The Auto-Mate under Windows. An error such as 'System Integrity Corrupted' may occur in certain conditions when attempting recording or playback when running The Auto-Mate as a DOS shell under Windows. If you have problems of this nature, exit Windows completely before running record and playback options in The Auto-Mate software.
To Make the New Group 'Auto-Mate' From Windows:
1. From the Program Manager, with no program group selected,
select File from the Menu Bar and click on New.
2. Select Program Group or Program Item, and click on O.K..
3. Type in: Auto-Mate as the description
4. Type in: MAINMENU in the Command Line box.
5. Type in: C:\AMATE in the Working Directory box.
6. Click on O.K., and you can now access your Auto-Mate software
from Windows.
If you wish to add Auto-Mate as an option under an existing group of icons, such as SoundBlaster, call up the SoundBlaster group and then follow instructions four through eight above. There is no need to make a completely new program group just for The Auto-Mate.
Keep in mind that The Auto-Mate is not a Windows based program, and you will not be able to run it in the "background" while using another software program.
Auto-Mate Windows Icon:
We have included an Auto-Mate icon for your use if you use Auto-Mate from Windows. It will be contained on the C:\AMATE directory, and is titled AMICON.ICO. Simply follow these instructions:
1. From the Program Manager, with the default Auto-Mate icon
highlighted, select File from the Menu Bar and click on Properties.
2. Select Change Icon, and click on O.K..
3. Choose the Browse option
4. Select drive C and the AMATE directory (this is the
location of the icon).
5. Highlight the AMICON.ICO and press enter.
6. Click on O.K. at each 'change properties' window until
returned back to the Program Manager window.
Starting The Auto-Mate From DOS
To use The Auto-Mate software, first make sure you are in the AMATE directory. Do this by typing CD\AMATE e. Then, you type MAINMENU e or A e (this is an a batch file to reduce the amount of typing) to run the main system menu. Again, make sure you are in the AMATE directory before trying to start The Auto-Mate.
Configuring DOS Drivers for Plug And Play Audio Cards (Windows95®)
We reccommend installing your Auto-Mate software in a computer that contains only DOS using the SoundBlaster DOS installation software. However, there are cases where you may have to use a plug-and-play audio card in the Windows95 environment. If this is the case, please follow these instructions:
1. From within Windows95, Click on the START icon (lower right hand corner of the screen). Do SHUT DOWN, choosing the 'Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode'.
2. Once in MS-DOS, you should be in the WINDOWS directory. From there, type CD..
3. You will now be in what is called the 'root' directory, which is just a C:\> prompt.
4. From here, type MD SB16 e. This makes a directory called SB16.
5. Now, type EDIT CONFIG.SYS e.
6. Go to the end of the CONFIG.SYS file and enter the following lines:
DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\CSP.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\CTSB16.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5
DEVICE=C:\SB16\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
The 220 in A:220 is the base address. This is the base address that SB cards are shipped with. This will be accurate unless someone has changed the base address jumper setting.
7. Then, save the CONFIG.SYS file. This tells the system where to find the DOS drivers when booting the computer.
8. Now, type EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT e.
If they don't exist, add these lines at the top of the AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
SET SOUND=C:\SB16
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H5 P330 T6
9. Then, save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file
10. Now, insert your Auto-Mate setup diskette #1 in your floppy drive. Type A:AMSETUP e.
11. After entering your serial number, from the setup menu, choose Install SoundBlaster(tm) Driver Updates. Follow the directions, entering SB16 as the directory when prompted. The system should write all appropriate files and create necessary directories as it goes. Answer 'Y' at all prompts asking if you wish to create a directory.
12. When the update process is complete, reset your computer.
13. Once Windows re-starts. do the shutdown to DOS.
14. Type CD\AMATE e.
15. To insure that the required drivers are present, type MEM /C /P e.
16. Look for the files CTSB16.SYS and CTMMSYS.SYS. If these are present in the list, your Auto-Mate software should record and playback!
17: Finally, if the drivers were present in step 16, type A e. Try to record and playback.
Note for users of data compression (Advanced Signal Processor): You may not be able to utilize compression if Windows 95 is loaded in your computer. In many installations, there is some type of conflict that prevents the Advanced Signal Processor from being utilized. The Advanced Signal Processor is what allows you to obtain 2:1 or 4:1 data compression. If you wish to utilize data compression, do not install Windows 95 in your system!
[Back to Top]
III. Recording with The Auto-Mate
Auto-Mate Recording Screens TF1S,TF2S,TF3S
The Auto-Mate offers three distinct recording screens. One is for recording spot (commercial or PSA) material, one is for recording music, and the other for all Liner material, such as station slogans, legal I.D.'s, etc. You must access each unique recording screen from the main menu using your function keys as follows:
! Record Spots
@ Record Music
# Record Liners
Each recording screen requires differing data input, but the basic construction of each screen is the same - so the following discussion applies to all three screens,
After pressing F1, F2, or F3, you will see a box containing the file names of each recording of the appropriate type (spot, music, or liner) that is found on the system. This is shown for your convenience in that you can either see which file names are already in use, or can highlight one of the existing recordings for re-recording.
To move around in the existing recordings box using y/z or p<Page Up>/q<Page Down>. Upon finding an existing file you wish to re-record, simply press e. You will see all of the existing information on the file appear in the 'Enter Information' box. If it is desired to make a new recording using a file name that does not currently exist, simply follow the following instructions.
! Record: Selecting this will allow you to begin entering data for a new recording, or to update and old one. See the following pages for a complete discussion of your options after pressing F1.
@ Audition: This will take you to a screen where you may type-in a script number and listen to a current recording. This is especially useful for listening to a recording just completed to make sure it recorded correctly.
# Erase: This will take you to a screen where you may type-in a script number and erase a single existing recording. It is built-in for use here if you desire to delete a recording you have just made. To erase multiple recordings, choose ( Utilities from the main menu, then % to Erase Recordings.
$ Edit Data: This handy feature lets you change any current data for an existing recording (except the I.D. and drive letter). The existing recording will remain unchanged, only the information changes if you choose to edit it.
% Re-Record Last: Another convenience based feature, this option allows you to bring up all of the data from the last file in this screen you set-up to record. It is especially useful if you tend to record, let's say, a weather forecast with the same script I.D. repeatedly throughout the day. There will also be times when a recording doesn't turn out the way you would have liked, and you wish to record it again. In both cases, this option saves you several key strokes by eliminating the need to re-enter the script I.D.
u: The Escape key (upper left-hand on keyboard) will take you to back to the main menu.
Entering Recording Information !
FNote: You are not allowed to use "quotes" in any data field. Also, you may not use unusual characters such as !@#$%^&*(+) in the spot, music, or liner I.D. title field.
Entering The I.D.
Choosing F1 gives you access to the data "boxes" on your screen. Upon hitting F1, the data field in the "ENTER INFORMATION" box adjacent to I.D. highlights in red. You now must enter an I.D.. This can be any letter or number combination you would like - up to five characters. No spaces or unusual characters are allowed.
You will notice that each I.D. automatically starts with a pre-determined letter:
Spot I.D. = S
Music I.D. = M
Liner I.D. = L
These are uniform designations and cannot be altered. The purpose of this is so that the computer can tell the difference between the different types of files. Also it is much neater organizationally. Still, you are left with five digits to work with.
Therefore, if you type 12345 following the S in the Spot I.D. entry field, your file will actually be known as S12345. All further reference to this spot will be as S12345. It is perfectly acceptable to have a file named M12345, as well as an L12345, for example. Also, you may have as few as three additional characters as a file name in music and liner record modes. Only one character in addition to the pre-selected S is required in spot record mode. If you type fewer than the required digits and try to continue, you will not be allowed to.
FNote: Your movement within the data fields is restricted until you have entered a valid script I.D. The message, You must specify a file name before continuing... flashes until you enter a valid I.D.
Many times, you may wish to re-record an existing file. Commonly, this will occur when you wish to update a spot or weathercast. This process is very simple. If you chose an existing file from the existing files list box that appeared upon entry, you may simply edit any data, if any, that has changed and continue-on to make the recording. Sometimes it may be easier to type in the script I.D. for an existing file rather than looking for it in a list box containing many files. If the file exists, all data for the recording will appear. To re-record the spot, simply update any information that has changed (such as start and kill dates). When the data has been updated, press ! to go to the recording screen. If the length of the new recording is different than the previous one, The Auto-Mate will automatically record the new length.
Drive:
After entering a valid I.D., press enter. This brings you to the Drive entry box. Enter a valid drive letter. A valid letter will always be C. You can also enter different letters to record on other hard drives you may have installed in your computer. Many systems have a second drive, which is often designated as D drive.
If you are editing the data for an existing recording, the drive entry field may not be changed. If it is desired to re-record the file on a different hard drive, the currently existing file must first be deleted.
Don't try to record on A or B drives. These are commonly designated as floppy drives. If you have some strange computer system with a hard drive that is designated as A or B, you will not be able to access it with Auto-Mate software.
Entering a drive letter that does not exist will give you the message:
The Drive you Selected is Unavailable.
You must then enter another selection.
FNote: Your movement within the data fields is restricted until you have entered a valid hard drive letter..
FNote: If you know you have a particular hard drive letter installed in your computer, but The Auto-Mate generates a fatal error when you select that drive, it is most likely because the AMWAVE directory has not been created on the drive. Exit to DOS, type (Drive letter): then hit enter, followed by CD\AMWAVE e. If it doesn't exist do the following: From the root directory (not inside any directory) in the non-recognized drive, type MD AMWAVE e.
Once you have entered a valid drive letter and pressed enter, a message comes up at the bottom of the data entry box telling you how many bytes are free on the drive.
MWARNING!: Be sure to keep an eye on your remaining drive space, as it is a very poor practice to fill your hard drive so full that you run out of space. Keep in mind that (depending on your settings), the recording process uses between one and ten megabytes every minute. If your display reads 5000000 (five million) bytes free or less you're not going to get much more on the drive.
MWARNING FOR VERIFICATION LOG USERS: If you are a regular user of the Verification Logging options, it will be especially important to watch the remaining drive space on drive C. When utilizing the verification logging , the hard drive space on C will continue to decrease as it saves log entries to the drive. If you use too much of the C drive space for .WAV files, you could run out of drive space while in a playback mode where verification logging is enabled, which could cause the system to hang. Generally, you should leave at least two megabytes free on drive C at all times, more if you don't clear the verification log listing often.
Moving Around:
After entering a valid drive letter and hitting enter, you are free to move around the data fields. You can use e, or the keyboard arrows to move anywhere you want - except back over the I.D. and Drive Letter fields - which are non-changeable once selected.
If you have made a mistake, such as entering the wrong I.D. or drive letter, press ) to clear the fields and restart.
You are restricted to a pre-determined number of characters on each entry. If you meet the allowed number of characters, you will hear a beep. Use your left arrow or backspace key to move away from the end of the data field.
Now we will spend some time examining each data field and any special features they contain.
In Spot Recording Mode <! from MAIN MENU>:
Length: We'll spend a while here - as this is fairly complex. First, you see a series of choices, :30, :60 :90 UserStop, and :???. Which choice is highlighted is dependent upon what you entered in the I.D field. If the fifth digit to the right in the Spot I.D. is 3, then the Length will default to :30, if the fifth digit of Spot I.D. is 6 then Length will default to :60., a fifth digit of 9 will default to :90. Note that the fifth digit INCLUDES the S at the beginning so an entry of S11131, will cause the default length to be :30. All other fifth-digit entry choices result in the default of UserStop.
Certainly, you don't have to use a numbering system that corresponds to this. By no means are you required to use this numbering system, but we wanted to make you aware it is available. You are encouraged to use whatever system works best for you.
So what do these defaults mean?
:30 - Recording Stops Automatically After 30 Seconds
:60 - Recording Stops Automatically After 60 Seconds
:90 - Recording Stops Automatically After 90 Seconds
UserStop - Recording Continues Until You Stop It
:??? - You enter total seconds to record (1 to 999) and
recording stops upon reaching that number.
You can move around in the settings with the left and right arrow. In the :??? box, the b (backspace) key is the only way to edit an incorrect entry.
FNote: Take care when using the automatic stop modes. If a spot runs over the designated time, you'll end up with an undesirable clip. In short, make sure your candidates for this process aren't too long.
Account: Enter the advertiser name here. (up to 15 digits)
Title: Enter a descriptive spot title (up to 15 digits)
Start: Enter the date that the copy is to start playing. If you pass over the field without entering anything, today's date will automatically appear. If the system date in your computer is wrong, the automatic date that appears will be incorrect. Correct the system date by choosing the Utilities, ( from the main menu, and then &, Set Current Date..
Kill: Enter the date that the copy should stop playing. Passing over the field without entering anything will display today's date automatically. Note that a Kill date is used for your information only. You can still use the spot beyond the kill date - it won't magically disappear or be prevented from playing.
Product: This can be a rather important entry. You should come up with a list of codes that correspond with certain types of advertisers. For example all Grocers could be coded "G", all Car Dealers "C", and all restaurants "R".
The importance in entering product codes is for the Random Playback mode. If two competing accounts are in the random spot rotation list, then The Auto-Mate will try to separate them if they have the same Product Code. For example, if McDonald's has an "R" product code, and Burger King also has an "R", The Auto-Mate will try to keep these spots from playing in the same break.
However, if you leave the product code off Burger King or don't use "R" as with McDonald's,
it is likely that the two spots could play back-to-back. It is needless to say that you should take care to avoid that.
On the other hand, you should not bunch a lot of advertisers together under, let's say, "M" for miscellaneous. The result here would be that random playback mode may not be able to play as many spots in a break as you have specified, due to a lack of differing product codes.
If you really don't care about product separations, leaving the product code blank will allow that spot to play next to any other spot.
Announcer: This is a one digit announcer code to allow you to see at a glance who produced the spot. It has no use other than for your own information.
In Music Record Mode <@ from MAIN MENU>:
Artist: Data field for the musical artist or group. (20 digits)
Title: Musical song title. (20 digits)
Rotation: This field is currently for your information only. It is used to denote how often a music file should be played in relation to other musical files. The choices are H(eavy), M(edium), or L(ight). For example, you may want to denote the top ten songs of the week as H, and less popular songs as L.
Start Date: This generally is today's date. Today's date will appear automatically if you pass over the field. However, the start date can be any date you choose.
From Year: This is the year that the song was recorded, a popular piece of information often related to listeners by on-air personalities.
In Liner Record Mode <# from MAIN MENU>:
Legal I.D.: Regular liners begin with the L that is already pre-entered in the box. If you wish to record a Legal I.D. for use in the Random Playback Mode, you must enter another L in addition to the one that is already entered for you. Thus, a Legal I.D. might look like this: LL1234. Upon typing an L as the second digit of the liner recording, you will see a message appear near the bottom of the screen. It will say: This Liner will be designated a Legal I.D.
Magic Call/Backsell Liner/Stinger: For playback on Simple-Sat The short liners that some satellite networks use between songs or just before an announcer speaks go by many names. Most commonly they are called magic calls. Generally, they will be three seconds or less in duration. The only specific function these liners have in The Auto-Mate is in the Simple-Sat playback module. There, these liners will be played when activated by the appropriate relay closure.
To record a special liner for playback in Simple-Sat, you must enter the second digit in the file name as an M. Thus, a liner recorded for special playback as Simple-Sat liner function #4 may look like this: LM1234. This liner does not necessarily have to be a magic call or stinger type of a liner, it can be any type of special liner that is desired for playback in the Simple-Sat playback mode.
Upon typing an M as the second digit in the liner i.d. box, you will see the message: This Liner will be a Magic Call/Backsell Liner appear near the bottom of the screen.
Title: This field if for a descriptive title of the liner (up to 20 characters).
Announcer: A one digit field for entry of an announcer code (A through Z, or blank).
Announcer Code Usage for Simple-Sat Users: If you are using Simple-Sat playback, this announcer code is used to isolate specific satellite announcers for playback at times you specify. Thus, if you are using the Simple-Sat automation, you should give each network announcer his or her own letter identifier and only record each individual voice under one particular letter. Any liner recorded with a blank announcer code will be played when the computer cannot figure out which satellite announcer is currently on-shift, or when you intentionally do not program individual announcer schedules in the Simple-Sat section. Therefore you will want to record some 'generic' liners with a blank announcer field for times when there is no specific announcer scheduled. For more information on programming satellite announcer schedules, see the Satellite Playback sections of this manual
Announcer Code Usage for Standard Version Users: If you are using the Standard version of The Auto-Mate, you are still restricted to A-Z or a blank for the announcer code. In the standard version, the announcer code is for your personal knowledge only. There is no effect in the operation of the software.
Type: This item is simply for your own information. The codes are up to you, but some examples may be: L - Legal I.D., R - Return Liner, S - Sweeper, P - Promo Liner, etc.
Start/Kill Dates: As before, these fields are used to tell you what dates a file should start and stop. It is important to note that a liner will continue playing beyond its kill date. So, if you have a Christmas liner playing with a kill date of 12-26-96, this doesn't mean the liner will disappear at the stroke of midnight on Christmas night. It will continue to play in random mode or when you select it from a pick-list as long as it is in the computer. In short, kill dates are for your record keeping only. It is your responsibility to ensure that outdated material is erased from the system.
Record Settings (All Recording Screens) t
When entering information for any recording, you have the option of pressing the t key to change the recording settings. There are three choices:
1. Stereo (on-off)
2. Fidelity (44kHz/22kHz/11 kHz)
3. Compression (on-off)
The defaults for these settings are initially set in the Set Recording Defaults screen {( from Main Menu, then @}. See the section on defaults for more information about the meaning of these options. The use of this feature while inside the recording screen is for making a change temporarily in the recording settings. For example, if you normally record in stereo, but you wish to record in mono on a particular recording, you can make the adjustment here. However, the next time you record, the previously set default will return
When you're in the record settings box, use yzwx (up, down, left, and right arrows) to adjust the settings.
FNote: Remember to make your recording setting changes in the data entry screen. You will not have an opportunity to adjust these settings in the actual recording screen.
ãWhen your data entry is complete, and your record settings appropriate, press F1 to go directly to the recording screen.
When choosing recording settings, keep the hard-drive space usage figures on the following page in mind.
Setting Mono Stereo
44 kHz:
8 BIT (No Compression) 2.6 MB/Min* 5.2 MB/MIN
16 BIT (No Compression) 5. 2 " 10.4 "
(2:1 Compression ON) 2.6 " 5.2 "
(4:1 Compression ON) 1.3 " 2.6 "
22 kHz:
8 BIT (No Compression) 1.3 MB/Min 2.6 MB/MIN
16 BIT (No Compression) 2.6 " 5.2 "
(2:1 Compression ON) 1.3 " 2.6 "
(4:1 Compression ON) .65 " 1.3 "
11 kHz:
8 BIT (No Compression) .65 MB/Min 1.3 MB/MIN
16 BIT (No Compression) 1.3 " 2.6 "
(2:1 Compression ON) .65 " 1.3 "
(4:1 Compression ON) .325 " .65 "
* megabytes used per minute of recording.
Which recording settings you use will vary depending on your individual situation. If you're lacking hard drive space, you may want to use compression (if available), or use lower fidelity.
Making the Recording
Making a recording is easy. First, make sure your audio is properly connected to the LINE input of the sound card. Please refer to Appendix D if you need clarification.
START/CANCEL Toggle:
Upon entry to the recording screen, you will see a highlighted box that says [START]. If you press enter at this point, the recording will start immediately. Pressing t toggles you between start and [CANCEL]. You should only choose cancel if you have made an error that you wish to correct in the initial data entry screen. Canceling will retain the data you just entered in the previous screen, and you can go back and fix the problem. Just press % re-record last, or re-type the I.D. in the data entry screen to try again.
MWARNING!: It is very important when you use the CANCEL option, that you re-enter the I.D., make your corrections in the data entry fields, and then make an actual recording. If you don't, your system will appear to contain a recording that doesn't exist. This is a potential source of system malfunction when the program begins a search for a non-existent file. If you decide not to make the recording after using the cancel option, re-enter the I.D., press !, and then hit u in the recording screen to erase the data.
Hitting the Escape key causes all file data to be erased.
Input Gain
Change your input gain with the w and x keyboard arrows.
Input gain is not designed to be altered on a regular basis. For consistent sound volume, you should select one input level and stick with it. Set the recording level defaults by choosing Utilities ( from the main menu, and then @ Set Default Audio Levels (RECORDING). An input level of one is commonly used, although two is perfectly acceptable. Levels of three or four are not recommended, as distortion may be introduced. However, you may need to use input gain levels three or four when making a recording using an input source with very low volume.
FNote: The Input Gain option is not adjustable after recording begins.
Record Level
Change your recording level with the p and q keys.
You will want to use the Record Level adjustment to account for varied audio input volumes. It is obviously a good practice to keep your recordings at a consistent level. If you don't have an external VU meter connected to the output of your sound card, you may want to consider adding one. This will allow you to "see" your volume levels better. If you continue to have problems with consistency in recording levels, you may wish to add a compressor/limiter device between the output of the audio source and the input of the sound card. This will help avoid major fluctuations in audio levels. Audio level consistency problems are more common when multiple users are making recordings into the system.
Unfortunately we have no way to display VU levels 'on screen' due to limitations of SoundBlasterF interface technology.
It is possible to change the recording level at any time during the recording process.
AutoFade
Pressing ! during recording causes the input level to fade and the recording to end. Use this option for even-sounding fades. Pressing } (the [SPACE BAR]) will stop the fade and end the recording whenever you wish. You can set the speed of the fade in the recording default audio screen, available from the utilities menu.
Ending Recording
You may end a recording at anytime by pressing SPACE BAR.
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IV. Playback with The Auto-Mate
(Random, On-Air Assist, Pick-List)
Random Playback TF4S
Random Playback Mode Menu
Random playback may be used in either a stand-alone mode or in conjunction with a Simple-Sat playback unit. Using Random Playback in stand-alone mode means that no other equipment is needed other than the computer containing your Auto-Mate software. All music, liners, spots, and legal I.D.'s will be played internally from the computer. If you use Random Playback in 'Relay' [h] mode, the capability exists to trigger breaks on a timed basis. It is also possible to trigger liners, magic calls, and legal I.D.'s on an external device - such as a Simple-Sat playback unit. Used in this fashion, only music material needs to be recorded on the computer containing the Random Playback modules. Other programming material may be placed on the Simple-Sat unit (or a different playback device capable of detecting relay closures).
FNOTE: To utilize any relay dependent functions, an acceptable relay I/O card must be installed in your computer and properly wired. For information on how to install and activate a relay card, see the manual section 'Relay Card Setup'.
The Auto-Mate random playback feature is very easy to use, and versatile. When you press $ from the main menu, your Auto-Mate will load a menu with the following selections:
! Random Playback Mode
@ Edit Spot/PSA Rotation File [stand-alone]
# Edit Stop-Set Break Times [h]
$ Set Random Playback Defaults [stand-alone & [h]]
% Set Relay Card Operations [h]
^ Verification Logging ON/OFF
& View/Print Verification Logs
* Display Current Settings
( <reserved>
) Exit to DOS
u Return to Main Menu
Getting Ready for Random Playback
Before we can let The Auto-Mate Random playback mode set out on its own, there are some tasks we must accomplish, so that it will perform playback in the manner you want it to.
Edit Spot/PSA Rotation File @
For stand-alone mode this feature lets you build a file of commercial spots and Public Service Announcements that will be allowed to play during the random playback. You must decide which spots on your system will be allowed to air in random playback, as opposed to music and liner files which will playback non-restricted. The reason for this, obviously, is that commercial material can be very time-sensitive and changeable from day-to-day. Therefore, you must give your computer the "Okay" to play certain spot files.
Selecting Spots/PSA's for the file
Choosing your spots for playback is very easy. When you press ! from the random play setup screen, you will see a list of all spots in the system occupying the bottom half of the screen, as well as any current spots that are contained in the rotation file in the top half of the screen. To select a spot for your rotation file, just move your up/down arrow and highlight the spot you want to add, then press e. If you already have spots in the line-up from a previous session, the next selection will become the first unused number. You are restricted to fifty entries in the spot rotation file. When you reach 50 entries, you must first delete an existing entry with @ in order to add a new entry.
Removing Spots/PSA's from the file
When you want to remove spots, you have two options, pressing the @ key to delete one entry at-a-time, or ) to erase the entire file and start over. When choosing @, you will be required to enter the number that you desire to erase (1 through the highest entry number).
Saving the File
Pressing ! will allow you to update the file and return to the main menu. Don't forget, if you ever decide to abort the process before deciding to save your changes, pressing the u key will allow you to leave and return to the main menu.
FNote: Be cautious about the variety of spots you select for random playback. First, make sure you have a sufficient number of spots so the computer has a good selection to choose from. Secondly, try not to load a disproportionate number of spots of a certain product type. For example, avoid having half of your spots be car dealers. In a case such as this, if you have used the same product codes, The Auto-Mate will have a difficult time filling commercial breaks. You may notice unpredictable results on spot playback, as the computer won't play two like product codes in a break, and may dump out of a break upon encountering a certain number of product code repeats. The result will be that fewer spots will play in each break than you would have liked.
Edit Stop-Set Break Times #
New to Version 3.0 software, the Random Playback Mode now has the ability to send a relay closure and pause playback at approximate times the user has chosen. This closure can be used to interface with a Simple-Sat playback unit in order to play commercial breaks. Random playback can then be suspended until a return closure is received by the Random Playback Mode. This allows you to play commercial breaks more-or-less when you want to. Using Simple-Sat playback, you can play what you want to play in each commercial break.
Building a list of break times is easy. First you will choose the days of the week that are desired for editing. Monday through Friday ! are placed in the same file since weekday schedules tend not to vary extensively. Saturday @ and Sunday # each have their own file data due to the fact that weekend broadcasting schedules tend to have a greater variance. The Random Playback Mode will play the appropriate schedule based on the day of the week that is found by checking the DOS system date in your computer.
Adding break times is easy, just place the time in HH:MM format with an A or P (for AM and PM.) You should always place a sufficient amount of time between local breaks to give the Simple-Sat unit time to play the local break, return, play more music, and then take the next break. It is our recommendation that stop-set breaks be taken no more often than every 15 minutes to ensure that the system has time to send the previously selected break closure, play the spots, get the return closure, and play at least two songs before having to take another break.
To demonstrate how your stop-set playback may work, consider the following example:
- You have selected a break time of 11:30AM.
- Random Playback Mode playback is initiated at 11:00 AM and begins playing music.
- At 11:29:00 AM, a song ends and another begins. This is a 4 minute song.
- At 11:30 AM a message appears on the Random Playback Screen:
11:30 AM Break Coming Up Next...
- At 11:33 AM, song ends and a relay closure is sent for a break and Random Playback
waits for a return closure. Simple-Sat unit begins playing commercial break containing 3
minutes of spot material.
- At 11:36 AM, Simple-Sat stop-set is done and a return closure is sent to Random Playback
Unit. A song begins playing from the Random Playback Mode.
In this example, it would have been undesirable to place another local break, for example, at 11:35 AM as The Auto-Mate is in the midst of playing a local break at this time. It would be better to leave a buffer of time so Random Playback can play more music before going directly to another break. Your software is designed to try to accommodate this break, by sending another break closure after playing one random song after returning from the previous break. Note that if your system starts getting behind more than two 'upcoming breaks', it will be unable to play breaks that have been designated. This is why we ask you to make sure you do not designate any break time that may potentially overlap the playback of a previously designated break.
You may return and edit these break times anytime you wish. Simply follow the on-screen menu options for instructions on how to edit and save your selections. You may print your break listing - or a range of it - by pressing *.
Set Random Playback Defaults $
Pressing # from the random menu takes you to the random playback defaults setup screen. This is the "nuts-and-bolts" of the random playback feature of The Auto-Mate. This default screen will allow you to customize your playback to just the way you want it. The following paragraphs will discuss each of the options available.
When you enter the Random Playback Mode, the playback will be varied based on the defaults that are set in this screen. Here is a brief description of how each option operates:
In the following features, settings labeled with [stand-alone & [h]] will either control an internal playback or cause (or disallow) a relay closure - depending on the settings in % Set Relay Card Operations. For example if relay output closure at random liner is ON, a relay closure would be triggered when it is time for a liner to play. If output closure at random liner is OFF, the liner will play internally from the Random Playback Mode.
Number of Songs to Play Between Magic Calls (1-15): [[h]] This option determines the number of songs that play between a magic call relay output.
Number of Songs to Play Between Liners (1-15): [stand-alone & [h]] The number of music files that will play without interruption by a liner file. Choosing 1 here would mean that a liner would play after every song. Note that the actual pattern of liner playback will vary depending on your setting for number of songs between commercial breaks. The actual liner playback pattern may not be exactly as set-up here if the continuity is broken by a station break.
Number of Songs to Play between Commercial Breaks (2-30): [stand-alone only] Like the setting for liner playback, you choose here how many songs to play between commercial breaks. The spot playback pattern is fairly consistent. That is, to say that you can expect a commercial break after a set number of songs each time. Therefore, you may want to change this setting from time-to-time to avoid monotony. Internal Commercial Break playback may be used even if you are using relay controlled break outputs simultaneously.
Maximum Number of Spots in Each Commercial Break (1-10): [stand-alone only] This represents the greatest number of spots that are possible in a commercial break. Note that it is likely that a lower total number of spots will play in each break. This total spots per break varies based on the total number of spots in the rotation file, as well as the number of like product codes. The Auto-Mate won't repeat a spot in a break, nor will it play two like products in the same break. When the computer can't find a good match for the break in a certain number of "loops", it will abort the break. Therefore, don't be surprised to hear, say, only three spots if you have selected a maximum of four spots in each break.
Also, be aware that The Auto-Mate doesn't discriminate between spot lengths. Therefore, if you select the maximum of ten spots, your break could last up to ten minutes or more. Unless you have an immense spot load, you may want to hold this value down from the upper range.
Play Liner at the Beginning of Each Commercial Break? (Y/N): [stand-alone only] Selecting Y causes a liner to play at the beginning of each stand-alone commercial break that plays. Choosing N will cause your random play to go directly from music into the first spot in the break. This feature is available only with the internal break playback option - not the time-based break relay closure option.
Play Liner at the End of Each Commercial Break? (Y/N): [stand-alone only] Selecting Y causes a liner to play after the last spot plays in each commercial break. Choosing N will cause your random play to go directly from the last spot in the break into music. This feature is available only with the internal break playback option - not the time-based break relay closure option.
When utilizing stand-alone internal breaks, you can choose to play a liner at the beginning and at the end of a break, at just the beginning or just the end, or you may choose to play no liner at all before or after the break.
Disable Liner Playback? (Y/N): [stand-alone & [h]] Selecting Y here will prevent all liner material from playing, except legal I.D's (those that start with the letters LL). Selecting N here allows all internal liner material to rotate, or the output relay closure for the liner to take place, depending on the setting in % Set Relay Card Operations .
Disable Magic Call Playback? (Y/N): [[h]] Stops all relay closures for magic calls. If this is set to 'N' and relay closures for magic calls are desired, make sure the relay output for magic calls is turned ON in % Set Relay Card Operations.
Disable Commercial Breaks [Internal] ? (Y/N): [stand-alone only] Selecting Y here prevents any internal material beginning with S from playing in your auto-playback mode. Selecting N allows spots to play, provided you have at least one entry in the Spot/PSA rotation file.
Changing the Settings
To move around and adjust in this screen, use yzxw. Pressing ) refreshes the screen with all existing saved values. u will prompt you if you wish to quit without saving. When you wish to save your changes, simply press !. The following message will appear:
SAVE THESE VALUES? (Y/N) _
If you choose Y, any changes made will be written to the hard-drive and the Random Playback Menu will re-appear. Pressing N will return you to the previous position in the list.
FNote: It has been referred to a number of times, but please remember that the random default values are only a guide for The Auto-Mate. In actual operation, it may perform a bit differently. This is due to the fact that you may be trying to make the computer do something it cannot, such as playing five commercials in a break when there are only four in the rotation file. Please try to enter default entries that you are fairly sure the computer can oblige. The source of most fatal errors (meaning lots of dead-air) is when the computer is told to do something it cannot. Computers are pretty dumb, and sometimes they just can't handle it. While we have tried to account for every possible contingency, it is impossible to test every possible default configuration for non-recoverable errors.
Set Relay Card Operations %
If you are going to be using random playback in conjunction with a Simple-Sat playback unit, or another playback device capable of receiving contact closures, you must set-up your system to send and receive the appropriate relay closures. It is possible to mix-and-match events between stand-alone mode and relay based mode. For example, you can have Random Playback Mode send a relay closure to do a magic call, but have the Legal I.D. and Liner playback take place internally. It is possible to have both internal breaks and timed break outputs taking place on the system.
Each option will be discussed individually:
MWARNING! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A RELAY CARD IN YOUR COMPUTER, ALL SETTINGS SHOULD BE PLACED TO OFF. Trying to make the computer perform functions on a non-existent peripheral device is a good practice to avoid.
1. Output Closure at Random Break :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP4 when it is time to do timed break closure from within Random Playback Mode. Timed random breaks are set from within # Edit Stop-Set Break Times and have been discussed previously in this section. If this option is turned OFF, no time-triggered breaks will occur.
2. Output Closure at Random Liner :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP5 when it is time to do a liner from within Random Playback Mode. Turn OFF to have liners play internally from Random Playback Mode. Make sure liner playback is not disabled from within $ Set Random Playback Defaults if you are not getting liner activation and wish to.
3. Output Closure at Random Legal I.D. :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP6 when it is time to do a Legal I.D. (near the top of the hour). Turn OFF to have Legal I.D.'s play internally.
4. Output Closure at Random Magic Call :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP7 when it is time to do a magic call. Turn OFF and there will be no relay closure. Magic calls cannot play internally as isolated events in stand-alone mode.
MWARNING! [Avoid dead-air!] If you are waiting for a return closure after sending a closure, make sure the Simple-Sat unit is set to send return closures after it has completed the desired playback. If you are not using a Simple-Sat unit, make sure the device you are using can send a return closure. Make sure the return closures do not contain ANY voltage if your unit is set to accept dry closures only - or if you are using the PC game port.
FNote: As a fail-safe feature, your Auto-Mate has the ability to re-start Random Playback Mode after being paused for a pre-determined number of seconds. The use of this is to allow Random Playback Mode to re-start automatically even if it never receives a return closure from a particular event. For example, if the longest commercial break placed in Satellite Playback Mode is 210 seconds, you may wish to have the Relay Override Set to automatically resume playback after 215 seconds. This feature is discussed more in the section 'Relay Card Setup'.
5. Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Break) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Random Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP0 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a break (pause) at OP4. Turn OFF to re-start random playback immediately.
6. Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Liner) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Random Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP1 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a liner at OP5. Turn OFF to re-start random playback immediately.
7. Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Legal I.D.) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Random Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP2 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a Legal I.D. at OP6. Turn OFF to re-start random playback immediately.
8. Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Magic Call) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Random Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP3 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a Magic Call at OP7. Turn OFF to re-start random playback immediately.
9. Relay Card Input Sensing in Random Playback Mode :ON/OFF When turned ON, the relay card senses the contact closure inputs. When turned OFF, it is possible to detect dry contact closures via the PC game port. For further instructions on wiring, please see the section entitled 'Game Port Wiring'.
Each of these options may be selected and toggled by pressing yzxw. Press ! and answer Y e to save changes to these options.
Now that we have discussed the various options available to the user from within Random Playback Mode, let's take a look at the actual Random Playback Mode itself.
Random Playback Mode !
FNote: When using Random Playback in stand-alone, there must be a minimum two each of standard liners (those starting with L, but not LL) and legal I.D's (those starting with LL) for the Random Playback Mode to operate. If you have less than two standard liners or less than two legal I.D's recorded into the system, you will be told of this and returned to the main menu. This safeguard was implemented to prevent the system from hanging - as it tries to never play the same liner event back-to-back.
FNote: Liners recorded as magic calls/backsell liners (those starting with LM for use with Simple-Sat) are considered standard (regular) liners in Random Playback internal stand-alone mode and will play in the regular liner rotation.
Upon pressing ! to enter the random playback mode, you will see a series of messages pass by on the screen. These messages show that a data files for each recording (music, spot, and liner) has been loaded into memory. If you are using relay closures instead of taking internal liners or legal I.D.'s, you will see the messages:
NO Liners Loaded - Liner Relay Output ENABLED
NO Legal I.D.'s Loaded - Legal I.D. Relay Output ENABLED
This means that no liners or legal I.D.'s are loaded into system memory.
START/QUIT Toggle
When all of the data has been loaded, you are ready to begin playback. Pressing e when the [START] command button is highlighted will begin playback. Pressing the t key will toggle you between [START] and [QUIT]. Highlighting QUIT and pressing e will take you back to the main menu.
Timed Start
You may want your random playback to begin automatically at a specific time. If this is the case, you may press T and enter the exact hour and minute that you want random playback to commence. The time should be entered in the twelve hour format: HH:MM A/P. This feature is useful if you have another source of programming that ends at a specific time. The Auto-Mate can pick-up where that programming leaves off.
While in Playback:
The Auto-Mate takes care of everything when playback is going on. The Auto-Mate will continue playing randomly until you stop it. Even Legal I.D.'s will play near the top-of-the-hour on The Auto-Mate. Here's a brief description of what is going on:
All music file data is loaded into memory and played on a totally random basis. The Auto-Mate tracks which music files have been played. Upon initial entry to Random Playback Mode, each music file in your system is played before repeats can begin.
Take note that there are rare instances where a music file may repeat before all others have played. It is the primary goal of the system to keep operating and on occasion may 'dump out' of the random search process rather than get stuck in what computer programmers call an 'endless loop'.
It is also important to note that after getting past the initial loop through of all songs, it is possible to hear a repeat before all other music files play again. Once the total number of songs has played, you might hear a repeat well before all other songs have played. This is because once the computer has played all music selections, it starts over the random music selection process and doesn't 'remember' what it played before a certain number of previous selections. The idea here is to keep the music playback as random as possible. Obviously, if we constantly made all music files play before repeating a song, the songs would play more or less in the same order over and over!
Liners are played in a totally random basis if you are playing them internally, so you may hear one repeated often from time to time. The key is to having an ample number of liners recorded for variety. Remember, ALL liners in your system will be rotated, so don't plan on leaving holiday oriented liners or other dated material in the computer all year long.
Legal I.D.'s or the relay closure for them is triggered by the system clock. Legal I.D.'s are any liner that begin with LL. Please make certain that your system clock is set correctly (To set the clock, Choose (, Utilities from the main menu, then ^). Provided your system clock is accurate, you should hear a legal I.D. somewhere between :56 and :04 near the top-of-the-hour. If you begin the random playback between :57 after and about :03 after the top-of-the-hour, a legal I.D. will be the first event to play.
MWARNING! To help ensure that your Legal I.D. always, do not make any recording that lasts more than eight minutes. In cases where a sound file exceeds eight minutes, it could completely cover the eight minute I.D. window around the top of the hour. An occurrence of this nature would be extremely rare, however. The Auto-Mate software has been extensively tested and designed to make playback of the Legal I.D the number one priority. But, As would be the case with any electronic or mechanical device, we cannot assure error-free operation 100% of the time.
Spots are loaded in from the Spot/PSA Rotation File, which can be edited by selecting the Edit Spot/PSA Rotation File @ from the random playback menu. You will have already selected how many spots to take in each commercial break, and how often to take a break in the Set Random Playback Defaults Random Defaults screen, which is # from the main menu. (These options were discussed in greater detail in the last section.)
Local Breaks are triggered by relay on a timed basis. You build a list of your break-times by choosing Edit Stop-Set Break Times # from the random playback menu. Remember that there are distinct schedules for Weekday, Saturday, and Sunday. Which schedule plays back will depend on what the day is set to at the DOS system level. Upon initiating playback, you will know which day's schedule is active by the display in the lower left-hand corner which shows the current day.
You can see what the current settings are by looking at the settings box while random play is in progress.
The SETTINGS Box
Settings:
No. Songs Between Liners = 4
No. Songs Between Mag.Call = 2
No. Songs Between Each
Internal Break = 9
Maximum No. of Spots in
Each Internal Break = 5
<Space> More Settings
For your convenience, you will see the current settings in the upper-right section of your screen. Displayed will be the current defaults for random playback as selected from the Edit Random Defaults option.
There are a total of nine informational display windows, each of which may be displayed by pressing }.
In the lower left-hand corner of the screen, you will see these settings displayed:
Line Input Volume = (0 - 250)
Master Output Volume = (0 - 250)
Compression Masking = ON/OFF
Verification Logging = ON/OFF
Line Input Volume: Line input volume is the electronically set volume of the source plugged into your line input jack. Be careful not to run audio through the sound card if the line input volume is turned up during random playback. The result will be a mixing of both digital playback and the audio running through the line input. A Line input volume higher than zero is equivalent to having an open pot on your console.
Master Output Volume: This is the overall volume output level of the sound card. If this is set to zero, you will have no sound coming out of the sound card. 180-230 is considered the normal range.
Compression Masking: This feature nearly eliminates the undesirable popping and squealing noises associated with a recording made using data compression. It accomplishes this by muting the audio during the first three-tenths second of playback, and the last two-tenths second of playback of each audio file. Thus, these strange noises that are embedded at the front and back of each compressed file are "masked". The drawback is that you will have an increase in the dead-air gap of one-half second between each file that plays. Also, all files are muted in this fashion, even those that are not recorded in compressed format. Still, this is an excellent feature for those who wish to utilize the maximum of drive space by using compression, but do not want to have the compression popping heard over the air.
All audio card volume settings and well as compression masking feature are controlled in the Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK) screen, which is available by choosing the Utilities menu ( from the main menu , and then pressing !.
For a complete discussion of the default audio levels for playback, see the section covering system utilities.
Verification Logging: This feature allows you to write to computer hard-drive a list of every audio file that is played from within Random Playback Mode. The file written to (MON.LOG -SUN.LOG) depends on the current day of the week. Verification logging is toggled on and off by pressing ^ from the random playback menu. To view, print, or delete the verification logs, press & from the random playback menu. Any log entry that was generated from within random playback mode will appear with an 'R' at the right of the entry (S = Satellite, P = Pick-List).
Printed Program Log
You may build a hard-copy of what is playing on-the-air with your random playback mode as it is being played. You must have a printer connected to your printer port. Make sure the printer is connected to printer port #1, is turned on, is on-line, and has paper. Every time a new audio file begins, the printer will print a new line that tells you which file played, and at what time.
If you have trouble getting a printer to work with The Auto-Mate contact your local computer expert, and tell him or her that The Auto-Mate software uses LPT1. In some rare cases, an internal switch in the computer may have to be adjusted to enable the printer port. In general, if the printer will print the contents of the screen using the Print Screen key, it will print your random playback log.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON PREPARING YOUR SYSTEM FOR USE WITH THE RELAY CARD, SEE THE SECTION 'RELAY CARD SETUP'.
Automatic Power-Loss Recovery
Should your computer lose power for any reason, there is a way to bring back Random Playback Mode and have it begin automatically. To have Random Playback Mode appear and re-start automatically, add the following statement to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
RANDMUS.EXE
Make sure you place this line before any other executable file (excluding DOS system or driver function files) currently placed in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Upon re-entry to the Random Playback Mode using this method, there will be a ten-second count-down in which there is time to abort automatic start-up if so desired.
Automatic Failsafe Reboot
As your system runs, it may 'consume' memory. Eventually, there may not be enough memory to continue operation. Many will never have this problem, especially if the user exits back to the main menu at least once per day. Some will not have a problem even if the system is run in a continual mode. However, depending on your hardware, it is possible that a critical condition may occur after around 24 hours of continual operation. Generally, if you are going to have a problem, it will occur between 24 and 72 hours of continual operation.
When The Auto-Mate software senses an impending fatal condition in system memory, it will exit the playback mode and reset the computer after a five-second override opportunity. When the reboot has completed, what happens then depends on the settings in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
AUTOEXEC.BAT reboot options:
· If RANDMUS.EXE is designated as the run file from AUTOEXEC.BAT, Randmus will re-start automatically.
· If MAINMENU.EXE is designated as the run file from AUTOEXEC.BAT, it will still run RANDMUS.EXE - the random playback module - if random playback was exited in the forced reboot manner. It would be wise to designate MAINMENU.EXE as the startup module in AUTOEXEC.BAT if you use Pick-List and Random playback modes on an alternating basis. This is due to the fact that MAINMENU.EXE can sense which of these playback modes was exited and restart the appropriate one. If, for example, RANDMUS.EXE was set as the start-up file in AUTOEXEC.BAT, but the pick-list playback mode - PLAYBACK.EXE - had been exited in the automatic reboot, playback would resume in Random Playback Mode - which was not the intended result. Running MAINMENU.EXE as the start-up file in AUTOEXEC.BAT can help you avoid these results.
· MWARNING!: Setting the AUTOEXEC.BAT start-up to MAINMENU.EXE will not allow RANDMUS.EXE - the random playback module - to restart if reset occurs after a power loss (the main menu will appear).
FNOTE: Make sure you don't leave a floppy diskette in the computer, as this will likely prevent the system from rebooting as intended.
Upon re-entry to the Random Playback Mode using this method, there will be a two-second abort option at the main menu, and then a five-second count-down in which there is time to abort automatic start-up if so desired.
If an automatic reset becomes necessary, the process will usually take at least one minute for the reboot to occur. This speed can be increased by having finding ways to make your system boot faster (bypassing memory tests, not loading a mouse or CD ROM driver, etc.). Of course, there will likely be no audio playing during the reboot process (unless a second source is playing audio at the time).
MWARNING!: DO NOT run Random Playback Mode as a sub-process under any version of the following operating systems/processes:
- DOSSHELL(tm)
- DESQVIEW(tm)
- WINDOWS(tm)
- OS/2(tm)
- Network Software is running
Running these processes when an automatic reboot occurs will interfere with the reboot process.
On-Air Assist Mode TF5S
On-Air assist mode turns your computer into an intelligent cart machine. The major benefit of using On-Air Assist over other Auto-Mate options is the speed at which you can enter and play recordings. As long as you have I.D's (a.k.a. cart numbers) handy, such as on your program log, you can access any recording quickly by manual entry. Auto-Mate On-Air Assist was designed largely for accessing and playing spot material in the frenzied live environment.
Entering Files for Playback
When you enter On-Air Assist mode, you see three boxes. The large box occupying the left-hand side of the screen is for displaying your entries. The upper right-hand box shows your various options. The lower right-hand box is where you enter the spot/music/liner I.D.'s.
To enter a selection, simply type the I.D. of the file you wish to play. Remember to preface your entry with the appropriate S (spot), M (Music), or L (Liner). If your entry is valid, the selection will appear in the box labeled Entries. You may enter a maximum of fifteen entries.
All entries attempted after entry fifteen replace the previous entry fifteen.
When you're ready to play the selections, press e while the I.D. entry field is empty. This will take you to the playback screen.
Entry Options
Here is a look at the available entry options in this mode:
! Enter-A-Spot: You are automatically in this mode unless you have chosen the @ (Insert) or # (Cut) option. If you have chosen F2 or F3 mistakenly, or have changed your mind and do not wish to insert or cut, pressing F1 will return you immediately to regular entry mode.
FNOTE: Even though the entry box is titled Enter-A-Spot, you may enter any valid I.D., including those of music or liner files.
@ Insert: Lets you insert a selection between two existing selections. For example, if you wish to place a spot between entry 9, and entry 10, press @, then type 10 in the box. The previous entry 10 becomes entry 11, 11 becomes 12, and so on. The next entry you choose becomes the new entry 10. Note that if you have reached the maximum entry level of fifteen, you are prompted to delete an entry before you can insert a new one. If you need to enter more than 15 entries please use the Pick-List Playback Mode (^ from the main menu).
# Cut: If you have made an erroneous entry, F3 lets you get rid of it. Simply enter the number you wish to remove in the box that appears - hit enter - and it's gone.
$ Pause: Places a >PAUSE< symbol in the next empty spot. During playback, the computer will halt upon encountering a pause until you press C to continue. Make sure you don't choose this if you plan to leave the playback unattended, as no further playback will occur until the C is pressed. The utility of this feature is, for example, giving you time to do a live tag between spots, or stopping to let you do a live weather forecast.
u The Escape key returns you to the main menu. Be careful not to press escape unless you really want to quit. Ass opposed to all other Auto-Mate screens, you will not be asked whether or not you really want to quit. This is keeping with the goal of providing the fastest possible means of moving around inside of this mode.
e Pressing enter while your I.D. data entry field is empty will take you to the playback screen.
In the Playback Screen
Upon entering the actual playback screen, your playback will not begin automatically. You will see a list of your entries displayed vertically in the center of the screen. A the left portion of the screen is a column of options START, EDIT, or QUIT.
Pressing e while the command box [START] is highlighted will start the playback.
If you have made an error and wish to return to the entry screen, press the t key, highlighting [EDIT]. Pressing e at this point will return you to the entry screen where you can change your lineup. You can return to make an edit only three times per playback sequence. Attempting to return to edit the same material three times will cause a warning message to display. It will tell you this is your "last chance" to edit the selections. If you try to return to edit the same selections a fourth time, all will have disappeared.
Using the t key to highlight [QUIT] and then pressing e will also return you to the spot entry screen, but your previous entries will be wiped out. If you wish to return to the main menu after using the quit option, simply press u.
The following options are available once playback has started:
t Toggles between the on-screen option list and a list of the I.D's of the playback lineup.
P Pause: Pauses the playback instantly at any point.
C or e Continue: Resumes paused playback.
u Begin Next: The escape key will cause the currently playing file to immediately abort, and the next in the lineup to begin.
E End Run: Aborts the entire lineup and takes you back to the entry screen. Obviously, you will want to be cautious around the E key.
Another feature of this mode is the display of total seconds and minutes in the lineup and also a display showing the total number of seconds and minutes remaining in the lineup. This is shown at the lower left of your screen.
In the mid to lower left-hand corner of the screen, you will see these settings displayed:
Line Input Volume = (0 - 250)
Master Output Volume = (0 - 250)
Compression Masking = ON/OFF
Line Input Volume: Line input volume is the electronically set volume of the source plugged into your line input jack. Be careful not to run audio through the sound card if the line input volume is turned up during on-air assist playback. The result will be a mixing of both digital file playback and the audio running through the line input. A Line input volume higher than zero is equivalent to having an open pot on your console.
Master Output Volume: This is the overall volume output level of the sound card. If this is set to zero, you will have no sound coming out of the output of the sound card. 180-230 is considered the normal range.
Compression Masking: This feature nearly eliminates the undesirable popping and squealing noises associated with a recording made using data compression. It accomplishes this by muting the audio during the first three-tenths second of playback, and the last two-tenths second of playback of each audio file. Thus, these strange noises that are embedded at the front and back of each compressed file are "masked". The drawback is that you will have an increase in the dead-air gap of one-half second between each file that plays. Also, all files are muted in this fashion, even those that are not recorded in compressed format. Still, this is an excellent feature for those who wish to utilize the maximum of drive space by using compression, but do not want to have the compression popping heard over the air.
All audio card volume settings and well as compression masking feature are controlled in the Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK) screen, which is available by choosing the Utilities menu from the main menu (, and then pressing !.
For a complete discussion of the default audio levels for playback, see the section of this manual covering system utilities.
Pick-List Playback Modes TF6S
Choosing ^ from the main menu takes you to the pick-list playback mode menu. While pick-list mode allows you a great deal of "walk-away" time, this option differs from random playback mode in that you must first manually choose any material that will play. This is accomplished by the display of a list of recordings that you may scroll through and select for playback.
There are two main options in the pick-list modes, Immediate Playback Mode ! and Work with Templates %. With immediate mode, you go directly to the pick-list mode, pick, and then play your selections. These selections are saved nowhere and last only as long as it takes to play them back. For those who wish to re-play their selections at a later time, or set up files in advance, there is the template mode. With the template mode, you select a file name for the list of material you will create. When you have created the line-up you desire, you then save the entries. You may then play the selections in that "template" any time you wish.
Pick-List Playback Modes Menu
Immediate Playback Mode !
Generating a Lineup
When creating a lineup from the pick-lists, there are three file display screens you may jump back and forth through. These screens contain spot, music, and liner listings. Upon entry into the mode, your spot list will appear on the screen (provided that any are actually recorded). To view the music listing, hit t. Pressing TAB again will take you to the liner listing. Hit TAB once more, and you're back at the spot listing. Pressing s+t (Shift and Tab at the same time) takes you the opposite direction. Look at the upper left-hand corner of the screen to see which screen (spot/music/liner) you are currently at.
Entry Options
Here is a look at your available options in this mode:
y/z: Moves your highlighted cursor from one selection to the next.
p/q: Moves your highlighted cursor up or down by one screen.
e: Selects the current highlighted file in the list, and places it in your lineup.
w/x: This is a scroll mode for your previous entries. Notice there is a box labeled "previous" and a box labeled "current" in the top-half of the screen. Current shows up to the most recent eight entries, Previous shows the last entries made before those in the current box. By using the left and right arrows, you can view ALL of your previous entries.
! Play: Takes you to the playback screen where you may play your selections.
@ Insert: Lets you insert a selection between two existing selections. For example, if you wish to place a spot between entry 49, and entry 50, press @, then type 50 in the box that appears. The previous entry 50 becomes entry 51, 51 becomes 52, and so on. The next entry you choose becomes the new entry 50.
# Cut: If you have made an erroneous entry, # lets you get rid of it. Simply enter the number you wish to remove in the box that appears - press e - and it's gone.
$ Pause: [stand-alone & [h]]: Places a >PAUSE< symbol in the next empty spot. During playback, if relay activation for output closure at pick-list break is turned off, the computer will halt playback upon countering a pause until you hit C or e to continue. Make sure you don't choose this if you plan to leave the playback unattended, as no further playback will occur until the C or e key is pressed. The utility of this feature in a live-assist fashion is, for example, giving you time to do a live tag between spots, or stopping to let you do a live weather forecast. If the output closure for a pick-list break is turned on, an output closure will be sent on OP4 when a >PAUSE< is encountered during pick-list playback.
% Legal: [h]: Places a >I.D.< symbol in the next empty spot. If the output closure for a pick-list Legal I.D. is turned on, an output closure will be sent on OP6 when the >I.D.< designation is encountered during pick-list playback. If relay output closure capability for this feature is turned off from within the Set Relay Card Operations menu option, entries of this type will be bypassed and have no effect.
^ Liner: [h]: Places a >LINER< symbol in the next empty spot. If the output closure for a pick-list Liner is turned on, an output closure will be sent on OP5 when the >LINER< designation is encountered during pick-list playback. If relay output closure capability for this feature is turned off from within the Set Relay Card Operations menu option, entries of this type will be bypassed and have no effect.
& Magic: [h]: Places a >MAGIC< symbol in the next empty spot. If the output closure for a pick-list Magic Call is turned on, an output closure will be sent on OP7 when the >MAGIC< designation is encountered during pick-list playback. If relay output closure capability for this feature is turned off from within the Set Relay Card Operations menu option, entries of this type will be bypassed and have no effect.
* Manual Entry: This feature is handy if you know the script I.D. of the file you want to play and don't want to search through the pick-lists to find it. Simply press %, and enter a valid I.D.. If it is a valid I.D., the file I.D. and title will pop-up in the current selection box as your next entry. Invalid entries will simply cause the box to clear and no entry to appear above. While in the manual entry mode, you must use the i and d keys to adjust the cursor. This is opposed to the traditional left and right arrows, which in this section of the program allows you to view your previous entries. The u key sends you back to regular pick-list entry mode.
Other Features/Notes
ãYou are limited to 500 individual entries in immediate playback mode. Upon reaching this number, you receive a message, "Maximum Entries Reached". You must first delete an existing entry before entering a new one.
FNOTE: Your computer has a limited capacity to store data. If you have a great many spots/music/liners recorded, or do not have enough conventional memory free, you may run out of data storage space before the full 500 entries are made in the pick-list mode. If this happens, any entries you make after the memory has been depleted will appear blank. If this happens, do not attempt to make any further entries. For a complete discussion of data storage issues, please see Appendix C which regards maximizing storage capacity.
ãNotice that your total run-time is featured in minutes and hours in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.
ãPlease always be on the lookout for files that show no length. These are "empty" files, in that informational data is there, but no recording is present. This occurs when, in the recording screen, the [CANCEL] button is hit, and no actual recording is made. Trying to play an empty file shouldn't cause a problem in your system operation, but it is not a good condition to let stand. Delete "empty" files as you would a normal recording, by going into erase mode which is available in the utilities menu - ( from the main menu.
ãIf you somehow end up with a "blank" somewhere in your template - a blank being an entry which contains no data at all - please cut it from the template immediately. Otherwise, you may experience trouble scrolling forward and backwards through the template.
ãWhen you use your left and right arrows to scroll through the previous entries, you will see the total minutes change to show the total number of minutes of programming that will play between the first entry and the entry that is located at the bottom of the previous box. For example, if you press the left arrow and scroll back so that entry 80 is at the bottom of the previous listing, you will see something like this at the bottom left of the screen:
1 - 80: 229 Minutes (3.8 Hours)
ãPressing ! takes you to the playback screen, but playback doesn't begin instantly, there you must first press e to commence playback.
Beginning Playback in Immediate Pick-List Mode:
Play !: From the pick-list entry screen, pressing ! takes you to the screen where playback can begin.
Start-up Options:
S Set First Event: Upon entry to the playback screen you have the option to start playback from the first entry, or to pick a different starting point. This option is accessed by pressing S to Set First Event. If you do not choose this option, you will always start playback at the first file in the list.
T Set Start Time: You may also set your Auto-Mate to begin playback at an upcoming time. Access the Set Start Time option by pressing T. The time should be entered in the twelve hour format: HH:MM A/P. This feature is useful if you have another source of programming that ends at a specific time. The Auto-Mate can pick-up where that programming leaves off.
t: Toggles you between [START] and [QUIT].
e: Either begins the playback [START], or takes you back to the main menu [QUIT].
P Pause: Pauses the playback instantly at any point.
C or e Continue: Resumes paused playback.
u Begin Next: The escape key will cause the currently playing file to immediately stop, and the next in the lineup to begin.
E End Run: Aborts the entire lineup and takes you back to the main menu. Obviously, you will want to be cautious around the E key.
FNote: If the pick-list playback is aborted (i.e. due to power failure) before the entire list has played, or you wish to run the last-entered immediate template again, there is no need to re-enter the lost material. To re-run the immediate template, type PLAYBCK2.EXE from the DOS command line in the AMATE directory. The last immediate pick-list template that was created will again appear, ready for playback.
Verification Logging: This feature allows you to write to computer hard-drive a list of every audio file that is played from within Pick-List Playback Mode. The file written to (MON.LOG -SUN.LOG) depends on the current day of the week. Verification logging is toggled on and off by pressing ^ from the Pick-List menu. To view, print, or delete the verification logs, press & from the Pick-List menu. Any log entry that was generated from within pick-list playback mode will appear with an 'P' at the right of the entry (S = Satellite, R = Random Playback).
Printed Program Log
You may build a hard-copy of what is playing on-the-air inside of pick-list mode as it is being played. You must have a printer connected to your printer port. Make sure the printer is connected to printer port #1, is turned on, is on-line, and has paper. Every time a new audio file begins, the printer will print a new line that tells you which file played, and at what time.
If you have trouble getting a printer to work with The Auto-Mate contact your local computer expert, and tell him or her that The Auto-Mate software uses LPT1. In some rare cases, an internal switch in the computer may have to be adjusted to enable the printer port. In general, if the printer will print the contents of the screen using the Print Screen key, it will print your random playback log.
Finally, when your playback has ended completely, you will be returned to the main menu of The Auto-Mate.
Pick-List Template Creation and Playback:
Your Auto-Mate software has the capacity to store data that you create by building lists of audio files and/or relay output cues. We call these lists 'templates'. Whether you use daily or custom templates will depend on your particular needs. It shall now be explained how DAILY templates work.
Continual Playback Using Daily Templates:
MWARNING!: While The Auto-Mate gives you the capacity to 'chain' together multiple days of templates for long-term playback, we do not recommend that you assume that this means you may leave your operation unattended for extensive periods of time (more than several hours daily). There are many potential sources of system malfunction, especially when dealing with something as complex as a music-on-hard drive system.
The user has the potential of building a daily template for each day of the week (MON-SUN). During playback of a daily template, when the currently running day has ended, the following day will be loaded and begin running. For example, if the MON template is running, and begins playing event #649 out of 649, the system will load all data for the TUE template in the background. When MON event #649 has finished, TUE event #1 begins playing. If the upcoming day does not exist in the system, The Auto-Mate will simply re-load and run the day it just finished playing.
MWARNING!: Turning on <R>epeat will prevent any subsequent days from loading and playing. The currently running day will be repeated over-and-over until <R>epeat is turned off.
Custom Templates:
Custom pick-list templates are useful for special events such as pre-determined stop-set formats for sporting broadcasts, or short-term automation including specialty programming. Custom templates will play back just as daily templates except that there is no ability to load subsequent template files. If the <R>epeat option is OFF, you will be exited from the playback mode after the last event has played. If the <R>epeast option is ON, the custom template will repeat until the user exits from the system.
Run a Custom Template @
Run a Daily Template #
As shown, the appropriate option should be selected. When choosing to run a custom template, the complete list of custom templates that exists will appear on-screen. You then choose the desired template for playback. When running a daily template, your choices are 1-7 (MON - SUN), or 8 to exit. Of course, you must have valid entries in your templates which will be created from the % - Work With Templates - option. This aspect will be discussed below.
Resume ????????.??? $
If it becomes necessary to exit a custom template before completion, it may be resumed from the last-played event simply by pressing $ from the Pick-List menu. You will be shown from the menu which was the last known file used. Note that this feature does not work for resumption of immediate playback mode.
Work With Template %
MWARNING!: Generally, it is not advisable to store templates for a long time to re-use. Eventually, the template will probably contain a great number of entries for which the audio file has since been erased. It is not a good idea to run a template that contains "empty files."
In the next section, we will discuss attributes that are unique to the template setup and playback options. For a complete discussion of how to select and edit pick-list entries, please review the previous section covering the immediate pick-list playback mode.
As we touched on at the beginning of the pick-list playback mode instructions, using templates allows you to save templates and use them over and over at will. The following pages will deal with creating and maintaining your template files.
Upon entry to @ Run a Custom Template from the Pick-List Playback Mode menu, you will see the list of saved templates appear. There will be a number that appears next to the title of each template. All templates will be displayed in alphabetical order. To select a template, just type the corresponding number and press enter. That template will be loaded and playback may begin. You may leave the template listing by typing the number that corresponds with [EXIT]. This number will always be the last in the list, and will increase as you add more template files.
FNote: A maximum of 65 templates may be stored in your system at any one time. After reaching this limit, you will have to delete a template before you can create a new one. You are limited to 650 entries per template.
If you wish to manipulate an existing template, or build a new one, choose % Work with Templates. The following options will appear:
! Work with Daily Template
@ Work with Custom Template
# Create a NEW Custom Template
$ Erase an OLD Custom Template
% Print Template Contents
^ Transfer/Import Template
& Return to Main Menu
u Return to Previous Menu
We will deal with these options one-by-one:
! Work with Daily Template: The procedure is the same as for running a daily template, but this time you will be taken to the pick-list screens where you can edit the template you have chosen.
@ Work with Custom Templates: The procedure is the same as for running a custom template, but this time you will be taken to the pick-list screens where you can edit the template you have chosen.
# Create a NEW Custom Template: Before building your template file, you have to create a new template with a unique file name. Do not enter a file name that already exists. You are restricted to eight digits. Upon entry to the pick-list screen, you will see a message that states the following:
The template you specified: Filename.TPP
does not currently exist.
Continuing will create a
NEW file of this name...
To abort, press {Enter} now,
then press {Escape} upon
entry to spot select mode.
This message is simply designed to remind you that you are about to create a new template, for which there will be no entries present. Simply press e (twice) and you will be able to begin building your new template.
$ Erase an OLD Custom Template: When a template becomes outdated, you will want to erase it to make room for a new template. The format for erasing is the same as for running or selecting a template to edit. Simply type-in the number that corresponds with the template you wish to dispose of. You will be asked if you are sure you wish to delete the template to confirm your decision.
% Print Template Contents: To get a better idea of what your template contains, you may wish to print it. You may print the entire list, or just a portion of it by entering a range. Your print-out will contain the following information:
1. Template Name
2. Date Printed
3. File (Script I.D.)
4. Account
5. Title
6. Length
^ Transfer/Import Template:
/NETWORKABLE !
This utility has a variety of purposes. It may be used to backup and restore templates for archival purposes or to import pre-made templates from your music scheduling system.
# Setup Transfer/Import Defaults: The first task will be to designate the drives and paths that the template data should be imported from and transferred to. You may specify any drive including floppies or drives that are on a network.
Upon entering # Setup Transfer/Import Defaults, you will see the current drive letter and path(s) for importing FROM and for transferring TO displayed as follows:
1. Current DRIVE and PATH to Import template data FROM:
A:\
This should be set to where the templates will be contained that you wish to import. To change the drive and path, press !. If, for example, your computers are networked, and the template you wish to import is contained on network Drive E, in directory LOGS, do the following:
A. Press !:
B. -> Enter Drive to Import FROM (A-Z) Type E and press e. Do not type any other data such as :\ or the directory path.
C. -> Enter Path to Import from In this example, you would type LOGS and press e. Do not type any back-slashes (\) unless there are additional sub-directories in the path such as LOGS\TEMPLATES. Simply don't place any back- slashes at the beginning or end of the path. The
Auto-Mate will assemble the drive and path(s)
into the proper format.
2. Current DRIVE and PATH to Transfer template data TO:
A:\
The same rules above apply for entering the drive letter and path(s). Of course, this time you will enter the location that you wish to transfer a template to that is currently contained on C:\AMTEMPLT. To change the drive and path for transferring a template press @.
When finished making changes, press #.
! Import Pick-List Template: To import a daily or custom template, simply choose the appropriate one from the list. If the file is contained on the drive and path you have specified, it will be copied to the C:\AMTEMPLT directory.
MWARNING!: if the file you are importing is already contained at C:\AMTEMPLT. The existing file will be overwritten (replaced) by the file you are importing.
If the file you are trying to import is not found or there is a problem with the network connection, you will see the message: IMPORT PROCESS TERMINATED !. You should also take note to see if any other unusual messages appear during the import process. Normally, you should only see the copy command appear followed by the message - DONE... Press Any Key -. If you see any other messages, there may be a problem. To confirm receipt of the template, you may wish to try to work with it by choosing ! Work with Daily Template or @ Work with Custom Template from the Template Programmer Menu.
@ Transfer Pick-List Template: The transfer option allows you to copy any pick-list template (daily or custom) contained on C:\AMTEMPLT to any drive and path(s) that is specified in # - Setup Transfer/Import Defaults.
MWARNING!: If the file you are transferring is already contained on the destination drive, the existing file will be overwritten with the file you are transferring.
MWARNING!: Generally, it is not advisable to store templates for a long time to re-use. Eventually, the template will probably contain a great number of entries for which the audio file has since been erased. It is not a good idea to run a template that contains "empty files." If you do re-load an old template, make sure you edit out any entries that are no longer on the hard drive. In the template programmer, these will be apparent in that the script I.D. will appear but there will be no other information about the recording on the screen, such as account name and length.
FNote: If you are interested in having your music scheduling program interface with The Auto-Mate satellite templates, feel free to place the maker of your traffic software in touch with us. We will provide the protocol for our templates that your traffic provider may be able to use to write an interface to our software.
& Return to Main Menu: Takes you to the main menu of The Auto-Mate.
u Return to Previous Menu: Takes you to the Pick-List menu
Verification Logging (On/Off) ^
It is possible to have verification logging turned on while Pick-List playback is in progress. Toggle this feature on and off from here. The current status of the verification logging is shown in the lower right-hand corner of the Pick-List menu screen.
All verification log entries that are generated from the Pick-List Playback Mode will be noted in the view and print-out modes with an P. This allows the user to differentiate verification log entries that are generated to the Satellite Playback Mode S, or the Random Playback Mode R...
MWARNING!: It is imperative that the verification log files be managed. The most log data that should be stored is one month's worth. A good practice is to delete the verification logs on a regular basis - once a month being the longest period between deletions. Never let the file continue to grow indefinitely. Eventually, the file will become too large for the computer to process, not to mention, huge verification log files is a waste of hard drive space.
View/Print Verification Logs &
There are a variety of options available under View/Print Verification Logs:
! View Verification Log
@ Print Verification Log
# Copy Logs To Floppy
$ Restore Logs From Floppy
% Erase Log Contents
^ Erase a Range of Log
& <Reserved>
* Return to Main Menu
u Return to Previous Menu
Each option contains a number of sub-options. We will take some time in explaining each option.
! View Verification Log:
Select the log you wish to view. To view all of the logs combined, select *. When viewing combined logs, the entries will be sorted by account name and displayed. When viewing logs one-day-at-time, these sorting options are available:
! View in Order of Play: Displays entries exactly as played in time order.
@ Sort by I.D.: Displays all log entries for the day, but places all like
I.D.'s together in the list.
# Sort by Account Name: Displays all log entries for the day, but places
all like account names together in the list.
$ Return to Main Menu
@ Print Verification Log:
The procedure for printing the verification log is the same as for viewing it. See the instructions for viewing the verification log if clarification is needed.
Make sure your printer is connected to LPT1, has paper, and is on-line. If you have trouble getting a printer to work with The Auto-Mate contact your local computer expert for assistance. In some rare cases, an internal switch in the computer may have to be adjusted to enable the printer port. In general, if the printer will print the contents of the screen using the Print Screen key, it will print your verification log.
# Copy Logs to Floppy:
Some will wish to retain a permanent record of the verification logs on floppy. To do this, make sure you have placed a floppy in the drive before proceeding.
MWARNING!: If the floppy contains an existing verification log of the same name chosen for copying, the log on the floppy will be erased and replaced.
To choose an individual verification log to copy enter, 1 - 7 from the menu To copy all of the logs, choose option 8 ALL. The logs will be copied individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU.LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG. All of these individual logs will be copied to floppy when the ALL option is selected.
$ Restore Logs From Floppy:
If you ever have reason to restore old verification log data to the hard drive from a floppy, you may accomplish the task with this utility. MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE the current verification log targeted for replacement on the hard drive isn't needed any longer - as it will be erased and replaced with the log from the floppy disk.
MWARNING!: If the hard drive contains an existing verification log of the same name chosen for restoration, the existing log on the hard drive will be erased and replaced.
To choose an individual verification log to restore enter, 1 - 7 from the menu To restore all of the logs from the floppy, choose option 8 ALL. The logs will be restored individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU.LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG. All of these logs will be restored when the ALL option is selected.
% Erase Log Contents:
MWARNING!: This option will clear the entire verification log file that is selected for erasure. If only a portion of an individual log is to be erased, choose option ^ to erase a range of the log.
To choose a verification log to erase, enter, 1 - 7 from the menu. The logs will be erased individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU.LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG.
The selection of a log to be erased must be confirmed with Y or N before the actual erasing process takes place.
^ Erase a Range of Log:
To remove a range of entries in the verification log, or delete a specific entry, choose this option with ^, then select the day to work with 1-7.
You will view the entries on the screen, pressing ! when you have found an entry or range of entries to remove. The verification log file is displayed on-screen in time-order (from earliest play to latest play). To quit viewing the list, simply press u.
Upon pressing ! a box will appear asking for the LOWEST event to erase, and then the HIGHEST event to erase. To cancel the operation, type Q, then press e.
FNOTE: To delete only one entry, enter the same number - the file number of the event you wish to remove - in both the LOWEST and the HIGHEST prompts.
* Return to Main Menu:
Pressing * returns you to the Satellite Control Option Menu.
u Return to Previous Menu:
Pressing u returns you to the main menu of The Auto-Mate.
Print Template Contents *
To get a better idea of what your template contains, you may wish to print it. You may print the entire list, or just a portion of it by entering a range. Your print-out will contain the following information:
1. Template Name
2. Date Printed
3. File (Script I.D.)
4. Account
5. Title
6. Length
Set Relay Card Operations (
If you are going to be using Pick-List playback in conjunction with a Simple-Sat playback unit, or another playback device capable of receiving contact closures, you must set-up your system to send and receive the appropriate relay closures.
Each option will be discussed individually:
MWARNING! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A RELAY CARD IN YOUR COMPUTER, ALL SETTINGS SHOULD BE PLACED TO OFF. Trying to make the computer perform functions on a non-existent peripheral device is a good practice to avoid.
1. Output Closure at Pick-List Break :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP4 when a >PAUSE< is encountered from within Pick-List Playback Mode. Turn OFF to cause Pick-List playback to suspend until an operator re-starts playback with C or e.
2. Output Closure at Pick-List Liner :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP5 when a >LINER< event is encountered in Pick-List mode. Turning OFF will cause this event to be ignored. Please avoid placing >LINER< events in the pick-list if they will not be used for output closure triggering.
3. Output Closure at Pick-List Legal I.D. :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP6 when it is time to do a Legal I.D. - when an >I.D.< event is encountered in the list. Turn OFF to ignore these events. Please avoid placing >I.D.< events in the pick-list if they will not be used for output closure triggering.
4. Output Closure at Pick-List Magic Call :ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP7 when a >MAGIC< event is encountered. Turn OFF to ignore these events. Please avoid placing >LINER< events in the pick-list if they will not be used for output closure triggering.
MWARNING! [Avoid dead-air!] If you are waiting for a return closure after sending a closure, make sure the Simple-Sat unit is set to send return closures after it has completed the desired playback. If you are not using a Simple-Sat unit, make sure the device you are using can send a return closure. Make sure the return closures do not contain ANY voltage if your unit is set to accept dry closures only - or if you are using the PC game port.
FNote: As a fail-safe feature, your Auto-Mate has the ability to re-start Pick-List Playback Mode after being paused for a pre-determined number of seconds. The use of this is to allow Pick-List Playback Mode to re-start automatically even if it never receives a return closure from a particular event. For example, if the longest commercial break placed in Satellite Playback Mode is 210 seconds, you may wish to have the Relay Override Set to automatically resume playback after 215 seconds. This feature is discussed more in the section 'Relay Card Setup'.
5. Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Break) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Pick-List Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP0 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a break (pause) at OP4. Turn OFF to re-start pick-list playback immediately.
6. Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Liner) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Pick-List Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP1 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a liner at OP5. Turn OFF to re-start pick-list playback immediately.
7. Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Legal I.D.) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Pick-List Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP2 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a Legal I.D. at OP6. Turn OFF to re-start pick-list playback immediately.
8. Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Magic Call) :ON/OFF When turned ON, Pick-List Playback Mode will wait for a return input closure on IP3 before restarting playback after sending an output closure for a Magic Call at OP7. Turn OFF to re-start pick-list playback immediately.
9. Relay Card Input Sensing in Pick-List Playback Mode :ON/OFF When turned ON, the relay card senses the contact closure inputs. When turned OFF, it is possible to detect dry contact closures via the PC game port. For further instructions on wiring, please see the section entitled 'Game Port Wiring'.
Each of these options may be selected and toggled by pressing yzxw. Press ! and answer Y e to save changes to these options.
Automatic Power-Loss Recovery
Should your computer lose power for any reason, there is a way to bring back Pick-List Playback Mode and have it begin where it left off. To have Pick-List Playback Mode appear and re-start automatically, add the following statement to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
PLAYBACK.EXE
Make sure you place this line before any other executable file (excluding DOS system or driver function files) currently placed in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Upon re-entry to the Pick-List Playback Mode using this method, there will be a ten-second count-down in which there is time to abort automatic start-up if so desired.
Automatic Failsafe Reboot
As your system runs Pick-List Playback Mode, it may 'consume' memory. Eventually, there may not be enough memory to continue operation. Many will never have this problem, especially if the user exits back to the main menu at least once per day. Some will not have a problem even if the system is run in a continual mode. However, depending on your hardware, it is possible that a critical condition may occur after around 24 hours of continual operation. Generally, if you are going to have a problem, it will occur between 24 and 72 hours of continual operation.
When The Auto-Mate software senses an impending fatal condition in system memory, it will exit the playback mode and reset the computer after a five-second override opportunity. When the reboot has completed, what happens then depends on the settings in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
AUTOEXEC.BAT reboot options:
· If PLAYBACK.EXE is designated as the run file from AUTOEXEC.BAT, Randmus will re-start automatically.
· If MAINMENU.EXE is designated as the run file from AUTOEXEC.BAT, it will still run PLAYBACK.EXE - the pick-list template playback module - if pick-list playback was exited in the forced reboot manner. It would be wise to designate MAINMENU.EXE as the startup module in AUTOEXEC.BAT if you use Pick-List and Random playback modes on an alternating basis. This is due to the fact that MAINMENU.EXE can sense which of these playback modes was exited and restart the appropriate one. If, for example, RANDMUS.EXE was set as the start-up file in AUTOEXEC.BAT, but the pick-list playback mode - PLAYBACK.EXE - had been exited in the automatic reboot, playback would resume in Random Playback Mode - which was not the intended result. Running MAINMENU.EXE as the start-up file in AUTOEXEC.BAT can help you avoid these results.
· MWARNING!: Setting the AUTOEXEC.BAT start-up to MAINMENU.EXE will not allow PLAYBACK.EXE - the pick-list template playback module - to restart if reset occurs after a power loss (the main menu will appear).
FNOTE: Make sure you don't leave a floppy diskette in the computer, as this will likely prevent the system from rebooting as intended.
Upon re-entry to the Pick-List Playback Mode using this method, there will be a two-second abort option at the main menu, and then a five-second count-down in which there is time to abort automatic start-up if so desired.
If an automatic reset becomes necessary, the process will usually take at least one minute for the reboot to occur. This speed can be increased by having finding ways to make your system boot faster (bypassing memory tests, not loading a mouse or CD ROM driver, etc.). Of course, there will likely be no audio playing during the reboot process (unless a second source is playing audio at the time).
MWARNING!: DO NOT run Random Playback Mode as a sub-process under any version of the following operating systems/processes:
- DOSSHELL(tm)
- DESQVIEW(tm)
- WINDOWS(tm)
- OS/2(tm)
- Network Software is running
Running these processes when an automatic reboot occurs will interfere with the reboot process.
[Back to Top]
V. Utilities
The Utilities Menu TF9S
Your utilities menu is available by pressing ( from The Auto-Mate main menu. You have the following options:
! Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK)
@ Set Default Audio Levels (RECORDING)
# Print List of Recording
$ Build Spots from .WAV files
% Import Recordings
^ Erase Recordings
& Set Current Time
* Set Current Date
( Set Relay Card Operations
) Exit to DOS
u Return to Main Menu
We will now explain each option individually. However, for a complete discussion of 'Set Relay Card Operations', please see section six, which is entitled Relay Card Setup.
Set Default Audio Levels (Playback) !
Your Auto-Mate software gives you control over a variety of audio card settings relating to playback. Included in these are the following:
Compression Masking
Line Input volume
CD Input volume
Master output volume
Input/Output gain
Bass
Treble
These defaults are always set to your pre-set levels when the main menu screen is accessed. Thus, your settings may be temporarily altered in other screens (especially the recording screens) and remain altered until you return to the main menu.
Inside of the default audio level setting utility, you may set each of the following options. We will give a brief description of each.
Compression Masking:
Compression Masking S ON/OFF
If your sound card is equipped with a compression chip, you may utilize compression during the recording process to save disk space. Unfortunately, this process causes an undesirable "popping" noise to be heard at the beginning and end of the playback of each compressed file. Compression Masking offers a solution to this problem. When this feature is turned ON, the first three tenths and the last two tenths second of each audio file will be muted during playback. This feature is available in the random playback, pick-list playback, and the on-air assist modes. When compression masking is OFF, no muting will occur. Obviously, this feature should be turned off if you do not make recordings using compression.
Notes regarding usage of Compression Masking:
*Using Compression Masking will cause roughly the first three-tenths and last two-tenths second of each audio file to be muted. This will increase the dead-air gap between files over-and-above the normal time it takes to begin the next file.
*If your recordings are "tight" with no dead-air in the front or back, you may notice clipping of the first and last words contained in the audio file. To counter this, you may wish to leave a slight buffer of dead air when making your recordings.
*Compression Masking cannot distinguish between files that are compressed and those that are not. Therefore, all files will be muted as explained above when the feature is turned on. If you do not have a great deal of compressed material, it will probably be better to turn OFF the compression masking.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: Compression Masking is not available in the satellite playback mode. This is due to the fact that the volume control of the audio card is occupied with other functions in this mode. You are strongly discouraged from using compression when recording spots for use in the satellite playback mode, as the hard-drive requirements for recording spots and liners should generally not approach a significant enough volume to warrant using compression.
Audio Levels:
Input Gain (1-4) S
Output Gain (1-4) S
The input gain makes major changes in the gain levels of the line and microphone inputs. Normally, this will be set to one or two. Output gain makes a major change in the master volume output. Normally, setting this to above two will result in distortion. Your line and microphone input and master volume output levels should generally be set to around 230 or 240 before resorting to increasing the input or output gain.
Line Input Level (0-250) S
This is the input volume of the line input jack. All recording in The Auto-Mate takes place through the line input. The other input jack in your sound card is for the microphone, and can only be activated from The Auto-Mate software if you have the Simple-Sat option. A normal range for the line input level is between 180 and 230.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: If you do have the Simple-Sat option, you will set the input audio level during satellite playback by entering the Satellite Control Option menu, * from the main menu, then $ followed by @ for the Audio Card Settings screen.
CD Input Level (0-250) S
In most cases, you will want to leave the CD Input Level left at 0 (zero). If you do have a CD ROM attached to the unit, you may wish to leave it turned up. Unless you are regularly using a CD ROM, please leave the CD Input Level at zero.
It should be noted that all audio recording through The Auto-Mate interface screens uses the Line level input. Therefore, it will not be possible to use an internal CD-ROM as an audio source unless you hook the audio output of the CD to the line-level input of the sound card. In any event, the CD input level would have no effect in implementing this option.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: If you are running satellite audio through the sound card for audio muting purposes during break playback, turning the CD Input Level up higher than zero may result in a stray audio effect. During break playback, the input level is taken to zero - muting the satellite audio. However, if the CD input level is turned up, a slight level of audio feeding through the mic. or line input may make it through and be heard underneath the break that is playing.
Master Output Level (0-250) S
The Master Output Level is simply the volume output of the sound card. Much of this function was formerly accomplished by a volume knob on the sound card. With new cards, all volume changes are accomplished electronically. The normal output range is between 180 and 230.
FNote: Most SoundBlasterF audio cards come with two output jacks. One is a line level out and the other is a speaker output. If sufficient output volume cannot be achieved without introducing distortion using the line out jack, it may be worthwhile to try the speaker out. Speaker out is somewhat amplified and may offer a better match in some cases. Of course, be careful not to overdrive any sensitive inputs.
]
Bass and Treble:
Bass (0-250) S
Treble (0-250) S
Setting the bass and treble to 130 is the mid-range. Of course, you may wish to try different settings to get your best sound.
You may return and change your default settings as often as you like. Feel free to experiment.
When you are all finished, press !. You will be prompted if you would like to save your changes on the hard disk. If you do, press Y e. If you do not wish to make the changes, press N e and you will be returned to the screen to make more changes or to press u and return to the main menu.
If at anytime while in this utility, it is decided that you wish to refresh the screen with the currently saved defaults, press ). The current defaults will be reloaded and displayed.
u Allows you to quit at any time. You will be prompted whether you want to quit without saving changes. Answer Y or N, then press e.
FNote: Remember, any changes made in the audio settings will not activated in the sound card until you return to the main menu
Set Default Audio Levels (Recording) @
This screen was designed to give you great flexibility in your use of The Auto-Mate. When used properly, it can save you a great deal of time in that hopefully you won't have to change your settings every time you record something. From this screen, you may also set-up a default for 8 or 16 bit recording, or 2:1 or 4:1 compression. After deciding the level of quality you need in your audio, and how much hard-drive space you have to spare, you will set these defaults.
Setting up your recording defaults involves three major components. First, you may set the defaults to the most commonly used recording settings (stereo: on/off, fidelity: 44kHz/22kHz/11kHz, and compression: on/off). In each of your recording screens, the defaults that appear upon entry for a recording session will reflect the changes you make here. Secondly, you may set the overall recording quality by selecting the 8 or 16 bit recording level, and 2:1 or 4:1 compression (if available). Finally, you may set the default audio input levels and fade rate (for the AutoFader) in the actual recording screens.
Before running down the various options, we will spend some time discussing various technical aspects to help you in your decision-making process.
8/16 Bit Recording:
When referring to bits, we are talking about the amount of data that the computer is pushing through at one time. Obviously, the more bits you send through the system, the better the sound quality. 8 bit recording introduces some hiss and distortion that is not present in 16 bit recording. Some audio cards, such as the SoundBlaster AWE32F , allow you to take advantage of the excellent sound quality of 16 bit recording. Unfortunately, 16 bit recording uses twice the disk space of 8 bit recording.
Compression:
When we refer to compression in the digital broadcasting, we are referring to data compression - as opposed to compression of sound that is sometimes used in broadcasting to give more "punch" to the station sound. The only reason for the existence of data compression is to preserve space on the computer hard drive. Of course, preserving drive space is a desirable endeavor, so why don't we just make compression standard? Unfortunately, there's no free lunch. When you engage compression, the savings in disk space is accomplished by dropping bits out of the recording. The result is an introduction of "hiss" and a decrease in the overall audio quality.
SoundBlasterF technology also introduces an additional factor to consider regarding compression. Currently, the SoundBlaster Advanced Signal Processor (ASP) chip, which allows the compression to take place, has somewhat of a glitch. Upon initialization and completion of each compressed sound file playback, an unusual "blip" may be heard in the audio. On FM stations especially, this may be detected by listeners.
Fortunately, we have devised a way to eliminate most of the offensive detectable audio that may come over-the-air. You may still hear a slight click-like sound. If sounds sort of like a record pop and is not especially noticeable. This feature - what we have entitled Compression Masking - can be enabled and disabled in the default audio settings for playback ! from the utilities menu.
Whether or not you use compression ultimately will depend on how much material you wish to record and how much drive space you have to work with.
2:1 Compression
The ratio of 2:1 compression refers to the fact that the ASP (Advanced Signal Processor) drops 8 bits from the 16 bit recording process. The effect is that you use half the disk space of a standard 16 bit recording. You may wonder why one would not simply use the 8 bit recording. Good question! The two formats do, in fact, use the same amount of disk space. However, the compression benefit lies in that 2:1 compression does sound better than a standard 8 bit recording. The amount of hiss and noise is comparable, but the 2:1 compressed file will have substantially better "crispness" than a standard 8 bit recording. You should remember, though, that by going with compression, you also have to deal with the "click" at the beginning and end of playback, unless you utilize compression masking during playback. The drawback to compression masking is that it increases the amount of dead air "gap" between audio files by one-half second. Please see the complete discussion of compression masking in the previous section covering playback audio defaults.
4:1 Compression
Using 4:1 compression can be a major disk space saver, since it is in essence a 4 bit recording. A 16 bit recording is taken and knocked down to what is the equivalent of 4 bits. The benefit is that you save fifty percent of the hard drive space over a standard 8 bit recording, there is a seventy-five percent savings over standard 16 bit recording. While you take a reduction in sound quality, you also gain a tremendous amount of storage capacity. Still, the sound quality will be better than that of a standard 8 bit recording.
44kHz/22kHz/11kHz:
Your choice of default audio sampling rate setting will often depend on the technical requirements of your application. You have the flexibility to choose the default fidelity for each type of recording - spot, music, or liner. Thus, you may wish to record spots at 22kHz and music at 44kHz. You should experiment with these options by making recordings of each fidelity. If you can't tell the difference between 22kHz and 44kHz playback over your facility, there isn't much use in wasting disk space by using the higher sampling rate.
Remember to draw a distinction between sampling rate and audio response. We refer to 44, 22, and 11kHz as sampling rates. However, the actual audio response will be about half of the sampling rate. FM broadcasting in the U.S. is limited to an audio response of 15kHz, AM is limited to 10.5kHz (7.5kHz for AM Stereo). Thus, using a 44kHz sampling rate will give you 22kHz response - more than enough for FM. Using a 22kHz sampling rate gives you an audio response of 11kHz , maybe a little low for some FM applications, but usually more than sufficient for AM. 11kHz recording will give you audio quality somewhat better than a standard telephone line, but not as good as the response of a well-made AM receiver.
Stereo YES/NO:
Of course, this is self-explanatory YES = Stereo, NO = Mono. We just wanted to make a note that a stereo recording uses exactly twice the amount of disk space as a mono recording. If most of your material is mono, or you are a mono station, you will definitely want to consider setting your defaults to Stereo NO. This is an effective way to increase disk storage capacity while preserving high sound quality.
Changing Recording Settings
Now that we have discussed each aspect of the recording defaults, let's take a brief look at each setting. To make your adjustments, simply use the Cursor Arrows. y and z moves you to a different option, w and x changes the setting of the currently highlighted (pink) option.
Recording Defaults:
Stereo S YES,NO
Fidelity S 44kHz,22kHz,11kHz
Compression S ON,OFF,N/A
Altering these settings for spots/music/liners changes those defaults in each of the respective recording screens. For example, if you often record spots in mono, set Stereo to NO under Record Spots. From then on, your default in the spot record screen will be Stereo: NO, (mono). If you wish to record in stereo once in a while, you may change the settings as needed in the individual record screen.
MWARNING!: If your computer does not have an ASP (Advanced Signal Processor), or is an 8 bit card - please make sure the compression default is set to N/A. Otherwise, the computer will generate an error and abort the recording when a compressed recording is attempted.
Bits Per Sample:
S 8 16
If you desire exceptionally high quality audio, and you have plenty of disk space, you may want to use 16 bit recording. All others should use 8 bit. For best sound quality, even those who record mostly in 8 bit should do so with a 16 bit audio card. If you use compression, you may set this default to 8 bit, but all compression is still based on 16 bit recording. This means that 4:1 compression recording uses 25 percent of the space of a 16 bit recording, but only half that of an 8 bit recording.
MWARNING!: If you have an 8 bit audio card, do not try to set the Bits Per Sample to 16. This will result in an error when you try to record.
Compression:
S 2:1,4:1,N/A
Set your compression mode as 2:1, 4:1, or N/A. Remember to set the compression mode to N/A
if you do not have compression capability. Otherwise attempted recording will result in a program error (probably Wave Error #22).
Audio Input Levels:
Input Gain (1-4) S
Recording Level (50-250) S
These are the default audio input levels of the recording screen. In this setup screen, the values are represented in numbers, while they are represented as a graphic bar in the actual recording screen. As discussed in the section on recording, the input gain is commonly set to 1, and set higher only in instances of a very soft recording. The recording level is commonly placed between 190-230.
Fade Rate:
100 (Fastest) - 99000 (Slowest)
This is the default setting for your AutoFade option while recording. The lower the number, the faster the audio will fade. There is no precise correlation between numbers and time because the fade rate will vary based on the speed of your CPU. You may need to play around with this for a while until you strike an optimal speed.
Remember, you may return and change your default settings as often as you like.
When you are all finished, press !. You will be prompted if you would like to save your changes on the hard disk. If you do, press Y e. If you do not wish to make the changes, press N e and you will be returned to the screen to make more changes or to press u and return to the main menu.
If at anytime you decide you want to refresh the screen with the currently saved defaults, press ). The current defaults will be reloaded and displayed.
u Allows you to quit at any time. You will be prompted whether you want to quit without saving changes. Answer Y or N, then press e.
Print List of Recordings #
This handy utility lets you get a "hard copy" of all the spots, music, or liners recorded on your hard drive. Simply choose the category you wish with the following menu:
! Print Spots
@ Print Music
# Print Liners
$ Utility Menu
% Main Menu
Make sure your printer is on-line and has paper before continuing.
After choosing the appropriate category, your print-out will contain the following:
Spots:
I.D., Account, Title, Length, Start, Kill, Product Code, Anncr, Drive
Music:
I.D., Artist, Title, Length, Start, From Year, Drive
Liners:
I.D., Description, Announcer, Type, Length, Start, Kill, Drive
Build Spots from .WAV files $
/NETWORKABLE !
With this spot creation utility, you will be able to turn a stand-alone .WAV file into a spot file in your Auto-Mate system. This is especially useful for importing .WAV files from a P.C. based production system without need for first transferring the spot to an analog format. This import program may also be useful if you have copied Auto-Mate spot recordings to floppy for archival purposes and later wish to restore them for use.
The spot creation utility works by prompting you to enter all spot information as you would in the Spot Record Mode - ! from the main menu. Then, instead of making a recording through the sound card input of your computer, the program looks for a .WAV format file on the disk you have inserted in the floppy drive, another directory on your hard-drive, or another computer connected through a LAN (Local Area Network). The file is copied into the hard drive you have specified during spot data entry, and the .WAV file you have selected is renamed (if it is different) to the name you specified in the Spot I.D. code.
Running the Creation utility:
Upon entry to the spot creation utility screen, one of three events will occur.
1. You will see the screen that is identical to the one in
spot entry mode. This means there are valid .WAV
files in the currently selected path.
2. The message will appear:
The Source Drive is Floppy A/B
Please insert floppy in Disk A/B
Press any key to continue...
This message will appear automatically the first time you
use this utility. If you do not wish A drive to be the
default import source, simply ignore the prompts by pressing
any key until you see the data entry screen, and then
change the path with %.
-or-
3. This message will appear:
There are no .WAV files found
in the selected path. Press
TF5S to alter or TEscS to quit.
This means that no .WAV files were found in the currently
selected drive\path. You may press u to quit or %
to alter the drive and/or path and try again.
% Altering Path:
Once you are at the data entry portion of the import program, you may choose to alter the path while the focus is on the Spot I.D. field. Once you have passed the point of entering the Spot I.D., you may not alter the path. The path is the drive letter and accompanying path (sub directory or sub directories) at which the .WAV file(s) for import will be located. For example, if you wanted to import a .WAV file that had been created using the wave form editor with a SoundBlaster ProF, you might specify a path such as the following:
Enter Drive to Import FROM (A-Z) -> C e
Make sure you enter only the drive letter and no other path descriptor such as :\
Enter path to import from
-> SBPRO e
You can go into various layers of sub directories to find your .WAV files. For example, a path may be entered as SBPRO\VOCUTIL\EXAMPLES. It is important that you do not enter any back slashes (\) at the beginning or end of the path. The Auto-Mate will do this for you. Back-slashes are okay between the sub directories.
Entering Spot Data:
You will see an identical screen to that of the spot entry mode - with one major exception being the Length entry field.
The Auto-Mate has no way of knowing how long the file specified for import will be. Therefore, you MUST know the length of the file and specify it in the length entry field. If the .WAV file to be imported is a precise :30, :60, or :90 then you may highlight the appropriate box. If the file is of an uneven length, such as 58.9 seconds, enter that in the Custom entry box. When at the Length entry field, use w and x to move over to the proper length, or to the Custom length entry box to enter the exact length of the spot.
MWARNING!: Creating spots and entering the wrong specified length can cause substantial problems if you utilize compression masking. Compression masking gets cues from the posted length of the spot. Thus, if your import spot has a length of :62 and you specify a length of :60, the spot will stop playing after sixty seconds, even though it is not actually complete. Please make sure you know the exact lengths of each spot to be imported - and enter it in the length field.
When all pertinent data has been entered, hit !. At that point you will see a box appear with the titles of all .WAV files present in the specified directory. To select the .WAV file you wish to match-up to the new spot data file, use yz, then e when the desired selection is highlighted. You will be asked if you wish to copy that particular .WAV file to the destination drive (answer Y or N).
Be alert as the actual import process occurs. If something looks awry, exit the spot creation utility and attempt to play the newly created file. This will tell you if something has gone wrong.
Four distinct procedures must occur during the actual import process:
Checking for existing S?????.WAV
* It is common to see the message File Not Found after the message Checking for existing S?????.WAV. This will appear if there is no currently existing file of that name on the destination drive. If there is an existing .WAV file of that name on the destination drive, it will be erased to make way for the new file.
Copying ????????.WAV to Drive ?.:
*You should always see the message 1 file(s) copied after the message Copying ????????.WAV to Drive ?. If you see something else, something is wrong.
Renaming ????????.WAV to S?????.WAV
*No message will appear here if the import process in proceeding properly.
Writing Data File to Hard Drive
*No message will appear here if the import process is proceeding properly
Upon completion of the importation process, you will return to the Create Spots from .WAV file routine. To leave the routine, simply press u.
What can I create a recording from?
You may convert any sound recording made with the .WAV extension. This recording may have been made on any sound card - not just a SoundBlasterF series card. However, note some of the restrictions you must observe.
.WAV file restrictions:
1. File size restricted to space on your floppy disk
if you are importing from a floppy. (2.8 meg. floppys
are becoming available if you need more space.)
2. If you are not using a SoundBlaster card, DO NOT
use data compression when making the .WAV
file. Most compression formats are incompatible
between different brands of sound cards.
3. The actual name of the file for import may be
anything, as it will be automatically changed to the
name of the Spot I.D. you entered when it is copied
to the hard drive. However, the sound file MUST
have an extension of .WAV.
Why Can't I 'Create' Music and Liners?: The reason we have not included other forms of recording is related to the fact that the user must specify the length of the file in the spot creation utility. Generally a spot will be about 30 or 60 seconds. However, other types of audio files are almost always of varying lengths that will be very difficult to properly identify. Therefore, we feel it is best that all recording of music and liners continue to take place within the confines of the specially designed Auto-Mate music and liner recording screens. Otherwise, it becomes possible to end up with a computer full of audio files with erroneous noted lengths - which can cause difficulties as previously noted.
Import Recordings % - For Local Area Network Equipped Facilities.
/NETWORKABLE !
FNote: Auto-Mate software for use at additional work stations requires a separate registration. Please contact Auto-Mate Systems at (503)-769-2886 for details.
This utility is a very versatile feature that allows you to pull spots, music, and liners from one Auto-Mate equipped computer system to another connected via a Local Area Network (LAN). A user may wish to do the bulk of recording on an Auto-Mate equipped system in a production room, and then simply import the recordings to the control room unit at a time when the control room unit will not be in use. The benefit of this system is that the control room system needs to be occupied a great deal less for production purposes if the majority of recording takes place in another unit.
It is assumed that the users of this feature will have a complete understanding of their LAN. Various LAN systems operate differently, but most operate in a fashion similar to the system detailed on the following page.
Each computer in the following example contains TWO hard drives, C and D. Note how the drive letters on system 2 (Production Room) become E and F when it becomes a Server for system 1 (Control Room).
Control Room: Production Room:
Before Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
Hard Disk C Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D Hard Disk D
After Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
(Client) (Server)
Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D
Hard Disk E*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk C)
Hard Disk F*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk D)
Your particular network software may designate different drive letters for the network connection. This example is based on MicrosoftF InterlinkF which is built-in to computers with DOS 6.2 or higher. For more information, see Appendix F - which deals with networking.
*These drive letters will advance if you have drive letters higher than D in system 1. For example, if system 1 contains a CD ROM drive designated as drive D, the hard disk C in system 2 in this example will become Drive F when it becomes the server for system 1. The drive D on System 2 would thus become drive G to system 1.
If you are not confident in your understanding of the operation of a LAN, it is suggested that you familiarize yourself with this concept before attempting to use the Import Recording feature of The Auto-Mate.
Now that you have an understanding of how the networking process works, the Import Recordings utility will be explained.
First, there are some critical operational elements that must explained.
The Unbreakable Rules of Import:
* When searching on a networked drive, this utility is looking for the data files contained in the AMDATA directory. Therefore, the drive to specify as the Drive to Import From will always be what would normally be C drive on the server system. Again noting the previous example, if your control room system has two hard drives, you will specify drive E as the drive to import from.
* MWARNING!: VERY IMPORTANT! The file specified for import from the server MUST contain the .DAT file and the .WAV file on the SAME DRIVE. Therefore if your production room system has both C and D drive, you must always specify the recording drive as C if you intend to import that file to the control room system. Simply do not record on D drive. It might be better to have one very large C drive in your production room and no other hard drives.
If the user tries to import a file from the server that has the .DAT file but no .WAV file of the same name on the same drive, an alert message will appear on the screen and the import process will be terminated.
* MWARNING!: EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! It is possible to specify any valid drive for importing a recording TO. The data file will automatically be imported to C:\AMDATA. However, you can tell the computer to import the .WAV file to any local drive. A local drive is a drive that will continue to exist with an unchanged drive letter when the network connection is broken. NEVER specify a drive to import to that is a drive that is only present on the network. Taking the previous network example, drives C and D are local, and drives E and F are network drives. If you do not heed this warning, the .WAV file may be copied to a drive that will cease to exist when the network connection is broken, and The Auto-Mate may attempt to find a non-existent drive when you are in playback modes. This could cause system malfunction.
It is important that these rules are followed closely. They are not difficult to adhere to. However, the novice should be cautioned about these intricacies. If many inexperienced people will be using the system, perhaps a policy should be set to always import to drive C.
Import Options:
! Change Drive to Import .WAV To (Drv:\): As stated above, the data file imported is always imported to C:\AMDATA. However, the .WAV file may be imported to any local hard drive. A local drive is a drive that is always present - even when the LAN connection is broken. Simply type the one-digit drive letter to import to. Entry of the :\ and path is not needed.
% Change Drive to Import FROM (Drv:\): The drive to import from will be the drive on system 2 (Server) that contains the directory AMDATA. The import program is looking for the .DAT (data) files contained on the AMDATA directory. Of course, AMDATA directories are only contained on a local drive C. Therefore, in a network situation, set this drive letter to the drive that C will become. In our example using Interlink, that drive would have been E. Basically, this letter will be one letter higher than the last drive letter used by the local drive. Simply type the one-digit drive letter to import from. Entry of the :\ and path is not needed.
( Help: Provides a synopsis of the rules noted in this manual.
u Quit: Returns you to the Utilities Manager Menu.
e Import Selected Recording: If there are valid .DAT files in the Import FROM drive, the titles will appear in alphabetical order in the red list-box at the right-hand of the screen. You may scroll up and down with y and z or p/q until the desired Auto-Mate file on the server is found. Simply press e and the import process will begin.
Import Notes:
*Before the import begins, you will be asked if the files should be imported to the specified drive\directory that appear. Answer Y(es) or N(o) and press e.
*If a corresponding .WAV file is not found on the same drive as the .DAT file specified for import, the process will be terminated. For example, if the .DAT file specified for import is found on network drive E, the corresponding .WAV must also be on network drive E.
*If a .DAT file of the same name as the file name specified for import is found on drive C, you will be prompted of this. You must answer Y(es) or N(o) and press e when asked if you wish to overwrite the existing file.
*As the import occurs, you will see the process take place on-screen. You should always see the message 1 file(s) copied under the display that says:
Copying ?????.WAV at ?:\AMWAVE to drive ?\AMWAVE
and under the next display that says:
Copying ?????.DAT from ?:\AMDATA to C:\AMDATA
If you see a message that says file not found, file cannot be copied on to itself, or something else unusual, something has gone wrong. If this happens exit the import utility and attempt to play the imported file. If it does not exist, there is a problem with the network connection or the drives specified for importing from and to are incorrect.
If you have a good understanding of your LAN, importing recordings with this utility is easy and useful.
ERASING
Erase Recordings ^
Of course, at some point, you will wish to erase a number of recordings. You may erase them one-at-a-time in the recording modes (!, @, or # from the main menu to access the recording screens - then # to erase a single recording), but this option offers a much faster way of accomplishing this task.
Erasing recordings works much the same as the Pick-List Playback Mode, except you are choosing files to erase instead of files to play.
Upon entry to the Erase Recordings Utility, you have another menu option:
E R A S E M O D E
Options:
! Erase Spots
@ Erase Music
# Erase Liners
$ Utility Menu
% Main Menu
Simply choose the option you desire. A list of the appropriate files will appear on the screen. You may scroll through the entries with y and z or p and q. Pressing e selects the currently highlighted file for erasure. The selected file moves up into the Current box. After every eight entries, the earlier entries move into the Previous box. You may look at the full range of entries targeted for deletion by using w and x.
Here is a run-down of the other options in erase mode:
! Erase: When you have chosen all of the files you wish to erase, this will allow you to actually remove them. You will be prompted first and asked if you are sure. The default is N. If you do want to proceed, hit Y and press e.
@ Cut Entry: This allows you to remove an incorrect entry. Simply type-in the reference number of the file you wish to preserve in the Cut An Entry box that appears, then press e.
% Manual Entry: Lets you enter the I.D.'s of the files you wish to delete by keystroke entry, rather than searching for them in the screen list.
The erasing takes part in two steps. First the data file is wiped out, and then the actual WAVE file recording is deleted. Thus, you will see each file name appear twice as the removal takes place. The program will re-load all files and re-display them after deletion has occurred. This will allow you to confirm the removal has occurred. To leave the mode, just press u, and answer Y at the prompt.
Set Current Time &
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system clock. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current time is: 6:56:09a
Enter new time: _
Enter the time using colons in this format: HH:MM:SSA/P, then press e.
If your system should ever hang when choosing this function, press c + [Break] (both keys at the same time), exit to DOS, then start The Auto-Mate again by typing MAINMENU e. Try again. If the problem persists, re-boot the system and try again.
Set Current Date *
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system date. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current date is Wed 05-17-1995
Enter new date (mm-dd-yy): _
Some computer systems may have difficulty performing the Set Time and Set Date routines from within The Auto-Mate software. If the system hangs and needs to be re-booted, please set your time and date from a DOS prompt. If this is the case, simply exit completely to DOS, and then type TIME e or DATE e. When done setting the date or time, return to the main menu by typing MAINMENU e or A e.
Set Relay Card Operations (
This option contains setup and test utilities for the relay card that may be installed and used in conjunction with The Auto-Mate. For a complete discussion of the various options under 'Set Relay Card Operations', please see the next section in this manual, entitled 'Relay Card Setup'.
[Back to Top]
V. Utilities
The Utilities Menu TF9S
Your utilities menu is available by pressing ( from The Auto-Mate main menu. You have the following options:
! Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK)
@ Set Default Audio Levels (RECORDING)
# Print List of Recording
$ Build Spots from .WAV files
% Import Recordings
^ Erase Recordings
& Set Current Time
* Set Current Date
( Set Relay Card Operations
) Exit to DOS
u Return to Main Menu
We will now explain each option individually. However, for a complete discussion of 'Set Relay Card Operations', please see section six, which is entitled Relay Card Setup.
Set Default Audio Levels (Playback) !
Your Auto-Mate software gives you control over a variety of audio card settings relating to playback. Included in these are the following:
Compression Masking
Line Input volume
CD Input volume
Master output volume
Input/Output gain
Bass
Treble
These defaults are always set to your pre-set levels when the main menu screen is accessed. Thus, your settings may be temporarily altered in other screens (especially the recording screens) and remain altered until you return to the main menu.
Inside of the default audio level setting utility, you may set each of the following options. We will give a brief description of each.
Compression Masking:
Compression Masking S ON/OFF
If your sound card is equipped with a compression chip, you may utilize compression during the recording process to save disk space. Unfortunately, this process causes an undesirable "popping" noise to be heard at the beginning and end of the playback of each compressed file. Compression Masking offers a solution to this problem. When this feature is turned ON, the first three tenths and the last two tenths second of each audio file will be muted during playback. This feature is available in the random playback, pick-list playback, and the on-air assist modes. When compression masking is OFF, no muting will occur. Obviously, this feature should be turned off if you do not make recordings using compression.
Notes regarding usage of Compression Masking:
*Using Compression Masking will cause roughly the first three-tenths and last two-tenths second of each audio file to be muted. This will increase the dead-air gap between files over-and-above the normal time it takes to begin the next file.
*If your recordings are "tight" with no dead-air in the front or back, you may notice clipping of the first and last words contained in the audio file. To counter this, you may wish to leave a slight buffer of dead air when making your recordings.
*Compression Masking cannot distinguish between files that are compressed and those that are not. Therefore, all files will be muted as explained above when the feature is turned on. If you do not have a great deal of compressed material, it will probably be better to turn OFF the compression masking.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: Compression Masking is not available in the satellite playback mode. This is due to the fact that the volume control of the audio card is occupied with other functions in this mode. You are strongly discouraged from using compression when recording spots for use in the satellite playback mode, as the hard-drive requirements for recording spots and liners should generally not approach a significant enough volume to warrant using compression.
Audio Levels:
Input Gain (1-4) S
Output Gain (1-4) S
The input gain makes major changes in the gain levels of the line and microphone inputs. Normally, this will be set to one or two. Output gain makes a major change in the master volume output. Normally, setting this to above two will result in distortion. Your line and microphone input and master volume output levels should generally be set to around 230 or 240 before resorting to increasing the input or output gain.
Line Input Level (0-250) S
This is the input volume of the line input jack. All recording in The Auto-Mate takes place through the line input. The other input jack in your sound card is for the microphone, and can only be activated from The Auto-Mate software if you have the Simple-Sat option. A normal range for the line input level is between 180 and 230.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: If you do have the Simple-Sat option, you will set the input audio level during satellite playback by entering the Satellite Control Option menu, * from the main menu, then $ followed by @ for the Audio Card Settings screen.
CD Input Level (0-250) S
In most cases, you will want to leave the CD Input Level left at 0 (zero). If you do have a CD ROM attached to the unit, you may wish to leave it turned up. Unless you are regularly using a CD ROM, please leave the CD Input Level at zero.
It should be noted that all audio recording through The Auto-Mate interface screens uses the Line level input. Therefore, it will not be possible to use an internal CD-ROM as an audio source unless you hook the audio output of the CD to the line-level input of the sound card. In any event, the CD input level would have no effect in implementing this option.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: If you are running satellite audio through the sound card for audio muting purposes during break playback, turning the CD Input Level up higher than zero may result in a stray audio effect. During break playback, the input level is taken to zero - muting the satellite audio. However, if the CD input level is turned up, a slight level of audio feeding through the mic. or line input may make it through and be heard underneath the break that is playing.
Master Output Level (0-250) S
The Master Output Level is simply the volume output of the sound card. Much of this function was formerly accomplished by a volume knob on the sound card. With new cards, all volume changes are accomplished electronically. The normal output range is between 180 and 230.
FNote: Most SoundBlasterF audio cards come with two output jacks. One is a line level out and the other is a speaker output. If sufficient output volume cannot be achieved without introducing distortion using the line out jack, it may be worthwhile to try the speaker out. Speaker out is somewhat amplified and may offer a better match in some cases. Of course, be careful not to overdrive any sensitive inputs.
]
Bass and Treble:
Bass (0-250) S
Treble (0-250) S
Setting the bass and treble to 130 is the mid-range. Of course, you may wish to try different settings to get your best sound.
You may return and change your default settings as often as you like. Feel free to experiment.
When you are all finished, press !. You will be prompted if you would like to save your changes on the hard disk. If you do, press Y e. If you do not wish to make the changes, press N e and you will be returned to the screen to make more changes or to press u and return to the main menu.
If at anytime while in this utility, it is decided that you wish to refresh the screen with the currently saved defaults, press ). The current defaults will be reloaded and displayed.
u Allows you to quit at any time. You will be prompted whether you want to quit without saving changes. Answer Y or N, then press e.
FNote: Remember, any changes made in the audio settings will not activated in the sound card until you return to the main menu
Set Default Audio Levels (Recording) @
This screen was designed to give you great flexibility in your use of The Auto-Mate. When used properly, it can save you a great deal of time in that hopefully you won't have to change your settings every time you record something. From this screen, you may also set-up a default for 8 or 16 bit recording, or 2:1 or 4:1 compression. After deciding the level of quality you need in your audio, and how much hard-drive space you have to spare, you will set these defaults.
Setting up your recording defaults involves three major components. First, you may set the defaults to the most commonly used recording settings (stereo: on/off, fidelity: 44kHz/22kHz/11kHz, and compression: on/off). In each of your recording screens, the defaults that appear upon entry for a recording session will reflect the changes you make here. Secondly, you may set the overall recording quality by selecting the 8 or 16 bit recording level, and 2:1 or 4:1 compression (if available). Finally, you may set the default audio input levels and fade rate (for the AutoFader) in the actual recording screens.
Before running down the various options, we will spend some time discussing various technical aspects to help you in your decision-making process.
8/16 Bit Recording:
When referring to bits, we are talking about the amount of data that the computer is pushing through at one time. Obviously, the more bits you send through the system, the better the sound quality. 8 bit recording introduces some hiss and distortion that is not present in 16 bit recording. Some audio cards, such as the SoundBlaster AWE32F , allow you to take advantage of the excellent sound quality of 16 bit recording. Unfortunately, 16 bit recording uses twice the disk space of 8 bit recording.
Compression:
When we refer to compression in the digital broadcasting, we are referring to data compression - as opposed to compression of sound that is sometimes used in broadcasting to give more "punch" to the station sound. The only reason for the existence of data compression is to preserve space on the computer hard drive. Of course, preserving drive space is a desirable endeavor, so why don't we just make compression standard? Unfortunately, there's no free lunch. When you engage compression, the savings in disk space is accomplished by dropping bits out of the recording. The result is an introduction of "hiss" and a decrease in the overall audio quality.
SoundBlasterF technology also introduces an additional factor to consider regarding compression. Currently, the SoundBlaster Advanced Signal Processor (ASP) chip, which allows the compression to take place, has somewhat of a glitch. Upon initialization and completion of each compressed sound file playback, an unusual "blip" may be heard in the audio. On FM stations especially, this may be detected by listeners.
Fortunately, we have devised a way to eliminate most of the offensive detectable audio that may come over-the-air. You may still hear a slight click-like sound. If sounds sort of like a record pop and is not especially noticeable. This feature - what we have entitled Compression Masking - can be enabled and disabled in the default audio settings for playback ! from the utilities menu.
Whether or not you use compression ultimately will depend on how much material you wish to record and how much drive space you have to work with.
2:1 Compression
The ratio of 2:1 compression refers to the fact that the ASP (Advanced Signal Processor) drops 8 bits from the 16 bit recording process. The effect is that you use half the disk space of a standard 16 bit recording. You may wonder why one would not simply use the 8 bit recording. Good question! The two formats do, in fact, use the same amount of disk space. However, the compression benefit lies in that 2:1 compression does sound better than a standard 8 bit recording. The amount of hiss and noise is comparable, but the 2:1 compressed file will have substantially better "crispness" than a standard 8 bit recording. You should remember, though, that by going with compression, you also have to deal with the "click" at the beginning and end of playback, unless you utilize compression masking during playback. The drawback to compression masking is that it increases the amount of dead air "gap" between audio files by one-half second. Please see the complete discussion of compression masking in the previous section covering playback audio defaults.
4:1 Compression
Using 4:1 compression can be a major disk space saver, since it is in essence a 4 bit recording. A 16 bit recording is taken and knocked down to what is the equivalent of 4 bits. The benefit is that you save fifty percent of the hard drive space over a standard 8 bit recording, there is a seventy-five percent savings over standard 16 bit recording. While you take a reduction in sound quality, you also gain a tremendous amount of storage capacity. Still, the sound quality will be better than that of a standard 8 bit recording.
44kHz/22kHz/11kHz:
Your choice of default audio sampling rate setting will often depend on the technical requirements of your application. You have the flexibility to choose the default fidelity for each type of recording - spot, music, or liner. Thus, you may wish to record spots at 22kHz and music at 44kHz. You should experiment with these options by making recordings of each fidelity. If you can't tell the difference between 22kHz and 44kHz playback over your facility, there isn't much use in wasting disk space by using the higher sampling rate.
Remember to draw a distinction between sampling rate and audio response. We refer to 44, 22, and 11kHz as sampling rates. However, the actual audio response will be about half of the sampling rate. FM broadcasting in the U.S. is limited to an audio response of 15kHz, AM is limited to 10.5kHz (7.5kHz for AM Stereo). Thus, using a 44kHz sampling rate will give you 22kHz response - more than enough for FM. Using a 22kHz sampling rate gives you an audio response of 11kHz , maybe a little low for some FM applications, but usually more than sufficient for AM. 11kHz recording will give you audio quality somewhat better than a standard telephone line, but not as good as the response of a well-made AM receiver.
Stereo YES/NO:
Of course, this is self-explanatory YES = Stereo, NO = Mono. We just wanted to make a note that a stereo recording uses exactly twice the amount of disk space as a mono recording. If most of your material is mono, or you are a mono station, you will definitely want to consider setting your defaults to Stereo NO. This is an effective way to increase disk storage capacity while preserving high sound quality.
Changing Recording Settings
Now that we have discussed each aspect of the recording defaults, let's take a brief look at each setting. To make your adjustments, simply use the Cursor Arrows. y and z moves you to a different option, w and x changes the setting of the currently highlighted (pink) option.
Recording Defaults:
Stereo S YES,NO
Fidelity S 44kHz,22kHz,11kHz
Compression S ON,OFF,N/A
Altering these settings for spots/music/liners changes those defaults in each of the respective recording screens. For example, if you often record spots in mono, set Stereo to NO under Record Spots. From then on, your default in the spot record screen will be Stereo: NO, (mono). If you wish to record in stereo once in a while, you may change the settings as needed in the individual record screen.
MWARNING!: If your computer does not have an ASP (Advanced Signal Processor), or is an 8 bit card - please make sure the compression default is set to N/A. Otherwise, the computer will generate an error and abort the recording when a compressed recording is attempted.
Bits Per Sample:
S 8 16
If you desire exceptionally high quality audio, and you have plenty of disk space, you may want to use 16 bit recording. All others should use 8 bit. For best sound quality, even those who record mostly in 8 bit should do so with a 16 bit audio card. If you use compression, you may set this default to 8 bit, but all compression is still based on 16 bit recording. This means that 4:1 compression recording uses 25 percent of the space of a 16 bit recording, but only half that of an 8 bit recording.
MWARNING!: If you have an 8 bit audio card, do not try to set the Bits Per Sample to 16. This will result in an error when you try to record.
Compression:
S 2:1,4:1,N/A
Set your compression mode as 2:1, 4:1, or N/A. Remember to set the compression mode to N/A
if you do not have compression capability. Otherwise attempted recording will result in a program error (probably Wave Error #22).
Audio Input Levels:
Input Gain (1-4) S
Recording Level (50-250) S
These are the default audio input levels of the recording screen. In this setup screen, the values are represented in numbers, while they are represented as a graphic bar in the actual recording screen. As discussed in the section on recording, the input gain is commonly set to 1, and set higher only in instances of a very soft recording. The recording level is commonly placed between 190-230.
Fade Rate:
100 (Fastest) - 99000 (Slowest)
This is the default setting for your AutoFade option while recording. The lower the number, the faster the audio will fade. There is no precise correlation between numbers and time because the fade rate will vary based on the speed of your CPU. You may need to play around with this for a while until you strike an optimal speed.
Remember, you may return and change your default settings as often as you like.
When you are all finished, press !. You will be prompted if you would like to save your changes on the hard disk. If you do, press Y e. If you do not wish to make the changes, press N e and you will be returned to the screen to make more changes or to press u and return to the main menu.
If at anytime you decide you want to refresh the screen with the currently saved defaults, press ). The current defaults will be reloaded and displayed.
u Allows you to quit at any time. You will be prompted whether you want to quit without saving changes. Answer Y or N, then press e.
Print List of Recordings #
This handy utility lets you get a "hard copy" of all the spots, music, or liners recorded on your hard drive. Simply choose the category you wish with the following menu:
! Print Spots
@ Print Music
# Print Liners
$ Utility Menu
% Main Menu
Make sure your printer is on-line and has paper before continuing.
After choosing the appropriate category, your print-out will contain the following:
Spots:
I.D., Account, Title, Length, Start, Kill, Product Code, Anncr, Drive
Music:
I.D., Artist, Title, Length, Start, From Year, Drive
Liners:
I.D., Description, Announcer, Type, Length, Start, Kill, Drive
Build Spots from .WAV files $
/NETWORKABLE !
With this spot creation utility, you will be able to turn a stand-alone .WAV file into a spot file in your Auto-Mate system. This is especially useful for importing .WAV files from a P.C. based production system without need for first transferring the spot to an analog format. This import program may also be useful if you have copied Auto-Mate spot recordings to floppy for archival purposes and later wish to restore them for use.
The spot creation utility works by prompting you to enter all spot information as you would in the Spot Record Mode - ! from the main menu. Then, instead of making a recording through the sound card input of your computer, the program looks for a .WAV format file on the disk you have inserted in the floppy drive, another directory on your hard-drive, or another computer connected through a LAN (Local Area Network). The file is copied into the hard drive you have specified during spot data entry, and the .WAV file you have selected is renamed (if it is different) to the name you specified in the Spot I.D. code.
Running the Creation utility:
Upon entry to the spot creation utility screen, one of three events will occur.
1. You will see the screen that is identical to the one in
spot entry mode. This means there are valid .WAV
files in the currently selected path.
2. The message will appear:
The Source Drive is Floppy A/B
Please insert floppy in Disk A/B
Press any key to continue...
This message will appear automatically the first time you
use this utility. If you do not wish A drive to be the
default import source, simply ignore the prompts by pressing
any key until you see the data entry screen, and then
change the path with %.
-or-
3. This message will appear:
There are no .WAV files found
in the selected path. Press
TF5S to alter or TEscS to quit.
This means that no .WAV files were found in the currently
selected drive\path. You may press u to quit or %
to alter the drive and/or path and try again.
% Altering Path:
Once you are at the data entry portion of the import program, you may choose to alter the path while the focus is on the Spot I.D. field. Once you have passed the point of entering the Spot I.D., you may not alter the path. The path is the drive letter and accompanying path (sub directory or sub directories) at which the .WAV file(s) for import will be located. For example, if you wanted to import a .WAV file that had been created using the wave form editor with a SoundBlaster ProF, you might specify a path such as the following:
Enter Drive to Import FROM (A-Z) -> C e
Make sure you enter only the drive letter and no other path descriptor such as :\
Enter path to import from
-> SBPRO e
You can go into various layers of sub directories to find your .WAV files. For example, a path may be entered as SBPRO\VOCUTIL\EXAMPLES. It is important that you do not enter any back slashes (\) at the beginning or end of the path. The Auto-Mate will do this for you. Back-slashes are okay between the sub directories.
Entering Spot Data:
You will see an identical screen to that of the spot entry mode - with one major exception being the Length entry field.
The Auto-Mate has no way of knowing how long the file specified for import will be. Therefore, you MUST know the length of the file and specify it in the length entry field. If the .WAV file to be imported is a precise :30, :60, or :90 then you may highlight the appropriate box. If the file is of an uneven length, such as 58.9 seconds, enter that in the Custom entry box. When at the Length entry field, use w and x to move over to the proper length, or to the Custom length entry box to enter the exact length of the spot.
MWARNING!: Creating spots and entering the wrong specified length can cause substantial problems if you utilize compression masking. Compression masking gets cues from the posted length of the spot. Thus, if your import spot has a length of :62 and you specify a length of :60, the spot will stop playing after sixty seconds, even though it is not actually complete. Please make sure you know the exact lengths of each spot to be imported - and enter it in the length field.
When all pertinent data has been entered, hit !. At that point you will see a box appear with the titles of all .WAV files present in the specified directory. To select the .WAV file you wish to match-up to the new spot data file, use yz, then e when the desired selection is highlighted. You will be asked if you wish to copy that particular .WAV file to the destination drive (answer Y or N).
Be alert as the actual import process occurs. If something looks awry, exit the spot creation utility and attempt to play the newly created file. This will tell you if something has gone wrong.
Four distinct procedures must occur during the actual import process:
Checking for existing S?????.WAV
* It is common to see the message File Not Found after the message Checking for existing S?????.WAV. This will appear if there is no currently existing file of that name on the destination drive. If there is an existing .WAV file of that name on the destination drive, it will be erased to make way for the new file.
Copying ????????.WAV to Drive ?.:
*You should always see the message 1 file(s) copied after the message Copying ????????.WAV to Drive ?. If you see something else, something is wrong.
Renaming ????????.WAV to S?????.WAV
*No message will appear here if the import process in proceeding properly.
Writing Data File to Hard Drive
*No message will appear here if the import process is proceeding properly
Upon completion of the importation process, you will return to the Create Spots from .WAV file routine. To leave the routine, simply press u.
What can I create a recording from?
You may convert any sound recording made with the .WAV extension. This recording may have been made on any sound card - not just a SoundBlasterF series card. However, note some of the restrictions you must observe.
.WAV file restrictions:
1. File size restricted to space on your floppy disk
if you are importing from a floppy. (2.8 meg. floppys
are becoming available if you need more space.)
2. If you are not using a SoundBlaster card, DO NOT
use data compression when making the .WAV
file. Most compression formats are incompatible
between different brands of sound cards.
3. The actual name of the file for import may be
anything, as it will be automatically changed to the
name of the Spot I.D. you entered when it is copied
to the hard drive. However, the sound file MUST
have an extension of .WAV.
Why Can't I 'Create' Music and Liners?: The reason we have not included other forms of recording is related to the fact that the user must specify the length of the file in the spot creation utility. Generally a spot will be about 30 or 60 seconds. However, other types of audio files are almost always of varying lengths that will be very difficult to properly identify. Therefore, we feel it is best that all recording of music and liners continue to take place within the confines of the specially designed Auto-Mate music and liner recording screens. Otherwise, it becomes possible to end up with a computer full of audio files with erroneous noted lengths - which can cause difficulties as previously noted.
Import Recordings % - For Local Area Network Equipped Facilities.
/NETWORKABLE !
FNote: Auto-Mate software for use at additional work stations requires a separate registration. Please contact Auto-Mate Systems at (503)-769-2886 for details.
This utility is a very versatile feature that allows you to pull spots, music, and liners from one Auto-Mate equipped computer system to another connected via a Local Area Network (LAN). A user may wish to do the bulk of recording on an Auto-Mate equipped system in a production room, and then simply import the recordings to the control room unit at a time when the control room unit will not be in use. The benefit of this system is that the control room system needs to be occupied a great deal less for production purposes if the majority of recording takes place in another unit.
It is assumed that the users of this feature will have a complete understanding of their LAN. Various LAN systems operate differently, but most operate in a fashion similar to the system detailed on the following page.
Each computer in the following example contains TWO hard drives, C and D. Note how the drive letters on system 2 (Production Room) become E and F when it becomes a Server for system 1 (Control Room).
Control Room: Production Room:
Before Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
Hard Disk C Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D Hard Disk D
After Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
(Client) (Server)
Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D
Hard Disk E*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk C)
Hard Disk F*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk D)
Your particular network software may designate different drive letters for the network connection. This example is based on MicrosoftF InterlinkF which is built-in to computers with DOS 6.2 or higher. For more information, see Appendix F - which deals with networking.
*These drive letters will advance if you have drive letters higher than D in system 1. For example, if system 1 contains a CD ROM drive designated as drive D, the hard disk C in system 2 in this example will become Drive F when it becomes the server for system 1. The drive D on System 2 would thus become drive G to system 1.
If you are not confident in your understanding of the operation of a LAN, it is suggested that you familiarize yourself with this concept before attempting to use the Import Recording feature of The Auto-Mate.
Now that you have an understanding of how the networking process works, the Import Recordings utility will be explained.
First, there are some critical operational elements that must explained.
The Unbreakable Rules of Import:
* When searching on a networked drive, this utility is looking for the data files contained in the AMDATA directory. Therefore, the drive to specify as the Drive to Import From will always be what would normally be C drive on the server system. Again noting the previous example, if your control room system has two hard drives, you will specify drive E as the drive to import from.
* MWARNING!: VERY IMPORTANT! The file specified for import from the server MUST contain the .DAT file and the .WAV file on the SAME DRIVE. Therefore if your production room system has both C and D drive, you must always specify the recording drive as C if you intend to import that file to the control room system. Simply do not record on D drive. It might be better to have one very large C drive in your production room and no other hard drives.
If the user tries to import a file from the server that has the .DAT file but no .WAV file of the same name on the same drive, an alert message will appear on the screen and the import process will be terminated.
* MWARNING!: EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! It is possible to specify any valid drive for importing a recording TO. The data file will automatically be imported to C:\AMDATA. However, you can tell the computer to import the .WAV file to any local drive. A local drive is a drive that will continue to exist with an unchanged drive letter when the network connection is broken. NEVER specify a drive to import to that is a drive that is only present on the network. Taking the previous network example, drives C and D are local, and drives E and F are network drives. If you do not heed this warning, the .WAV file may be copied to a drive that will cease to exist when the network connection is broken, and The Auto-Mate may attempt to find a non-existent drive when you are in playback modes. This could cause system malfunction.
It is important that these rules are followed closely. They are not difficult to adhere to. However, the novice should be cautioned about these intricacies. If many inexperienced people will be using the system, perhaps a policy should be set to always import to drive C.
Import Options:
! Change Drive to Import .WAV To (Drv:\): As stated above, the data file imported is always imported to C:\AMDATA. However, the .WAV file may be imported to any local hard drive. A local drive is a drive that is always present - even when the LAN connection is broken. Simply type the one-digit drive letter to import to. Entry of the :\ and path is not needed.
% Change Drive to Import FROM (Drv:\): The drive to import from will be the drive on system 2 (Server) that contains the directory AMDATA. The import program is looking for the .DAT (data) files contained on the AMDATA directory. Of course, AMDATA directories are only contained on a local drive C. Therefore, in a network situation, set this drive letter to the drive that C will become. In our example using Interlink, that drive would have been E. Basically, this letter will be one letter higher than the last drive letter used by the local drive. Simply type the one-digit drive letter to import from. Entry of the :\ and path is not needed.
( Help: Provides a synopsis of the rules noted in this manual.
u Quit: Returns you to the Utilities Manager Menu.
e Import Selected Recording: If there are valid .DAT files in the Import FROM drive, the titles will appear in alphabetical order in the red list-box at the right-hand of the screen. You may scroll up and down with y and z or p/q until the desired Auto-Mate file on the server is found. Simply press e and the import process will begin.
Import Notes:
*Before the import begins, you will be asked if the files should be imported to the specified drive\directory that appear. Answer Y(es) or N(o) and press e.
*If a corresponding .WAV file is not found on the same drive as the .DAT file specified for import, the process will be terminated. For example, if the .DAT file specified for import is found on network drive E, the corresponding .WAV must also be on network drive E.
*If a .DAT file of the same name as the file name specified for import is found on drive C, you will be prompted of this. You must answer Y(es) or N(o) and press e when asked if you wish to overwrite the existing file.
*As the import occurs, you will see the process take place on-screen. You should always see the message 1 file(s) copied under the display that says:
Copying ?????.WAV at ?:\AMWAVE to drive ?\AMWAVE
and under the next display that says:
Copying ?????.DAT from ?:\AMDATA to C:\AMDATA
If you see a message that says file not found, file cannot be copied on to itself, or something else unusual, something has gone wrong. If this happens exit the import utility and attempt to play the imported file. If it does not exist, there is a problem with the network connection or the drives specified for importing from and to are incorrect.
If you have a good understanding of your LAN, importing recordings with this utility is easy and useful.
ERASING
Erase Recordings ^
Of course, at some point, you will wish to erase a number of recordings. You may erase them one-at-a-time in the recording modes (!, @, or # from the main menu to access the recording screens - then # to erase a single recording), but this option offers a much faster way of accomplishing this task.
Erasing recordings works much the same as the Pick-List Playback Mode, except you are choosing files to erase instead of files to play.
Upon entry to the Erase Recordings Utility, you have another menu option:
E R A S E M O D E
Options:
! Erase Spots
@ Erase Music
# Erase Liners
$ Utility Menu
% Main Menu
Simply choose the option you desire. A list of the appropriate files will appear on the screen. You may scroll through the entries with y and z or p and q. Pressing e selects the currently highlighted file for erasure. The selected file moves up into the Current box. After every eight entries, the earlier entries move into the Previous box. You may look at the full range of entries targeted for deletion by using w and x.
Here is a run-down of the other options in erase mode:
! Erase: When you have chosen all of the files you wish to erase, this will allow you to actually remove them. You will be prompted first and asked if you are sure. The default is N. If you do want to proceed, hit Y and press e.
@ Cut Entry: This allows you to remove an incorrect entry. Simply type-in the reference number of the file you wish to preserve in the Cut An Entry box that appears, then press e.
% Manual Entry: Lets you enter the I.D.'s of the files you wish to delete by keystroke entry, rather than searching for them in the screen list.
The erasing takes part in two steps. First the data file is wiped out, and then the actual WAVE file recording is deleted. Thus, you will see each file name appear twice as the removal takes place. The program will re-load all files and re-display them after deletion has occurred. This will allow you to confirm the removal has occurred. To leave the mode, just press u, and answer Y at the prompt.
Set Current Time &
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system clock. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current time is: 6:56:09a
Enter new time: _
Enter the time using colons in this format: HH:MM:SSA/P, then press e.
If your system should ever hang when choosing this function, press c + [Break] (both keys at the same time), exit to DOS, then start The Auto-Mate again by typing MAINMENU e. Try again. If the problem persists, re-boot the system and try again.
Set Current Date *
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system date. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current date is Wed 05-17-1995
Enter new date (mm-dd-yy): _
Some computer systems may have difficulty performing the Set Time and Set Date routines from within The Auto-Mate software. If the system hangs and needs to be re-booted, please set your time and date from a DOS prompt. If this is the case, simply exit completely to DOS, and then type TIME e or DATE e. When done setting the date or time, return to the main menu by typing MAINMENU e or A e.
Set Relay Card Operations (
This option contains setup and test utilities for the relay card that may be installed and used in conjunction with The Auto-Mate. For a complete discussion of the various options under 'Set Relay Card Operations', please see the next section in this manual, entitled 'Relay Card Setup'.
[Back to Top]
VII. Game Port Wiring
Introduction
The game port of your computer is incapable of sending relay closures. However, it is capable of sensing DRY contact closures from a satellite receiver or tone decoder. This section discusses how to wire a game port in your computer for this purpose.
This section is largely designed around wiring the game port for use with the Satellite Playback Mode. The game port may also be wired for input sensing in Random and Pick-List Playback Modes. Each configuration will be discussed.
Relay Card Sensing vs. Game Port Sensing:
There are several reasons you may consider using a game port for relay sensing as opposed to a relay card. First of these is the cost factor. If you do not need to send relay closures with your application, there may be no need to spend $175 to $250 for a relay card. The second reason would be ease of use. It is generally less difficult to wire the four inputs for the game port as opposed to installing and wiring a relay card.
On the negative side, using a relay card in opto-isolated mode is technically much more secure than using a non-isolated communications port (such as the game port). In using the game port, the computer equipment - especially the game card or sound card that contains the game port - is much more susceptible to damage from static charges or voltage spikes. Therefore, we ask you to weigh your options accordingly.
MWARNING!: If you are not personally competent in the technical operation of your satellite reception gear and tone decoder devices, contact a qualified engineer before continuing.
Improper installation may damage or destroy your computer equipment.
Please be aware that given the great variety of equipment on the market, we are not equipped to assist you with specific information regarding the proper wiring of your satellite equipment.
Please be advised: What you are about to undertake can offer great rewards in improved efficiency and the sound of your station. You also may encounter a number of difficulties during installation including a non-working com-port on your computer, and other unanticipated problems. Some users may be up-and-running in under an hour, while others may find it takes more than a day to get everything working correctly. The best strategy is to expect to spend a good deal of time getting everything working correctly. This will avoid frustration. Above all, do not attempt to perform this installation if you are not technically competent.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Simple-Sat)
WARNING ! :
You are warned that the GAME PORT WIRING method does not electrically isolate your computer from any potential source of current that may enter the wires connected to this port. without any precautions on your part, the wires could act as a path for damaging stray voltage.. Potential sources of current introduction include, but are not limited to, acts of God (i.e. Lightning), or Technician error.. Damage may be isolated to the card that contains the game port, or may destroy the entire computer. john l. Zolkoske and AUTo-mate systems takes no responsibility for damage to any electronic component either during or after installation for any reason regardless of any precautions you have taken.
About Stray Voltage
Conceivably, their are numerous ways in which voltage could get into your computer. Many of us protect our equipment with surge suppressers on both AC lines and telephone connections. We simply wish to warn you that even if your computer is surge protected to the teeth, this method of connection will leave your system open to a new path of unwelcome stray voltage. Realistically, it seems the only way voltage could enter your relay wires would be through an error on the part of a technician (i.e. inadvertently applying a voltage source to a relay wire), or lightning striking your satellite dish or studio building and traveling through cables. In the latter case, a blown out sound card may be the least of your worries considering the potential damage to other equipment in the studio. Still, if you are in an area that is prone to thunderstorm activity you may want to look into the matter a little more closely.
Protection from Stray Voltage
Many satellite receivers/tone decoders are opto-isolated. That is, they will break the circuit before high voltage can enter the output wires. In this case, you could be fairly safe, especially if you keep the leads short between the output of the decoder and the input at the game port. Others may wish to contact their engineers to have a special circuit designed to break contact in case of high voltage just before entry into the computer. It may be wise to use a PDISO-8 or PCL-725 relay card for input sensing (set to opto-isolated mode). Unfortunately, Auto-Mate Systems cannot and will not make suggestions as to schemes of protection for your computer equipment. We are not professional broadcast engineers, and find matters of this nature best left to the discretion of your qualified engineer.
There are those who will take no precautions. We leave the proper course of action to you. Keep in mind, we will never take responsibility for damage to your hardware, or for lost income due to failure of said hardware, whether or not damage was claimed to be caused through methods described in the pages of this manual.
Please read the following warnings. It is very important to heed these warnings to avoid potential damage to your equipment.
MWARNING! each of THE RELAY SENSING PINS (+) ALONG WITH THE GROUND (-) OF THE GAME PORT GENERALLY EMITS A CONSTANT VOLTAGE OF + FIVE (5) VOLTS DC. mAKE SURE THE SATELLITE RECEIVER, TONE DECODER, OR OTHER RELAY DEVICE CAN ACCEPT THIS FIVE VOLT CHARGE WITHOUT DAMAGE. SOME COMPUTERS MAY CONTAIN A DIFFERENT VOLTAGE ON THE GAME PORT PINS. IF IN DOUBT, CHECK WITH A VOLT METER.
MWARNING! Make absolutely sure that the wires you will be connecting to your computer from the satellite receiver or tone decoder are dry relays - that is, they must not contain any voltage. check with a volt meter if necessary to ensure that no voltage is present. to be absolutely sure, you must check with a volt meter while the pulse is being sent by the relay closure unit.
MWARNING! Before wiring your computer to the relay closure unit, you must remove All other devices connected to THE relay unit. NEVER try to leave a device - such as a cart machine - connected to the relay unit. Even if the closures sent from the relay decoder are dry, the externally connected equipment may send back-voltage into the wires, which will immediately destroy your sound card, and possibly other components.
Now that you understand the importance on having made sure that we are dealing with DRY relay contact closures, we may proceed with the installation process.
Soldering The Connector
If you have any questions at this time, please call us for technical assistance before continuing: (503)-769-2886.
Once you are sure you are dealing with dry relays, you may concentrate on soldering the ends of your relay wires to the game port connector. This connector is a 15 pin male connector. Its layout looks like this:
(Front Side- Enlarged View)
(Solder Side - (Inside))
You will be making solder connections to only four of these 15 pins. Please make your solder connections as follows, being very careful you do not solder to the wrong pins. If you are still not sure which pins to solder, look at the actual connector and notice that each pin contains an imprinted number that you can use for reference.
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
BREAK (all local breaks)2
LINERS7
LEGAL I.D.'s10 *
MAGIC CALLS/BACKSELL/STINGERS14 **
* Legal I.D.'s are designated as any liner that begins with LL. for example, a file named LL1234 would be considered a legal I.D..
** Magic Call/Backsell/stinger material is any liner that begins with LM. for example, a file named LM1234 would be considered this type of liner.
MWARNING!: Make sure you do quality soldering work. Never allow for the potential of contact between nearby pins (For example, pin 2 must never come in contact with pin 1 during operation.) The pins we have specified are the only ones that should ever have contact. Other pins contain voltage, that if touched to the common pin (#4), may render your game port useless.
MWARNING!: Never solder any game port pins other than the ones we have specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer, or your satellite receiver/tone decoder. Triple check your work if not sure!
At this point, after checking your work, you should be prepared to plug-in and test. You may wish to install the pin connector jacket once you have determined that the proper pins have been soldered.
The other ends of the conductors will be connected to the proper outputs of your satellite receiver or tone decoder (relay device). You may wish to hold off on connecting the wire ends to your relay device until we do some further testing.
Finding a working Communications (Game) Port:
Chances are, the game port to which you will be connecting will work immediately. If it doesn't you may be spending quite a while disassembling your computer and changing jumper settings. Sorry, we cannot provide information about the proper jumper settings inside of your computer, as all systems will be different. If you do not have adequate documentation, the best solution is to have a qualified computer technician examine your system and make needed changes.
The only way to test if the port is working using your new wiring harness is to actually go on-line with the satellite playback mode. To do this, you must create a test template. You may wish to familiarize yourself with the Simple-Sat software and make your test template now before continuing.
Where do I Plug In?
Conveniently, we know that everyone who uses our product will have a game port. Why? This is because every SoundBlasterF card has a game port built-in. You may also have one, or more, other game ports in your computer as well.
Chances are, one of the game ports in your computer is enabled. You may wish to try each of these to see which one works. It doesn't matter if you don't use the port on your sound card, it only matters that you find a port that is working.
There is a slight chance that all of your game ports are disabled. In this case, you will have to adjust jumper settings in the computer to enable the game port. In the SoundBlasterF documentation, this may be referred to as "enabling the joystick." If the game port on your sound card is not enabled, your best course of action at this point will be to physically look at your sound card to see how the joystick jumper is set. Please refer to the literature that came with your sound card. The correct jumper setting for the joystick may be contained in the GETTING STARTED booklet that came with your SoundBlaster.
Keep in mind, that most SoundBlaster cards are shipped with the game port enabled. Therefore, you should be able to use the sound card game port immediately without taking apart your computer. If the port doesn't work, but is shown to be enabled by viewing the jumpers on the sound card, you probably have a conflict with another device in the computer.
In most cases, if the SoundBlaster game port is not working, another game port in the system that has "priority" over the SoundBlaster game port will be active. Be sure to find, and try, all game ports in your system before resorting to tearing apart your system.
Again, if you experience any trouble of this sort, please contact your qualified computer technician. We cannot help you efficiently in solving this problem over the phone.
Initial Check for Operation
You're all connected to a game port, so now what?
Enabling Simple-Sat Game Port Sensing:
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input closure sensing must be turned OFF from within the satellite relay control screen for each desired function. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
From the Satellite Control Options Menu, * from the Main Menu, choose ) Audio Switching Schedules/Set Relay Card Operations. Then choose, # Set relay Card Operations (Satellite). For each input function you wish to receive through the game port, the 'Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Break/Liner/Legal I.D./magic Call' options 5-8 must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the satellite receiver/tone decoder, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, please follow these instructions:
1. Call the Satellite Playback Mode * from
the main menu, then ! or @ to run a
template. (If you have not yet created a
template, you must do so before continuing.)
If you do not know how to make a template,
please study Section 3, Working With Templates.
2. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends one-at-a-time.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
following on the screen when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (BREAK) = RELAY #1 DETECTED
Common + Pin #7 Wire (LINER) = RELAY #2 DETECTED
Common + Pin #10 Wire (LEGAL I.D.) = RELAY #3 DETECTED *
Common + Pin #14 Wire (Magic Call/Backsell) = RELAY #4 DETECTED **
* Any liner material beginning with the letters LL will be considered a legal I.D.. For example, a file named LL1234 is a legal I.D., whereas a file named L1234 is not a legal I.D. A legal I.D. will be selected and played for the scheduled announcer on a random basis when relay #3 is detected.
** Any liner material beginning with the letters LM may be played when relay #4 is detected. This can be any type of liner material you wish. The original purpose of these liners was for the short liners that satellite networks sometimes insert into their programming. However, these liners can be any type that you wish. Relay #4 simply provides a way to play liners of a different type from the standard liners (any liner that doesn't start with LL or LM) which are fired from relay #2.
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
If you cannot get a response from the system during this procedure, try another game port. If no game ports are operational, you must check the jumper settings in your computer. If you do not know how to do this, please refer the task to a qualified computer technician.
Making Final Connection/Checking for Proper Operation
The only way to check for overall proper operation with your satellite network is to make sure you are fully connected between the satellite receiver/tone decoder and your computer, and then go into Satellite Control Mode * from the main menu, followed by ! or @ to run a template.
To connect with your satellite receiver/tone decoder, consult the documentation that came with the device. Your relay device may have a positive(+) and common(-) output wire for each type of closure (spots, I.D.'s, liners, etc.). You may have to chain together all of the common(-) outputs on the relay closure device so that they are all connected to the single common wire that goes to your computer. However, do not perform this or any wiring without knowing the procedures recommended by the manufacturer of the device.
This diagram is shown as a general guide - your individual application likely will vary. Remember, never make any wiring connections that are not recommended by the manufacturer of your equipment.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Random/Pick-List)
Wiring the game port for pick-list and random playback is for the purpose of re-starting suspended playback. Put another way, this is a way of looking for the 'return' closure to re-start playback. The wiring scheme is identical for both the pick-list and random playback modes. Therefore, the two options may be used interchangeably with the same wiring.
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input sensing must be turned OFF from within the appropriate relay control screen. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
Random Playback Mode:
From the Random Playback Menu, $ from the Main Menu, choose % Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Random Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Random must be set to ON.
Pick-List Playback Mode:
From the Pick-List Playback Menu, ^ from the Main Menu, choose ( Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Pick-List Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List must be set to ON.
Random and Pick-List Input Sensing Wiring:
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
Restart after BREAK or >PAUSE<2
Restart after LINER7
Restart after LEGAL I.D.10
Restart after MAGIC CALL14
For advanced information regarding wiring the game port, please see the previous section regarding wiring the game port for the Simple-Sat playback.
Testing:
In pick-list or random playback modes, the best way to test the functionality of your game port relay sensing is to actually run the appropriate playback mode. When the system is set-up properly for game port input sensing - as described above - playback should resume when the return closure is sensed through the game port.
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the outputs of the relay card or automation system, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. Enter Pick-List or Random Playback Mode. You will
first have to make a testing template for Pick-List
containing a >PAUSE<, >LINER<,>I.D.<, and
>MAGIC<. Make sure the configuration for random
random or pick-list playback is set to wait for
re-start through the PC-game port.
2. When the computer stops and the message:
'Waiting for re-start on game port' appears,
3. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends as appropriate.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
playback resume when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (resume after BREAK/>PAUSE<)
Common + Pin #7 Wire (resume after LINER)
Common + Pin #10 Wire (resume after LEGAL I.D.)
Common + Pin #14 Wire (resume after Magic Call/Backsell)
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
This completes the wiring process for the various Auto-Mate playback modes. For further details on operating each of these modes, see the specific sections regarding playback.
[Back to Top]
VII. Game Port Wiring
Introduction
The game port of your computer is incapable of sending relay closures. However, it is capable of sensing DRY contact closures from a satellite receiver or tone decoder. This section discusses how to wire a game port in your computer for this purpose.
This section is largely designed around wiring the game port for use with the Satellite Playback Mode. The game port may also be wired for input sensing in Random and Pick-List Playback Modes. Each configuration will be discussed.
Relay Card Sensing vs. Game Port Sensing:
There are several reasons you may consider using a game port for relay sensing as opposed to a relay card. First of these is the cost factor. If you do not need to send relay closures with your application, there may be no need to spend $175 to $250 for a relay card. The second reason would be ease of use. It is generally less difficult to wire the four inputs for the game port as opposed to installing and wiring a relay card.
On the negative side, using a relay card in opto-isolated mode is technically much more secure than using a non-isolated communications port (such as the game port). In using the game port, the computer equipment - especially the game card or sound card that contains the game port - is much more susceptible to damage from static charges or voltage spikes. Therefore, we ask you to weigh your options accordingly.
MWARNING!: If you are not personally competent in the technical operation of your satellite reception gear and tone decoder devices, contact a qualified engineer before continuing.
Improper installation may damage or destroy your computer equipment.
Please be aware that given the great variety of equipment on the market, we are not equipped to assist you with specific information regarding the proper wiring of your satellite equipment.
Please be advised: What you are about to undertake can offer great rewards in improved efficiency and the sound of your station. You also may encounter a number of difficulties during installation including a non-working com-port on your computer, and other unanticipated problems. Some users may be up-and-running in under an hour, while others may find it takes more than a day to get everything working correctly. The best strategy is to expect to spend a good deal of time getting everything working correctly. This will avoid frustration. Above all, do not attempt to perform this installation if you are not technically competent.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Simple-Sat)
WARNING ! :
You are warned that the GAME PORT WIRING method does not electrically isolate your computer from any potential source of current that may enter the wires connected to this port. without any precautions on your part, the wires could act as a path for damaging stray voltage.. Potential sources of current introduction include, but are not limited to, acts of God (i.e. Lightning), or Technician error.. Damage may be isolated to the card that contains the game port, or may destroy the entire computer. john l. Zolkoske and AUTo-mate systems takes no responsibility for damage to any electronic component either during or after installation for any reason regardless of any precautions you have taken.
About Stray Voltage
Conceivably, their are numerous ways in which voltage could get into your computer. Many of us protect our equipment with surge suppressers on both AC lines and telephone connections. We simply wish to warn you that even if your computer is surge protected to the teeth, this method of connection will leave your system open to a new path of unwelcome stray voltage. Realistically, it seems the only way voltage could enter your relay wires would be through an error on the part of a technician (i.e. inadvertently applying a voltage source to a relay wire), or lightning striking your satellite dish or studio building and traveling through cables. In the latter case, a blown out sound card may be the least of your worries considering the potential damage to other equipment in the studio. Still, if you are in an area that is prone to thunderstorm activity you may want to look into the matter a little more closely.
Protection from Stray Voltage
Many satellite receivers/tone decoders are opto-isolated. That is, they will break the circuit before high voltage can enter the output wires. In this case, you could be fairly safe, especially if you keep the leads short between the output of the decoder and the input at the game port. Others may wish to contact their engineers to have a special circuit designed to break contact in case of high voltage just before entry into the computer. It may be wise to use a PDISO-8 or PCL-725 relay card for input sensing (set to opto-isolated mode). Unfortunately, Auto-Mate Systems cannot and will not make suggestions as to schemes of protection for your computer equipment. We are not professional broadcast engineers, and find matters of this nature best left to the discretion of your qualified engineer.
There are those who will take no precautions. We leave the proper course of action to you. Keep in mind, we will never take responsibility for damage to your hardware, or for lost income due to failure of said hardware, whether or not damage was claimed to be caused through methods described in the pages of this manual.
Please read the following warnings. It is very important to heed these warnings to avoid potential damage to your equipment.
MWARNING! each of THE RELAY SENSING PINS (+) ALONG WITH THE GROUND (-) OF THE GAME PORT GENERALLY EMITS A CONSTANT VOLTAGE OF + FIVE (5) VOLTS DC. mAKE SURE THE SATELLITE RECEIVER, TONE DECODER, OR OTHER RELAY DEVICE CAN ACCEPT THIS FIVE VOLT CHARGE WITHOUT DAMAGE. SOME COMPUTERS MAY CONTAIN A DIFFERENT VOLTAGE ON THE GAME PORT PINS. IF IN DOUBT, CHECK WITH A VOLT METER.
MWARNING! Make absolutely sure that the wires you will be connecting to your computer from the satellite receiver or tone decoder are dry relays - that is, they must not contain any voltage. check with a volt meter if necessary to ensure that no voltage is present. to be absolutely sure, you must check with a volt meter while the pulse is being sent by the relay closure unit.
MWARNING! Before wiring your computer to the relay closure unit, you must remove All other devices connected to THE relay unit. NEVER try to leave a device - such as a cart machine - connected to the relay unit. Even if the closures sent from the relay decoder are dry, the externally connected equipment may send back-voltage into the wires, which will immediately destroy your sound card, and possibly other components.
Now that you understand the importance on having made sure that we are dealing with DRY relay contact closures, we may proceed with the installation process.
Soldering The Connector
If you have any questions at this time, please call us for technical assistance before continuing: (503)-769-2886.
Once you are sure you are dealing with dry relays, you may concentrate on soldering the ends of your relay wires to the game port connector. This connector is a 15 pin male connector. Its layout looks like this:
(Front Side- Enlarged View)
(Solder Side - (Inside))
You will be making solder connections to only four of these 15 pins. Please make your solder connections as follows, being very careful you do not solder to the wrong pins. If you are still not sure which pins to solder, look at the actual connector and notice that each pin contains an imprinted number that you can use for reference.
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
BREAK (all local breaks)2
LINERS7
LEGAL I.D.'s10 *
MAGIC CALLS/BACKSELL/STINGERS14 **
* Legal I.D.'s are designated as any liner that begins with LL. for example, a file named LL1234 would be considered a legal I.D..
** Magic Call/Backsell/stinger material is any liner that begins with LM. for example, a file named LM1234 would be considered this type of liner.
MWARNING!: Make sure you do quality soldering work. Never allow for the potential of contact between nearby pins (For example, pin 2 must never come in contact with pin 1 during operation.) The pins we have specified are the only ones that should ever have contact. Other pins contain voltage, that if touched to the common pin (#4), may render your game port useless.
MWARNING!: Never solder any game port pins other than the ones we have specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer, or your satellite receiver/tone decoder. Triple check your work if not sure!
At this point, after checking your work, you should be prepared to plug-in and test. You may wish to install the pin connector jacket once you have determined that the proper pins have been soldered.
The other ends of the conductors will be connected to the proper outputs of your satellite receiver or tone decoder (relay device). You may wish to hold off on connecting the wire ends to your relay device until we do some further testing.
Finding a working Communications (Game) Port:
Chances are, the game port to which you will be connecting will work immediately. If it doesn't you may be spending quite a while disassembling your computer and changing jumper settings. Sorry, we cannot provide information about the proper jumper settings inside of your computer, as all systems will be different. If you do not have adequate documentation, the best solution is to have a qualified computer technician examine your system and make needed changes.
The only way to test if the port is working using your new wiring harness is to actually go on-line with the satellite playback mode. To do this, you must create a test template. You may wish to familiarize yourself with the Simple-Sat software and make your test template now before continuing.
Where do I Plug In?
Conveniently, we know that everyone who uses our product will have a game port. Why? This is because every SoundBlasterF card has a game port built-in. You may also have one, or more, other game ports in your computer as well.
Chances are, one of the game ports in your computer is enabled. You may wish to try each of these to see which one works. It doesn't matter if you don't use the port on your sound card, it only matters that you find a port that is working.
There is a slight chance that all of your game ports are disabled. In this case, you will have to adjust jumper settings in the computer to enable the game port. In the SoundBlasterF documentation, this may be referred to as "enabling the joystick." If the game port on your sound card is not enabled, your best course of action at this point will be to physically look at your sound card to see how the joystick jumper is set. Please refer to the literature that came with your sound card. The correct jumper setting for the joystick may be contained in the GETTING STARTED booklet that came with your SoundBlaster.
Keep in mind, that most SoundBlaster cards are shipped with the game port enabled. Therefore, you should be able to use the sound card game port immediately without taking apart your computer. If the port doesn't work, but is shown to be enabled by viewing the jumpers on the sound card, you probably have a conflict with another device in the computer.
In most cases, if the SoundBlaster game port is not working, another game port in the system that has "priority" over the SoundBlaster game port will be active. Be sure to find, and try, all game ports in your system before resorting to tearing apart your system.
Again, if you experience any trouble of this sort, please contact your qualified computer technician. We cannot help you efficiently in solving this problem over the phone.
Initial Check for Operation
You're all connected to a game port, so now what?
Enabling Simple-Sat Game Port Sensing:
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input closure sensing must be turned OFF from within the satellite relay control screen for each desired function. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
From the Satellite Control Options Menu, * from the Main Menu, choose ) Audio Switching Schedules/Set Relay Card Operations. Then choose, # Set relay Card Operations (Satellite). For each input function you wish to receive through the game port, the 'Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Break/Liner/Legal I.D./magic Call' options 5-8 must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the satellite receiver/tone decoder, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, please follow these instructions:
1. Call the Satellite Playback Mode * from
the main menu, then ! or @ to run a
template. (If you have not yet created a
template, you must do so before continuing.)
If you do not know how to make a template,
please study Section 3, Working With Templates.
2. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends one-at-a-time.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
following on the screen when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (BREAK) = RELAY #1 DETECTED
Common + Pin #7 Wire (LINER) = RELAY #2 DETECTED
Common + Pin #10 Wire (LEGAL I.D.) = RELAY #3 DETECTED *
Common + Pin #14 Wire (Magic Call/Backsell) = RELAY #4 DETECTED **
* Any liner material beginning with the letters LL will be considered a legal I.D.. For example, a file named LL1234 is a legal I.D., whereas a file named L1234 is not a legal I.D. A legal I.D. will be selected and played for the scheduled announcer on a random basis when relay #3 is detected.
** Any liner material beginning with the letters LM may be played when relay #4 is detected. This can be any type of liner material you wish. The original purpose of these liners was for the short liners that satellite networks sometimes insert into their programming. However, these liners can be any type that you wish. Relay #4 simply provides a way to play liners of a different type from the standard liners (any liner that doesn't start with LL or LM) which are fired from relay #2.
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
If you cannot get a response from the system during this procedure, try another game port. If no game ports are operational, you must check the jumper settings in your computer. If you do not know how to do this, please refer the task to a qualified computer technician.
Making Final Connection/Checking for Proper Operation
The only way to check for overall proper operation with your satellite network is to make sure you are fully connected between the satellite receiver/tone decoder and your computer, and then go into Satellite Control Mode * from the main menu, followed by ! or @ to run a template.
To connect with your satellite receiver/tone decoder, consult the documentation that came with the device. Your relay device may have a positive(+) and common(-) output wire for each type of closure (spots, I.D.'s, liners, etc.). You may have to chain together all of the common(-) outputs on the relay closure device so that they are all connected to the single common wire that goes to your computer. However, do not perform this or any wiring without knowing the procedures recommended by the manufacturer of the device.
This diagram is shown as a general guide - your individual application likely will vary. Remember, never make any wiring connections that are not recommended by the manufacturer of your equipment.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Random/Pick-List)
Wiring the game port for pick-list and random playback is for the purpose of re-starting suspended playback. Put another way, this is a way of looking for the 'return' closure to re-start playback. The wiring scheme is identical for both the pick-list and random playback modes. Therefore, the two options may be used interchangeably with the same wiring.
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input sensing must be turned OFF from within the appropriate relay control screen. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
Random Playback Mode:
From the Random Playback Menu, $ from the Main Menu, choose % Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Random Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Random must be set to ON.
Pick-List Playback Mode:
From the Pick-List Playback Menu, ^ from the Main Menu, choose ( Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Pick-List Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List must be set to ON.
Random and Pick-List Input Sensing Wiring:
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
Restart after BREAK or >PAUSE<2
Restart after LINER7
Restart after LEGAL I.D.10
Restart after MAGIC CALL14
For advanced information regarding wiring the game port, please see the previous section regarding wiring the game port for the Simple-Sat playback.
Testing:
In pick-list or random playback modes, the best way to test the functionality of your game port relay sensing is to actually run the appropriate playback mode. When the system is set-up properly for game port input sensing - as described above - playback should resume when the return closure is sensed through the game port.
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the outputs of the relay card or automation system, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. Enter Pick-List or Random Playback Mode. You will
first have to make a testing template for Pick-List
containing a >PAUSE<, >LINER<,>I.D.<, and
>MAGIC<. Make sure the configuration for random
random or pick-list playback is set to wait for
re-start through the PC-game port.
2. When the computer stops and the message:
'Waiting for re-start on game port' appears,
3. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends as appropriate.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
playback resume when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (resume after BREAK/>PAUSE<)
Common + Pin #7 Wire (resume after LINER)
Common + Pin #10 Wire (resume after LEGAL I.D.)
Common + Pin #14 Wire (resume after Magic Call/Backsell)
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
This completes the wiring process for the various Auto-Mate playback modes. For further details on operating each of these modes, see the specific sections regarding playback.
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VII. Game Port Wiring
Introduction
The game port of your computer is incapable of sending relay closures. However, it is capable of sensing DRY contact closures from a satellite receiver or tone decoder. This section discusses how to wire a game port in your computer for this purpose.
This section is largely designed around wiring the game port for use with the Satellite Playback Mode. The game port may also be wired for input sensing in Random and Pick-List Playback Modes. Each configuration will be discussed.
Relay Card Sensing vs. Game Port Sensing:
There are several reasons you may consider using a game port for relay sensing as opposed to a relay card. First of these is the cost factor. If you do not need to send relay closures with your application, there may be no need to spend $175 to $250 for a relay card. The second reason would be ease of use. It is generally less difficult to wire the four inputs for the game port as opposed to installing and wiring a relay card.
On the negative side, using a relay card in opto-isolated mode is technically much more secure than using a non-isolated communications port (such as the game port). In using the game port, the computer equipment - especially the game card or sound card that contains the game port - is much more susceptible to damage from static charges or voltage spikes. Therefore, we ask you to weigh your options accordingly.
MWARNING!: If you are not personally competent in the technical operation of your satellite reception gear and tone decoder devices, contact a qualified engineer before continuing.
Improper installation may damage or destroy your computer equipment.
Please be aware that given the great variety of equipment on the market, we are not equipped to assist you with specific information regarding the proper wiring of your satellite equipment.
Please be advised: What you are about to undertake can offer great rewards in improved efficiency and the sound of your station. You also may encounter a number of difficulties during installation including a non-working com-port on your computer, and other unanticipated problems. Some users may be up-and-running in under an hour, while others may find it takes more than a day to get everything working correctly. The best strategy is to expect to spend a good deal of time getting everything working correctly. This will avoid frustration. Above all, do not attempt to perform this installation if you are not technically competent.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Simple-Sat)
WARNING ! :
You are warned that the GAME PORT WIRING method does not electrically isolate your computer from any potential source of current that may enter the wires connected to this port. without any precautions on your part, the wires could act as a path for damaging stray voltage.. Potential sources of current introduction include, but are not limited to, acts of God (i.e. Lightning), or Technician error.. Damage may be isolated to the card that contains the game port, or may destroy the entire computer. john l. Zolkoske and AUTo-mate systems takes no responsibility for damage to any electronic component either during or after installation for any reason regardless of any precautions you have taken.
About Stray Voltage
Conceivably, their are numerous ways in which voltage could get into your computer. Many of us protect our equipment with surge suppressers on both AC lines and telephone connections. We simply wish to warn you that even if your computer is surge protected to the teeth, this method of connection will leave your system open to a new path of unwelcome stray voltage. Realistically, it seems the only way voltage could enter your relay wires would be through an error on the part of a technician (i.e. inadvertently applying a voltage source to a relay wire), or lightning striking your satellite dish or studio building and traveling through cables. In the latter case, a blown out sound card may be the least of your worries considering the potential damage to other equipment in the studio. Still, if you are in an area that is prone to thunderstorm activity you may want to look into the matter a little more closely.
Protection from Stray Voltage
Many satellite receivers/tone decoders are opto-isolated. That is, they will break the circuit before high voltage can enter the output wires. In this case, you could be fairly safe, especially if you keep the leads short between the output of the decoder and the input at the game port. Others may wish to contact their engineers to have a special circuit designed to break contact in case of high voltage just before entry into the computer. It may be wise to use a PDISO-8 or PCL-725 relay card for input sensing (set to opto-isolated mode). Unfortunately, Auto-Mate Systems cannot and will not make suggestions as to schemes of protection for your computer equipment. We are not professional broadcast engineers, and find matters of this nature best left to the discretion of your qualified engineer.
There are those who will take no precautions. We leave the proper course of action to you. Keep in mind, we will never take responsibility for damage to your hardware, or for lost income due to failure of said hardware, whether or not damage was claimed to be caused through methods described in the pages of this manual.
Please read the following warnings. It is very important to heed these warnings to avoid potential damage to your equipment.
MWARNING! each of THE RELAY SENSING PINS (+) ALONG WITH THE GROUND (-) OF THE GAME PORT GENERALLY EMITS A CONSTANT VOLTAGE OF + FIVE (5) VOLTS DC. mAKE SURE THE SATELLITE RECEIVER, TONE DECODER, OR OTHER RELAY DEVICE CAN ACCEPT THIS FIVE VOLT CHARGE WITHOUT DAMAGE. SOME COMPUTERS MAY CONTAIN A DIFFERENT VOLTAGE ON THE GAME PORT PINS. IF IN DOUBT, CHECK WITH A VOLT METER.
MWARNING! Make absolutely sure that the wires you will be connecting to your computer from the satellite receiver or tone decoder are dry relays - that is, they must not contain any voltage. check with a volt meter if necessary to ensure that no voltage is present. to be absolutely sure, you must check with a volt meter while the pulse is being sent by the relay closure unit.
MWARNING! Before wiring your computer to the relay closure unit, you must remove All other devices connected to THE relay unit. NEVER try to leave a device - such as a cart machine - connected to the relay unit. Even if the closures sent from the relay decoder are dry, the externally connected equipment may send back-voltage into the wires, which will immediately destroy your sound card, and possibly other components.
Now that you understand the importance on having made sure that we are dealing with DRY relay contact closures, we may proceed with the installation process.
Soldering The Connector
If you have any questions at this time, please call us for technical assistance before continuing: (503)-769-2886.
Once you are sure you are dealing with dry relays, you may concentrate on soldering the ends of your relay wires to the game port connector. This connector is a 15 pin male connector. Its layout looks like this:
(Front Side- Enlarged View)
(Solder Side - (Inside))
You will be making solder connections to only four of these 15 pins. Please make your solder connections as follows, being very careful you do not solder to the wrong pins. If you are still not sure which pins to solder, look at the actual connector and notice that each pin contains an imprinted number that you can use for reference.
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
BREAK (all local breaks)2
LINERS7
LEGAL I.D.'s10 *
MAGIC CALLS/BACKSELL/STINGERS14 **
* Legal I.D.'s are designated as any liner that begins with LL. for example, a file named LL1234 would be considered a legal I.D..
** Magic Call/Backsell/stinger material is any liner that begins with LM. for example, a file named LM1234 would be considered this type of liner.
MWARNING!: Make sure you do quality soldering work. Never allow for the potential of contact between nearby pins (For example, pin 2 must never come in contact with pin 1 during operation.) The pins we have specified are the only ones that should ever have contact. Other pins contain voltage, that if touched to the common pin (#4), may render your game port useless.
MWARNING!: Never solder any game port pins other than the ones we have specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer, or your satellite receiver/tone decoder. Triple check your work if not sure!
At this point, after checking your work, you should be prepared to plug-in and test. You may wish to install the pin connector jacket once you have determined that the proper pins have been soldered.
The other ends of the conductors will be connected to the proper outputs of your satellite receiver or tone decoder (relay device). You may wish to hold off on connecting the wire ends to your relay device until we do some further testing.
Finding a working Communications (Game) Port:
Chances are, the game port to which you will be connecting will work immediately. If it doesn't you may be spending quite a while disassembling your computer and changing jumper settings. Sorry, we cannot provide information about the proper jumper settings inside of your computer, as all systems will be different. If you do not have adequate documentation, the best solution is to have a qualified computer technician examine your system and make needed changes.
The only way to test if the port is working using your new wiring harness is to actually go on-line with the satellite playback mode. To do this, you must create a test template. You may wish to familiarize yourself with the Simple-Sat software and make your test template now before continuing.
Where do I Plug In?
Conveniently, we know that everyone who uses our product will have a game port. Why? This is because every SoundBlasterF card has a game port built-in. You may also have one, or more, other game ports in your computer as well.
Chances are, one of the game ports in your computer is enabled. You may wish to try each of these to see which one works. It doesn't matter if you don't use the port on your sound card, it only matters that you find a port that is working.
There is a slight chance that all of your game ports are disabled. In this case, you will have to adjust jumper settings in the computer to enable the game port. In the SoundBlasterF documentation, this may be referred to as "enabling the joystick." If the game port on your sound card is not enabled, your best course of action at this point will be to physically look at your sound card to see how the joystick jumper is set. Please refer to the literature that came with your sound card. The correct jumper setting for the joystick may be contained in the GETTING STARTED booklet that came with your SoundBlaster.
Keep in mind, that most SoundBlaster cards are shipped with the game port enabled. Therefore, you should be able to use the sound card game port immediately without taking apart your computer. If the port doesn't work, but is shown to be enabled by viewing the jumpers on the sound card, you probably have a conflict with another device in the computer.
In most cases, if the SoundBlaster game port is not working, another game port in the system that has "priority" over the SoundBlaster game port will be active. Be sure to find, and try, all game ports in your system before resorting to tearing apart your system.
Again, if you experience any trouble of this sort, please contact your qualified computer technician. We cannot help you efficiently in solving this problem over the phone.
Initial Check for Operation
You're all connected to a game port, so now what?
Enabling Simple-Sat Game Port Sensing:
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input closure sensing must be turned OFF from within the satellite relay control screen for each desired function. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
From the Satellite Control Options Menu, * from the Main Menu, choose ) Audio Switching Schedules/Set Relay Card Operations. Then choose, # Set relay Card Operations (Satellite). For each input function you wish to receive through the game port, the 'Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Break/Liner/Legal I.D./magic Call' options 5-8 must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the satellite receiver/tone decoder, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, please follow these instructions:
1. Call the Satellite Playback Mode * from
the main menu, then ! or @ to run a
template. (If you have not yet created a
template, you must do so before continuing.)
If you do not know how to make a template,
please study Section 3, Working With Templates.
2. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends one-at-a-time.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
following on the screen when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (BREAK) = RELAY #1 DETECTED
Common + Pin #7 Wire (LINER) = RELAY #2 DETECTED
Common + Pin #10 Wire (LEGAL I.D.) = RELAY #3 DETECTED *
Common + Pin #14 Wire (Magic Call/Backsell) = RELAY #4 DETECTED **
* Any liner material beginning with the letters LL will be considered a legal I.D.. For example, a file named LL1234 is a legal I.D., whereas a file named L1234 is not a legal I.D. A legal I.D. will be selected and played for the scheduled announcer on a random basis when relay #3 is detected.
** Any liner material beginning with the letters LM may be played when relay #4 is detected. This can be any type of liner material you wish. The original purpose of these liners was for the short liners that satellite networks sometimes insert into their programming. However, these liners can be any type that you wish. Relay #4 simply provides a way to play liners of a different type from the standard liners (any liner that doesn't start with LL or LM) which are fired from relay #2.
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
If you cannot get a response from the system during this procedure, try another game port. If no game ports are operational, you must check the jumper settings in your computer. If you do not know how to do this, please refer the task to a qualified computer technician.
Making Final Connection/Checking for Proper Operation
The only way to check for overall proper operation with your satellite network is to make sure you are fully connected between the satellite receiver/tone decoder and your computer, and then go into Satellite Control Mode * from the main menu, followed by ! or @ to run a template.
To connect with your satellite receiver/tone decoder, consult the documentation that came with the device. Your relay device may have a positive(+) and common(-) output wire for each type of closure (spots, I.D.'s, liners, etc.). You may have to chain together all of the common(-) outputs on the relay closure device so that they are all connected to the single common wire that goes to your computer. However, do not perform this or any wiring without knowing the procedures recommended by the manufacturer of the device.
This diagram is shown as a general guide - your individual application likely will vary. Remember, never make any wiring connections that are not recommended by the manufacturer of your equipment.
Wiring-in Closure Sensing (Random/Pick-List)
Wiring the game port for pick-list and random playback is for the purpose of re-starting suspended playback. Put another way, this is a way of looking for the 'return' closure to re-start playback. The wiring scheme is identical for both the pick-list and random playback modes. Therefore, the two options may be used interchangeably with the same wiring.
Remember that for game port sensing to be active, relay input sensing must be turned OFF from within the appropriate relay control screen. To enable game port sensing, follow these instructions:
Random Playback Mode:
From the Random Playback Menu, $ from the Main Menu, choose % Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Random Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Random must be set to ON.
Pick-List Playback Mode:
From the Pick-List Playback Menu, ^ from the Main Menu, choose ( Set Relay Card Operations. From within Set Relay Card Operations, go to option 9 Relay Card Input Sensing in Pick-List Playback Mode. This option must be set to OFF for the game port to be actively sensing for closures. Remember, too, that unless you want playback to re-start immediately for a particular function after a closure has been sent, 5-8 Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List must be set to ON.
Random and Pick-List Input Sensing Wiring:
RELAY FUNCTION PIN NUMBER
COMMON (all functions)4
Restart after BREAK or >PAUSE<2
Restart after LINER7
Restart after LEGAL I.D.10
Restart after MAGIC CALL14
For advanced information regarding wiring the game port, please see the previous section regarding wiring the game port for the Simple-Sat playback.
Testing:
In pick-list or random playback modes, the best way to test the functionality of your game port relay sensing is to actually run the appropriate playback mode. When the system is set-up properly for game port input sensing - as described above - playback should resume when the return closure is sensed through the game port.
Before wiring the ends of your wiring harness to the outputs of the relay card or automation system, you may wish to check to see if the Simple-Sat is responding to the game port connection. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. Enter Pick-List or Random Playback Mode. You will
first have to make a testing template for Pick-List
containing a >PAUSE<, >LINER<,>I.D.<, and
>MAGIC<. Make sure the configuration for random
random or pick-list playback is set to wait for
re-start through the PC-game port.
2. When the computer stops and the message:
'Waiting for re-start on game port' appears,
3. Touch the common wire end (connected to pin #4) to
each of the other wire ends as appropriate.*
This will complete the circuit, and you should see the
playback resume when touching the
corresponding wiring combination:
Common + Pin #2 Wire (resume after BREAK/>PAUSE<)
Common + Pin #7 Wire (resume after LINER)
Common + Pin #10 Wire (resume after LEGAL I.D.)
Common + Pin #14 Wire (resume after Magic Call/Backsell)
*MWARNING!: Only touch the common wire end to the other individual wire ends that have been properly connected as previously specified. Other pins may contain a low voltage source that, if improperly matched, may damage your computer. Do not touch the common wire directly to any unsoldered pin on the connector as a short-cut measure to test operation. It is too easy to touch a pin that contains too much voltage. If you do touch a pin that contains an improper voltage to one of the wired ends, you will probably render the game port useless.
This completes the wiring process for the various Auto-Mate playback modes. For further details on operating each of these modes, see the specific sections regarding playback.
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VIII. Simple-Sat Automation
1. Introduction
Getting Started
You have just purchased what is likely the most affordable digital satellite automation systems on the market today, The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat. After receiving numerous requests from broadcasters who wanted to use our original software package in conjunction with a satellite network, we went to work designing the Simple-Sat. The result has been that digital satellite automation is now a realistic possibility for nearly everyone. The following paragraphs will describe the operation of the system. There are some important details you will want to know about before beginning the installation process.
How does it work
The Auto-Mate systems are designed around the SoundBlasterF audio cards. Instead of using expensive carts or inconvenient reel to reel tape, you record all of your spot material into the hard drive of your computer. The original Auto-Mate was entirely self-contained. That is, an operator had to initiate all playback manually. This was - and still is - a great solution for some, but not those utilizing a satellite network.
As you know, satellite networks provide the bulk of programming material, supplying your equipment with "tones" that allow you to play local breaks, liners, and other material. You will either have a satellite receiver or a tone decoder that can detect the tones sent by the satellite network. This equipment closes a relay contact when a tone has been detected. It is just like touching two wires together to make a complete contact loop.
The reason we had to design a whole new system for satellite operation is that the computer needs to know when the relay has been closed in order to begin playing a break, liner, or legal I.D.. The Simple-Sat requires that you "wire" a communications port in your computer to the outside world. Specifically, you will connect wires to your computer from the output terminals of your tone decoder device.
You have a choice of how to sense relay input closures with The Auto-Mate. The PC game port or a relay card may be used. For a complete discussion about which relay card should be installed, please see the section in the manual entitled 'Relay Card Setup'.
Obviously, it is expected that you know which terminals are used for each function on your satellite receiver or tone decoder box. A little later on, you will also need to know at what times your network takes breaks. It is strongly suggested that you have a complete understanding of both the satellite network with which you are affiliated and your reception equipment before attempting to do anything with The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat.
While in Simple-Sat playback mode, when the relays are being received properly, you will see the following messages displayed:
BREAK = RELAY #1 DETECTED
LINER = RELAY #2 DETECTED
LEGAL I.D. = RELAY #3 DETECTED
MAGIC CALL = RELAY #4 DETECTED
Of course, by the time you get to the point of checking operation, you may want to have already recorded some Spots, Liners, and Legal I.D.'s that will play during the test. You will also have to build a template to properly test spot playback. If you have not done this, and are unfamiliar with this concept, please proceed to the section entitled 'Working With Templates'.
Once you have achieved proper operation, you may concentrate on building the templates you will be using with your Simple-Sat.
Connecting with a Console
The final task in the physical set-up of your Simple-Sat system will be wiring the system audio into a console. Depending on how you use your system, you will want to consider a number of wiring options. The connection will vary based on whether or not you wish to use the built in volume control features of The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat, or if you want to take advantage of the audio switching capacity of the relay card. The benefits of each method will be discussed below.
An essential task of a satellite automation system is the ability of the software/hardware to mute the audio of the satellite network during break playback. Otherwise, you would hear both your local commercials and network audio, be it music or closed circuit feed material. With The Auto-Mate, there are two methods that may be used to mute the network audio at the appropriate times.
Audio Muting via Relay Card:
The Auto-Mate has the ability to mute audio that is run through the relay card. This is accomplished by physically disconnecting the completed audio circuit from the relay card at the appropriate time. For a complete discussion regarding wiring satellite audio through The Auto-Mate, see the section 'Relay Card Setup'.
Audio Muting via SoundBlaster Audio Inputs:
The main benefit of using the audio card for audio muting is the ability to of the sound card to drop satellite audio to a lower level (while not completely muting) during playback of Liners and Legal I.D.'s. The sound card can also fade-up satellite audio to improve transitions from local to network programming. We will take a brief moment to highlight the built-in volume controls contained in The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat.
ãSoundBlaster audio input method can mute the volume of the satellite network during break playback.
ãSoundBlaster audio input method can reduce the volume of satellite audio during liner playback. The amount of volume reduction during the liner playback is set by the user.
ãThe user can determine a volume fade-up rate at the end of the liner or break playback. The satellite audio volume will advance at a varying rate until it has reached the full output level.
Wiring Option ONE - Routing Satellite Audio Through the SoundBlaster:
Some users will wish to mute the audio of the satellite network during break playback using a SoundBlaster audio card. To do this, you will run your satellite audio through line or microphone input of the sound card. All muting and volume control then takes place through the sound card itself. If you choose to run audio through a relay card, have a device that already automatically mutes the network audio, or your network goes silent for the duration of the break, then you may choose not to run your satellite audio through the sound card. If the latter is the case, then proceed beyond the 'wiring option number one' documentation.
If you will be running satellite audio through the sound card, keep in mind that there will likely be times that the satellite audio will have to be routed around the computer to the console. The following are some instances in which this re-routing must take place:
1. Any time the computer is turned off. The sound
card does not allow audio to pass through when
the computer is off.
2. Any time the computer is used for recording audio.
All recording with The Auto-Mate is accomplished
through the Line Input. If you are also using the Line Input
for your satellite feed, you will have to manually switch
the source of the line input so that you can record your
spot/music/liner material. If you are using the microphone
input for your satellite audio, you should set the mic.
input level to zero. In any event, you still have to establish
an alternate path for the satellite audio.
To establish an easy-to-use system, you may wish to set-up a scheme similar to the ones shown in the diagrams on the following page, or use whatever plan best suits your situation.
The following diagrams show that you may use either the line or microphone input of the sound card for the satellite audio. You will learn how to select which input source you wish to use
(line or microphone) in a later section (Satellite Playback). To note briefly: The selection of line or mic. input is easily selected from within the software (* from the main menu, then $ Audio Source/Audio Card Settings, and finally @ Audio Card Settings), and can be changed at any time. Also, remember to set the Audio Source to AUDIO CARD by toggling ! from the same Audio Source/Audio Card Settings Menu.
Option 1A:
With this option, the network audio will come out of the sound card in mono. All spots and liners, however, will play in stereo (if used). Note that it may take some work getting the proper impedance match to the microphone input of the SoundBlaster. (We have had success with a simple Radio Shack microphone mixer that also has slider pots that could be used in place of the ON/OFF switch.). The bypass for the satellite audio into the console must be utilized any time recording is undertaken with The Auto-Mate.
When you exit Satellite Control Mode to undertake recording or otherwise wish not to run satellite audio through the sound card, shift the satellite audio directly into the console by shutting off the satellite audio going to the sound card with a switch, making sure your pot dedicated to direct satellite input is turned up. Simply reverse the procedure to begin running audio through the sound card again.
FNote: There may be times you wish to temporarily disable the microphone input after exiting the satellite playback mode. Follow these steps to temporarily cut the microphone audio.
Procedure to Temporarily Cut MIC. Input
1 Press E to exit the Satellite Playback Mode
2 Re-Enter the Satellite Control Mode, * from
the Main Menu.
3 Choose $ Audio Source/Audio Card Settings
4 From this menu, choose @ Audio Card Settings.
5 Change the Audio Source from MIC to LINE. This will
immediately cut the mic level to zero, so make sure you
have switched on your alternative satellite audio bypass.
6 Exit without saving by pressing u then Y.
When you return to Satellite Playback Mode, the MIC
input level will return as the source for satellite audio.
If you do save the change, you will have to return to
this utility to re-instate the mic input as the satellite
audio input source.
Keep in mind that the Audio Card Settings feature is the only place in the Auto-Mate software that you are able to control the microphone input level.
Option 1B:
This option will be used if you wish to have stereo satellite audio coming out of the sound card. In order to accomplish this, you must employ some sort of A/B switching device. In one position, the line input of the sound card will accept the satellite audio. In the other position, the line input will accept audio from the console or another source that contains audio to be recorded. Of course, when you are using the Auto-Mate for recording, you will have to use the satellite audio bypass as shown above to get satellite audio into the console.
FNote: When using The SoundBlaster line level input to control satellite audio, make sure that the Line (Audio) Input Levels are set to equal levels in both the default audio levels for playback (( - Utilities - then !) and in the Satellite Audio Card Setting File (* Satellite Control Mode, then $). If you do not, the satellite volume level could change dramatically upon exiting from the Satellite Control Mode back to the Main Menu.
FNote: If you plan on looping satellite audio through the sound card while you are in WindowsF (outside of The Auto-Mate environment), make sure you disable the System Sounds.
Otherwise, listeners will hear "dings", "tadas" or other strange sounds emanating from their radios while you work in Windows.
To Disable Windows 3.11 System Sounds:
1. From the Program Manager, choose MAIN.
2. From MAIN, Select Program Manager
3. From the Program Manager, select Sounds
4. When you are in the Sounds window, click on the box
entitled Enable System Sounds so that there is no '
in the check box.
5. Click on O.K. to accept the change.
Wiring option TWO - Muting Satellite via Relay Card (PDISO-8/PCL-725)
It is obvious that there may be a certain amount of inconvenience in routing the satellite audio through the sound card. Therefore, you may wish to use a relay card for audio muting and switching. A Metrabyte PDISO-8 or an Advantech PCL-725 may be utilized for this purpose. A relay card may be wired for two stereo audio sources and may be switched on a timed basis.
The satellite audio will either be connected or disconnected based on the status of break playback. To state simply, if a break is in playback, the relays for the currently selected audio source will be 'opened' and no audio will be allowed to pass beyond the relay card to the console. When the break ends, the relays are 'closed' and the satellite audio comes into your console.
When Simple-Sat is waiting for a relay closure, or is playing a Liner, Magic Call, or Legal I.D., satellite audio is able to pass through the relay card to the console.
When break playback is in progress, the relay card is activated in such a way to stop satellite audio from reaching the console.
For a complete discussion of wiring your relay card for audio, please see the section entitled 'Relay Card Setup'.
FNote: Users who do not run satellite audio through the sound card will not be able to utilize
the feature that reduces the satellite audio volume while a liner is playing.
Wiring option THREE - Muting Satellite Audio Externally
If you wish to avoid running satellite audio through the sound card or the relay card, the following are some configurations which would allow you to avoid this:
ãThe Satellite network already "goes dead" for the duration of the breaks.
ãThe Satellite Receiver/Tone Decoder has a built-in programmable silencer.
ãYou have an external muting device. Often, these devices mute when a break relay is detected and resumes satellite audio when the return liner is received. Keep in mind, if you are connecting a device such as this, make absolutely sure that the muting device does not send any voltage back through the wires. If voltage does come through the relay wires, it could travel into your computer and, as you know, destroy the sound card or other components.
In these cases, you will not have to wire your satellite audio through the SoundBlaster or the relay card.
FNote: Users who do not run satellite audio through the sound card will not be able to utilize
the feature that reduces the satellite audio volume while a liner is playing.
If you will not be running satellite audio through the sound card, simply wire your Auto-Mate to
the console as normal (See Appendix D).
2. Working with Templates
What is a Template?
In Satellite Control Mode, you need to have planned out what you are going to be playing throughout the broadcast day and at what times. Your satellite network will follow some sort of schedule for taking breaks. It may not adhere with a schedule to the exact minute, but it will take breaks on what is more-or-less a regular schedule. You need to know what this schedule is, and make an image of it in your template.
For example, if your network takes four breaks each hour, roughly at ten, twenty-five, forty, and fifty past the hour, the Simple-Sat needs to know this. You need to record this information in a template so that when the computer encounters each break, it will advance properly to the next break. One inaccuracy in entering the proper number of breaks will put your break playback out of sequence until someone manually resets to the proper break.
FNOTE: You must make a time entry for every break the satellite network will be taking, whether or not you plan to place commercials in that break. This is how the computer keeps all breaks playing on schedule.
TF7S Edit Satellite Templates:
Upon entry to the Edit Satellite Template Menu, & from the main menu, you will be faced with the following options:
! Work with Daily Template
@ Work with Custom Template
# Create a NEW Template
$ Erase an OLD Template
% Erase ALL Spots From Template
^ Copy Daily Template Data
& Print Template Contents
* Transfer/Import Template
( Help
) Satellite Control Mode
uReturn to Main Menu
We will examine these options individually, from ! through *.
There are two kinds of templates, DAILY and CUSTOM. We will cover DAILY templates first.
Work With Daily Template !
Daily templates are designed for programming up to an entire weeks worth of breaks with the satellite network you are primarily affiliated with. The primary use of daily templates is in the fact that when one day is through, the next daily template in sequence is loaded. Conceivably, you could program the full seven days and walk-away for an entire week.
When in this mode, you choose a template to work with MON-SUN. Any existing data will be loaded with the template you choose. If you decide not to load a template, you can press 8, then e to exit.
In the event that the template is empty, you will be given this warning message before being allowed into the template programmer:
The template you specified:
Filename.TPL
does not currently exist.
Continuing will create a
NEW file of this name...
To abort, press {Enter} now,
then press {Escape} upon
entry to spot select mode.
Simply ignore this, as it is a message to let you know that you are about to create a new template. When you do not see this message, it means that the template you have chosen to work with already exists..
The Template Programmer
FNOTE: You are limited to 750 total entries per template. These 750 entries include both local breaks and spots. If you ever reach the limit, you will be told that the maximum number of entries has been reached.
FNOTE: Your computer has a limited capacity to store data. If you have a great many spots recorded, or do not have enough conventional memory free, you may run out of data storage space before the full 750 entries are made in the template creation mode. If this happens, any entries you make after the memory has been depleted will appear blank. If this happens, please save your work and leave the mode immediately. For a complete discussion on data storage issues, please see Appendix C which regards storage capacity.
The template programmer is the nuts-and-bolts of the Simple-Sat system. Notice that you have numerous options. Most options are similar to those in the pick-list playback mode - which is available at ^ from the main menu. The major difference is in the Local Break option, %. This is where you must have a copy of your network "clock" and enter ALL breaks that your network will be taking throughout the duration you will be on-line each day. You must enter these breaks even if you do not plan on taking a break at that time.
FNOTE: Some satellite network configurations provide multiple tones for breaks at different times during the hour. Only enter a local break in the template programmer for each actual time that your computer will be getting a relay closure. For example, if your network offers tone A for one local break and tone B for another local break during the hour, but you have only wired tone A to The Auto-Mate, do not enter any tone B break times as local breaks in your template.
The Auto-Mate plays breaks sequentially as they are encountered in Satellite Playback Mode. Consider the following example of the first three entries of a particular template:
1. 12:05 A****LOCAL BREAK***
2. 09:30 P****LOCAL BREAK***
3. 12:25 A****LOCAL BREAK***
In this sequence, the 12:05 AM break will play first, followed by the 09:30 PM break. The 09:30 PM break will be played before the 12:25 AM break - even though 9:30 PM obviously comes after 12:25 AM. Thus, you should enter all of your break times in the proper sequence.
Is it really that important to enter the proper break times? Yes. There are times when the Simple-Sat will figure out what the next upcoming will be (such as when you come into the Satellite Playback Mode or if Automatic Break Correction is turned ON). This calculation will be based on the times you have entered for the local breaks and the current DOS clock time. Thus, if you had entered an inaccurate break sequence as shown above, and the current time was 9:25 PM, the computer will consider entry #2 - the 9:30P break - as the currently upcoming break. Obviously, you wouldn't want the computer to select only the second template entry of the day at 9:30 PM.
Building Commercial Breaks
There are some breaks during the day you will want to cover with commercial material. In these cases, you simply enter the time of the local break in the proper time sequence with %. Then, you add spots to that break either by moving through the pick-list and hitting enter, or entering Spot I.D.'s manually by pressing ^. (You may also enter music or liner material using the manual mode. Simply enter the Script I.D. you desire.) If the script I.D. you have entered is valid, the entry will pop into the current box.
A typical break sequence may look like this:
124 10:40 A****LOCAL BREAK***
125 10:50 A****LOCAL BREAK***
126 S0001 Big Burger 60.1
127 S0022 Zap Cola 29.9
129 S0050 John's Computer 60.0
130 11:05 A****LOCAL BREAK***
You will see the length of the current break grow as you add material. When the length equals that of the opening provided by the satellite network, you have a complete break. You are then ready to add your next % local break. The break time for the previous example would look like this:
Time: 126 - 129 = 2.5 Mins.
As the relays click off breaks through the day, any ***LOCAL BREAK*** that is followed in the template line-up by another ***LOCAL BREAK*** is an empty break. In these cases, the satellite program will not be interrupted. In cases where the local break entry is followed by spot material, the spot material will begin playing when the relay closure for that local break is encountered.
Hopefully, you can see the importance of entering all breaks that will be taking place during the day. If you don't, spot material will play at times you do not want it to.
FNOTE: Some users may wish to enter all of the times for a days local breaks and then add the commercial content later with the @ Insert function. This requires more work due to the fact you must specify the entry point with each commercial you insert. However, some may find it less confusing to deal with one aspect of the operation at-a-time.
Now that you see how to program a template, we will briefly look at the options available to you in the Template Programmer.
y/z: Moves your highlighted cursor in the spot pick-list box from one selection to the next.
p/q: Moves your highlighted cursor in the pick-list box up or down by one screen.
e: Selects the current highlighted file in the pick-list, and places it in your lineup.
w/x: This is a scroll mode for your previous entries. Notice there is a box labeled "previous" and a box labeled "current" in the top-half of the screen. Current shows up to the most recent eight entries, Previous shows the last entries made before those in the current box. By using the left and right arrows, you can view ALL of your previous entries.
FNOTE: If you somehow end up with a "blank" somewhere in your template - a blank being an entry which contains no data at all - please cut it from the template or replace it immediately. Otherwise, you may experience trouble scrolling forward and backwards through the template.
! Save: When the template is the way you like it, press ! and then answer Y to save the template. You will then be returned to the Template Menu.
FNOTE: If you are working with a complex template, and do not have a u.p.s. (uninterruptable power supply) it is advisable to save the template from time-to-time to avoid losing your work should a power loss occur. Simply re-load the same template and begin working again to continue. If you are working with a computer system of suspect quality, you should save the template occasionally - just in case of a freeze-up.
@ Insert: Lets you insert a selection between two existing selections. For example, if you wish to place a spot between entry 49, and entry 50, press @, then type 50 in the box that appears. The previous entry 50 becomes entry 51, 51 becomes 52, and so on. The next entry you choose becomes the new entry 50.
# Cut: If you have made an erroneous entry, F3 lets you get rid of it. Simply enter the number you wish to remove in the box that appears. If the entry is a spot entry, the entry will instantly disappear. If the entry is a LOCAL BREAK, you will be asked for confirmation before the break is removed. Just press Y or N at the prompt.
$ Change: Allows you to replace an existing entry with a new one. When you choose an entry for replacement, you will see the prompt >OPEN EVENT< appear next to the number of the event you chose to replace. You the next event you choose will be the replacement.
FNOTE: The >OPEN EVENT< prompt will be placed as the top entry in the "Previous" view box. If you move around the template list with your left and right arrows, the replacement event will still be placed in that top entry position - although it may appear to be out of sequence. Do not be alarmed, simply move your left or right arrow again, and the replacement entry will fall into place.
% Local Break: This has been explained extensively above, just remember that you must enter the time of the break in the proper twelve-hour clock format. You will be prompted of your error if an improper entry is attempted, like 22:00 PM or 12:60 PM.
^ Manual Entry: Lets you type-in entries that you know the codes for without scrolling through the pick-list. Manual Entry mode also lets you type in the codes for Music or Liners. Simply type a valid I.D. (any file that currently exists on the system). If you have entered a valid selection, the entry will appear.
FNOTE: We did not include music and liner pick-lists in the Simple-Sat Template Programmer mode as we concluded that few would have need for these lists. Also, the exclusion of the music and liner pick-lists made it possible to have a greater number of entries in satellite mode (750) than in standard pick-list mode (650).
* Print: As a convenience, you may print your template contents from the Template Programmer in addition to the template menu. You may print the entire list, or just a portion of it by entering a range. The File (Script I.D), Local Break Time or Account, and Length will be printed. If you wish to print a template listing that also includes the spot titles, you must exit to the Template Menu, and then choose option & Print Template Contents.
) Clear List: Don't choose this option unless you want to clear the entire contents of the template you are working with. You will be prompted twice as to whether or not you really want to clear the template. After answering Y twice, the entries in the current template being worked with will disappear and you will start over at entry one.
FNOTE: It is important to note that if you clear the list with ) and then do not re-save the template with ! before exiting the template programming environment, that template will not actually be cleared. The next time that particular template is loaded, the old contents will re-appear. This gives you a 'third chance' to recover a template if you find that a template has been wrongfully cleared.
Therefore, if you wish to clear a template and make sure that it will have no entries in it whatsoever, clear the file with ), then make sure you press ! and save the empty template before pressing u to leave the template programming environment. Doing this will save an empty file to the template you are working with.
u Quit: Allows you to leave the Template Programmer mode. Remember that if you wish to save the data, you must have first saved it with the Save option, !. Quitting with the Escape key will not save the data.
Work With Custom Template @
You cannot work with a custom template until you have created one. To create a custom template, choose F3 (See the next section for details).
When choosing @ to Work with a Custom Template, you will see all of the custom templates appear in a list. Simply choose the number that corresponds with the title of the template you wish to work with and press e. If you decide not to proceed upon entry to the screen, the last entry in the list will always be [EXIT]. Keep in mind that the number corresponding to EXIT will change as custom template are added or deleted.
FNote: A maximum of 65 custom templates may be stored in your system at any one time. After reaching this limit, you will have to delete a template before you can create a new one. You are limited to 750 entries per template.
We will not cover the functions of the Template Programmer again. Please review the previous sections entitled The Template Programmer and Building Commercial Breaks. Now, we will briefly cover the purpose of a custom template.
In Satellite Playback Mode, a custom template has a number of purposes. These are just a few of the possibilities:
ãSports programming controlled by template. You may be affiliated with a major league team that sends tones to initiate breaks. Many of these networks use set "formats" that would allow you to program many games in advance. Your staff could be occupied with more productive tasks than baby-sitting the board during an entire sports broadcast.
ãSyndicated programming controlled by template. You may have a primary network, possibly for music, and use another just a few hours each day for, say, talk programming. With a custom template, you can program the breaks during syndicated programming separately from the primary network.
Create a NEW Template #
Before building your custom satellite template file, you have to create a new template with a unique file name. Do not enter a file name that already exists. The file name is restricted to eight digits, and only letters and numbers may be used. To quit, simply press u at any time.
After you have entered a file name and pressed e, you will see a message that states the following:
The template you specified: Filename.TPL
does not currently exist.
Continuing will create a
NEW file of this name...
To abort, press {Enter} now,
then press {Escape} upon
entry to spot select mode.
This message is simply designed to remind you that you are about to create a new template, for
which there will be no entries present. Simply press enter (twice) and you will be able to begin
building a new template.
Erase an OLD Template $
When a template has outlived its usefulness it can easily be deleted. Press $ and you will see all of the custom satellite templates. Choose the number that corresponds with the template you wish to erase. You will be asked if you are sure you wish to delete the template to confirm your decision. Daily templates may not be completely erased, but their contents may be cleared by entering ! Work with Daily Template. The entire contents of a custom may also be cleared while retaining the title in this same fashion by entering @ Work with Custom Template. Please follow the instructions for clearing a template contained in the previous section entitled Building Commercial Breaks.
Erase ALL Spots From Template %
There are two elements in a template, the entry of the time for each local break and the actual programming material. Generally, the times that have been set-up for each local break will remain constant for months or even years. On the other hand, the spot schedules that have been programmed will change from week to week.
This feature allows you to eliminate all material in the template except for each of the ****LOCAL BREAK*** entries. ALL of the spots, music, and liners that are entered in the template will be erased.
The usefulness of this option is that the user can start with a "clean slate" for entering new programming material, while having retained all of the ***LOCAL BREAK*** entries.
Some will want to take advantage of this feature, while others will wish to retain the existing spots from week-to-week, using the Change, $, option inside the Template Programmer to replace outdated entries.
To erase ALL spots from the template, simply press, % then choose the template number to which this process should be applied. To erase the spots from a daily template, choose 1 - 7. If you wish to eliminate the spots from a custom template, select 8 Custom Template Menu. To exit from the template selection menu, press 9.
Copy Daily Template Data ^
This utility can be very useful if the satellite breaks will be the same for each day. If so, this feature allows the data from one day to be copied to another day. Thus, you will not have to re-enter all of the satellite breaks for Tuesday through Sunday if you had already entered them for Monday. Instead, you can copy the data from Monday to Tuesday, then Wednesday, and so on.
MWARNING!: DO NOT copy template data if the template you are copying data TO contains data you do not want erased. All data that exists in that template to be copied TO will be replaced with the data of the template you are copying FROM.
To copy the template data. press *. You will see the following prompt:
FROM which template do you wish to copy template data (1-7) _
This is the template you will be making a copy of in another day. Select 1-7 or press 8 to exit. Press e to accept your choice.
TO which template do you wish to copy template data (1-7) _
This is the template you will be copying the data to. Select 1-7 or press 8 to exit. Press e to accept your choice.
You will be asked if you are sure you want to copy the template data. Answer Y or N and press e.
When a template is copied from one day to another, all data contained in the originating template is transferred.
Print Satellite Template &
To get a better idea of what your template contains, you may wish to print it. You may print the entire list, or just a portion of it by entering a range. Your print-out will contain the following information:
1. Template Name
2. Date Printed
3. File (Script I.D)
4. Account
5. Title
6. Length
Either a daily satellite template or a custom satellite template may be selected. Select the desired choice from the menu.
Transfer/Import Template *
/NETWORKABLE !
This utility has a variety of purposes. It may be used to backup and restore templates for archival purposes or to import pre-made templates from your traffic system.
# Setup Transfer/Import Defaults: The first task will be to designate the drives and paths that the template data should be imported from and transferred to. You may specify any drive including floppies or drives that are on a network.
Upon entering # Setup Transfer/Import Defaults, you will see the current drive letter and path(s) for importing FROM and for transferring TO displayed as follows:
1. Current DRIVE and PATH to Import template data FROM:
A:\
This should be set to where the templates will be contained that you wish to import. To change the drive and path, press !. If, for example, your computers are networked, and the template you wish to import is contained on network Drive E, in directory LOGS, do the following:
A. Press !:
B. -> Enter Drive to Import FROM (A-Z) Type E and press e. Do not type any otherdata such as :\ or the directory path.
C. -> Enter Path to Import from In this example, you would type LOGS and press e. Do not type any back-slashes (\) unless there are additional sub directories in the path such as LOGS\TEMPLATES. Simply don't place any back- slashes at the beginning or end of the path. The Auto- Mate will assemble the drive and path(s) into the
proper format.
2. Current DRIVE and PATH to Transfer template data TO:
A:\
The same rules above apply for entering the drive letter and path(s). Of course, this time you will enter the location that you wish to transfer a template to that is currently contained on C:\AMTEMPLT. To change the drive and path for transferring a template press @.
When finished making changes, press #.
! Import Satellite Template: To import a daily or custom template, simply choose the appropriate one from the list. If the file is contained on the drive and path you have specified, it will be copied to the C:\AMTEMPLT directory.
MWARNING!: if the file you are importing is already contained at C:\AMTEMPLT. The existing file will be overwritten (replaced) by the file you are importing.
If the file you are trying to import is not found or there is a problem with the network connection, you will see the message: IMPORT PROCESS TERMINATED !. You should also take note to see if any other unusual messages appear during the import process. Normally, you should only see the copy command appear followed by the message - DONE... Press Any Key -. If you see any other messages, there may be a problem. To confirm receipt of the template, you may wish to try to work with it by choosing ! Work with Daily Template or @ Work with Custom Template from the Template Programmer Menu.
@ Transfer Satellite Template: The transfer option allows you to copy any satellite template contained on C:\AMTEMPLT to any drive and path(s) that is specified in # - Setup Transfer/Import Defaults.
MWARNING!: If the file you are transferring is already contained on the destination drive, the existing file will be overwritten with the file you are transferring.
MWARNING!: Generally, it is not advisable to store templates for a long time to re-use. Eventually, the template will probably contain a great number of entries for which the audio file has since been erased. It is not a good idea to run a template that contains "empty files." If you do re-load an old template, make sure you edit out any entries that are no longer on the hard drive. In the template programmer, these will be apparent in that the script I.D. will appear but there will be no other information about the recording on the screen, such as account name and length.
FNote: If you are interested in having your traffic program interface with The Auto-Mate satellite templates, feel free to place the maker of your traffic software in touch with us. We will provide the protocol for our templates that your traffic provider may be able to use to write an interface to our software.
Help (
There are a number of useful on-line tutorials available from this option. Press * to see the
help menu.
Satellite Control Mode )
It is possible to quickly go to the Satellite Control Mode menu by pressing ) instead of first going back to the Main Menu.
Return to Main Menu u
Pressing u takes you back to The Auto-Mate Main Menu.
3. Satellite Control Mode
You may not effectively utilize this option until you have created at least one template. See the previous chapter entitled Working With Templates.
TF8S Satellite Control Mode
Upon entry to the Satellite control mode, * from the main menu, you will see the following menu options:
! Run Daily File
@ Run Custom File
# Resume ????.???
$ Audio Source/Audio Card Settings
% View/Print Verification Logs
^ Verification Logging ON/OFF
& Automatic Correction Settings
* Set Current Time/Date
( Edit Announcer Schedules
) Audio Switching Schedules/
Set Relay Card Operations
t Edit Satellite Templates
u Return to Main Menu
As you can see, there are a variety of options in the Satellite Control Options Menu. We will examine these options in-depth one-by-one. Be aware that there are many details involved within each menu selection item. It may take some time to grasp each of the options available in the Satellite Playback Mode.
Run Daily File !
Run Custom File @
You may select a daily template ! or a custom template @ for playback. Simply press the number that corresponds with the desired template and press e. Whether a custom or daily template is chosen, the playback screen will appear exactly the same.
Entering the Playback Mode:
Automatic Break Find:
Upon making your template selection, the computer will enter an automatic break find mode. Here, it will attempt to pick a break that is as close to the actual time of day (based on your DOS clock) as possible. If it cannot, a warning message will momentarily appear and the upcoming break will be the first one in the template file. Otherwise, the upcoming break should be close to the current time.
Relay Control Outputs:
If the option is turned on, the Simple-Sat playback mode has the ability to send momentary relay closures on relay outputs four, five, six, and seven as it enters the playback mode screen. The purpose of these closures is to send end of event return signals to another device (such as another Auto-Mate equipped computer which plays pick-list or random music) in case that device is 'stuck' waiting for a return closure. To explain this concept further, let's say the device that sends relay closures to trigger Simple-Sat is set to suspended operation until a return 're-start' closure is received. For whatever reason, let us assume that the return closure was never received by the device. If automatic overrides were not established (as is possible in Auto-Mate pick-list and random modes), the playback would never resume. That is, until Simple-Sat does it's hourly break correction (if turned on) and the sequence of relay outputs OP4, OP5, OP6, and OP7 is sent. This should send the signal back to the originating device that it was looking for - allowing the device to resume as was intended. Therefore, if your system ever stops for this reason, the longest period you will be subject to dead-air would be one hour (dependent upon when Auto Break Correction takes Place). For a complete discussion regarding Automatic Break Correction, please see the section covering this later in this section.
FNOTE: Relay control closures occur upon initial entry to the Satellite Playback Mode, and each hour only if Automatic Break Correction is turned on.
MWARNING!: If relay outputs OP4 , OP5, OP6, and OP7 are used for special purposes, such as turning devices on and off at specific times, it will not be possible to take advantage of the Relay Control Output Option UNLESS you timer disable the device that will be getting the control closure at the break correction time each hour.
This option may be turned on and off by entering Set Relay Card Operations (Satellite). You may find this screen by pressing ) from the Satellite Control Options Menu, and then pressing #. From the Set Relay Card screen, arrow down to option 9 and toggle ON/OFF.
FNOTE: Your computer has a limited capacity to store data. If you have a great many template entries, and a large number of liners recorded, or do not have enough conventional memory free, you may run out of data storage (string) space before all data can be loaded into the computer memory. If this happens, you will be prompted and told to free up more memory or erase liners until the template can load. This message is most likely to appear if you do not have at least 550,000 bytes of free conventional memory in the system, or have recorded over 300 liners in the system. If you have 500 Kilobytes or less free, and the template contains over 700 entries, you will not be able to have more than 100 liners recorded into The Auto-Mate. The less conventional memory that is free, the faster the system will run out of space to store the liner file data and template data. Please free as much conventional memory as possible in your computer. For a complete discussion, see Appendix C, which covers maximizing system storage capacity.
The Simple-Sat Satellite Playback Mode
In the Playback Mode screen, there are three main areas to which you should draw your attention.
ãUpcoming Events Box. - You will see the next 16 upcoming events in the large box occupying the right-hand section of the screen. The next event to play is shown at the bottom of the box. The next event is just above it, and so on.
* Settings Display - In the lower left-hand corner of the screen, these current settings will be displayed:
AGC = ON/OFF (if mic. is source)
Source = LINE/MIC/RELAY
INPUT LEVEL = 0-250
Verification Log = ON/OFF
Anncr = (A-Z, ?) (current satellite announcer)
Pay careful attention to these settings. Look here first if your playback results are not as desired.
If you are not getting any satellite audio through the sound card, and this is desired, check the source setting. If the source is set to line, but the satellite audio is actually connected to the microphone input, there will be no audio heard through the sound card output. If the source is set to RELAY, but you wish to control audio through the sound card, audio muting and quieting through the sound card will not work, or will be unpredictable. Conversely, if audio muting through the relay card is desired, but is set to LINE or MIC, the relay card will not mute audio.
Also, take note of the input level. If the input level is set too low, no satellite audio may be heard coming out of the card.
We will discuss the verification logging later. Simply put, if verification logging is ON, the times that all spots played will be recorded on the hard drive for later retrieval. If the verification logging is OFF, there will be no record of when the material played.
All of these settings are controlled inside of $ Audio Source/Audio Card Settings - available from the Satellite Control Options menu. Each of these audio card settings will be discussed in the next section.
ãFinally, the left-hand portion of the screen displays the various options that are available in the Satellite Playback Mode. The following Paragraphs will examine these options one-by-one.
Satellite Playback Options
P Pause Play: Pauses the playback of a currently playing audio file until the user presses C to continue. This option will NOT stop the system from seeing relay closures for liners.
C/e Continue Play: Continues paused playback.
u End Current, Begin Next Up: While an audio file is playing during break playback, press u to abort the currently playing spot and go to the next in the line-up. You cannot use this option to advance through upcoming breaks, as the only way to change the upcoming break is with the Change Upcoming Break - t option.
t Change Upcoming Break: If you find you have entered the Simple-Sat Playback Mode on the wrong upcoming break (as noted next to the message: TO PLAY NEXT ->) just hit t. You will be able to arrow up and down through the entire template contents. When you find the event you wish to make your upcoming break, press e - then hit t again. You will return to playback mode with the proper upcoming break.
D Change Day: Allows you to select a new daily MON-SUN template to load and play. Keep in mind, the computer doesn't know what day it is. You choose the day when you commence playback. When the template has passed its last event, the next day will be loaded if you are running a daily template. The Auto-Mate will load Tuesday, for example, even if your Monday file ends for some reason at one in the afternoon.
E EXIT: When you wish to leave the Satellite Playback Mode, press E. You may exit at any time, even when a break is in the midst of playback. Therefore, you should be careful not to press E unless you really wish to leave the playback screen. Upon exiting the playback mode, you will be returned to the main menu of The Auto-Mate.
} More Options/Settings: By pressing the space bar, you will see there are a variety of other options available. There are a total of four option/display screens. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE DISPLAYING A PARTICULAR OPTION WINDOW TO ACTUALLY USE THAT OPTION. ALL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN SATELLITE PLAYBACK MODE.
Manual Overrides:
It is possible to accomplish any relay based function manually. This is handy should the operator need to take manual control of Satellite Control Mode.
c+!: Liner - Causes a liner to play from Satellite Playback Mode.
c+@: Legal - Causes a Legal I.D. to play from Satellite Playback Mode.
c+#: Magic - Causes a Magic Call to play from Satellite Playback Mode.
c+$: OP4 - Causes relay closure on output relay four (if unit equipped with relay card).
c+%: OP5 - Causes relay closure on output relay five (if unit equipped with relay card).
c+^: OP6 - Causes relay closure on output relay six (if unit equipped with relay card).
c+&: OP7 - Causes relay closure on output relay seven (if unit equipped with relay card).
c+*: Audio Source (Relay) - For users muting/switching audio via relay card. Using this key combination will switch the active audio source. The manually selected source will remain activated until * is pressed to resume timer control.
MWARNING!: Be careful when using the Audio Source switching option. Any timed events that are set-up for switching audio will not be activated while the source override is on. This feature should only be used to momentarily switch to the secondary source.
For more information on timed audio switching, see the upcoming section covering Audio Switching Schedules.
c+(: Break - Causes the next upcoming local break to begin playing.
Relay Settings:
The other displays in the settings windows - available by pressing } - regard the current system settings for the relay card functions. You will be able to see which relay input and output functions are turned on or off, the relay card base address, whether the system is set for dry or voltage based input sensing, and which relay card (PDISO/PCL) the system is configured to use.
Simple-Sat Playback
Breaks:
Every time the computer receives a relay closure for a break, the following will happen:
1 If the upcoming break contains material for playback, the first
event will begin playing immediately. The satellite audio
will be muted. This message will flash at the bottom of
the screen:
BREAK PLAYBACK IN PROGRESS
[h] If relay output is enabled, a closure on OP4 will occur at the end of each break.
(regardless of whether source one or source two is active).
2 If the break is empty and is followed by another ***LOCAL-
BREAK***, this message will appear momentarily at the
bottom of the screen:
* RELAY #1 DETECTED *
The "To Play Next" event will advance by one after holding
momentarily.
3 If the event was the last of the day, and you are running
a daily template, the next daily template in sequence will
be loaded. If you are running a custom template, the
same template will re-load and run again until terminated.
FNOTE: Custom templates run in an endless loop in the playback mode. That it, when the custom template has finished its run, it will re-load and start again. This process occurs until the user exits to the main menu with E.
Liners:
FNOTE: For complete details of how to build an announcer schedule and the intricacies of this process, see the upcoming instructions in this section entitled Edit Announcer Schedules (.
FNOTE: The current announcer is calculated on the time and day of the week in the DOS clock in the computer. Therefore, if the DOS clock is set to Sunday, 11:51 PM, the announcer scheduled to be on at that time will be playing. This would be the case even if the Monday template has already loaded.
When a liner closure is detected, the following is displayed on the screen:
1 If there are liners recorded for the currently selected announcer,
one will be picked at random and played. This applies to
regular liners as well as Magic Call/Stinger liners that start
with the digits LM. The title of the liner will be displayed and
the following message will flash at the bottom of the screen:
LINER PLAYBACK IN PROGRESS
[h] If relay output is enabled, a closure on OP5 will occur at the end of a liner
(regardless of whether source one or source two is active).
[h] If relay output is enabled, a closure on OP6 will occur at the end of a magic call.
(regardless of whether source one or source two is active).
2 If there are no regular liners recorded for the scheduled
announcer, the following message will display momentarily:
* RELAY #2 DETECTED *
FNOTE: If the currently scheduled announcer has only ONE regular liner recorded, you may see the *RELAY #2 DETECTED* message appear and no liner will play after that single liner has been played. This is because the regular liner playback feature has a built-in memory that tells it not to play the same regular liner back-to-back. Therefore, if you only have one regular liner recorded, the system will not play another regular liner until it has played a magic call or a legal I.D.. It is highly advisable to record at least two regular liners for each announcer in your system.
If there are no Magic Call/Stinger Liners (those that start with LM)
recorded for the currently scheduled announcer,
you will see the following message displayed momentarily:
* RELAY #4 DETECTED *
FNOTE: There is a liner memory. That is, if the local material in your break runs longer than the network opening by five seconds or less, a liner will play immediately following the last event in the break, provided a liner relay was received somewhere within the five second window. This allows a liner to play even if your rejoin to the network isn't precisely timed.
Legal I.D.'s:
1 If there are legal I.D.'s recorded for the currently selected
announcer, one will be picked at random and played.
The title of the I.D. will be displayed and the following
message will flash at the bottom of the screen:
LEGAL I.D. PLAYBACK IN PROGRESS
Remember: Legal I.D.'s are simply liners that begin with
the characters LL. For more information, see the section
of this manual dealing with liner recording.
[h] If relay output is enabled, a closure on OP7 will occur at the end of a Legal I.D.
(regardless of whether source one or source two is active).
2 If there are no legal I.D.'s recorded for the currently selected
announcer, the following message will display momentarily:
* RELAY #3 DETECTED *
Automatic Break Correction
Once an hour, your system may be set to re-calculate itself so that the proper upcoming break will be set. For complete details on how to set the break correction, see the specific upcoming section dealing with this. However, it is important to note that the Automatic Break Correction time should be set so that no events (breaks, liners, legal I.D.'s) are missed while the system re-calculates itself (up to one-minute down-time).
Audio Switching Schedule [h] (Source ONE to Source TWO):
When a relay card is employed, your Auto-Mate Simple-Sat has the unique ability to switch between two sources of stereo audio. While a simple switcher may not seem so unique on it's own, your software has an additional ability which we will now discuss.
Many stations wish to switch to an alternative audio source at some point in the broadcast day. This alternative source may be a syndicated talk show or a top-of-the-hour newscast. While there are many audio switching devices on the market, there is the additional problem of sensing relay closures from the alternative source. The Auto-Mate overcomes this by allowing the user to wire additional relay inputs for the secondary source. When source TWO is active, the system checks for closures on a different set of relays than it does when source ONE is active. This allows the secondary network source to trigger breaks, liners, legal I.D's, and magic calls without any special interface equipment.
The chart on the following page shows which input relays will be actively sensing when each source is active.
Designated Relay Inputs for Source ONE and TWO
Function RelayGame Port Alternative*
Audio - Source # 1(Muting and Switching)Output Relay #0 (Left)Output Relay #1 (Right)(Through Line or Mic. input on SoundBlaster card...)
Audio - Source # 2(Muting and Switching)Output Relay #2 (Left)Output Relay #3 (Right)-NONE-
Break Activation (Source 1)Input Relay # 0 (IP0)Rel#1 - Common + Pin 2
Break Activation (Source 2)Input Relay # 4 (IP4)-NONE-
Liner Activation (Source 1)Input Relay # 1 (IP1)Rel#2 - Common + Pin 7
Liner Activation (Source 2)Input Relay # 5 (IP5)-NONE-
Legal Activation (Source 1)Input Relay # 2 (IP2)Rel#3 -Common + Pin 10
Legal Activation (Source 2)Input Relay # 6 (IP6)-NONE-
Magic Activation (Source 1)Input Relay # 3 (IP3)Rel#4 -Common + Pin 14
Magic Activation (Source 2)Input Relay #7 (IP7)-NONE-
For specific details about wiring to the relay card, see the section 'Relay Card Setup'.
Instructions about how to build an audio switching schedule will be covered later. Keep in mind that any audio switching (between source one and two) is accomplished from within Satellite Playback Mode - but is programmed from its own menu option in the Satellite Control Options menu.
FNOTE: When power to the computer is turned OFF, source one audio will still pass through the computer, while source two audio will not be able to be heard. This is due to the wiring scheme we use.
A Final Reminder : Be Accurate!
Remember, our software cannot correct for errors that are made in the programming of the template or improper commencement of template playback (i.e. running the Tuesday file on Monday). We offer some build-in tools (i.e. Automatic Break Correction) to help correct inaccuracies in break playback, but we cannot overcome improperly programmed templates or other inadequacies. Be diligent to accuracy, as the computer will perform no better than the people operating it!
RESUME ?????.??? #:
If Satellite Playback Mode is exited with the E, or if the power is lost to the computer - this option will bring back the last played template at the point in which playback was interrupted. The Automatic Break Correction will not activate when you take advantage of the resume template option.
AUDIO SOURCE/AUDIO CARD SETTINGS $:
Set Main Satellite Audio Source !
Pressing ! from the Audio Source/Audio Card Settings menu will toggle the selected source of audio. The RELAY CARD or the AUDIO CARD may be selected as the source. The audio source is the setting that the computer will use to determine how the audio should be muted during satellite playback. If the audio card will be used for muting, the following option, Audio Card Settings, will also need to be accessed.
Audio Card Settings @
You will need to work within this option if you plan to mute satellite audio by looping it through the sound card. If you are muting satellite audio another way (such as the relay card), these settings are of little relevance.
MWARNING!: The audio levels and source audio will actually change immediately as you make adjustments in this utility. This is designed so the user can check for best settings without exiting and entering the satellite control mode for testing. However, the user should be cautious if satellite audio is being run through the sound card at the time this utility is being run, as the on-air audio may be inadvertently turned off or turned down.
MWARNING!: Those who do not run satellite audio through the sound card for muting purposes should make sure the Audio Input Level within this utility is set to 0 (zero). Otherwise, audio that may come into the sound card will loop out over-the-air while in Satellite Playback Mode.
You may choose either the mic or line input to loop the satellite audio through and then set the audio input level. During liner playback you may specify a different satellite volume input level that is softer than the full output. Also, the volume transition rate may be adjusted between the liner playback level and the full audio input level. This gives a smoother transition to full volume once the liner has ended.
Here are the different setting possibilities within the audio card setting utility. We will cover details of each setting:
Audio Source -S LINE/MIC
Select the input source for the satellite network audio. The line input can pass audio through the card in stereo, while the microphone input passes the audio in mono. Make sure you connect the satellite audio to the appropriate mini-plug jack on the sound card.
Auto Gain Control [MIC] -S ON/OFF
The SoundBlasterF has a build in Auto Gain Control for the microphone input which attempts to even out the audio level to a steady volume. Generally, this option should be turned off for purest audio quality. However, some may find the effect interesting and wish to employ it.
Audio Input Level (0-250) -S 0-250
Turn this level up to an appropriate level for the input level of the satellite audio. A common range is between 190 and 230.
MWARNING!: This warning pertains to those using the line input for satellite audio. If you continue to loop satellite audio through the sound card after leaving the Satellite Playback Mode, remember that the line input level will change to the level set in the Utilities ( from the main menu, then Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK) !. This change will occur upon returning to the main menu. Make sure your input levels are set the same in both screens to avoid drastic changes in the satellite audio level upon return to the main menu.
FNOTE: This note is for those using the microphone input for the satellite audio. This utility is the only location in The Auto-Mate software that controls microphone ON/OFF and the input level. After exiting the Satellite Playback Mode, you must return here to turn off the mic input - if desired.
FNOTE: If the satellite audio is too soft or loud, you may increase the gain by entering the utilities ( from the main menu, and then choosing the set default playback audio levels !. Set the OUTPUT gain (1-4) to change the audio level. Note that changing the input gain will have no effect on the audio volume coming through the sound card.
Audio Input Level
During Liner Play (0-250) -S 0-250
During development, we received complaints from radio station operators who said their satellite network does not reduce its volume level at times when liners are to play over the programming. The effect is that the liner is buried in the music. This feature allows the satellite volume level to automatically drop into the background while a liner plays. The level is selectable by the user.
To make this option inactive, simply set the input levels the same for both the Audio Input Level, and the Audio Input Level During Liner Play. Doing this, no volume difference will be noticed.
FNOTE: If the satellite audio is being run through the sound card, this feature may be utilized. If not, this feature is inactive.
Transition Volume Rate
After Liner Play -S 50-99000
If the Audio Input During Liner Play feature is utilized, there may be a great difference between the satellite audio output during liner play and the full satellite volume output. To avoid an abrupt increase in satellite audio at the conclusion of the liner, this option allows the audio to gradually fade-up to full output. The higher the number, the longer it will take for the volume to reach full output. A setting of 50 causes the volume to rise to full output immediately. There is no direct correlation between the setting number and time, as the fade-up rate will vary based on the speed of your computer. For instance, a 386 25mHz computer will fade up much more slowly at the same number setting than a 586 133mHz computer.
FNOTE: If the satellite audio is being run through the sound card, this feature may be utilized. If not, this feature is inactive. Also, if the Audio Input During Liner Play is the same as the overall Audio Input Level, this setting will have no impact.
Verification Logs
Some users will want to know the exact time each spot ran inside of the Satellite Playback Mode. This is especially useful for co-op or agency type advertising. Verification Logging can be very useful, but does require regular maintenance of the log files. Please read the following sections carefully in order to determine the correct procedures for dealing with verification logs.
FNOTE: Only daily template files will generate a verification log. Custom templates cannot generate a verification log.
When verification logging is turned on, the exact time each spot ran, along with the date, title, and account name, will be placed in a file on the hard drive. The verification logs are built according to the current computer (DOS Clock) date. For example, if the computer date is set to the day of MONDAY, and although you may be running the TUESDAY file - the file written to will be that for MONDAY.
There are seven .LOG files (Monday through Sunday). These files will continue to grow each week - adding new data to the old. You must delete the file, or a range of it, from time-to-time to keep the verification file from growing to an unmanageable level.
All verification log entries that are generated from the Satellite Playback Mode will be noted in the view and print-out modes with an S. This allows the user to differentiate verification log entries that are generated to the Pick-List Playback Mode P, or the Random Playback Mode R...
MWARNING!: It is imperative that the verification log files be managed. The most log data that should be stored is one month's worth. A good practice is to delete the verification logs on a regular basis - once a month being the longest period between deletions. Never let the file continue to grow indefinitely. Eventually, the file will become too large for the computer to process, not to mention, huge verification log files is a waste of hard drive space.
View/Print Verification Logs %
There are a variety of options available under View/Print Verification Logs:
! View Verification Log
@ Print Verification Log
# Copy Logs To Floppy
$ Restore Logs From Floppy
% Erase Log Contents
^ Erase a Range of Log
& <Reserved>
* Return to Main Menu
u Return to Previous Menu
Each option contains a number of sub-options. We will take some time in explaining each option.
View Verification Log !
Select the log you wish to view. To view all of the logs combined, select *. When viewing combined logs, the entries will be sorted by account name and displayed. When viewing logs one-day-at-time, these sorting options are available:
! View in Order of Play: Displays entries exactly as played in time order.
@ Sort by I.D.: Displays all log entries for the day, but places all like I.D.'s together in the list.
# Sort by Account Name: Displays all log entries for the day, but places all like account names together in the list.
$ Return to Main Menu
Print Verification Log @
The procedure for printing the verification log is the same as for viewing it. See the instructions for viewing the verification log if clarification is needed.
Make sure your printer is connected to LPT1, has paper, and is on-line. If you have trouble getting a printer to work with The Auto-Mate contact your local computer expert for assistance. In some rare cases, an internal switch in the computer may have to be adjusted to enable the printer port. In general, if the printer will print the contents of the screen using the Print Screen key, it will print your verification log.
Copy Logs to Floppy #
Some will wish to retain a permanent record of the verification logs on floppy. To do this, make sure you have placed a floppy in the drive before proceeding.
MWARNING!: If the floppy contains an existing verification log of the same name chosen for copying, the log on the floppy will be erased and replaced.
To choose an individual verification log to copy enter, 1 - 7 from the menu To copy all of the logs, choose option 8 ALL. The logs will be copied individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU.LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG. All of these individual logs will be copied to floppy when the ALL option is selected.
Restore Logs From Floppy $
If you ever have reason to restore old verification log data to the hard drive from a floppy, you may accomplish the task with this utility. MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE the current verification log targeted for replacement on the hard drive isn't needed any longer - as it will be erased and replaced with the log from the floppy disk.
MWARNING!: If the hard drive contains an existing verification log of the same name chosen for restoration, the existing log on the hard drive will be erased and replaced.
To choose an individual verification log to restore enter, 1 - 7 from the menu To restore all of the logs from the floppy, choose option 8 ALL. The logs will be restored individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU .LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG. All of these logs will be restored when the ALL option is selected.
Erase Log Contents %
MWARNING!: This option will clear the entire verification log file that is selected for erasure. If only a portion of an individual log is to be erased, choose option ^ to erase a range of the log.
To choose a verification log to erase, enter, 1 - 7 from the menu. The logs will be erased individually as MON.LOG, TUE.LOG. WED.LOG, THU.LOG, FRI.LOG, SAT.LOG, or SUN.LOG.
The selection of a log to be erased must be confirmed with Y or N before the actual erasing process takes place.
Erase a Range of Log ^
To remove a range of entries in the verification log, or delete a specific entry, choose this option with ^, then select the day to work with 1-7.
You will view the entries on the screen, pressing ! when you have found an entry or range of entries to remove. The verification log file is displayed on-screen in time-order (from earliest play to latest play). To quit viewing the list, simply press u.
Upon pressing ! a box will appear asking for the LOWEST event to erase, and then the HIGHEST event to erase. To cancel the operation, type Q, then press e.
FNOTE: To delete only one entry, enter the same number - the file number of the event you wish to remove - in both the LOWEST and the HIGHEST prompts.
Return to Main Menu *
Pressing * returns you to the Satellite Control Option Menu.
Return to Previous Menu u
Pressing u returns you to the main menu of The Auto-Mate.
Verification Logging ON/OFF ^
This is a toggle to turn on and off the verification logging. The current status is displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Take special care to notice if the verification logging is on or off each time you enter the Satellite Control Option Menu. The ON/OFF status of verification logging is also displayed inside of the playback mode.
Automatic Correction Settings &
Automatic Time Correction !
MWARNING!: Use this option only if the Legal I.D. relay closure is received at exactly the same time once each hour. Otherwise, the clock may become more inaccurate.
The computer clock can lose several seconds in accuracy each day. Thus, your verification logging times would not be exact. The Automatic Time Correction is a way to update the DOS clock automatically every hour. To utilize the feature, follow the screen directions, using the yzwx keys to move around. Press ! when finished, and answer Y or N to confirm the decision. If the Automatic Break Correction is turned ON, set the minutes and seconds to the exact time that the satellite network will be sending the Legal I.D. closure. Here is the setting to be made if your satellite network sends the Legal I.D. closure at 59:55 past the hour:
Automatic Time Correction S ON
Minutes S 59
Seconds S 55
Automatic Break Correction @
MWARNING!: Make sure the time that is selected for this option is at a time when no break, liner, or legal I.D. input closures are anticipated from the satellite network or audio source. The Auto-Mate cannot sense and play these files when it is re-calculating the upcoming break. The entire process can take up to one minute. Also, this feature will not activate if audio playback is in progress at the time the Automatic Break Correction is called for.
From time-to-time, your satellite template may end up on the wrong upcoming break. This may occur if the satellite network has a technical problem, or if a template has been improperly programmed (i.e. a break has been omitted, or too many breaks programmed). When the Automatic Break Correction is turned ON, this feature re-runs the Satellite Playback Mode once per hour and re-calculates the upcoming break.
When the break is re-calculated, the system attempts to pick a break that is as close to the actual time of day (based on your DOS clock) as possible. If it cannot, a warning message will momentarily appear and the upcoming break will be the first one in the template file. Otherwise, the upcoming break should be close to the current time.
To utilize the feature, follow the screen directions, using the yzwx keys to move around. Press ! when finished, and answer Y or N to confirm the decision. If the Automatic Break Correction is turned ON, set the minutes and seconds to the exact time that you wish the Satellite Playback Mode to be re-run. Here is the setting to be made if you would like the correction to occur at 09:30 past each hour.
Automatic Break Correction S ON
Minutes S 09
Seconds S 30
Set Current Time/Date *
With this option, the current system time and/or date may be changed. To return to the Satellite Control Options from this menu, press u.
Set Time !
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system clock. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current time is: 6:56:09a
Enter new time: _
Enter the time using colons in this format: HH:MM:SSA/P, then press e.
If your system should ever hang when choosing this function, press c + [Break] (both keys at the same time), exit to DOS, then start The Auto-Mate again by typing MAINMENU e. Try again. If the problem persists, re-boot the system and try again.
Set DATE @
This option calls the DOS function to allow you to set the system date. It is displayed as the following in the upper left-hand corner:
Current date is Wed 05-17-1995
Enter new date (mm-dd-yy): _
Edit Announcer Schedules (
This feature allows you to match liner playback to the satellite announcer on-shift. To take advantage of this feature, you simply record all liners with special single-digit announcer codes (A-Z) for each satellite announcer. This single-digit will be placed in the data entry field for Announcer in the liner record screen. For more information see the section: Recording with The Auto-Mate.
To edit the announcer schedule, simply enter the day of the week you wish to work with. The current list of announcers scheduled and their on and off times will be listed. To edit an entry, simply enter the corresponding number of the announcer schedule you wish to edit and press e. If you wish to make a new entry, enter the number following the current entry.
To alter an existing entry or to make a new one, just enter the proper announcer code, then press t or s+t to go and enter the time the announcer starts (on-time) and the time the announcer is finished (off-time). This must be entered in 24 hour format (00:00:00-23:59:59).
To add the altered or new entry to the list, press e. The new entry will not be accepted if the times are not filled out completely, or if the on-time is higher than the off-time, or the off-time is lower than the on-time.
When in satellite playback, the announcer schedule will be loaded and adhered to based on your DOS clocks date and time. It is important to note that the announcer schedule for each day is scanned constantly in a top-down fashion. Therefore, the computer will play the announcer that it first encounters in the list that meets the current conditions. For example, if an announcer schedule looks like this:
# Ancr On-Time Off-Time
1. A 00:00:00 04:00:00
2. B03:00:00 04:00:00
Announcer A's liners will continue to play until 4 AM. To summarize, when times overlap, the first announcer in the list that meets that time range will emerge the winner.
Let's take a look at another scenario:
# Ancr On-Time Off-Time
1. A 00:00:00 04:00:00
2. B05:00:00 08:00:00
Note that we have a gap of an hour from 04:00:00 to 05:00:00. In this case, the only liners that will play will be those with a blank in the announcer field. The display within the Satellite Playback Mode will show Anncr = ?.
FNOTE: It is always a good idea to record a number of liners, magic calls, and legal I.D.'s with a blank in the Announcer Field. This way, liners will continue playing even if there has been an inadvertent gap left in the announcer schedule.
If you do not wish to use different announcer voices with your system, but wish all liners to rotate randomly, you have two options:
1. Leave all announcer schedules empty and record all
liners with a BLANK in the Announcer entry field.
During liner playback in the Satellite Control Mode, a
question mark will appear in the box that shows the
currently scheduled announcer - and only liners, magic
calls, and legal I.D.'s with a blank in the Announcer
field will play.
2. Record all liners with a specific announcer code (A-Z)
and enter the announcer schedule for all days with
that particular code and an on-time of 00:00:00 and an
off time of 23:59:59.
Audio Switching Schedules/Set Relay Card Operations [h] (
Edit Internal Switching Schedule !
When using a relay card for audio muting, the option exists to add a second audio source. This secondary audio source may be switched on and off on a timed basis. The on and off times for the audio source will be set from this screen.
Upon entry to the 'Internal Source Switching' menu, you will have the choice of which day to work with MON - SUN, 1 - 7, Help 8, or [EXIT] back to the previous menu - 9.
After selecting a day to work with, a window will appear showing any current entries. Entries may then be added or deleted. A typical screen may have entries like this:
The Auto-Mate SIMPLE-SAT SWITCHING SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY 11:55:30 PM
Current Schedule
Which number do you wish to edit? ## ON-Time OFF-Time ## ON-Time OFF-Time
1 00:00:00 00:06:00
2 01:00:00 01:06:00
3 02:00:00 02:06:00
4 03:00:00 03:06:00
Let's take a look at what these sample entries will do in Satellite Playback Mode:
1 In Satellite Playback Mode, let's assume the time is
now 00:00:00 Monday - (Midnight).
2. The selected audio source will switch from Source ONE
to Source TWO. Source two input relay sensing will
become active - and source one inactive.
3 At 00:06:00, Monday, the audio source reverts back to
Source ONE. Relay input sensing for source one becomes
active again - source two inactive.
This scenario repeats itself when each switch-time is encountered in the list.
Keep the following in mind:
- Switch times are based on the DOS clock in the computer.
Therefore, it is imperative to keep the system time set very
accurately. This may be accomplished by using Automatic
Time Correction, by using an accurate system time card, or
by dialing by modem into the Atomic Clock (WWV).
- Schedules are based on day of the week. The
schedule gets its cue from the DOS system date.
The schedule for the current DOS day will be
run regardless of which daily template you are
running.
Making Entries:
To make entries, select an appropriate number. If there are no entries currently in the list, choose 1. You will be prompted to enter the ON-Time and the OFF-Time. Obviously, the off-time must be later than the on-time. All entries must be made in 24-hour (military) time.
To toggle between the ON and OFF times, press t. When an acceptable entry has been inputted, press e to place the entry in the list. If you decide not to make an entry, press u to abort the process for that particular entry.
MWARNING!: Make sure no entries overlap in time. This can lead to unpredictable results.
MWARNING!: IF SOURCE TWO TIME SWITCH RUNS INTO THE FOLLOWING DAY: When If a time switch will continue into a following day, make sure you end the switch by 23:59:59 on the current day and continue the switch event at 00:00:00 on the schedule for the following day. Failure to follow these instructions may led to improper switching.
You may make a maximum of 32 entries to the switching schedule for each day.
To save changes to the list, press ! and answer Y at the prompt.
When no entry is selected for editing, and it is decided to quit without saving any changes, press the u key and answer Y.
For complete details on wiring audio sources to the relay card, please refer to the section 'Relay Card Setup'.
Edit Output Closure Schedule [h] @
Your Auto-Mate software has the ability to send relay output closures at specific times. These closures may be used to start and stop miscellaneous automation gear, including network switchers. The closures may be used to send a start signal to any device that accepts relay inputs - possibilities include transmitter control, alarm systems, timers, etc.
MWARNING!: It is important to make sure that any device connected to the relay outputs of your relay card cannot send back dangerous voltage levels or voltage spikes. Check with a qualified engineer to be sure of your application.
For the closures to be sent, you must be on-line from within the Satellite Playback Mode. All playback times will be based on the DOS clock in the computer. That is, when the current time and day of the week that has been chosen for a closure output is encountered in the DOS clock, the closure will occur. You have the option of sending closures on OP2, OP3, OP4, OP5, OP6, or OP7 (OP0 and OP1 are always used for audio muting).
MWARNING!: Don't use any relay outputs for timed closures that are used by the Satellite Playback Mode for other purposes, such as audio switching or end-of-event signaling. If you are using any of the following output relay closures for these purposes, it would be advisable to avoid using them for timed output closures.
Output Relay Functions (Simple-Sat Playback Mode):
Output Relay #2 (OP2)Audio (Source 2 LEFT) Switching and Muting
Output Relay #3 (OP3)Audio (Source 2 RIGHT) Switching and Muting
Output Relay #4 (OP4)End of Event Send - Break
Output Relay #5 (OP5)End of Event Send - Liner
Output Relay #6 (OP6)End of Event Send - Legal
Output Relay #7 (OP7)End of Event Send - Magic
To set-up an output schedule for relay closures, follow these procedures:
After pressing @ to enter the Edit Output Closure Schedule screen, a menu will appear prompting the user to enter the day to work with MON-SUN. Enter the appropriate number and then press e. To exit without making a selection, press 9 and then e.
Once in the edit screen, the existing entries (if any) will appear in the box in the right-hand portion of the screen. To edit an existing entry, type the number of the desired entry and press e. To make a new entry, enter the number of the first empty entry and press e.
Once a number has been selected for editing, enter the Relay ON-Time in 24-hour (Military) format 00:00:00 - 23:59:59. To select the desired relay for closure, press t and then use w or x to cycle through the choices of relay outputs. When the data has been entered, press e to accept the change. If at any time it is desired to abort the change and keep the existing entry for a number, simply press u.
If an entry is no longer needed, press (, enter the number of the entry to delete, and then press e.
When the list has been altered to your satisfaction, press ! and answer Y at the prompt to save the updated list on the hard drive.
If you wish to quit without saving any changes in the list, press u until you see the message Quit Without Saving Changes (Y/N)? Then press Y and e.
A total of 15 entries may be made for each day of the week.
Set Relay Card Operations [h] #
If you are going to be using Simple-Sat in conjunction with a relay card and perhaps an external automation source, you must set-up your system to send and receive the appropriate relay closures.
Each option will be discussed individually:
MWARNING! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A RELAY CARD IN YOUR COMPUTER, ALL SETTINGS SHOULD BE PLACED TO OFF. Trying to make the computer perform functions on a non-existent peripheral device is a good practice to avoid.
1. Output Closure After Satellite Break : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP4 when the last spot has played in each satellite break. This option may be turned ON to re-start another piece of automation equipment (such as Pick-List or Random Playback Mode in another computer unit) after each local break has ended. Turing this option OFF will cause no closure to occur after each break.
2. Output Closure After Satellite Liner : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP5 after each satellite liner plays. Turning this option OFF causes no relay closure to occur after this event.
3. Output Closure After Satellite Legal I.D. : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP6 after each Legal I.D. plays from within Satellite Playback Mode. Turning this option OFF causes no relay closure to occur after this event.
4. Output Closure After Satellite Magic Call : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to cause a relay closure on OP7 after each magic call plays from within Satellite Playback Mode. Turning this option OFF causes no relay closure to occur after this event.
MWARNING! [Avoid dead-air!] If any piece of equipment will be waiting for a return closure after sending a closure, make sure the Simple-Sat unit is set to send return closures after it has completed the desired playback.
5. Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Break : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to use the relay card for detection of break input sensing. When turned ON, relay input zero (IP0) will be active when audio source one is active, and IP4 will be actively sensing when source two is active. When the option is turned OFF, input sensing for breaks will be via the PC game port.
6. Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Liner : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to use the relay card for detection of liner input sensing. When turned ON, relay IP1 will be active when audio source one is active, and IP5 will be actively sensing when source two is active. When the option is turned OFF, input sensing for liners will be via the PC game port.
7. Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Legal I.D. : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to use the relay card for detection of legal I.D. input sensing. When turned ON, relay IP2 will be active when audio source one is active, and IP6 will be actively sensing when source two is active. When the option is turned OFF, input sensing for legal I.D's will be via the PC game port.
8. Input Closure to Trigger Satellite Magic Call : ON/OFF Turn this option ON to use the relay card for detection of magic call input sensing. When turned ON, relay IP3 will be active when audio source one is active, and IP7 will be actively sensing when source two is active. When the option is turned OFF, input sensing for magic calls will be via the PC game port.
9. Control Relay Output Activation upon Re-Entry : ON/OFF Upon entering the Satellite Playback Mode, it is possible to have output relays OP4, OP5, OP6, and OP7 trigger momentarily in sequence. The purpose of this feature is to trigger any external piece of automation equipment that may be 'stuck' and need re-started. For example, if the Pick-List Playback Mode contained in another computer is waiting for re-start on IP0, and it needs a signal from OP7 in the Simple-Sat unit - this closure will allow the Pick-List unit to begin operating again. The main functionality of this feature is to assure re-start of a remote unit if the Simple-Sat did not get a signal to perform an event while it was loading-up events for the new day, or while it was doing the automatic break correction routine (the Simple-Sat cannot detect for events during these times).
Each of the above options may be selected and toggled by pressing yzxw. Press ! and answer Y e to save changes to these options.
Automatic Recovery After Power Failure
If you do not have an uninterruptable power supply, or the power goes out for an extended period of time, there is a way for your Simple-Sat to resume on-air control without operator intervention when the power comes back on. To take advantage of this capability, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file will have to be altered so that the satellite control files are loaded. This command must be placed before any other command that loads another program, such as MAINMENU.
Setting the AUTOEXEC.BAT to load the following modules means that each time the computer is booted, the Simple-Sat playback mode will be always be the first item to appear on the screen. To return to the main menu, the user will have to press E.
Option A: Starting where it Left off
To have the Simple-Sat resume exactly where it left off when the power went off, add this line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT:
PLAYSAT
No matter how much time has elapsed since the power loss, The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat will load the upcoming break at exactly the point when the power loss occurred.
Option B: Automatically Calculating the Next Break
To have the Simple-Sat calculate the next upcoming break based on the time of day, add this line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT (instead of PLAYSAT):
BREAKFIG
The Auto-Mate Simple-Sat will attempt to figure out what the next upcoming break is based on the DOS clock. You may find the computer miscalculates the correct upcoming break by one or two, but it should be in the ball park. Remember that if the computer cannot find a match, it will default to the first break in the file.
MWARNING!: When using this feature, it should be noted that (when using a daily template) the same day will be loaded when the power resumes as when the power was lost. Thus, if the power is lost at 11:00 PM on Monday and comes back on at 03:00AM on Tuesday, the computer will re-load to the correct upcoming break, but the template file will still be Monday. This highlights the importance of an operator checking the unit occasionally.
[Back to Top]
VIIII. System Configuration
Setting up Your System(s)
You have various options in configuring your system for usage. One computer may be used in stand-alone mode, two computers may be connected via relay cards and pass control back-and-forth, or one computer with relay card may be interfaced to another automation system that accepts relay inputs. This section shows some general configuration possibilities. For more specific details about wiring the computer and using The Auto-Mate software itself, please refer to the appropriate sections in this manual.
Stand-Alone (Internal) Systems
It is possible to utilize all major features of The Auto-Mate - cart replacement, Pick-List, Random, or Satellite Playback modes - using just a single computer. It is not even necessary to place a relay card into service.
Dual Control Systems
Your use of The Auto-Mate may be accentuated by using two computers, each of which must contain a relay card in order to send and receive control signals from the other computer.
Interfacing to Other Automation Systems
Using a single computer containing The Auto-Mate software and a relay card, it may be possible to connect to an existing automation system. These existing automation systems may include insta-carts, reel-to-reel decks, CD players, or other older automation systems containing a 'brain'. Care should be taken when interfacing to outside sources, in that any voltages entering the relay card for sensing purposes should not exceed limits set by the relay card manufacturer.
We will now show you some potential system configurations for your system. For more explicit details regarding wiring of the relay card as well as setting-up the system for use, please refer to each pertinent section of the manual. This section is designed as an overview only, showing some of the potential uses of the software.
Stand-Alone (Internal) Configuration:
:
Applications:
- Random Playback Mode
- Pick-List Playback Mode
- On-Air Assist
- Satellite Playback Mode (with game port input sensing)
To use any feature in stand-alone mode, there is no need for a relay card. A game port is needed for input relay sensing in Satellite Playback Mode.
It is possible to use the Random Playback Mode, Pick-List Playback Mode, and Satellite Playback Modes without having a PDISO-8 or a PCL-725 relay card inside the computer. The concept to remember with stand-alone is that a single computer runs independently and it is not possible to pass control to another device. While running in stand-alone reduces the flexibility of your system, it is, - in fact - easier to set-up and operate than a two-computer dual control system. Of course, there is no need to install and wire-up a relay card when running in stand-alone mode.
Procedures:
MWARNING! The most important facet of running in Stand-Alone mode is the requirement that you Turn OFF any software controls relating to the relay card. When all relay card functions are turned off, the software then has the ability to handle all functions internally. The procedure for doing this is to go to ( Utilities from the Main Menu, and then enter the Relay Card Control Panel by pressing ( once again. Go into each appropriate relay control screen and set every option to OFF. Make sure you save the file by pressing ! and answering Y.
Features and Rules:
Pick-List Playback Mode: The ability to use Pick-List Playback Mode in Stand-Alone Mode exists. The only rule in effect is that you must not pick any event that causes an output closure. Unacceptable pick-list entries for stand-alone mode include >Pause<, >I.D.<, >Liner<, and >Magic< as these entries will attempt to send an output closure when encountered in the list. The system may stop and wait for a return closure, which it will never receive. All events chosen if you are using stand-alone mode must be events that are actual audio file in your system.
Random Playback Mode: The ability to use Random Playback Mode in Stand-Alone exists. Simply remember these rules:
1. You cannot take advantage of the timed break playback feature. The timed break playback feature causes relay closures at approximate times as set-up in # Edit Stop-Set Break Times from the Random Playback Mode menu. These closures are used to initiate playback in another computer containing Auto-Mate software.
MWARNING! Make sure there are no entries in the Stop-Set Break Time Listing. If Random Playback Mode has been used previously in a dual control configuration, there may be break times listed in the Stop-Set Break Time files - # from the Random Playback Mode menu. Make sure there are no entries in each of the lists by looking inside the Monday-Friday, Saturday, and Sunday files. If there are, the list may be purged by utilizing the ) option and answering the prompts.
2. You may not set-up the system to send closures for Liners, Legal I.D's, or Magic Calls. All material must all be played internally from Random Playback Mode. To ensure that all material plays internally, follow these procedures:
1 Set all Random Relay Card Settings to OFF.
This may be accomplished by selecting %
Set Relay Card Operations from the
Random Playback Mode menu. Simply
set ALL options to OFF, then press ! and
Y to save the file.
2From the Random Playback Mode Menu,
choose $ Set Random Playback Defaults.
In this screen, make sure all settings for playback
are as desired.
3You may take commercial breaks internally on a
rotation schedule by using the internal break option.
Entries to the Spot/PSA Rotation File are made by
entering @ from the Random Playback Mode menu.
To enable internal breaks, make sure the appropriate
choice is made from within $ Set Random
Playback Defaults.
FNOTE: Magic Calls are not distinguished from regular liners when using internal (Stand-Alone) playback from Random Playback Mode. When a liner plays internally from Random Playback Mode, it may be a regular liner or a magic call. It is not possible to distinguish a rotation of magic calls and regular liners in stand-alone as it is when utilizing output relay closures for these functions.
Dual Control Configuration [h]:
::
Applications:
- Random Playback Modeh Satellite Playback Mode
- Pick-List Playback Modeh Satellite Playback Mode
The Auto-Mate software was uniquely designed to allow the user to interface two computers, each containing Auto-Mate software and a relay card. When the relay cards are wired in an appropriate fashion, it is possible to hand-off control between computers. Let us clarify with an example:
In Random Playback Mode it is possible to build lists of commercial break times. When the computer encounters these times, it can send a relay closure at the next available opportunity, stopping playback until it receives the appropriate input (or 'return') closure. The break output pair of wires from the computer containing the Random Playback Mode may be wired to the break input side of the computer containing the Satellite Playback Mode. When Satellite Playback Mode gets the relay input, it begins playing the next commercial break in its list. When the commercial break has completed playing from Satellite Playback Mode, a closure is sent via the output side of the relay card which is received by the input side of the computer housing Random Playback Mode. This input closure causes random playback to resume.
Essentially, Pick-List Playback Mode and Random Playback Mode takes the place of a Satellite Network. Instead of getting input closures from a satellite receiver or tone decoder, Satellite Playback Mode gets its closures from the relay card in the computer containing Random Playback Mode or Pick-List Playback Mode.
Procedures:
MWARNING! When using Random Playback Mode or Pick-List Playback Mode in conjunction with Satellite Playback Mode, make sure that Satellite Playback Mode is set to send return closures to re-start the appropriate playback mode. For complete details about how to set the output and input trigger relays, see the manual section covering the mode you are configuring.
MWARNING! As a fail-safe feature, it is an excellent idea to set-up the relay overrides. This option causes the Pick-List or Random playback to re-start if a return closure from the Satellite playback unit is not received in the time-frame that you specify. This option is available from the 'Relay Card Control Panel'. For complete details, see section six (page 6-8) covering Pick-List/Random Relay Overrides.
Features and Rules:
There are two ways to configure the Random or Pick-List Playback. You can combine these methods.
1 Suspend playback at relay closure output
(break, liner, legal I.D., magic call) and wait
for a return closure from Satellite Playback
Mode before resuming playback.
2Send an output closure, but immediately
resume playback without waiting for a
return closure (This is generally used
for liners and magic calls - as the music
from Pick-List or Random can fade-up
underneath the liner or magic call
playing from Satellite Playback Mode.)
By entering the appropriate 'Set Relay Card Operations' screen, you can set-up each playback mode to either wait for re-start after sending a relay closure, or to begin playback again immediately. The procedure for options are discussed individually in these sections:
Random Relay Card Settings: 4-6
Pick-List Relay Card Settings: 4 - ????
Satellite Playback Mode: 8 - 37 S
Rather than discussing the procedure for setting up the relay card operations again, we will show you what happens when the settings for each playback mode are set a certain way. For specific instructions about how to set the relay card operation to make playback occur in the desired fashion, please refer to the pages noted above.
What Happens When?
:Random Playback Mode:Satellite Playback Mode
Output closure at Random Break:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP4Next break in line-up begins playing
OFF = DisabledNothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Break)Output Closure After Satellite Break
ON = Re-starts Random Playback when input sensed at IP0.*OFF = Random Playback resumes immediately after sending break closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP4 at the conclusion of each break.OFF = No closure is sent.
Random Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at Random Liner:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP5A liner plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Play internally)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Liner)Output Closure After Satellite Liner
ON = Re-starts Random Playback when input sensed at IP1.*OFF = Random Playback resumes immediately after sending liner closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP5 at the conclusion of each liner.OFF = No closure is sent.
Random Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at Random Legal I.D:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP6A Legal I.D. plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Play internally)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Legal I.D.)Output Closure After Satellite Legal I.D.
ON = Re-starts Random Playback when input sensed at IP2.*OFF = Random Playback resumes immediately after sending Legal I.D. closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP6 at the conclusion of the Legal I.D.OFF = No closure is sent.
Random Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at Random Magic Call:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP7A Magic Call plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Play internally)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Random (After Magic Call)Output Closure After Satellite Magic Call
ON = Re-starts Random Playback when input sensed at IP3.*OFF = Random Playback resumes immediately after sending Magic Call closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP7 at the conclusion of the Magic CallOFF = No closure is sent.
* Input sensing for re-start of random and initiation of satellite playback may also occur via the PC game port. Also, the input sensing relay for satellite playback depends on which source is active. See section seven, 'Game Port Wiring' or section six, 'Relay Card Setup'.
What Happens When?
:Pick-List Playback Mode:Satellite Playback Mode
Output closure at >PAUSE<:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP4Next break in line-up begins playing
OFF = Output Disabled (Action Ignored)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List(After Break)Output Closure After Satellite Break
ON = Re-starts Pick-List Playback when input sensed at IP0.*OFF = Pick-List Playback resumes immediately after sending break closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP4 at the conclusion of each break.OFF = No closure is sent.
Pick-List Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at >LINER<(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP5A liner plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Action ignored)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Liner)Output Closure After Satellite Liner
ON = Re-starts Pick-List Playback when input sensed at IP1.*OFF = Pick-List Playback resumes immediately after sending liner closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP5 at the conclusion of each liner.OFF = No closure is sent.
Pick-List Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at >I.D.<:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP6A Legal I.D. plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Action Ignored)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Legal I.D.)Output Closure After Satellite Legal I.D.
ON = Re-starts Pick-List Playback when input sensed at IP2.*OFF = Pick-List Playback resumes immediately after sending Legal I.D. closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP6 at the conclusion of the Legal I.D.OFF = No closure is sent.
Pick-List Playback ModeSatellite Playback Mode
Output closure at >Magic<:(Effect on Satellite Playback Mode)
ON = Output Closure on OP7A Magic Call plays
OFF = Output Disabled (Action Ignored)Nothing happens
Input Closure to Re-Start Pick-List (After Magic Call)Output Closure After Satellite Magic Call
ON = Re-starts Pick-List Playback when input sensed at IP3.*OFF = Pick-List Playback resumes immediately after sending Magic Call closure.ON = Sends output closure on OP7 at the conclusion of the Magic CallOFF = No closure is sent.
* Input sensing for re-start of random and initiation of satellite playback may also occur via the PC game port. Also, the input sensing relay for satellite playback depends on which source is active. See section seven, 'Game Port Wiring' or section six, 'Relay Card Setup'.
FNOTE: The main thing to remember when using Pick-List or Random playback modes in conjunction with Satellite Playback Mode is that you must program your relay card setup screens for each mode to be in sync with the other mode. This is to say, if Random Playback Mode is looking for a return closure before continuing after a local break, make sure Satellite Playback Mode is set to send a closure after the last spot in the break has played. Making sure of this will help you reduce the potential for dead-air.
Audio Routing:
When considering how to route your audio, you have three basic options. We will briefly discuss each. Again, for full details about wiring or connecting the audio sources to and from the sound card, please see the appropriate sections in this manual.
Þ Routing Option ONE: Random or Pick-List audio through line-in of the SoundBlaster
TM card in the Satellite Playback unit. This allows for muting during break playback -and- the unique ability to reduce or 'duck down' Random or Pick-List audio levels during Satellite playback of Liners, Legal I.D.'s, and Magic Calls. This is especially useful if you plan to have Random or Pick-List playback resume immediately after initiating playback of a liner type file. Using this option will cause the Random or Pick-List audio to drop in the background while the Liner, Legal I.D., Magic Call is playing - potentially avoiding the burying of the liner material under music.
Þ Routing Option TWO:Random or Pick-List audio through the Relay Card in the Satellite Playback unit. This allows for muting during break playback, and the ability to add a second audio source that can be switched to on a timed basis (you - of course - can either wire Random/Pick-List as the primary or the secondary source.). This option is useful if you plan to 'switch' to another audio source at some point in the day, or wish to switch to Random/Pick-List at a certain time after being on another source.
Þ Routing Option THREE: Wiring direct to console from Random/Pick-List playback unit. It is not necessary to mute the audio through the Satellite Playback unit since Random and Pick-List playback can be suspended until getting a return closure from the Satellite Playback unit. Running audio in this way will require a dedicated pot for Random/Pick-List and a dedicated pot for Satellite Playback audio.
Summary:
Interfacing Random/Pick-List playback with Satellite Playback Mode offers many potential benefits to your operation. It is critical, however, to realize that all relay inputs and outputs must be wired to exacting standards. There is no margin for error. If the wrong output relay is wired to the wrong input, your playback will not flow as expected. Take your time in planning how you will use the system and construct it accordingly. Don't over-build the system. If there is an option that you won't use, there is no need to wire it.
External Interface Configuration:
:>>
Applications:
- Random/Pick-List h Analog Spot Playback System
- Random/Pick-List h Third-Party Hard-Drive Automation
- Satellite Playback Mode h Reel-To-Reel Automation
- Satellite Playback Mode h CD Automation System
- Satellite Playback Mode h Third-Party Music on Hard-Drive
It is possible to interface The Auto-Mate software to an existing automation system you may have.
To determine the configuration of the system, you must fully understand the capabilities and features of the system. that is being interfaced to The Auto-Mate software. The essential element to remember is that The Auto-Mate is triggered by relay inputs and can send relay outputs when it has completed a task (i.e. end of a spot break) or encounters certain cues (i.e. a >PAUSE< in Pick-List mode). Therefore, your non-Auto-Mate automation system must be capable of sending relay closures and receiving input closures. The external automation source must be intelligent enough to know when to trigger The Auto-Mate to do something.
Procedures:
MWARNING! For complete details about how to set the output and input trigger relays from within The Auto-Mate software, see the manual section covering the mode you are configuring.
MWARNING! Thoroughly research the voltage output of any relay closures from an external automation system. Do not exceed input voltages allowed by the relay card manufacturers for your particular card configuration. For complete details, see the relay card handbook that came with your relay card and section six of this manual 'Relay Card Setup'. Remember, if you are using the Game Port for input sensing or are using a PCL725 in non-isolated digital input configuration - the relay inputs may contain NO voltage.
It is not our intention to re-state how to configure the relay card or to give instructions about setting-up the system for playback. This information is contained elsewhere in the manual. We will simply summarize by saying that the ability of The Auto-Mate to send and receive relay closures gives the user vast possibilities in interfacing with other devices that send and receive relay closures. This interface will simply require use of your knowledge of your existing automation system, and perhaps a little imagination.
Sending Closures with Voltage:
Some users will want to send relay closures from The Auto-Mate that contains DC voltage. The necessity for this may be if the input of the external automation source requires voltage-based contacts for re-start of playback. It is possible to introduce voltage to the system for sending outputs. We will discuss the procedure of wiring audio for the Metrabyte PDISO-8 as this method has not been tested on other relay cards.
Connecting Voltage to Relay Output of PDISO-8 Relay Card
1Connect minus DC (-) to ground on computer chassis
(metal contact).
2Connect positive DC (+) to a Normally Open (NO) output pin.
3When the relay closes, voltage will be placed on the
common (c) output pin of the relay corresponding to
the Normally Open output pin. This voltage is then
transmitted through the wire pair to the external
device...
Appendix A - RECORDING RATE TABLES
1. Bytes used per minute:
A. 44kHz (44,100 Hertz)
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) 2.6 * 5.2
16 bit (No compression) 5.2 10.4
2:1 Compression 2.6 5.2
4:1 Compression 1.3 2.6
B. 22kHz (22,050 Hertz)
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) 1.3 * 2.6
16 bit (No compression) 2.6 5.2
2:1 Compression 1.3 2.6
4:1 Compression .65 1.3
C. 11kHz (11,025 Hertz)
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) .65 * 1.3
16 bit (No compression) 1.3 2.6
2:1 Compression .65 1.3
4:1 Compression .325 ** .65
* Megabytes used per minute of recording.
** = 325,000 Bytes per minute
2. Hours of Recording Time
(Per Every 500 Megabytes of Hard Drive Capacity )
A. 44kHz (44,100 Hertz):
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) 3.2 HRS 1.6 HRS
16 bit (No compression) 1.6 " .8 "
2:1 Compression 3.2 " 1.6 "
4:1 Compression 6.4 " 3.2 "
B. 22kHz (22,050 Hertz):
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) 6.4 HRS 3.2 HRS
16 bit (No compression) 3.2 " 1.6 "
2:1 Compression 6.4 " 3.2 "
4:1 Compression 12.8 " 6.4 "
C. 11kHz (11,025 Hertz):
Setting Mono Stereo
8 bit (No compression) 12.8 HRS 6.4 HRS
16 bit (No compression) 6.4 " 3.2 "
2:1 Compression 12.8 " 6.4 "
4:1 Compression 25.6 " 12.8 "
Appendix B - System Requirements/Technical Data
For The Auto-Mate to work properly, you must have the following:
SoundBlasterF audio card installed in your IBM AT computer*
Hard Drive "C"
SoundBlasterF Requirements:
These minimal system requirements are based on the needs of the SoundBlaster card:
IBMD AT (386 or above**) or 100% compatible
EGA, VGA, or SVGA video
MSDOSD 3.0 or higher
Minimum 640KB RAM - with at least 550KB free.
Minimum 15 megabytes on Drive C for
software and data storage.
For data compression to function, you must possess the following:
SoundBlaster 16MultiCDF or SoundBlaster AWE32 PNPF
with the Advanced Signal Processor Chip installed
* We recommend installing a 16-bit SoundBlaster card even if you plan on only recording in 8 bit. For only a few more dollars, and no more use of hard drive space, you will notice substantially better audio quality from an 8 bit recording made with a 16 bit audio card compared to an 8 bit recording made on an 8 bit card.
- It is recommended that you contact your local SoundBlaster dealer with specific questions about the features and specifications of a particular audio card before purchasing that specific model.
Please refer any problems you have with the installation and initial operation of your SoundBlaster Card to Creative Labs technical support. Those phone numbers are located within your SoundBlaster documentation.
SoundBlaster
TM Technical Specifications:
For 16 bit SoundBlaster Cards:
S.N. Ratio 85 db
T.H.D. 0.07% @ 1 Volt R.M.S. with a 10k ohm load.
Relay Card Specifications
Latch Time:
All relay output closures from within The Auto-Mate software are programmed for a duration of 500 milliseconds (.5 second).
Auto-Mate Supported relay cards:
Advantech PCL-725F 8-channel Relay Actuator & Isolated D/I Card:
The PCL-725 installs in IBM compatible PC's. It has 8 opto-isolated* digital input channels and 8 relay actuator output channels.
*Input are opto-isolated when the system is configured to accept voltage (5-24 VDC). When configured for dry contact sensing, the unit is not opto-isolated.
For more details about purchaseing, installing, and configuring this card, please consult Section Six - 'Relay Card Setup'.
Keithley Metrabyte PDISO-8F 8-channel isolated input/output interface board:
The PDISO-8 installs in IBM compatible PC's. It has 8 optically-isolated input channels* and 8 electromechanical relay output channels.
*The PDISO-8 input sensing is only functional for sources containing voltage (5-24 VDC or AC). This unit will not sense 'dry' contact closures - If you will be receiving dry contact closures from the automation source, the PCL-725 or game port will achieve the desired result.
For more details about purchasing, installing, and configuring this card, please consult Section Six - 'Relay Card Setup'
Appendix C - System Storage Capacity
Maximizing Capacity with Conventional Memory
Many users will never realize that The Auto-Mate has limits. However, at some point, the system cannot handle any more recordings - even if you have unlimited hard-drive capacity. This occurs when the conventional memory used to store the data for all of the recordings has run out. At this point, the system will not allow you to perform functions such as pick-list playback, template editing, or random playback. The question is, how may recordings can be made. The answer is not clear in all instances, but the key to the answer is in the amount of available conventional memory.
Conventional memory is to be distinguished from extended memory. The Auto-Mate uses NO extended memory, so attempting to add extended memory to the system to increase capacity will only be helpful if you can move Terminate and Stay Resident programs or drivers that are occupying conventional memory to the extended memory in order to free conventional memory.
Checking Available Conventional Memory:
There are a couple of ways to check the amount of free conventional memory. Both must be done from the DOS command line.
1. Type MEM e
-or-
2. Type CHKDSK e
The MEM command will show you how much conventional, upper, reserved, and extended memory is used and available. You should take note of the conventional memory that is available. MEM is available on later versions of DOS. The CHKDSK command shows you how much conventional memory is available in the last two lines. For example, you might see:
593,920 total bytes memory
503,236 bytes free
If you have fewer than 500,000 bytes of free conventional memory, the system will run out of data storage capacity rather quickly while it functions. You should try to have at least 550,000 bytes free of conventional memory free. The more the better.
To maximize your conventional memory if you begin to experience difficulties, please run the MEMMAKER program that comes with later versions of DOS. You can specify that you wish to maximize conventional memory using this program. For complete instructions, please refer to your DOS documentation or DOS on-line help.
Knowing that we cannot predict how much data your system can store, we will still make a few reasonable estimates regarding the maximum system capacity of The Auto-Mate. These estimates are based on about 550,000 conventional bytes free. Your results may vary.
Random Playback Mode:
*350 Music Files/100 Liners/ (with 50 spots in the rotation file)
Pick-List Playback (if 500 pick-list entries are made [fewer audio files may be recorded if over 500 pick-list entries desired]):
*100 Spots/250 Music/100 liners
*50 Spots/350 Music/100 liners
Spots occupy more storage space than music or liner files - thus the fewer spots, the more music files the system can load and store. You may have substantially more recordings in the system, but you will not be able to make the full 500 entries into the pick-list mode. You will know the data storage space has been used up when you cannot make any more entries into the pick-list template.
Satellite Playback Mode:
*750 Template Entries/250 Liners
If you have fewer than 550,000 conventional bytes free and attempt to run a satellite template
containing at or near the maximum of 750 entries, and have more than 100 liners recorded, you
may not be allowed to run the template. Your options at that point are reducing the number of template entries, erasing some liner recordings, or freeing more conventional memory.
Most users will run out of hard drive capacity used to store the .WAV file long before running out of conventional memory that is used to store the loaded data files. Still, with the plummeting price of hard drive storage space, some users may find themselves with enough hard-drive capacity to make many hundreds of recordings. In summary, it should become apparent if you have run out of conventional memory. Your remedies at that point are to increase the amount of conventional memory that is free or to erase unnecessary recordings.
To summarize, we recommend freeing absolutely as much conventional memory as possible.
Appendix D - Connecting Audio to Console
This diagram shows you how to connect the SoundBlaster to your audio console. Please refer to your SoundBlaster documentation for instructions on how to install the card in your computer.
Appendix E - Common Error Codes
You may wish to call for technical support if encountering certain errors, although this listing of error codes may give you a clue as to a particular problem.
Memory Problems - The computer cannot handle the amount of data being processed.
Try to work with fewer items.
7Out of memory
14Out of string space
67Too many files
Hardware Problems - Have a qualified technician examine your system for problems
if errors persist.
24Device time-out
25Device fault - May appear if your printer is turned off, or is off-line
while trying to print.
57 Device I/O error
68Device unavailable
71Disk not ready
Miscellaneous
27 Out of paper - Add paper, turn printer back on-line
75Path/File access error - Make sure all appropriate directories exist.
76Path not found - Make sure all appropriate directories exist. Make
sure AMWAVE directory exists on all hard drives
used for recording.
61Disk Full -Erase some files before attempting to record on hard drive again.
14 Out of String Space - You have used up all available conventional memory storing data. Please see Appendix C, which deals with storage capacity issues.
Other errors may appear as well, as there are over one-hundred error codes embedded in the software. Be sure to write down the error name and code number - if given - so that we may better assist you in isolating the problem should a call for support be necessary.
Appendix F - Networking (LAN) .
Your Auto-Mate software has the capacity to import files created on another Auto-Mate equipped unit via a Local Area Network (LAN). You also may import Satellite Templates created on a traffic system. There are some basic rules that must be followed when implementing use of a LAN system.
1. All Hard Drives Must Be Accessible in DOS: The network software must give you access in DOS to all hard drives of the computers being networked. Generally, one computer will be the server and one will be the client. The client will be able to pull data across from the server. One commonly available networking program is MicrosoftF InterlinkF. If you have MS DOSF 6 or higher, you already posses this program. Interlink works like this:
Each computer in the following example contains TWO hard drives, C and D. Note how the drive letters on system 2 (Production Room) become E and F when it becomes a Server for system 1 (Control Room).
Control Room: Production Room:
Before Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
Hard Disk C Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D Hard Disk D
After Network Connections:
- System 1- - System 2-
(Client) (Server)
Hard Disk C
Hard Disk D
Hard Disk E*------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk C)
Hard Disk F*------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Was Disk D)
Your particular network software may designate different drive letters after the network connection.
*These drive letters will advance if you have drive letters higher than D in system 1. For example, if system 1 contains a CD ROM drive designated as drive D, the hard disk C in system 2 in this example will become Drive F when it becomes the server for system 1. The drive D on System 2 would thus become drive G to system 1.
Interlink connects the computers via a ribbon cable connected to the printer ports. For more information about Interlink, see your built-in DOS HELP program or contact your local computer expert.
As was noted previously, you may use any network program, as long as the computer you are importing material to (client) allows access to the drives on the other computer (server).
2. Do Not Record to a Network Drive: The Auto-Mate is not designed to store .WAV files on a network drive to be utilized by the primary unit. Often, the data transfer rates on a network are too slow to allow instant playback of audio files from a non-local drive. Attempting to record on a network drive may result in choppy audio playback or system malfunction. Also, when the network connection is broken, the Auto-Mate will be attempting to play audio files from a non-existent drive.
3. Disconnect the Network When Not in Use: Some network programs, such as Interlink, can use a substantial amount of conventional memory while they are in use. In Appendix C, it was explained that is very important that as much conventional memory as possible be dedicated for The Auto-Mate - and thus not for other purposes. For this reason please only make a network connection when you are going to be transferring files.
4. Know Your Network: Know what each drive letter changes to when the network connection is established. For the transfer and import processes to work, the drives specified must be exactly accurate. You must know what is where, where it is going, and where it is coming from. Otherwise, you may experience tremendous difficulties.
If you are not confident in your understanding of the operation of a LAN, it is suggested that you familiarize yourself with this concept before attempting to use any 'Networkable' feature of The Auto-Mate.
Appendix G - Troubleshooting L
Problem: No audio or poor audio from the sound card during playback - no errors present on screen.
Solution: Make sure that the Master Volume is not turned off, or is not set very low. Check the level by entering the Utilities (, then Set Default Audio Levels (PLAYBACK) !. The Master Output Level should not be less than 100 under normal circumstances.
If your Master Output Level is normal, try these remedies:
ãCheck to see that the volume knob (if equipped) on the sound card is not turned down.
ãEnsure that all cables are properly connected to your console and that the impedance (4 Ohms) is properly matched. See the diagram in appendix D if you are unsure where to plug in the audio.
ãMake sure the card is operating correctly using the test programs provided with your SoundBlaster software. For full details, see your SoundBlaster manuals.
ãKeep computer and cables away from sources of strong electrical energy or RF fields. If RF is a problem, make sure all cables are properly grounded. If the problem persists, try re-orienting the cables.
FNote for Simple-Sat Users: If the satellite audio is being run through the sound card, but no output is heard, check the input source LINE/MIC and the input level by entering the Audio Card Settings option from the satellite control options menu. Enter the Audio Card Settings by pressing * from the main menu for Satellite Control Mode, then # Audio Card Settings. Make sure the satellite audio is connected to the appropriate input jack, and that the input level is set to an appropriate point (generally between 180-230).
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Problem: Program generates a Driver Error # 22, or a similar error, and aborts when you try to make a recording.
Solution: Most likely, you are trying to make the card do something it cannot. Mainly, this will include trying to record using compression when you only have an 8 bit card or no advanced signal processor. Another possible source of problems is setting the default recording to 16 bits when you only have an 8 bit card. To correct for this, go into the recording defaults screen ( from the main menu). From there, set compression to N/A, if you do not have compression capability. Set bits per sample to 8 if you do not have a 16 bit card. Try recording something again.
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Problem: This or a similar error message appears:
BLASTER environment is not valid
When a problem exists, this message will appear when you load the main menu, or when you enter a recording or playback screen. When this error is present, it means that the program cannot interact properly with the audio card.
Solution: Most likely, you have failed to add the proper CONFIG.SYS file updates after installing The Auto-Mate.
Check for these lines and add them if they do not exist:
DEVICE=C:\SB???\DRV\CSP.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220
DEVICE=C:\SB???\DRV\CTSB???.SYS /UNIT=0 /BLASTER=A:220 I:5 D:1 H:5(or T:5)
DEVICE=C:\SB???\DRV\CTMMSYS.SYS
For complete details on editing your CONFIG.SYS file, see the section in this manual on installation.
After adding these lines, check the operation of the sound card using the test program that came with your sound card.
Remember to reset (Restart) the computer for the changes to take effect in the CONFIG.SYS file. The Auto-Mate will not work without doing this.
If the problem still exists, try re-installing the SoundBlaster software.
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Problem: Program will not run and the message appears:
Invalid AUXDRV.DRV I need AUXDRV.DRV version 3.02 or higher.
Solution: Your drivers need to be updated using the setup program. Most likely, The Auto-Mate installation was done incorrectly. Re-insert The SETUP DISK 1, and then type AMSETUP e. Don't try to use the DOS copy commands to install this software.
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Problem: Computer locks up upon entry to recording or playback screen.
Solution: In some rare instances - especially when you are using other software on your system - the sound drivers may come in conflict with a resident driver, causing the system to lock. The only solution is to reset the computer. If the problem occurs often, you may wish to reset the computer each time you complete using a computer program that is in conflict with The Auto-Mate.
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Problem: When selecting a recording drive in the recording modes, you get the prompt: The Drive You Selected is unavailable, even when you know that drive exists.
Solution: This often occurs when new drives have been added to your system after the initial installation of The Auto-Mate software. To remedy this, exit to DOS and go to the new drive by typing: DriveLetter:. Then type: MD AMWAVE e. Make sure you are at the root directory when you do this, that is, you are not inside any sub-directories in that drive.
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Problem: Computer locks up during recording.
Solution: Reset Computer. Check the hard drive capacity by going into one of the recording screens, entering the I.D., and the drive letter you were last recording on. Does the drive show under one megabyte of empty hard-drive?
- if YES then -
Erase some material before continuing. Please avoid filling your hard drive to capacity, as this may not be good for the system.
- if NO then -
[This is the same procedure that is used for isolating problems with audio playback]
Users may note a problem of this nature when the system has not been set-up properly. Try each of the following tasks - in order - and then try again. If you are not competent in these tasks, please consider having a qualified computer technician work on your system. Refer to your SoundBlasterF documentation for complete details regarding completion of these tasks.
1. Turn off turbo switch and try again
2. Turn off the internal cache from within the system BIOS.
3. Change the interrupt to 5 or 10 (5 is preferred)
4. Change I/O Address (Try Base Address 240 - Make sure
you change the jumpers on the sound card.)
5. Change the DMA Address from the current setting
(5,6,7) = High DMA
(0,1,3) = Low DMA
6. Change BIOS I/O wait states to zero
7. Make sure bus speed is ISA
8. Set bus speed to between 7.5 and 10 mHz (contact
manufacturer of motherboard for details)
9. Try a different physical slot in the computer.
Occasionally a computer just won't work well with the DOS drivers of the SoundBlaster. Generally, these are computers with too many built-in amenities on the mother board. Some 'assembly line' computers come with buit-in fax modems, and other peripheral devices (that cannot be removed). If these are causing hardware conflicts with the sound card, it is very hard to isolate out the problem. We recommend using a different computer if this your predicament.
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Problem: Computer locks up during playback, or "dumps" out to DOS prompt (which may be a blank screen - type CLS e to see if system is still responding).
Solution: Has the system been operating normally and the problem arisen recently?
- if YES then -
Note which file was playing and when it quit. Try to play the file in question again after resetting the computer. A continued lock-up of the same file may be pointing to a pending hard-drive failure. First, run diagnostic tests on the hard drive and attempt to correct the problem using a "disk doctor" type program. It would be best to erase and re-record any audio file that is causing a problem. If problems continue to develop, you should consider replacing the drive before a catastrophic failure occurs.
If the system locks during playback at random intervals and re-play of the audio file was playing when the system froze shows no problems, you may have a non-drive related hardware problem. These problems may include a faulty disk controller or motherboard component - or even a bad sound card. It is very difficult to isolate hardware problems, and you may be forced to start replacing components.
- if NO then -
Have you been having this problem since installing the Auto-Mate software?
[This is the same procedure that is used for isolating problems with audio recording]
New users may note a problem of this nature when the system has not been set-up properly. Try each of the following tasks - in order - and then attempt playback again. If you are not competent in these tasks, please consider having a qualified computer technician work on your system. Refer to your SoundBlasterF documentation for complete details regarding completion of these tasks.
1. Turn off turbo switch and try again
2. Change the interrupt to 5 or 10 (5 is preferred)
3. Change I/O Address (Try Base Address 240 - Make sure
you change the jumpers on the sound card.)
4. Change the DMA Address from the current setting
(5,6,7) = High DMA
(0,1,3) = Low DMA
5. Change BIOS I/O wait states to zero
6. Make sure bus speed is ISA
7. Set bus speed to between 7.5 and 10 mHz (contact
manufacturer of motherboard for details)
8. Try a different physical slot in the computer
Occasionally a computer just won't work well with the DOS drivers of the SoundBlaster. Generally, these are computers with too many built-in amenities on the mother board. Some 'assembly line' computers come with buit-in fax modems, and other peripheral devices (that cannot be removed). If these are causing hardware conflicts with the sound card, it is very hard to isolate out the problem. We recommend using a different computer if this your predicament
If the program dumps out to the DOS prompt, note the file that was playing when playback stopped. Check to make sure the file actually exits. It is possible, though unlikely - that an attempt to play a non-existent file may cause a fatal error in the program.
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Problem: Computer gives error such as Out of string space when you are attempting to work in The Auto-Mate.
Solution: Either you are attempting to load more data into memory than your computer can handle, or you have a TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) program loaded that is stealing the memory needed to run The Auto-Mate. In the first case, you have no choice but to work with fewer files. In the second case, make sure there are no TSRs loaded (such as SB16MIX) when you are running The Auto-Mate software. Please see Appendix C - System Storage Capacity - for tips on maximizing the memory so that you will not run out of string space.
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Problem: You cannot print template lists or program log data even though printer is plugged in, is turned-on, and is on-line.
Solution: Make sure your printer cable is plugged into LPT1. Make sure LPT1 is enabled. If you cannot tell, consult your qualified computer technician.
Appendix H - Still Can't Get it to Work? N
If you still cannot get your system operational after following all installation instructions - and checking the troubleshooting section (appendix G), please do the following:
1. If the SoundBlasterF is non-functional on an
over-all basis, contact the support numbers for
SoundBlaster. We cannot assist you until you
have a working sound card.
2. If you have confirmed that the sound card is
working, and have exhausted all other remedies
as outlined in this manual, then you may wish to call
for telephone support.
Telephone Support Procedures:
Technical Support Policies:
1. You are entitled to 30 days free technical support. The support period generally begins when you receive your software. We cannot support you fully until we receive your registration card. We will assist you in the installation process before receiving the registration card only if you have purchased the software directly from Auto-Mate Systems.
2. After 30 days, you must pay an annual fee for technical support. See section one in this manual covering technical support for "official" rules. The support fee must be paid in advance and will give you the right to ask questions pertaining to the following:
A. Non-operating system
B. Errors while running system
C. Operational questions - i.e. how
to perform a particular task.
3. Upon calling, you will be asked for your product serial number/registration number. We cannot answer questions until we have your product serial number.
For more details about our support policies, please see the section regarding this topic near the beginning of the manual.
Phone Support Number:
(
CALL: (503)-769-AUTO (2886)
If you get the recording, leave the following
information (being as specific as possible) so
that we may have a chance to research your
question and provide an answer as quickly
as possible:
A. Nature of the Problem.
B. Any error messages that appear.
If possible, have a printed copy of your CONFIG.SYS
and AUTOEXEC.BAT file handy for when we return
your call. Also, please have your computer nearby a
telephone so that we may have you try remedies while
we are working with you.
Other Questions/Comments?
If your business is not of an urgent nature, feel free to contact us through the mail. We would be pleased to hear of any comments or suggestions you may have.
@Write:
Auto-Mate Systems
P.O. Box 695
Stayton, OR 97383
As always, you are welcome to contact us by telephone at (503)-769-2886.
The Auto-Mate Operations Manual
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B. Index
A
11kHz Sampling Rate 5-6
16 Bit Recording Rate 5-4,5-7
2:1 Compression 5-5,5-7
22kHz Sampling Rate 5-6
4:1 Compression 5-5,5-7
44kHz Sampling Rate 5-6
8 Bit Recording Rate 5-4,5-7
Accuracy 8-25
Advantech PCL-725 Relay Card 6-4,6-7,A-4
AGC (See Auto Gain Control)
Announcer Codes 3-6
Announcer Schedules (Simple-Sat) 8-33
Audio Card Settings (Simple-Sat) 8-26
Audio Connection (Simple-Sat) 8-2 - 8-5
Audio Level During Liner Play (Simple-Sat) 8-27
Audio Level Settings 5-2
Audio Level Settings 5-3
Audio Routing (Dual Control Systems) 9-8,9
Audio Source Line/Mic (Simple-Sat) 8-26
Audio Source Switching 8-24
Audio Switching Schedule (Simple-Sat) 8-34
Auditioning Audio 3-1
Auto Gain Control 8-27
AutoFade during Recording 3-9, 5-7
Automatic Break Correction (Simple-Sat) 8-24, 8-31
Automatic Break Find (Simple-Sat) 8-19
Automatic Failsafe Reboot (Pick-List Playback) 4-28
Automatic Failsafe Reboot (Random Playback) 4-11
Automatic Power Loss Recovery (Simple-Sat) 8-38
Automatic Time Correction (Simple-Sat) 8-31
AUXDRV 2-6, A-12
B
Base Address (Relay Card) 6-5
Bass Level 5-4
Break Playback in Progress message 8-22
Build Spots from .WAV files 5-8
Building Commercial Breaks (Simple-Sat) 8-10
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C
CD Input Levels 5-3
CD ROM 5-3
Closure Schedule 8-36
Closure Sensing (game Port) 7-8
Commercial Breaks (Simple-Sat) 8-10
Compressed Recordings 5-5
Compression Masking 5-2
Compression Masking 5-2
CONFIG.SYS 2-7 Troubleshooting CONFIG.SYS 2-8, A-12
Continual Pick-List Playback 4-19
Conventional Memory (See Memory Usage)
Copy Verification Logs to Floppy (Simple-Sat) 8-29
Custom Template (Simple-Sat) 8-13
D
Date Set 5-16,8-32
Default Audio Levels 5-1
Default Audio Levels 5-1
Directories 2-2
Diskette Replacement 1-5
DOS Drivers 2-5
Drive Letter 3-3
Driver Error #22 A-11
Drivers (DOS) 2-5
Dual Control Automation 9-1, 9-4 - 9-9
E
Edit Satellite Templates 8-8
Eight Bit Recording Rate 5-4,5-7
Erase Range of Verification Logs 8-30
Erase Verification Log Contents 8-30
Erasing Recordings Spots 5-15 Music 5-15 Liners 5-15
ERROR - SoundBlaster 2-4
Error Codes, Common A-8
F
Fade Rate 5-7
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G
Game Port 7-5
H
Hardware 1-2
Hours of Recording Time A-1
I
I/O Address (Sound Card) A-13
Icon 2-11
Immediate Pick-List Playback Mode 4-15
Import Recordings 5-11
Import Restrictions 5-11
Import Satellite Template 8-17
Importing Pick-List Templates 4-22
Input Gain 3-9
Installation Sound Card 2-1 Software 2-1
Interfacing to Existing Automation 9-10
J
K
Keithley-Metrabyte PDISO-8 6-4,6-6,6-7,A-4
L
L.A.N. A-9
Legal I.D. Designation 3-6
Line Input Levels 5-3
Line/Mic Satellite Audio Source 8-26
M
Magic Call Designation 3-6
Maintaining On-Air Status 1-8
Making Spots from .WAV files 5-8
Manual Overrides (Simple-Sat) 8-21
Master Output Audio Level Setting 5-3
MEM Command 2-5
Memory Usage A-5
Mono/Stereo 5-6
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N
Network Connections 5-11
Networking A-9
No Audio Output A-11
O
On-Air Assist Mode 4-12
Output Audio Level 5-3
Output Closure Schedule (See Closure Schedule)
Overrides 6-8,9
P
PCL-725 Relay Card 6-4,6-7,A-4
PDISO-8 6-4,6-6,6-7,A-4
Pick-List Playback Mode 4-15 Set First Event 4-18 Set Start Time 4-18 Continual Playback 4-19 Resuming Pick-List Playback 4-20 Template Creation 4-20,21
Pick-List Relay Overrides 6-8,9
Plug and Play Audio Cards 2-12Poor Audio Quality A-11
Power Loss Recovery Random Playback Mode 4-11 Pick-List Playback Mode 4-28
Pre-Built Systems 1-2
Print Satellite Template 8-15
Printed Program Log Random 4-10 Pick-List 4-19
Printing Lists of Recordings 5-8
Printing Verification Logs from Pick-List Menu 4-24
Printouts Spots 5-8 Music 5-8 Liners 5-8
Program Log (See Printed Program Log)
Q
R
RANDMUS.EXE 4-11
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Random Playback Mode Features Spot/PSA Rotation File 4-2 Stop-Set Break Times 4-3 Random Playback Defaults 4-4 Relay Card Operation Settings 4-6 Random Playback 4-7 Settings Box Display 4-9 Verification Logging 4-10 Printed Program Log 4-10
Random Relay Overrides 6-8,9
Reboot, Automatic (Random Playback) 4-11
Reboot, Automatic (Pick-List Playback) 4-28
Recording Problems 2-4 General Details 3-1 Spot Data Entry 3-4 Music Data Entry 3-5 Liner Data Entry 3-6 Settings 3-7
Recording Level 3-9
Recording Lists (Printing of) 5-8
Recording Rates A-1,2
Relay Card Base Address 6-5
Relay Card Functions 6-1 In Random Playback Mode 6-2 In Pick-List Playback Mode 6-2 In Satellite Playback Mode 6-3
Relay Card Operations (Simple-Sat) 8-37
Relay Card Operations (Pick-List) 4-26
Relay Card Wiring 6-10 - 6-13
Reliability 1-7
Responsibilities (See User Responsibilities)
Restore Verification Logs from Floppy (Simple-Sat) 8-29
Resuming Pick-List Playback 4-20
Resuming Satellite Playback 8-26
Run Satellite Template 8-18,19
Running Software 2-3
S
Sampling Rates 5-6
Satellite Control Mode 8-18
Satellite Templates 8-8
Set Current Date 5-16,8-32
Set Current Time 5-16,8-32
Set First Pick-List Event 4-18
Set Relay Card Operations (Simple-Sat) 8-37
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Set Relay Card Operations 5-16
Simple-Sat Automation 8-1
Sixteen Bit Recording Rate 5-4,5-7
Software Compatibility Issues 1-8
SoundBlaster ERROR! 2-4
SoundBlaster(tm) Software Full Installation vs. Custom Installation 2-5
Spot Creation Utility 5-9
Spots from .WAV files 5-8
Stand-Alone Automation 9-1, 9-3
Stereo Recordings 5-6
Stray Voltage 7-2
Support (See Technical Support)
Supported Relay Cards 6-4,A-4
System Configuration 9-1
System Directories 2-2
System Reliability (See Reliability)
System Requirements A-3
T
T.H.D. A-3
Technical Data A-3
Technical Support Fees 1-3 Free Support Period 1-3 Policies 1-4, A-16,17 Diskette Replacement 1-5
Template Programmer (Simple-Sat) 8-9
Test Relays 6-10
Time Set 5-15,8-32
Transfer Pick-List Templates 4-22
Transfer Satellite Template 8-16
Treble Level 5-4
Troubleshooting A-11
U
User Responsibilities 1-1
Utilities 5-1
Utilities 5-1
The Auto-Mate Operations Manual
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
V
Verification Logging Random Playback Mode 4-10 Pick-List 4-18, 4-23 Viewing 4-24 Printing 4-24 Copying Logs to Floppy 4-25 Restoring Logs from Floppy 4-25
Verification Logs (Simple-Sat) 8-28
View/Print Verification Logs 8-28
Viewing Verification Logs from Pick-List Menu 4-24
W
WAV files to Spots 5-8
Windows(tm) 2-10 Running The Auto-Mate From Windows(tm) 2-10 Icon 2-11
Windows95(tm) 2-12Windows Compatibility Issues 1-8, 1-9
Wiring (Relay Card) 6-10,6-13
Wiring (Game Port) 7-1 - 7-7
X
Y
Z
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