On 27/02/20 11:48 am, Frank Christel wrote:
Drew, you asked “I am not aware of a book like you are looking for.
Can you give a little more details as to what sort of things you would
want it to cover?” It’s always my hope when embarking on new
explorations (such as a journey to Rivendell) that someone has written
a travel guide. Something that doesn’t so much explain the nuts and
bolts of how things work, but instead tells inspiring stories about
the journey and what to see and do. Testimonies about overcoming
obstacles. How whipping up raw ingredients yielded a yummy concoction.
Chapter titles for a “Big Book of Rivendell Cookbook” might include: —
Oh no, not again!: Cheerleading the adoption of (yet) another
automation system
It's true there many computer based radio automation systems now, but if
you take 2001 as a benchmark there were about 10 in general use and
about the same now.
The number available has increased from maybe 20 to well over 100.
Windows based systems have had to deal with changes in the way Windows
handles audio and other system calls. Windows 10 updates being the latest.
Linux and Unix based systems have also had changes to deal with. Managed
better by open source applications because the pool of programming
personnel is larger.
Rivendell has been on the list, in the top 5, all the time. Some systems
have been adopted because vendors also supply Music and Schedule Billing
software. For many access to support is vital. Automation is used to
replace expensive people, and anything that can be operated by a fresh
out of school intern has to be more attractive. On Air Staff tend not to
be bundled with technical aptitude, so replacing records and cart
machines with a computer is a challenge. The one thing old school jocks
recognize immediately, is the Rivendell screen layout. The 'live'
workflow is easy to adopt. The back office stuff is about the same for
all systems. Rivendell stacks up on features, and is constantly being
augmented as new needs and wants are incorporated.
Rivendell is a 'made for broadcast' system. A number of systems used for
automation were created for 'in store' systems or club DJ applications
and need additional work to be able to include news bulletins or other
timed events.
Rivendell will run on almost any computer hardware platform. It works
fine on 'stock' machines. As with any system, more RAM, faster
Processors, Bigger Hard Drives and faster network connections will make
it go better. The music plays the same. Users have a choice of on board
cards, which may be adequate. External Cards, which also may be
adequate, and ASI Cards which enable some features as well as delivering
balanced audio at line level. More bang = more bucks.
No matter what live assist/automation system you put in you will need at
least one competent person on staff, or on call, to manage it. Rivendell
has a paid support service if you are light on local talent. Some of the
other systems offer support. Interpretations vary.
— Who’s on first?: Where files live, sync, and play
Rivendell is based on a single stand alone computer server which can
also be the playout source for up to 3 independent services. Any number
of Client computers can also deliver up to 3 independent services from
the same global audio library. There is no Theoretical limit to
services. Client computers may be Production or Voice Tracking nodes.
There is no limitation other than hardware. Various 'commercial' systems
have licence keys which may be a USB dongle or software registered to a
specific computer. Running independent services may not be possible. The
nightmare comes when the hardware fails and you need to cut to a back
up. Rivendell back up is a mirrored server or whatever suits your
situation. Rivendell uses wav files to store, retrieve & play audio.
There are advantages over 'compressed' file formats, most relate to
quality or the loss of it. There are also issues with 'tags' which can
jam up the works. No operating system is immune to broken audio files
that just lock things up. Large audio storage systems are not expensive.
The history of mp3 mp2 and other 'lossy' formats is well documented
elsewhere.
If you are going to be a serious broadcaster you need to be serious
about audio quality.
— Doing the SaMBa: Integration with NPR satellite receivers
Rivendell plays with any audio source. The satellite receiver delivers
audio and may provide cue tones or pulses to stop start cut away for
local ID 'live' or record for later transmission. Just how you implement
it is up to you. Satellite, FTP, email. dropbox, you can manage all
sources.
— All roads lead to Rivendell: VNC access from inside and outside the
studios
Rivendell has remote desktop and command line access which you can
configure to suit your needs. Team Viewer if you like.
— Break down this wall!: Mass file importation strategies
Rivendell can import large numbers of audio files into the Rivendell
library. If they are coming from a 'known' system and have markers for
talk over and fade, these can be imported as well. There are limits,
mostly determined by the capacity of your hardware. You may have to
break down imports into a few thousand cuts at a time.
The best way uses a command line interface. If you have problems with
this there are people who can remote in and help you.
Some pre planning may be of benefit in establishing and managing a library.
— Rosie the Robot: Clever uses of macro carts in the real world
Repeated tasks can be automated. Tasks like turning on the tower lights.
Locking the front door. Downloading some programme or podcast.
Confirmation emails. Logs.
Using remote access someone at a remote point can tap a button that
fires a macro that fades the local programme down, crosses to a remote
feed, and puts up an alternate programme on the streaming. The remote
can feed by any means including an IP stream and at the conclusion the
remote access user can switch back to regular programme.
— Flowing down the river: Understanding Rivendell’s system of carts,
events, clocks, grid, and logs
For anyone who has been 'in broadcasting' the creation of an EVENT
placed in a CLOCK with CLOCKs placed on a weekly GRID which is used to
create a LOG for a particular day is logical. This is a standard
workflow. Everything has all the options known to science.
Once set up, logs can be created automatically or manually. The 'run in
the background' shell script for advance logs just works.
There will be some changes when there are special days like Christmas
and Easter. This applies no matter what system you are using.
If you have a music scheduling program it's output can be included
automatically at log creation time.
If you have a schedule billing program it's output can be included
automatically at log creation time.
If you need reconciliation that can be arranged.
There are logs of music for licencing reports.
Most known systems are available on drop down menu's.
Everything can be customized.
— We just have time for one more: Automating music hours to meet time
posts
There are various ways of making an hour end on time. The high end audio
card has time compression. The low end card has several options.
How you do it depends on your installation. Other systems aren't any too
flash in this matter.
— Glasnost, comrade: Network coexistence with Windows machines
Rivendell has Windows compatible shared folders on Client and Server.
You can do production and scheduling on a Windows PC and import/export
the files as needed.
The limitations are no more or less then with other systems.
Please note 'Home' versions of Windows don't network as comprehensively
as 'Professional'. That's a Windows feature.
— Doing what comes naturally: The easy way to integrate Natural Log
and Natural Music
Well known scheduling systems interface 'out of the box'. Others may
need some tweaking.
— In five, four, three: Breaking format for local emergencies and
congressional debates
If you have to cut from regular programming to something else you need a
plan. If this happens how do we handle it?
If you want a button someone can click to cut to whatever, no problem!
If you want to re schedule stuff to accommodate emergency announcements
you can set up the procedure however you want.
Example: Traffic / Cyclone alert. If an audio track labelled
xxxxtraffic.mp3 is posted to a dropbox Rivendell will log and play it 3
times and keep a file copy.
— Play it again, Sam: Playing MP2 files without using ASI cards
You may have a large library of mp2 files which you don't want to re
rip. The simple solution is to import them from where they are now to
Rivendell and over time upgrade them to non lossy copies from CD. Those
MP2 files may be at 22050
— The path less travelled: Linux isn’t as scary as it looks
For people who have the 'it's not windows' syndrome, which is a genuine
fear there are two questions.
The first is do you have a smartphone? If yes; it's running on Linux.
The second is what is Microsoft's opinion of Linux? A little bit of
reacsearch will reveal that the official MS positin is ' we like Linux'.
In fact M$ may have some open source code in their products [as does Apple]
Linux is an operating system. Common in industrial systems not so
comment at home. The graphic interface is easy enough to learn.
There are a wealth of features hidden under the hood. You don't have to
learn any of them. The resident nerd will, or maybe already knows.
There's a whole lot of stuff in Windows and Apple that most users don't
know about.
— You’ll pry my dead, cold hand: Switching staff from Adobe Audition
to a Linux-based audio editor
Why change. People who know how to use Adobe Audition do not like
Audacity. It's like trying to get someone to change from a favorite
Pokie machine, or quit smoking. No one is going to use Adobe on the main
on air playout computer be it a server or a client. Adobe is in
Production so leave the production computer running Adobe Audition
networked to an import folder on the server. Be careful how you export
audio from Adobe Audition. Adobe defaults to lesser quality.
— Front porch whittlin’:What to do with free time saved by not
babysitting cranky automation systems
The first automation system I ever saw had a [grumpy] production person
nursing it through every event. I could not believe that this very
expensive system, which I was contemplating purchasing a copy of, didn't
always work. Over time I have observed systems that need constant
attention because simple tasks, like downloading the news, and putting
it somewhere so it can be replayed, cannot be automated. Tape based
subsystems. Cart based systems. A unique system using VHS Video
machines. The one constant in all of the systems with problems was the
size of the development team. There are a number of systems with
development teams of 1, with an average age somewhere over 70. Investing
in such a system is a pitch for cloud computing and the hope the
developer has an internet connected harp.
Open source does by it's very nature support succession.
The time you save may be spent augmenting the audio library. Making sure
there is a backup of the audio in /var/snd and the MySQL database, and
re routing the cables in Production and On Air. Golf, grading pinot,
reminding grand children that there was a time when trains were driven
by stream, and such occupations.
regards
Robert
Purely by coincidence, those chapters mirror questions and objections
staff have raised in considering our adoption of Rivendell. Frank
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