RadioLogger - an extra feature to detect audio

[radiodungog]

Dmitry,

Happy New year !

At Radio Dungog we run RadioLogger continuously to create an audio log of all the content that is broadcast.

We want to run a second session of RadioLogger to record live specialist content shows and we want to record them at a higher quality.

The reason for this is that those specialist shows are broadcast live - then repeated on another day at another time.

To create the rebroadcast version we edit those audio files to remove adverts and station IDs and split the show into smaller files of say 15 minute blocks.  This allows the show to be rebroadcast and have new adverts and IDs inserted in real time on the day of the repeat.

The thought we had was to install another session of RadioLogger and have a manual audio switch (physical switch) on the audio input.  The new version of RadioLogger could have an audio detect feature and only record when audio is present.  Hence RadioLogger would only record for the duration of the show - and when the switch was operated to disconnect the audio input it would stop recording.

Something like this:

1. Presenter operates the audio switch to "ON" and RadioLogger senses the audio and starts recording
2. Show goes to air live and is recorded
3. Show finishes and the presenter operates the audio switch to "OFF" and RadioLogger senses that the audio has stopped, it continues to record for a preset delay time (adjustable, maybe 5-60 seconds of no audio) and then stops recording and saves the audio file
4.  Presenter opens and edits the audio file as required for the rebroadcast version of the show

Does this make sense ?  Would you please consider adding this feature to RadioLogger ?



Thanks,  Jamie C.

 

[djsoft]

Jamie - yes, this feature was already planned for the next update

 

[radiodungog]

Dmitry,

Excellent - thanks.

The reason for doing it this way is because it is beyond the technical ability of all of our presenters (including me) to be able to use a screen interface to turn on and turn off an extra session of RadioLogger - so I thought an audio detect facility would be the easiest method.

Great thanks,  Jamie C.

 

[djsoft]

Yes, it has been asked several times before, so the next RL update will have this feature. The more automation, the better.

 

[radiodungog]

Dmitry,

RadioLogger can offer several useful features in a radio studio other than the standard "audio logger" feature that we all use.  Typical examples are:

1. Audio logger or surveillance logger running 24 hours a day (we all use this now and it's excellent for handling complaints or finding out exactly what went to air - typically MP3-128kbps)

2.  Specialist show logger which can log a live show on demand so it can be recorded at a higher quality (MP3-320kbps or FLAC) and saved as a single file - then later the adverts and time calls can be edited out to produce a master copy of the show and it can be split into several 15-20 minute blocks so it can be played again at a later date

3.  To record "microphone on" sessions for live presenter "air checks".  An "air check" allows presenters to review what they said and how they said it - so they can be coached and learn how to improve their presentation style .  A special RadioLogger session could be set up so that only "microphone on" audio is recorded so that the audio log contains "microphone on" segments only and not the rest of the show.  This means the recording for an hour show might only be 5 minutes long - and very easy to review.  This feature could also be used to record live studio interviews with visitors so that they could quickly be edited and processed for a repeat later - in fact almost instantly.

In our studio at Radio Dungog we use an ELAN Merlin-8 hardware mixer and we would choose to run items 1 and 3 continuously in the studio, and item 2 at the flick of a switch when a live presenter wants to record their specialist music show.

Items 2 and 3 above would use a VOX or audio activated record function.

Here is our hardware mixer:
http://www.elan.com.au/Portals/0/images/products/mixers/Merlin%208%20brochure.pdf


These updates to the RadioLogger are exciting for us.


Thanks,  Jamie C.

 

[djsoft]

Jamie,

1) and 2) are already possible except that RadioLogger starts/stops recording at start of each hour.

3) is also possible with the latest RadioBOSS 5.2.1 using the Stream Archove feature: you can enable an option which will start/stop the recording together with the MIC button.