Got it!
What I think happened was. I created the monitored folder and had not had the add track to track group. very soon after making the monitored folder I edited it and set it to add track to track group. but what was now needed was a new track in the folder to be recognised and added.
Thanks Mark for the details explanation. I can see how this software is both powerful and a little confusing at first with tracks groups clocks schedule log monitored folders. to name a few concepts.
There are probably other ways Brian but my approach wold be as follows.
1) Build a folder structure so you have day of the week, hour etc. (so a "Monday" folder and then sub folders of "1800 Monday", "1900 Monday" etc.
2) Make a track group called "1800 Monday" and schedule that in that timeslot only (with a hard start event and something like a music bed to take up the slack at the end of the hour).
3) Monitor that folder for that track group so that any file in there is added to the group but you only ever have one file in the folder.
I think that will achieve what you want.
thanks for the pointers. I am still stuck. How do I get a track in a folder into a track group using monitored folders?
or do I manually add the track to the track group once - and therefore I guess the track name is fixed forever?
currently files are dated for first broadcast. Dates in file names are handy as for here we build our archive and often shows are used as repeats.
Yes. Exactly. A different folder for each segment. Also, in PlayIt, a different track group for each segment.
Yes. You construct a clock that will grab the segment you need from the appropriate track group and yes you need to remove the old one.
We use Google Drive but you could also use DropBox or even ftp (if you're hardcore.)
Gdrive works well for us. Since files and folder from one G account can share with other G accounts, a producer can put it in their personal account and it ends up in ours too. Keeps the users with access to our account down. Once the sharing gets set up (hardest part only because not all users are tech savvy) it's a breeze. Set up the Gdrive Sync on your PlayIt computer and the shows automatically end up on your local harddrive and PlayIt imports because that folder is monitored. Same on the producer end if they want they can set up the sync and just drop their completed file into the appropriate folder on their local drive and avoid using the web interface for Gdrive. Producers are also responsible for removing the old file so that PlayIt can only get the correct one. If they don't swap in a new show, then the old one plays again instead of Playout Pattern filler.
Attached screen grab shows a three hour show. That was all done automatically.
Hello Jeremy,
Very neat.
I take it that any pre-recorded show comes in segments of less than an hour and in some way you put the next segment in an individual folder for that hour of the day and day.
With such a structure set up and a suitable clock you can then set the folders to sweep and find the new show (assuming the old is overwritten by the new or is removed).
Do you have the filling of the folders automated in some way or do you do that manually ?
Here's what one of my top of the hours look like.
I will work great for community radio. I put things from Audioport into it all the time. Playit has monitored folders where you can put an audio file into the folder and PlayIt will automatically add it and then the scheduler will place it where it needs to go, for instance.
One way to do it would be to create an ID or something that is the last thing to play each hour. This ID would have a music bed for a tail, that way a hard fixed time marker would cause the bed to fade out while starting the top of the next hour. That's just one example. One can create any number of ways to do it with the clocks. I have a different clock for each different show. Shows that are consistent work well. The shows that come as a different length all the time may need a little tweak when you are making the schedule.
Give it a try. It's right in our price range.
Brian Greene
Hi. I am looking to use PlayIt Live for a community Radio Station. We have live shows during the day and evening and night is syndicated and pre recorded shows. The non live needs to be automated but scheduled. And the there overnight is not a flow of songs from a play list. Currently using Zara Studio, but wishing to improve on this.
What is the best way to schedule recordings? The recordings are 28 minutes 58 minute or 1 hour 58 minute. and each show would come from a directory for that show. the remaing 2 mins or 4 mins per hour is promos for shows we broadcast. These promos are in single 2 minute files.
I have been thinking that a M3U could be used, Does PlayIt Live create M3U files? or would I need to write a batch file to create the M3U based on rules such as newest file in folder.
Thanks in advance.