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Simian program log help

W

WGNDlp

Hello, my name is Andrew and I am new to radio. Our church runs a LP-fm station and since I am the most tech-savvy person in our congregation, I've inherited the station and its operations. As I said, I am new at this.

We use Simian Pro 2.3 (I this the version is correct) to automate a satellite feed. I'd like to carve out an hour for local programming and duplicate that hour twice per day (morning/evening). The challenge I am having is that the local programming I'd like to inject is variable length and I want to get the satellite back on track at the top of the next hour. All the content is pre-recorded.

The sermon content is the most variable, but usually 20-30 minutes in length; some pastors go longer that 30 minutes though. The intro/outtro for both the sermon and the health nugget are fixed length. I'd like to fill up gaps between the sermon, health nugget and the top of the next hour with songs.

How do I automate random-length songs to fill random-length gaps between random-length sermons and health nuggets?

I am thinking the program should look something like:

@ 08:00 Sermon_intro
Sermon_cart (20-30 minutes)
Sermon_outtro

Songs to fill gap til next # 08:30

# 08:30 Songs to fill gap til #08:45

# 08:45 Health_nugget_intro
Health_nugget_cart (1-2 minutes in length)
Health_nugget_outtro

Songs to fill gap until @08:58 to get back on satellite programming (about 11 minutes). I think I would use backtime command so that song ends right at @08:58, does that make sense?

@08:58 run macro to switch to satellite programming source

Broadcast satellite programming until 20:00 and then re-play the same sermon/song/nugget/song set from above.
Switch back to satellite programming until the end of the day.

I appreciate your help!


Andrew
 
First, you could build a couple of carts with the music to save having to program each song indicidually. If the Health Nugget does not have to air at exactly 8:45 you could use the make next function. That way a song would come to an end and the next even would be the Health Nugget. Then use music fill with an exact time for the ID which moves you to satelite programing.

Something like this:

0800 # serman intro
0801 + serman
0825 + serman close
0830 + fill music cart A
0831 + fill music cart B
0832 + fill music cart A
.
.
.
0843 ! Health Nugget Open
0844 +Health Nugget
0850 + Health Nugget Close
0851 + fill music Cart B
0852 + fill music Cart A
.
.
.
085950 # Station ID
0900 + return to satellite macro

Make sure you program in more music than you could possibly use and let simian just jump over the unused items.

You could also build a macro that fades the music before the ID so it just isn't a jump cut. I have never had much success programing a fade in Simian, although it does appear possible.

If you want some help let me know.
 
my suggestion is to light it on fire, walk away and call playout one for their pro version
 
@bigdonho : Thanks for the plan! I'll give it a try and let everyone here know how it turns out.

@SomeRadioGuy : Funny. As a church-sponored and run station, we don't have the cash flow to replace simian. I know this program gets a lot of hate, has a steep learning curve and can be cumbersome to use, but it does work rather well. It has been automating our station for about 15 years now. We've just never had anyone able to invest the time and energy to take advantage of all the possibilities. Now that I've found a forum of people that are passionate about radio, I may be able to make improvements. I look forward to your snarky comments and even your advice as I move forward.
 
WGNDlp said:
@bigdonho : Thanks for the plan! I'll give it a try and let everyone here know how it turns out.

@SomeRadioGuy : Funny. As a church-sponored and run station, we don't have the cash flow to replace simian. I know this program gets a lot of hate, has a steep learning curve and can be cumbersome to use, but it does work rather well. It has been automating our station for about 15 years now. We've just never had anyone able to invest the time and energy to take advantage of all the possibilities. Now that I've found a forum of people that are passionate about radio, I may be able to make improvements. I look forward to your snarky comments and even your advice as I move forward.
Click to expand...

simian is OK if its ot manhandled alot/used alot by a live human every day. I worked at a station that used it and we had some quirky issues.

playout one is like.. $89? a month.. i think and one of the best systems out there
 
WGNDlp said:
@bigdonho : Thanks for the plan! I'll give it a try and let everyone here know how it turns out.

@SomeRadioGuy : Funny. As a church-sponored and run station, we don't have the cash flow to replace simian. I know this program gets a lot of hate, has a steep learning curve and can be cumbersome to use, but it does work rather well. It has been automating our station for about 15 years now. We've just never had anyone able to invest the time and energy to take advantage of all the possibilities. Now that I've found a forum of people that are passionate about radio, I may be able to make improvements. I look forward to your snarky comments and even your advice as I move forward.
Click to expand...
Simian is pretty basic, but seems to do the trick. I've automate car races, NFL and college football and have had very few problems. It does have it's limitations (like no ability to do a "dead roll" for an exact time join.

It's a truism that everyone's favorite mic is the one they think they sound the best on. People tend to like the automation system they are familiar with.
 
bigdonho said:
First, you could build a couple of carts with the music to save having to program each song indicidually. If the Health Nugget does not have to air at exactly 8:45 you could use the make next function. That way a song would come to an end and the next even would be the Health Nugget. Then use music fill with an exact time for the ID which moves you to satelite programing.

Something like this:

0800 # serman intro
0801 + serman
0825 + serman close
0830 + fill music cart A
0831 + fill music cart B
0832 + fill music cart A
.
.
.
0843 ! Health Nugget Open
0844 +Health Nugget
0850 + Health Nugget Close
0851 + fill music Cart B
0852 + fill music Cart A
.
.
.
085950 # Station ID
0900 + return to satellite macro

Make sure you program in more music than you could possibly use and let simian just jump over the unused items.

You could also build a macro that fades the music before the ID so it just isn't a jump cut. I have never had much success programing a fade in Simian, although it does appear possible.

If you want some help let me know.
Click to expand...
This worked perfectly @bigdonho , thanks for the tip!
 
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