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Emergency "STL"

P

pellmell

A few years ago, I set up Windows Media Encoder 9 to transport a stereo signal over the Internet, such as could be done for an emergency or makeshift STL. It worked surprisingly well, but it was not very user-friendly for the guy at the other end. Windows Media Encoder 9 is still available, but I don't think it is developed or supported any longer. Does anyone know whether Microsoft Expression Encoder 4 replaced WME9? Is there other software that will create an ad hoc STL between two computers (as opposed to uploading to a distribution server?) We're considering a Barix setup for a permanent solution, but we'd like to do some testing first.
 
I've seen some freeware that might work for you. Peercast might do it. It's P2P software. I'm sure that there is other software available.
I've used some of the Microsoft Streaming software. Like most Microsoft products, they are CPU hogs.
You should be able to find someting that doesn't require a lot of computer power.
Please let me know what you find.
 
On the receive end get a Sangean WFR-20 receiver and get them to add you to their web site. Then you can pickup your stream even if it drops out for days. This receiver will continuiously wait for you to return and boot right up to it when you do. Great STL and cheap,,,well the Sangean costs a few hundred but man is it reliable. I have used it continuiously for almost 3 years.
 
I still keep SCA equipment functional for emergency use backhauling audio in mono. More than once, it's saved our bacon.
 
I've used WME9 for the same thing, in fact the box I used for that had to be rebuilt earlier this year, and I must have downloaded WME9 just before Microsoft dropped it. Didn't even know they replaced it with Expression.

Shoutcast might be an option if you can't use Expression (which needs XP SP3 or greater).

My most-used emergency STL is a Marti.
 
Nothing faster, easier, or cheaper than IceCast....assuming you have IP at both ends of the link. (DSL, DOCSIS from your cable co., or even a EVDO mobile modem.)

Go to the basement, and dig out a couple of Celeron or Thunderbird-class junker computers, with decent soundcards. Go to SourceForge or OpenSuse, grab the latest full install DVD with BitTorrent, and make sure you include the ices2, libshout, libogg, and libvorbis libraries. Make sure each box has a decent sound card, and a fast ethernet card, and you're good to go!
There are a few stupid little Linux tricks that will make things much simpler, but I bet you could have a stereo 44 KHz. link up and running in an afternoon for beer money. If you need any tips on getting this running, shoot me a reply with a phone number.

Good Luck!
 
For an easy reciever, look for "RX", it was created by the same guy who does Sonos and MBL4, however it is now missing from his website. I hope someone here still has a copy: http://www.burnill.co.uk/

But it works great, plays AAC+ and MP3 audio automatically when opened.
 
For Vista and Windows 7 computers, Expression is the replacement for Encoder. However, Expression is NOT very user friendly. I have used Encoder at the studio, with a laptop on an air card as an emergency STL before with great results.

If your set on using Microsoft, Expression is free. Like I said before, it's not very user friendly, but it is basically the same as encoder with a lot more features for Vista or 7. It will function the same as encoder if you get all the setting right.
 
Windows Media Encoder is super simple. The problem with that for us is that some of our sites can't get high speed internet.

We've never had to do that, though. We have a backup STL and a frequency agile backup transmitter for our cluster.
 
I'm playing around at the moment and have set up a temporary Ustream channel. It's Sunday morning at 11:30AM ET. Check out Ustream Test. It's an AM station picked on on a wideband AM stereo radio as a source. The setup takes about 3 minutes to set up. There is no reason that Ustream could not be used as an (absolute) emergency STL, at least for an AM station.

If there is nothing at the link, I've taken it down. It's not intended to be a permanent broadcast channel.
 
Yes, UStream is a clever solution too. We use that when we do live 'mix' shows at one of my stations, so the listeners can see the action. It is actually pretty reliable.
 
NCH has a number of products that are free, or inexpensive, that might be of interest. Their "Broadwave" streaming audio server can handle up to 8 separate streams simultaneously, making it a nice solution for a cluster owner who needs to automate a backup STL for multiple stations. Price isn't bad - $129.00, and it could be free if you use it to stream to end users and put a link on your webpage.

Check it out at http://www.nch.com.au/streaming/index.html
 
I would love a copy of the old RX software ( Burnill.co.uk ) as a backup on my PC to the Barix Boxes and Telelinks that I am using

Anybody have a copy ?


I live in hope
 
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