Imediatouch Automation

[ChiefOperator]

Folks--

An AM station is looking at new automation. The station does live (local news and other local programs), remote assist, and satellite (also some music on weekend when in automation).

Feel free to comment on one or all of my questions below.

After looking at several systems, they have focused on the imediatouch system.
I'm looking for anyone with experience with this system. What are your thoughts? good or bad?

It's important to them that the system be user friendly and flexible for on-air and production. And they want to easily build logs and program clocks. And to easily make changes to the system (Imediatouch uses Natural Log?).

Also, this system supports *any* soundcard. Any suggestions for quality soundcards for this system? Imediatouch mentioned the usual Audioscience cards. They also mentioned the Delta 1010, the Delta 44, and some firewire hardware. Good or Bad? Any other suggestions on soundcards? Which cards are you using?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta1010-main.html

Finally, they may look at the PSI101 (nexgen101) as well. Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[menotti1]

I think you would like the ps101 from prophet, has an easier learning curve,and awesome support should you need it. you can just buy the modules you need.been running the nexgen 2 for years, can't kill it, much better than the ss32 i use to run.audio science 5111 cards work fine aroud 500.00.check radio classified ads,maybe someone has a used system you could get cheap.

 

[OttoM]

Hands down - get the PSI101. Prophet (now RCS) has the largest installed user base - meaning support when you need it. 101 also works with any sound card.

As for sound cards - get either the Audioscience or the Digigram VX442 (also around $600). For production, get an Echo MiaMIDI (about $120).

 

[ChiefOperator]

All--

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, I've heard many great things about the PSI101. But the station, I believe, is somewhat set on getting Imediatouch, so I'm soliciting comments on it.

Thanks!

 

[jingle_freek1]

As far as the audio card, stay away from the M-Audio. We had a Delta 1010 on the production computer and the quality of the audio was not good at all and it would tend to chop the audio at times. We have since changed to Audio Science 5111 and its untouchable. Great audio and have never had a minutes trouble out of it.

 

[Sgeirk]

Whatever you do don't scrimp on the soundcards, get the Audioscience BOB cards, or better.

I haven't heard horrible things about the I-touch, or whatever. I've worked with Vault, SS32, prophet cfs, bsi, maestro, both on the programming side and the engineering side. If I had the choice I wouldn't ever leave my on-air product up to anyone or anything else but prophet.

And the disc jockeys love it, too. Prophet wrote the book on voicetracking and wancasting. I've seen and heard it do some amazing things in the hands of talented folk. It's kind of a boring automation system compared to others, doesn't look as pretty, but it just works.

I don't work for cc and I don't live in Ogalalla, NE...either.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

iMediaTouch and satellite feeds do not get along all that well. It is good for live assist and automation scenarios, though.

Primary problem with iMT and satellite feeds was building the logs to...actually work.

 

[Robert Bass]

Regarding soundcards… Why spend so much $$$ for something so simple? Most soundcards today, even the ones usually sold in basic computers nowadays, provide outstanding audio quality. I have two PC’s at home with SoundMax cards that came with the computers and they are outstanding! The only minor drawback some might have is that the cards don’t have balanced inputs / outputs. But that’s a simple fix using an inexpensive universal line amp such as the RDL STA-1.

R

 

[DudeFan]

The MediaTouch interface is very easy to teach operators to use and it is great for live/live assist. Visually it is much better, IMHO, than Prophet or many of the others.

We're using M-Audio Delta 410 cards with MediaTouch. I don't have a single complaint about them. They sound great and just work.

Yes, you will need the tech support folks to help you set up your initial logs. But they are knowledgeable and OMT is very concerned about the product. We had an issue with an upgrade, and they responded ASAP.

As for the various configuration settings, its not hard to get it working out of the box without paying for on-site tech visits.

 

[Sgeirk]

Robert,

Why use a professional sound card? If your on-air product is really important, go with something known, reliable, and rugged with it's OWN balanced in's out's.

You have a better chance at a stable on-air machine if your decoding/encoding of mp2 compression takes place on a separate chipset, rather than the main CPU.

Losing a soundcard in an on-air machine can be a real pain. Best bet is to keep downtime and hassle to a minimum, don't scrimp.

 

[OttoM]

Regarding soundcards… Why spend so much $$$ for something so simple?

That's like asking why buy a Lexus when a Kia can do something "so simple" as get you where you want to go.

Yes, your SoundMax on-board audio chips will act like professional cards (thanks to DirectX) but anyone who's ever built or installed an on air playback system knows that professional sound cards are mandatory.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Imedia is great, but let me add a plug for BSI Simian. I've used it for several months and see lots of versatility. The price is reasonable.

Regarding soundcards, you should use the professional card but sometimes the budget won't allow it. A regular soundcard can work but understand there will be limitations.

 

[Robert Bass]

but anyone who's ever built or installed an on air playback system knows that professional sound cards are mandatory.

Not really. The one we use, can use any soundcard you want. It is designed specifically for that reason, to save $$$.

R

 

[Robert Bass]

You have a better chance at a stable on-air machine if your decoding/encoding of mp2 compression takes place on a separate chipset, rather than the main CPU.

I wouldn't use MP2's, much less MP3's. Wav's are the way to go.

R

 

[kenhawk1160]

Folks--

An AM station is looking at new automation. The station does live (local news and other local programs), remote assist, and satellite (also some music on weekend when in automation).

Feel free to comment on one or all of my questions below.

After looking at several systems, they have focused on the imediatouch system.
I'm looking for anyone with experience with this system. What are your thoughts? good or bad?

It's important to them that the system be user friendly and flexible for on-air and production. And they want to easily build logs and program clocks. And to easily make changes to the system (Imediatouch uses Natural Log?).

Also, this system supports *any* soundcard. Any suggestions for quality soundcards for this system? Imediatouch mentioned the usual Audioscience cards. They also mentioned the Delta 1010, the Delta 44, and some firewire hardware. Good or Bad? Any other suggestions on soundcards? Which cards are you using?

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta1010-main.html

Finally, they may look at the PSI101 (nexgen101) as well. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Call Jim DeCesare at Renda Broadcasting in Indiana, PA. (724) 465-4700. Tell him Ken Hawk sent you. They use MediaTouch for all four of their stations. I liked it when I was working there. It is NOT cheap, though. It's one of the few systems I've worked with that's not volatile.

 

[ChiefOperator]

I'll do that!

THank you everyone...

 

[dtos01]

What did you end up going with? MediaTouch? Enco?

 

[ChiefOperator]

dtos01--

For better or worse, management chose Imediatouch.

We'll see how it works out. Should be on-line in about one month...

Thanks!

 

[FatPunkBastard]

We run Imediatouch on 20-odd stations, all with Delta 66 or 1010. Its allright, but if you got the bucks go ahead and get Prohet. But, as far as day-to-day stuff, I have no bad experiences with running satellite, other than getting my traffic director to match the break slots I put in the templates when we first switched from SmartCaster. HD msuic is even simpler. I guess its easy to pick apart any product, but the only help-desk type calls I get are new people with obvious questions, and the odd total catastrophe, which everyone deals with at some time or another. By-and-large, it chugs along quite well.

 

[kenhawk1160]

dtos01--

For better or worse, management chose Imediatouch.

We'll see how it works out. Should be on-line in about one month...

Thanks!

Good luck with that. I think you'll be happy with it. Just tell your operators to remember to put it back in the "Auto On" mode when they're back into automation mode! That's one of the first things we had to get used to at Indiana!