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Logging / Skimming

G

gettinbyagain

So I am in need of an automatic logger / skimmer for an FM station. What is everyone using these days? Must be hard drive / solid state based and web accessible etc. Has anyone used any of the Sonifex units? Thoughts?

Thanks!
 
I use the Telos product for logging/skimming. It's called "Profiler." Very easy to setup and use.
You can also use the zillenbiller product mentioned above - "Aircheck." You can create a batch file to dump daily recordings into an archive if you do not want to pay $99US for license.
 
I've used "Aircheck" at several stations. It's probably not as nice as the Telos or BSI product, but for the bucks it is well "worth it". Get a stable hand-me-down computer, set it up and you're good to go. You can use something like logmein to get into the machine and email files to yourself if you need remote access. Although a little tricky to get working right at first, the contact closure option does work, and very well through the parallel port, to have the thing automatically skim with the mic switch/on-air light relay.
 
Use BSI, Aircheck and iLogger at various places.

Aircheck is the simplest, cheapest solution. You can trigger it from a closure on LPT1, provided you get a machine that still has an LPT port!

If you're looking for web access, check out BSI. Of course, on the cheap you can do "web access" with VNC, but it's not as controlled as BSI.
 
My own logger/airchecker, SureLog, will work on any "average" PC: http://www.charliedavy.co.uk/surelog.php It'll handle hourly (or continuous) files and can also start/stop via contact-closure - Great for snooping/podcasts etc. Records to MP3/WAV.

As for the Sonifex machines, they're pretty good boxes - especially if you're not willing/able to put a PC in.
 
Yes that is the SoniFlex. I think I may check out the iLogger product as I would like a matched hardware / software solution .... and the budget will allow.
 
Sounds good. I'm very familiar with iMediatouch/Logger because many of my stations use it. Be aware that, like the others programs listed, it's a software program loaded onto a computer (our computers are custom rackmount builds, not off-the-shelf). Now, the software works very well--rock solid at each site. Start/stop/pause commands can come off the LPT port.

Be aware that iMediatouch releases updates, and usually you must maintain a paid service contract to receive these updates. I don't know if that's true for the purchase of just the logger. Something to talk to them about.

http://www.imediatouch.com/products_imedialogger.html

That said, if you're simply going to record a single channel, I think the other solutions suggested would work just as well for you. I wish to mention this in case the imediaLogger is too expensive for you.

Let us know how it works out.

-CO
 
I use both iMediaLogger and BSI Skimmer.

Go with Skimmer. The price is lower, the product is just as good, and the built in web browser functions of Skimmer make it a breeze for talent to download their airchecks. You can set up conditional user accounts, so they can't go screwing up your finely tuned system.

I'm also not a fan of MediaTouch's "support", if you could call it that. For what you want to do, very expensive and very little actual support. I had culture shock after dealing with Prophet/RCS for so many years.
 
WNTIRadio said:
I'm also not a fan of MediaTouch's "support", if you could call it that. For what you want to do, very expensive and very little actual support. I had culture shock after dealing with Prophet/RCS for so many years.
Click to expand...

How true. For the yearly costs, the support should be MUCH more than it is. I've never been impressed with iMediatouch support, although I do like the software. I also agree that software other than iMediaLogger would work well for his situation.
 
I am an AudioVault Flex user, but for logging, I am all BSI. Skimmer Plus is a fantastic value for the money and works great. I use an ASI 8 Input Card and log our 4 FM's in stereo.
 
So for the ppl using skimmer... Do you use a rackmount pc? If so... What kind ?
Secondly.... For everyone. What tuners do you use ?
Thanks!
 
I use the ASI audio card as I mentioned in my post. Feed it with the same audio that feeds the streaming encoders. The card is cheaper than the tuner module and provides a nicer 'archive' sound, if you want to grab bits for a best of show.
 
We use BSI skimmer and it's great. Our computer is just a generic rack-mount chassis and we have two ASI 5600 series sound cards installed. It's better than using tuner cards because you can put any audio you want into it. We log the PGM audio and we skim the mics. The PD's like the web server, because they can easily listen to the air checks from their office. I would recommend the BSI skimmer.

There is also a company called Stirlitz Media that makes a very fancy logger. I've used it once and it was great, but I seem to recall it being expensive. Worth looking into though.
http://www.stirlitzmedia.com/
 
I've used Stirlitz. It is, indeed, very good. But it's very expensive as noted, and support is not in the continental US.

I recommend Aircheck or Profiler to my clients, depending upon the depth of their pockets :) Both are excellent at what they do.

-- Doc
 
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