OMT (iMediaTouch) Users Input Request

[aberdeenman]

I'm curious if annyone is using OMT for their AM, or News-Talker automation. Specifically if it involves switching from multiple sources and involves multiple closures.

The system "hard-codes" closures to their "ShowLog" window, so how would one implement using say....30 closures in total - not all at once of course, but switching from satellite A to satellite B, and no longer listening to A's closures, etc.

I understand I could just map 1-to-1 but it seems to limit me to how many buttons I have on the showlog window (26....ish-I'm not looking at one atm).

The AudioVault system would allow me to change the entire configuration relating to relay closures, so that it would STOP listening to one satellite's closures and start listening to another's (knowing that other programs on those satellites might send UN-USED closures)

OMT is a bit more "hard-wired" in that you change the relay closure settings in the On-Air application via the On Air Config/Feeds section.


Is there a third-party "listen to this, not that" box for closures?

 

[DudeFan]

We don't have to integrate Sat into our programming, so I can't give you any real specifics. But I believe you can use the program log and commands in the log to do what you need to do and switch feeds with an outboard Broadcast Tools switcher, hence bypassing Showlog. You can also use command lines in the log to load a different Showlog, as well. So, e.g., at 12:00:01, load ShowLog "Limbo," and at 15:00:01, load Showlog "Manatee." Because the number of Showlogs is essentially unlimited, you can have unlimited numbers of closures.

My apologies if I totally misunderstood what you need to do.

 

[Lazy J]

I hope I can shed some light. I am certainly not good with OMT, but I have used this trick on SS and NEXGEN. We use Broadcast Tools switchers and do a ground-matrix. On the BT switchers, they have an GND pin that is tied to each input position. That pin (OC 1-8) is only activated when that input is selected. (i.e. OC1 to GND when Input 1 is selected, OC 2-8 are floating.) So, you can stack all of your closures on the various PIP 1-16 inputs and put the ground for that input on OC1.

Example:
Source 1 is an ABC XDS. You use 3 closures from this receiver. (Local Break, Legal ID, Liner) Each relay has a high and a common. I would wire Relay 1 high into PIP1, Relay 2 high into PIP2, Relay 3 high into PIP3. The common for all 3 goes to OC1. Source 2 is a Premiere XDS. Relays 1,2,3 high ALSO go to PIP 1,2,3. BUT the common goes to OC2. And so on.

This way, ABC can send relays all day long, but they won't appear in OMT until source 1 is selected, putting OC1 to ground. That way you can setup all of your shows in OMT to look for closures on 1,2,3 etc. Only the closures for the source selected will show up.

 

[ChiefOperator]

We're using iMediatouch for our AM. I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you talking about firing a showlog cart from a closure only during certain times?

Typically, you would assign closures to different feeds that play on the event side (PTA). Normally, you would assign a feed to a specific showlog cart only if you wish to fire a local liner over a network music bed.

Is that what you're asking?

 

[aberdeenman]

yes that's what I was looking for, Lazy you do indeed rock, I hadn't thought of just pulling the ground from each feed and tying it to the OC - punchblock ahoy!!

I'm learning to love those simple-stupid switchers.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The only thing that you need to implement on the Showlog window is audio cuts (e.g. return liners and TOH IDs). You should put your audio feeds in the main program log. Then use the iMediaTouch "load showlog" command on the log to switch.

So a sample hour:
08:00:00: ABC news feed 08
08:03:00: 2:00 Stopset
08:04:59: Load Showlog Ramsey
08:05:00: Begin Dave Ramsey Feed 05
.
.
.
08:59:00 1:00 Stopset
09:00:00 ABC News Feed 08
09:03:00 3:00 Stopset
09:05:59 Load Showlog Ingraham
09:06:00 Begin Laura Ingraham Feed 04

and so on.
When you're using feed 04 (Ingraham), a closure to start a local break sent by Dave Ramsey's feed will be ignored. Since you changed the showlog, a return liner or legal ID closure would also be ignored.

One thing about what LazyJ wrote: I might be reluctant to do this with MediaTouch. Let's use a music format for an example. I have a 3:00 optional stopset with a return liner at the end. My break might run half a second long, and the closure would be ignored, giving me seven seconds of dead air. These slightly long breaks are actually planned. The satellite jocks often don't pot down the optional song before sending the return liner closure, so having extra audio (in this case, silence) at the end of my break makes the station sound a little better.

 

[ChiefOperator]

Okay,

Yes, all of your feeds for normal network programming should be scheduled in the main log and played from the PTA side. On the showlog side, you would have only the network return liner and possibly the legal IDs.

We have feeds assigned for each of our network services (played from the PTA side). Our showlogs for the network programming contain only the network return liner.

 

[aberdeenman]

Yeah Lazy J nailed it, I understand that you would just use the showlog for the return liners and ID's - my problem in concept was what if one satellite ID is at 59:50, and one is at 59:56...ok so you'd use multiple showlogs, but now you're using two showlog buttons for an ID (to cover two seperate feeds), if you spread that example out over 6 or seven seperate feeds and now your getting close to the max showlog buttons which is 24. The ground matrix covers this since then it doesn't listen to un-used closures regardless.

Something to remember, Showlog always listens to closures unless you turn it off globally. period. so without a ground matrix I would have had to have seperate showlog buttons (24) to ignore un-used closures - not just showlogs (infinite).

edit: now if the showlogs would allow you to assign closures, similar to the way the PTA-side feeds allow you to, this problem would be solved. in the end I think they didn't imagine a station would be using more than 24 closures total.

 

[ChiefOperator]

Okay, that may be the way to go.