Okay fellow LP'ers, I have taken an objective look at my setup and realize I have been stuck in a rut for a long time. I am ready for a refresh and renewal in January.
Nothing will change with my transmitter. Inspired by a classic Radio World article from twenty years ago, I bought a second-hand LPB AM-2000 which I am still intensely happy with. My music format, which is '70s through '90s with a novelty "atomic bachelor lounge" feature, will advance a bit to include some 2000-2010 material. What I need is some inspiration as to changing from my current audio management automation software to something more useful, modern, flexible and affordable.
Likewise, I am long past the point where I should have closed out Cool Edit '96 (yes, that is what I said) as my audio production environment of-choice, and switch to something reasonably priced and a lot more in tune with the times.
I know what I am doing for on-air content. But help me to see what I am missing in terms of modern affordable studio tech. Don't tell me what's out there in general as I can see it everywhere on the web. What I want to know is what YOU are using that YOU like and gets the job done to YOUR satisfaction.
Thanks, and Happy New Year.
As a footnote, a lot of you will look back on my earlier messages to see references to Mixxx, CartWall, Audacity etc. Very true, I have dabbled and still do. But I am not happy with any of them.
If I were to tear the whole room out and put in all-new everything that will allow me to do the basics with space to be creative, that is what I am after. Your opinions and choices are welcome and appreciated.
All I Know
I would have suggested Audacity as an audio recording and editing program but you beat me to it by downing it based on your experience.
Since Audacity does everything I can imagine with audio I wonder what could be bad about it?
The LPB AM-2000 is a mystery to most LPB fans today who have found them to be rare and not even a circuit drawing has been circulated.
Automation-wise I'm very garden variety with Zara at the hub of operation after building earlier with Winamp and its handy DSP Chain.
The "Atomic Bachelor Lounge" sounds like what we call our "Upper Management Lounge".
I too question the issues with Audacity. I have used it for at least 10 years doing professional voice overs and production for thousands of clients the world over, including major ad agencies who paid me obscene amounts of money for work done on free software. Granted Audacity can be a tad awkward compared to some of the high buck programs but it's free, cross platform, and has been proven to be bug and issue free and stabile , at least within the Mac world. I also use it at work (commercial broadcast radio) each and every day (when I'm not forced to use Audition on the company PC's). I've never found it unable to do what I need it to do. Heck, the Oompah Hour is produced in Audacity, each and every week, along with a lot of other long form programs as well.
The only other audio recording program I've used is Adobe Audition. Not cheap, and with many added complexities that I don't need, but am forced to use it in the studios at work, except for work I can do in my own office at work (I provide myself my own Mac in my office at work and use Audacity there).
When it comes to things like audio programs, it really is whatever you get used to. Once you get a good work flow going with one program, everything else seems wrong. I use Audacity and Audition on a daily basis, but prefer Audacity and it's free 🙂
TIB
I am not really against Audacity, and I suppose if nothing better comes down the pike that is what I will go with. It is visually easy to navigate and has a solid collection of built-in effects and processing. But if there is anything else I should be considering, I am eager to know.
If there is anything I really want to investigate, it is something to replace my playout software with. Whatever everyone is using, let's hear it.
Don't know that my advise would be too useful for automation software, as I'm one of the few (very few I suspect) using a mac for Part 15 programming. I use Megaseg. It wasn't free -- I believe licensing the software cost about $200. But it has run flawlessly and without so much as a glitch for about 5 years. I handles thousands of songs, three different formats (regular, Christmas, and Serbian Christmas) with the click of the mouse, plays the commercials correctly, and automatically downloads and plays the news, etc.
It is also very handy for going "live". just put in a "Pause" and when it stops click the microphone and whatever is plugged into the designated audio input (be it the actual computers line in, or USB audio in) it goes on the air, in my case the line out from a mixer. You can simply plug in a mic and go live playing songs and spots out of the automation as you go along if you like, or in my case I go to the studio mixer and run CD's, records, tapes, mics, etc and when I'm done just click the next item on the auto list and it goes back to the auto format.
I alike things simple and reliable. I don't believe the program offers anything in the way of processing, etc. But I prefer hardware processing -- and the processing that's included in a Procaster has been plenty for me.
So, mac guys may want to take look at it.
TIB
For automation I've always been stuck on Zara, for about ten years now. It's extremely dependable and has always done everything I would want from it, and it's easy to figure out.,.
However another one called "MB Studio" has recently caught my attention that not only features the automatic time and weather announcements I like with Zara, but also automatic song or program announcements which I think is cool. You can tag songs and insert markers right from the program, and it has much better playlist control than Zara. -- One really cool thing I've not seen before is that it can even accept song request via email or text message that it will compare to it's music library and if it has it will add to the playlist! Cool huh?
About the only thing I don't like about ZaraRadio is that it looks like it was built for Windows 3.1.. Sure, it's true you can't judge a book by it's cover, Zara is a lot nicer than it looks.. but.. https://www.mbradio.it/en/mb-studio/mb-studio-overview MB Studio has a much more modern interface, appears it may not be much of a learning curve and it does more, particularly if you plan to do any online streams:
I'm planning to give it some experimentation and see if it's as rock hard stable as Zara is.
oh.. forgot to mention, like Zara it's available in both paid and free versions.
Scratch MB Studio.. the free version has none of the features making it a worthwhile consideration. The pro version is cool but coast $800
Sticking with ZaraRadio