Easy to use software to automate part 15 station

That's easy.. How about free? Zara Radio. Nice program, easy learning curve.
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/ZaraRadio-Download-26224.html

And welcome to the board!

Rich is correct, Zararadio is great software for automation and it is really flexible, i use it as well. I think you'll be happy with it once you try it out.

Good Luck with your new station and welcome!

I too use Zara Radio Automation, it's free and can't be beat.

Well I must be the exception here and say I found that software quite useless for my stations. Although it is simple to use, that is not why I do not prefer Zara but simply because it lacks functionality for what I need automation software to do...which is being capable of interfacing with switchers and break out boxes and taking net cue closures and airing station ID's precisely when they are supposed to air..as well as the breaks.

I run two sets of automation software programs. SAM for the internet side, and Maestro for the CC AM.

RFB

because it lacks functionality for what I need automation software to do...which is being capable of interfacing with switchers and break out boxes and taking net cue closures and airing station ID's precisely when they are supposed to air..as well as the breaks.

Well.. To show my ignorance - I really don't know what switchers, break out boxes and net cue closures are...
But as for the capability of airing station ID's precisely when they are supposed to air (and at the breaks); Zara can do that.

But as for the capability of airing station ID's precisely when they are supposed to air (and at the breaks); Zara can do that.

Perhaps...that is if the computer clock is precisely accurate.

However for its basic capabilities, it cannot take net cue closures sent down by a live news network to take the break, or take the cue closure to come out of programing, air an ID, then take network....cut away for a local 3 min break, back to network...and cue closure out of network back into end break. It cannot interface with and talk to the outside world to other equipment and is not hard coded to do things like that via the computer's com ports..usb or serial.

Net cue closures are signals sent down across a radio network to trigger individual station breaks, liners, ID's etc.

Break out boxes are like distribution amps, but with the capability of computer interfacing so as to "route" signals to certain places like recorders, other audio chains etc. These are mostly used for off the air functions to catch news feeds and such, as well as trigger the recording equipment..computers or other gear.

Switchers are like the break out boxes, except they are on the air. They directly interface with the automation program and network delivery system and other gear like EAS and STL. The switcher talks to the automation computer and gets its instructions on where to switch sources based on either the automation software, or the net cue closures which also tell the automation software when to start the break or liners or ID's. Highly accurate to within a fraction of a second.

I don't discourage the use of Zara, if it fills your needs its a good program for those particular needs. However for my stations..it does not meet the stations needs and is why I do not use it and use programs that can perform those functions I described above.

RFB

At the time an automation system was put in a local TV station I was a staff announcer, and really became entranced by the split-second accuracy that grabbed ABC-TV Net programs.

For it to work, each piece had to run an exact length, otherwise something would get chopped before it was finished.

Today, with part 15, almost all of the programs carried here are of NTTSL (Never Twice The Same Length). One week a particular show is 84-minutes, the next week it is 1-hr 42-min.

What good is a clock based automation program with that kind of NTTSL?

For you who use Zara or SAM or some other, what does it do when a program runs short or long?

Whew.. Right!
Ok - sounds advanced. Perhaps a considerable more advanced then most Part15 setups (I assume).

It kind of reminds me in a way, of way back when my IBM 386 computer with it's 4mb of memory and my external 28k modem did everything I wanted it to do. And when I upgraded to a 486, that 386 became a backup.. and when I got my first pentium, I could never so much as consider using the 486 ever again, so I put a bunch of arcade games on them and gave both old machines away to the kids of some friends, and they were awestruck!.. of course this was before everyone had at least one computer in their house.

So presently, I suppose Zararadio is now my 386, it does everything I need it to do. At present, all those advance capabilities your talking about is somewhere in the future - when the pentiums come out.

At the very least, Zararadio is a very capable automation program, and it's free, and will do everything most part15ers will ever need to do (again, I assume).

For you who use Zara or SAM or some other, what does it do when a program runs short or long?

Well for those programs, and I will use SAM as an example as I use that for my internet side of the station. You can create what is called a "PAL" script and tell it to dump whatever is in the deck playing at a specific time, load the next file into the deck, and play it and so on.

But the flaw with that for matching up the timing to network is that there is no external triggering for net cue closures to perform that function precisely. Even with a sync time program to keep the clock accurate, the SAM program itself, as with Zara, does not have the decks working off that real time clock, so you end up with "drift" which can be clearly seen in the queue block and the ETA (Estimated Time to Air) shift by as much as 3 seconds within a 1 hour period.

Not good for precision programing.

The ironic thing with SAM with the decks not locked to the real time clock..is that they incorporate tempo and pitch functions. Now one would think the software engineers would allow those functions to be controllable with the clock so that during the program, SAM could adjust the program to "FIT" properly in the time allotted with little to no notice of any tempo or pitch shifting of the program while it adjusts it on the fly.

RFB

At the very least, Zararadio is a very capable automation program, and it's free, and will do everything most part15ers will ever need to do

True. It is a good program for basic functionality relating to Part 15 in general. Although I do not use it, I do have it installed on the production computer for assistance in assembling pre-recorded programs such as my station's "Z-Files" show, which I host with 2 co-hosts and we use "TeamSpeak" to have the ability for duplex communication during taping of the program. I sometimes will fire up the Zara if there are sound clips of news or other.

RFB

That "Teamspeak" sounds interesting, I never heard of it and just now glanced over the site. Price sounds real reasonable, is that do much better than Skype?

There is a freebie version of the server and client. And unlike Skype where you have to have minute credits to have calls from land lines or cell phones, TeamSpeak does not require credits because it works totally in the computer and internet environment.

They also have leased servers, which I recommend using if you plan to do live interviews or have audience participation. This prevents the world from connecting directly to your IP address...unlike Skype that always requires connecting to your IP.

It is very secure and the sound quality is superb. You can get an idea of how it sounds by going to my station's "Z-POD" page and listen or download an episode of "The Z-Files" program.

The link is in the left menu..or can be accessed from the following link.

http://www.krocksradioone.com/zpod/index.php?cat=THE%20Z-FILES

The show has 6 episodes to date. The program is on temporary hold till I locate a replacement co-host as one of them had to bail due to issues with family etc.

RFB

I know Zara will take ATMF tones, but I seriously doubt anyone uses those anymore.
I know unless you have something set to immediately start, Zara will finish playing the file until it is done. personally I hate SAMS, but that's just me.

Personally I hate SAMS, but that's just me.

I hear that. I am not a very big fan of it either...simply because you almost have to be a computer programmer and know PAL scripting just to make it come within 1/2 mile of actually being a real automation program....would have saved me 6 grand of having to purchase a used Maestro system...but had to do it if I wanted my CC station to conform to actual broadcasting standards as well as work properly with CNN radio news and CSNN, the Wyoming State News Network as well as Dial Global.

RFB