What was I complaining about?
At first I couldn't get the Stereotool Standalone Version to fit the Zara v1.6 setup, and was suffering serious doubts about the audio quality coming unprocessed from Zara.
However, I went back, just like an insane person repeating failed behavior, and figured out the rather advanced means of configuring Stereotool Standalone to do its job in the streaming sound path.
Of several benefits to using Stereotool, there is the bandpass setting which I use to limit the frequency response to match the FCC regs for our SSTran AM Transmitters.
Just in time for Christmas.
Einstein was half right about insanity being shown by repeating failed behavier and expecting a different result.
That makes me half right.
The back of my brain whispered to me that this link-up of all this stuff couldn't possibly work the way I thought it was, so I drew a signal map and discovered that the Stereotool Standalone feed was driving my AM transmitters, but not the Encoder/stream.
Like any person with half-a-brain I rationalized and think maybe that's good enough.
Join the ALPB.
The website shown in the Zara Radio V 1.6.2 Manual is no good, and only brings a general "Related Websites" menu, many radio related destinations.
A number of download sites found by a StartPage Search are loaded with malware, spyware and adware, and often fail to yield an actual Zara download.
It appears that "Zara Radio" has been renamed "Zara Studio," and can be found at
Here you can find the Free Edition Zara Radio V 1.6.2.
There is no evidence that there is actually a V 1.6.2.2, although that number appears on some download sites.
The newest version is available for purchase, Zara Studio V 2.2. My search was unable to locate a price quotation.
Zara Studio V 2.2 has a redesigned look and allows using both the parallel and serial ports for various automated control.
As mentioned above, ver 1.6.2 has 4 aux players while the 1.6.2.2 only has 2. Other than that I didn't notice any obvious difference but I didn't look to far.
When using ZaraRadio with Shoutcast, I haven't figured out how to get the current song to display in ShoutCast/Winamp.
There is a 3rd party utility program called ZaraWeb RDS which will handle that. It takes the "CurrentSong.txt" file generated by Zara and uploads it to where you direct it, like to your webpage.
It can also generate a count-down signal (5 beeps) to signal on the hour, half hour or both.
I appreciate the information just given by MRAM.
I was wondering about the problem that Zara 1.6.2 doesn't pass through the metadata title information. MRAM has shown a solution.
And regarding those four extra players, what is the purpose of those? I can't think of a reason to have all those added players.
The extra players come in handy if you are doing a live show. You can load your ad's, station ids to them and play when they are needed. The small playlist's work just like the main one. I set Zara up like that on the community station I used to manage, then the dj's didnt have to worry about loading in the ad's even if they were playing cd's.
I dont use it this way myself, I run a second copy of Zara and have all my events programed in with the event schedular. To open a second Zara , just click on the shortcut icon and it will start a second copy.
I downloaded the free ZaraRDS and, at least now, find it different than described by MRAM above.
"RDS" stands for "Radio Data System," a method by which station play information is sent by an electronic device in the chain driving an FM exciter/transmitter, for display on RDS equipped FM radios.
The ZaraRDS Help Information describes two such encoding devices and their vendors.
No implication is made that ZaraRDS can be used to send stream titles, known as "metadata."
Also, no provision exists nor is mentioned for generating Zara Radio Time Signals using ZaraRDS.
Changing our attention to Zara Radio V 1.6.2, in the Manual, Page 20, the section OPTIONS/ Tags has a check-box to "Enable Tags."
So called "Tags" are in fact the Metadata from, for example, an MP3 file, giving Title and Artist information.
Upon close reading we see that ID3 Version 1 Tags are supported, and all my files have been written using ID3 Version 2 Tags, so I need to do a lot of editing before I can test whether this sends the Tags to the stream encoder.
In the meantime I have posted the overall Metadata Title "ON THE AIR" via the Edcast Encoder. Not all encoders allow doing this.
Carl, there is a program called ZaraRDS as you described. The program I referred to is ZaraWebRDS. When you search for it make sure you have ZaraWebRDS ver 1.2.
If you can't find it let me know and I can put it up on my website Zara page.
Here is a screen shot of the setup page for ZaraWebRDS:
I have uploaded and linked ZaraWebRDS v1.2 and user manual to my Zara page.
Goto http://mram.50webs.com/index_files/page4.htm where you will find the links under ZaraRadio User manual.
The excitement has just kicked in again, and I will be searching for and testing the ZaraWebRDS!
Another question remains, what differences might exist in the fabled V1.6.2.2 besides the 2-Extra Auxiliary Playlists instead of 4 (as with V 1.6.2).
Here are two things to check for...
Does V 1.6.2.2 provide for MP3 ID3 Version 2 Tags?
V 1.6.2 only has ID3 Version 1 Tags, which are pretty much out of use by most MP3 audiofiles.
I have noted that Zara Studio V2.2 Does have ID3 Version 2 Tags.
In an experiemnt, I have been running a sequence of MP3 programs with ID3 Version 1 Tag Metadata added, showing Title and Artist, but they are not appearing on the other end of the Edcast Encoder for the listener to see.
Another significant upgrade exists in Zara Studio V 2.2, and that is a Configurable AGC (Automatic Gain Control), whereas the V 1.6.2 only has a non-configurabgle AGC, although it works rather well.
Oh, and one more improvement seen in Zara Studio 2.2 which does affect me, it has added FLAC of FLAK audio files.
One last thing... I have been unable to locate the mysterious V 1.6.2.2. It is not posted at Zara Studio's website.
AH! I BEAT THE EDITOR CLOCK AND HAVE A LINK
It seems that mamber Rich Powers has gone through the same difficulty finding Zara files as I have, so he extends the courtesy of providing not only a link to ZaraRadioWebRDS, but an Instruction Sheet prepared by a helpful person.
Oh drat, the link isn't in my Copy Cache! It's at End 80 Radio. Linked somewhere on this website. Let us know.
Here is Rich Powers End 80 Radio Link for ZaraWebs RDS.
Evidentally it is not a public access page.
http://www.end80radio.com/zarawebs_rds.htm
ZaraWEB RDS crashes on startup.
The Instruction Manual supplied as an HTML page is in Spanish.
Has anyone actually used this tool and gotten it to work?
MINUTES LATER A SOLUTION
Originally I used the option to install in a different location other than the C: drive. That's when it failed.
By Uninstalling and re-installing in the C: drive it opens properly.
Other programs have allowed me to put them in a different drive other than C:
With scant description I am puzzled and unable to configure ZaraWEB RDS, so I hope to find explanations for two sections of the setup window.
In the picture posted above look at HTML PLAYLIST GENERATOR.
The scribbled "as is" instruction posted with the End 80 Radio download of ZaraWEB RDS says: "In Path to ZaraRadio's 'current song.txt' file: will put the path to the 'current song.txt' created by Zara.
"Is something like this - C:Program FilesZaraSoftZaraRadioCurrentSong.txt."
But Zara does not create such a txt file.
Next turn your attention to the right side top of the picture above WEBSERVER.
HOST: the address of your FTP site type ftp://yoursite.com
But, what FTP site? Where is it? Does it exist?
Then, REMOTE DIRECTORY: "This is the folder on your server where you want to publish the current song. Example: public_html / radio /"
Without better documentation this utility may be useless.
After reading the Google translated manual, I decided the translation needed more translation. So, I have done just that trying to make it more understandable.
Carl has many questions. I can tell you that ZaraWeb RDS does in fact work once you figure it out.
Here is a link to my Playlist file: http://mram.50webs.com/playlist.html
Some of the song titles are a bit crytic as I don't have MP3 tags for all the files.
You should find the CurrentSong.txt file in the ZaraRadio program folder. I find it in both the v1.4.4 and the v1.6.2 versions of ZaraRadio.
The FTP address will be the FTP address of the server where your webpage is located. For instance my webpage address is http://mram.50webs.com and the ftp address is ftp.mram.50webs.com. Yours will depend on the web server you are using.
Your website files reside on a server, be it your home PC or an Internet service provider. Usually, your files reside in a sub directory of your URL address such as "public_files". This is a way to partition some of your web server files away from public access while allowing public access of others.
With a little help, you'll have ZaraWeb RDS up in no time...
I sent a message to display on my playlist file to demonstrate the Message option.
I also noticed I never set my Station Name so that was also corrected and shows in the title bar of the web browser.
The Starfield has been activated.
The footer was changed to show my Station name.
Thanks for making me read the manual!