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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 7, 2017 3:49:19 GMT
First I hope this is the appropriate place to post this. As I have said in other posts, I am still waiting for my AMT-5000 to arrive, but I realize that most of my range and audience, if any, will come from streaming on the Internet and not from broadcasting on the AM BCB. Also most of my neighbors are Amish farmers and I'm not sure they even have radios! It's not correct that they cannot use electricity, they just cannot be dependent on "the grid", which would be too worldly. Many of them do have wind turbines and solar panels for the electricity that they need.
I have installed Zara and registered with Shoutcast and possibly with caster.fm. I am wondering if caster.fm is even functioning. It took two weeks once I opened a ticket with the latter about not being able to log in before I got a reply telling me my problem might be that the username I registered with might already be in use. I realize anything is possible but it just seems to me very unlikely that the usernames I tried, jimhenry, jimhenry2000, and HoneyBrookRadio were already in use. I kept trying other user names and finally got it to accept one but I then have to wait for a confirmation email and it has been over 24 hours and still no confirmation email for me to use to activate my account. Is anyone using that service successfully?
Well that was just an aside. My registration with Shoutcast seemed to go smoothly. So now I am wondering, using Zara for my playlist, how do I get that fed to either Shoutcast or Caster.fm? The Shoutcast instuctions mention setting up your encoder but searching Zara's help file gives no hits on encoder so is some other software required? Also do I need to install a second sound card, one for AM BCB broadcasting and another for streaming to an Internet service like Shoutcast?
Also, MIXERS: seems like one is needed since I see so many references to them, but why and what is their purpose?
Thanks everyone for any light you can shed for me.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 4:21:00 GMT
Stream HelpAs mentioned previously in another thread by Admin (MRAM 1500) you can use the BUTT Encoder. The audio output of Zara set to point to BUTT Encoder, the BUTT Encoder points to the Shoutcast Server software. Three modules all linked together. I don't do it that way so we'll wait for Admin (MRAM 1500) to provide any more details. LINK TO BUTT ENCODER TOOL
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 7, 2017 7:56:05 GMT
Thanks Carl I will check it out. Stream HelpAs mentioned previously in another thread by Admin (MRAM 1500) you can use the BUTT Encoder. The audio output of Zara set to point to BUTT Encoder, the BUTT Encoder points to the Shoutcast Server software. Three modules all linked together. I don't do it that way so we'll wait for Admin (MRAM 1500) to provide any more details. LINK TO BUTT ENCODER TOOL |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2017 17:32:23 GMT
YouTube VideosWondering what YouTube has for Zara or Shoutcast it turns out they have a batch... I haven't watched these, but maybe you'll find something useful. Zara On YouTubeShoutcast On YouTube
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Post by Admin on Jan 18, 2017 22:32:08 GMT
I should get on here more often but have been busy remodeling our bathroom.
Yes, BUTT will take your audio and stream it to a server which in turn streams it to listeners.
The server can be a service such as Listen2MyRadio (free) or you can install ShotCast server on your PC and host it yourself if your internet connection will allow.
Setting up BUTT is fairly straightforward. ShoutCast server a bit more intimidating but not bad. It's just that it has way more parameters than you need to change.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 19, 2017 2:41:28 GMT
So will BUTT, or Shoutcast, or any other application allow you to send your stream to both your transmitter AND the Internet? Any other software or hardware required? Thanks again! Jim I should get on here more often but have been busy remodeling our bathroom. Yes, BUTT will take your audio and stream it to a server which in turn streams it to listeners. The server can be a service such as Listen2MyRadio (free) or you can install ShotCast server on your PC and host it yourself if your internet connection will allow. Setting up BUTT is fairly straightforward. ShoutCast server a bit more intimidating but not bad. It's just that it has way more parameters than you need to change. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 1:19:19 GMT
Streaming and Local Audio MonitoringJim Henry I just found your post that's been up for 22-hours! Don't know why I didn't find it earlier. You have asked: " So will BUTT, or Shoutcast, or any other application allow you to send your stream to both your transmitter AND the Internet? Any other software or hardware required? Thanks again!" With Zara as the Playlist from which audio programs are scheduled the Audio Output of Zara without additional software or applications can be assigned to EITHER the transmitter OR the BUTT Encoder for streaming, but that's not what you want or need. The solution is a software application known as a "Virtual Audio Cable" which enables sending the Zara Output to BOTH the transmitter AND BUTT Encoder. There is a free one and a paid one, several of us are using the free one without problems. VB Cable - Virtual Audio CableI am telling you this as a best educated guess, because my setup is different and too complicated to try to explain at this stage in your building process. MRAM 1500 and a few others actually apply the system I'm talking about here, and when they add their comments it may be further helpful.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 4:00:32 GMT
I use the paid version of Virtual Audio Cable (when I purchased it the free one wasn't available).
It allows you to set up multiple 'soft' cables on your computer. You then assign various outputs and inputs to these cables as if they physically exist.
As an example, I've created 2 cables, VAC1 & VAC2. I assign the output of Zara Radio to VAC1. I do software audio processing using VSTHost - I assign the input to VAC1, and the output, after processing, to VAC2. To broadcast over-the-air, I use a utility that came with VAC - Audio Repeater - assign VAC2 as input and my computer's speaker jack as output (which is then routed to the transmitter). To generate my stream, I use Standalone EdCast, with input being either VAC1 or VAC2, depending on the source material, which determines if I want it processed or not.
I use Icecast as my streaming server, and create the connection to IceCast, including a mount point, within EdCast. Icecast can run on the same computer as everything else, or, if you are supporting large numbers of users, on a separate computer.
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Post by End80 on Jan 20, 2017 5:13:22 GMT
2 cables VAC1 + VAC2 Zara to VSTHost input to over air Repeater output routed, and Ed is standing by himself cause he's been cast out.
Hmm... I think I got it.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 12:20:58 GMT
Getting Into It
During this discussion of setting up streaming and monitoring in one computer I realized during REM (Rapid-Eye-Movement dreaming) that the way DavidC, MRAM 1500 and others are inter-connected using BUTT was possibly more simple and straight-forward than the elaborate way I have my system configured.
This morning between 4 and 6 AM CST I re-worked everything but became brain-clogged before it was working completely, so have temporarily given up.
Since live coverage of the Inaugural Ceremonies starts at 7 AM CST and I will be streaming it, I decided to return to the (to me) familiar way of doing things until the next opportunity to experiment with changes.
For Jim Henry: Once I know what I'm doing I'll document it in a step-by-step description that might help you solve this puzzle. I know it can be perplexing.
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Post by End80 on Jan 20, 2017 13:19:37 GMT
You just don't seem to be getting much help..
I'm hesitant to comment, but its seems to reason that you need to feed Zara's output to a mixer - which not only will give you better control of adjustments and volumes, as well as the ability of using multiple microphones if needed, and other equipment.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, the mixer then outputs the audio TO BOTH the transmitter AND ALSO back into the computer, to which, with the assistance of the virtual audio cables and encoder is all set to stream to the internet.
The mixer also provides a means of having two different audio adjustment setting controls, because you probably will want the audio settings sent to your transmitter to be different than that of the audio going to your stream.. One example: you'll probably send stereo to the stream, and mono for your AM transmitter, and different equalization and such too.
That's my two cents, I hope I was clear enough, but I'll leave it Mram to spell it out better when he gets a chance - He's much better versed on the subject, but that's the way I had done it during my experimentation a few years ago and it worked for me.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 14:14:43 GMT
Just to add to End80's comments, the mixer doesn't have to be hardware. Programs such as VSTHost support various types of plugins, such as compressors, equalizers, mixers, etc.
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Post by mighty1650 on Jan 20, 2017 15:27:51 GMT
I've always preferred hardware over software so I've never really tried out the software based solutions. The method I use, even at the full power, is simply feeding a radio into the stream encoder. A wideband AM tuner sounds good enough and the full power has an FM translator to clean things up. I get the triple benefit of processed audio, transmitter monitor, and an online presence.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 16:09:30 GMT
Mighty 1650 Makes a Super Point
Mighty said: "I've always preferred hardware over software so I've never really tried out the software based solutions. The method I use, even at the full power, is simply feeding a radio into the stream encoder. A wideband AM tuner sounds good enough and the full power has an FM translator to clean things up. I get the triple benefit of processed audio, transmitter monitor, and an online presence."
There are two (2) main reasons why I like Mighty's approach:
1.) Having racks loaded with serious broadcast hardware makes a great show for advertisers or other people who visit the station because it looks like "the real thing" compared to a plain little computer workstation. This would be the way to go if your station was a business;
2.) And think about it... the output of a radio feeding the stream server is like having a giant Power Amplifier on your Part 15 transmitter giving it World Wide Coverage!
I would even go so far as leaving the AM radio streaming live while the transmitter was off the air because...
The listener would get the "feel" that their computer monitor was a radio receiver... they would even hear the carrier thump on in the morning, whish off at night, and the far away AM background during the off-hours.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 16:16:25 GMT
By letting Jim Henry know what we're doing, it'll give him some avenues for further investigation and allow him to decide what he wants to do, based on his budget, knowledge, etc.
Most modern hardware today is basically computer driven inside with software. That being said, there's plenty of capable older hardware available at reasonable prices on the used market.
Being a computer guy, I was initially more comfortable with software, but have learned a bit about hardware through the school of hard knocks (though certainly not up to the level of some here). The setup I described earlier was for my AM broadcasting. Right now, for FM, I essentially run Zara on an older computer, and use a Symetrix 421 compressor/limiter/expander to process the audio before sending it out through my mono transmitter.
Probably my favorite setup (when I had my storefront on Bowen Island, and lots of space), was one computer for automation, outboard audio processing that fed into a 2nd computer to generate my stream (as well as my mono FM transmitter), and then a 3rd computer to serve the stream. Such an elaborate setup is really only required for relatively heavy loads, but on several occasions I was handling over 125 simultaneous listeners with nary a trickle of sweat - in fact, I maxed out my upload bandwidth way earlier than I would have maxed out the computer loads.
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