Sorry, I'm still lost.
For now I have had to switch back to the system I was using before, but I really really want to use Radioboss. It runs a lot more smoothly on my computer, and there is a lot to like about it. I really like the software, but until I can get this whole thing figured out, I won't be able to do that.
So, just to show you what my rotation currently looks like when I use this other software:
Time announcement, temp announcement, news, station promo, CVC affiliate spot (to announce we are picking up a network show, and it is not our own), stream block 1 (timed to 03:10) lasting 26:10, commercial break intro, ads promos etc, commercial break outro, stream block 2 (timed to start at 32:10) same duration as first, commercial break intro, ads, station id.
Note I am able to set a start time for the stream blocks, or any item I want. The trick is to have the affiliate spot play exactly just before the first stream block, commercial intro play at the end of the first stream block, outro play right before the second block. I need precision. I should be able to be even more precise with Radioboss, because it does indeed accept dtmf tones, where the system I am using now does not, and relies completely on timing. Also, my current system will insert top-up tracks which are usually just music beds, when there is a gap between the last commercial, and when the stream should get picked back up.
Again, I am sorry for the constant comparing of RB to my old system, and I know each system has its own way of doing things. I am trying to adapt, as over all, I really really like Radioboss, but for certain things like this, I am having a hard time understanding exactly how to program everything in to get the precision I need.
The part of the system used to create playlists is not all that different to the RB playlist generator, only that they make the distinction between categories (which are normally only used for music), and spot groups, which are used for everything else. But after that, you create a rotation which is basically the same thing as creating a playlist in the playlist generator, and then you create schedules, where you assign a rotation for each hour of the day. You can also tell the system how long it should generate a playlist for. It can be just a few hours, and it will auto create new lists as needed, or you can set it to generate playlists for days on end. From what I understand of RB Scheduler, and how I have had to set it up, I have had to set a task for a playlist to generate and save to file, and then another to play said list at the right time. So, while the scheduling mechanism is different for the two programs, the way you go about creating a playlist is pretty much like creating a rotation in the other system, only that in the other system, I can assign a start time to an event, so it will not start before, but also, if needed will interrupt whatever is playing at the time. But, since I have calculated this out, normally there is nothing to interrupt.
So, coming to Radioboss, it would make sense for me to start the playlist at the beginning of the hour, which I do know how to do in Scheduler. Where I am stuck is how to get the stream to start via dtmf as part of that playlist.
I hope the way I explained how I am doing things now with my old system makes sense, so perhaps you can tell me where I am going wrong and what to do instead, but in a way that will make a bit more sense to me. Sorry for such a long post and for the constant comparing of Radioboss to my old system, but that is the framework I have been using for 10 years, so it's what I know. I really really want to make a full switch, just having a hard time learning the new way of doing things.
