A sequence for the first week, ordered so each step builds on the last.
Day one: install and activate
Install, launch, copy the hardware ID from the activation window, send it to your licence provider, paste the licence back. Two pieces of information, one round trip.
Set your audio output and check the VU meters respond. If they do not move, nothing else matters yet.
Day two: import and categorise
Import your music folders recursively. Rows appear immediately; metadata fills in behind you.
Then categorise in bulk. Use the ADS, ID and VT prefixes for commercials, station IDs and voice tracks — those codes drive transition behaviour, not just scheduling.
This is the least interesting day and the one everything else depends on.
Day three: analyse
Run Analyze all tracks for loudness and Analyze Library Cue Points for intro and outro markers. Both run in the background; let them finish.
Day four: jingles and the clock wheel
Assign your 25 jingle buttons and label them. Check the numpad shortcuts fire jingles 1 to 10.
Add clock wheel slots for anything that must happen at a fixed time — news relay at :00, IDs at :20 and :40.
Day five: build one clock
One rotation clock for one daypart. Categories, slots, target duration, a repeat rule set.
Generate, then open Preview Timeline. Click through slots and read the explanations. Adjust the clock rather than the individual picks.
Day six: streaming and displays
If you stream, set up an encoder profile and enable reconnection. Confirm the status shows connected in the What's Next panel.
Position the on-air display on your second screen — it remembers where you put it.
Day seven: check the evidence
- Schedule confidence chip — is it Ready?
- System health — licence, audio, database all clear?
- Airplay compliance — any log-gap hours from the week?
- Play history — does it match what actually aired?
Log gaps are the ones to take seriously. They mean the machine was off, the application stopped, or something played outside the system — and all three are worth understanding before you leave it running overnight.
Then switch on On-Air Mode
Once you are relying on it, enable On-Air Mode. Meters and animations give back headroom to the audio path, which is the right trade on a machine that is broadcasting.