Workflow
10 posts on this topic
Voice tracking: sounding staffed when nobody is in the building
A presenter does not need to be on air to sound like they are. Recording links against the tracks they sit between is what separates a staffed sound from an automated one.
Read the postCue stops: handing control back to a human
Sometimes automation should stop on purpose. A cue stop is a marked handover point where the playlist waits for an operator.
Read the postKeyboard shortcuts, and why they beat a mouse in a studio
An operator running a live show has both hands busy. Every action that needs a mouse is an action that happens more slowly than it should.
Read the postHow long should your crossfade be?
A single number applied everywhere is always wrong somewhere. Here is how the setting actually behaves, including on very short items.
Read the postBuilding a morning show that runs itself until the presenter arrives
A worked example: the 05:00 to 07:00 block, assembled the evening before, using rotation clocks, voice tracks, the clock wheel and cue stops.
Read the postHandling news drop-ins and live segments
Three different mechanisms cover three different kinds of interruption. Choosing the wrong one is why some stations fight their automation.
Read the postLocking and replacing: editing a generated hour without rebuilding it
A generated hour is a starting point, not a verdict. Two commands let you correct it without losing the parts that were right.
Read the postAI show prep: notes generated from the playlist you are about to run
Show prep is the work presenters skip when time is short. Generating a first draft from the actual running order makes it likelier to happen.
Read the postThe batch jobs worth running before you trust a library
Three background jobs turn a folder of files into a library you can schedule against. Run them once, benefit indefinitely.
Read the postA first-week checklist for a new PlayOnRadio installation
What to set up, in what order, and what to check at the end of the first week before you rely on it unattended.
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