Down FM Training Course
East Down Institute of Further and Higher Education / Down FMDown FM Community Radio Myriad Training
Using the Myriad Radio Playout System –
Importing and Editing Audio from CDs
Some points to note:
· Myriad v3 does not support MP3 or WMA files – only uncompressed and compressed WAVs.
· When importing audio from CD or WAVs, the software creates a new file with its owning tagging information. Identification of the tracks should be done automatically using a CD lookup, or by entering the information manually. It is not useful to have the database cluttered with ‘untitled’ and ‘unknown artist’ information.
1. Checking the library.
If you are importing an audio CD e.g. by Madonna, you should check if the tracks are already in the library
Click the Find button on the audiowall side menu. In the search form, enter ‘Madonna’ in the search field. Click ‘Find’ and the existing tracks are shown.
2. Importing from CD
Insert the audio CD into the CD drive. If the Windows CD player or Media Player start, close these applications.
Right-click in the blank cart in the audiowall where you want to start importing
Select Import Audio
In the resulting dialogue box, the CD track structure appears. Click on the “Get Titles” button to search an online database to identify the CD.
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Make sure that the Artist check box is ticked and that you tick the ‘..trim the silence…’ option.
If you are using a commercial compilation such as “NOW” etc, do not tick the artist check box, as they will automatically appear.
NOTE – if you are ripping a homemade compilation and not a commercial release, then DO NOT click the GET TITLES button but enter the details manually after ripping
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Check each title you wish to import and click Next. Continue to click Next to accept the audio defaults until the final summary screen which list the track titles and artists, and the cart number where they are to be stored, then click Yes to import.
On completion and once the tracks are in the audiowall, the audio and the track details can be edited and tagged for database information.
3. Editing the Audio and Track Information
There are a number of features that can be edited.
· Title and artist – sometimes the online database can contain spelling errors.
· Silence at the end of a track can be deleted or a very long fade that you would not wish to play on the radio
· Marking the intro - the end of the introduction for playing voice-overs that stop before the song vocals or hook begins
· A hook – identifying a portion of the track that is its most recognisable and can be used in creating jingles
· An extro – marking the point where the track begins to end or fade.
It is not essential to add all this information for all tracks as this is a large tasks – but it is important to have at least an extro as this allows cross-fading when playing back-to-back tracks or on automated output.
To begin editing, right-click on the selected track (in the example below, ‘Start Me Up’ by the Stones) and select the option “Edit Cart Audio and Details using SmoothEdit”. SmoothEdit is Myriad’s built-in audio editor although it is possible to use a package such as Audition for more detailed work.
You can select the option below on the menu if it is only text details you are editing.
The track waveform and editing information appears
.
When you are sure, play back from before the mark, and click the Set button on the intro settings in the Times box as shown and the Intro End value changes from 00.00.00 to your chosen point.
This enters a blue marker on the waveform to show the end of the intro.
Next you can mark the song’s hook using the same procedure of identifying and marking the hook’s start and end on the waveform when listening on playback.
Hooks times Hook marked on the waveform
Another piece of information of use to the system is describing how the track ends. This affects timing of cross-fading during playback. Simply click on the appropriate button as shown if the song has an abrupt end or fades – normally or slowly.
Finally, you can add notes to aid the presenter. Click on the Notes tab at the top and enter any relevant info you wish.
Finally, click on Save button and exit the editor.
Your cart should look as below with timing and editing information displayed.
As mentioned, it is not important to ad all this information to tracks, but at least the track title and artist should be correct and an extro added.
Using the Myriad Playout System –
The Programme Log and Database
Click on the Database Tab on the left screen. This shows the Myriad database (separate from the Find function which is just a directory list) from which you can select songs by genre. The database is taken from Autotrack which allows the songs in the Audiowall to be categorized in genres in any way. The left fig. below shows the current database structure, and the right is the screen for which “Country” was selected
The Programme Log
The log screen shows the running order of songs for any particular hour of broadcasting. There are three modes of operation:
Live – presenter using the log as a playlist
Auto – continuous output of all items
AutoFade – continuous but running to time. In this mode, if a schedule for an hour overruns, it will immediately start the next hour on the hour, fading the current playing track.
Note: if you are doing a two hour show – it is best to create one hour on AUTO and a second hour on AUTOFADE. This will run the first hour in its entirety and the second hour will finish to fade on the hour at the next show.
The ON button on the top left is pressed when the log is to be used and the first track is loaded into a player. The green Go button is pressed to start playing the track.
On the left of the log screen beside the tracks, there green icons. This means that in live mode, the tracks will play continuously. When you want to stop playing after the next track, click this icon and it will turn red.
When that track stops, the next track is loaded into the player and must be started manually on the cart player.
All programmes broadcast live with a presenter should be in Live mode.
A pre-defined playlist will be generated for each hour but presenters can remove and add from the Audiowall or Database
Pre-prepared and Voice Tracked Shows.
These are prepared in advanced and broadcast later in the schedule. They will run in Auto or AutoFade mode.
If an hour has already been scheduled, then you can simply edit the right screen. If not, the first step is to add an hour to the log: Select Log / Add Hour to Log from the Myriad menu.
This will produce a calendar on screen, so simply select the time and date that you wish to start broadcasting.
In the box asking to add audio, it is easier to click” No” at this stage.
An entry then appears in the log On this entry, right-click and change the mode to AutoFade as shown below.
You can then add your own details. Go to the menu and select Log / Advanced / Display Log Item Details.
In the details box, simply enter you show details in the Description text box and click on the disk icon to save. These details then appear in the log.
Using the database screen to search for country tracks, you can then drag them across or add your own CD’s to the Audiowall to build up the playlist.
Once your playlist is complete (also with any jingles etc) you then add the voice tracks. These are stored in the Audiowall from cart 9000.
There are two ways to do this – record into cart for a stand-alone voice recording, or by voice-tracking between tracks.
Firstly, record an opener to the show. Go on the Audiowall to a blank cart in the designated areas, right-click and select Record into this cart.
Record yourself (the cart looks as left) and when finished click on the record button in the bottom right of the log screen and click yes to save.
You can edit the voice - top and tail – as per audio tracks. You can then drag this into the log.
After this, you can record the links between songs – Voice Tracking.
On the log, select a track where you wish to insert the link () On the right screen – click on SegEdit. The following appears.
With headphones on and mic ready, click on the mic button to record a new link. A red buttons takes its place
When you want to begin to speak, click the red button and do your voice link.
Click stop when finished and YES to complete the recording.
You can play it back and drag the link to suit.
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