Hello Jeff! I watch every one of your super-slick videos and I very much appreciate the thought, planning, and effort you put into making them. Being a video production professional, I know the time it takes to do them. Your quirkiness serves you perfectly and you pull it off without a sweat -- except for the video in which you sweat on purpose! Your production quality doesn't go unnoticed and I joyfully learn a ton from each of 'em. My comment here isn't related to this particular video. Instead I have two topic suggestions for you: 1.) I'm not sure how to explain this first suggestion that I want to keep from happening on my station except by providing an example. It's not out of the realm of possibility for related artists to play back-to-back-to-back-to-back ad nauseam, even though I've set up my RadioDJ rotation to not repeat an artist for a few hours. The following can still happen unintentionally: my rotation might play a Paul McCartney song, immediately followed by a Beatles song, immediately followed by a Ringo Starr song, immediately followed by George Harrison song, immediately followed by a Wings song, immediately followed by a John Lennon song, immediately followed by a Paul McCartney & Wings song. Thankfully, I don't have any Yoko Ono music (*WHEW*), but if I did, well, you know where I'm going with this... 2.) A while back you turned me on to Stereo Tool for audio processing. WOW!!! It's one mighty powerful program!!! I have mine sounding pretty darn good, I might say (in fact, I did say it!), using only settings that don't require a license. After carefully listening to your xxx80s station, I bet you're also using Stereo Tool, but with some licensed settings active. I think a tour of your final processing set up would make for a wonderful video. My scheme looks like this: I have RadioDJ feeding VoiceMeeter Banana, which feeds a live audio board in my studio (via HDMI-to-SDI-to-analog audio converters and back), which feeds Stereo Tool, which feeds back into VoiceMeeter Banana, which feeds OBS Studio (to add my currently playing album cover, song text, and to insert streaming data), which lastly feeds my MIST stream server. EVERYTHING I described happens in the same computer tower (including the streaming!), except for the feed to and from my live studio audio board, and it all sounds amazing! That audio chain allows me run station automation with the ability to break in with a live-assist radio show (or a completely manual show, if that's my preference) whenever I please, and everything -- live or not -- all gets the same processing. Since I host my own RTMP audio stream, I have complete stream control and I'm completely commercial-free. You might or might not remember I contacted you early on in your dive into your RadioDJ Dude TH-cam channel and asked you about a few things to which I wish to provide an update: 1.) In addition to the audio chain I described above, I selected an audio board with SUB outputs (a Behringer Xenyx 1204USB Mixer). Doing that allows me to run my station through the board 24/7/365 so I can go live any time I wish AND do audio production in my studio on the same audio board without disturbing the radio feed (except when I wish to interrupt the radio feed for a live show). With a couple hybrid telephone interfaces and a couple free Google Voice telephone lines, I can even take multiple calls live anytime I wish -- albeit with no audio delay button, so I have to be careful about the callers I allow. Other than that little caveat, it all works brilliantly! Being a DJ from way back in the old fully manual '70s and '80s analog days, there's still no other feeling like talking right up to a vocal or hitting a hard music post live! With remote desktop, I can see exactly what my primary live RadioDJ playout is doing in real time (all my intro and outro cues are active) and I can manipulate it to my desire from my studio. 2.) Along the same lines, I'm here to tell you that connecting multiple instances of RadioDJ from various locations to the same database does work! And it works very well! Why do I bother? While my live RadioDJ stream uses the DB primarily, at the same time I can use my studio production instance of RadioDJ to add new music and other audio elements to the DB, then modify all their cue elements (even "hook" cues!), then tell the DB that new files are ready to insert into the live rotation -- all via my remote instance of RadioDJ. 3.) Lastly, I wondered a while back if you know of a way for RadioDJ to automatically calculate and select songs so they end EXACTLY at the top of the hour -- to the second -- so I could play a live news break from, say a satellite feed or an internet source, then go back to music via RadioDJ. Since I'm having difficulty finding a legal, reliable, and free news source, I've all but abandoned that whole conception. I might revisit the idea, but I'm not dwelling on it anymore. Please keep up the great work!
Bob, you're awesome! I SO appreciate the kind words. 😀Happy to hear everything is humming along nicely for you. (Hopefully, without any hum) Love the ideas. Thanks! I may collaborate on a video with you on how you pulled off multiple instances of RDJ. As for the TOH code, I asked a friend to work on it. I'll check in and let you know. Best!
Hey Jeff, love the videos (you should be getting WAY more hits and likes). Any chance you could share with us your 'basic' Categories-Sub Categories - Genre setup? I find myself having to constantly shift items around and create new sections to accommodate the (unhandy) way that Folder Sync works with updating, and adding things like your rotation elements etc. You do show some brief examples in the vids, thankfully, but a brief "Setup Overview" would be really useful. Thanks, and keep it coming, great information that's really useful in tweaking every ounce out of RadioDJ. Really appreciate the work you put in to drilling down in to the work around end of it.
Thanks SO much! I really appreciate it. 😃 Sure, I'll try to include that in a future vid. The brief answer: When I add a new type of Jingle into the mix, I create a new Sub-Cat just for that jingle style and assign those jingles to that sub-cat. I probably have 25 different jingle sub-cats. It lends more flexibility when programming rotations.
@@RadioDJDude Ahh that makes sense, I had a feeling I was getting carried away with Cats and SubCats, and was trying to figure out a way to keep them from getting out of control. Thanks! Looking forward to your next video.
Jeff, what can I say. You never disappoint, and always fresh ideas. Keep it up. Best classes I have attended since leaving school 50 or so years ago. 😂
I've been recording voice tracks from home almost everyday since covid, doing very few live shows because of time zones and my schedule. I do not use the same workflow since our playout software has voice tracks features built in, but for my future project, this workflow seems useful! After 10 years in radio I knew about this method but I've never think about doing it myself. The only (really small) problem I would have is your advices about PREP are great but maybe slightly too focused on american style radio. In some countries, playing movie clips or even taking phone calls without a reason (like a contest or some other content) would not be seen as a great break and would seems a bit old style. Of course, nothing wrong with doing an old style break, especially on an 80's station! American radio is way different from radio overseas so it's difficult to give inclusive advices for people around the world. But honnestly, thank you for your great work Jeff!
Thanks! Happy you enjoyed it. As I've only done radio in the US and the majority of my viewers are from here, that's my main audience...that's what I know. Of course, it's not the only way. We love hearing international perspectives! Perhaps that's a future video. I travel a lot and enjoy tuning in to radio all over the globe. To me, phoners are the one of the BEST forms of listener engagement. Time and temp doesn't move the needle. Tune in to any major market US station and you'll hear a break with a listener 2-3x an hour...at least the top stations. BUT, there's a right and wrong way to do them. Lately, I hear more of the latter. A good phoner's tight, has forward momentum and is entertaining. Anything else shouldn't be on the air. Younger jocks haven't been taught this and most PD's aren't very creative...SO, you end up with a lot of mediocre radio.
Since I can't offer legal advice, you'll need to research copyright law and how it pertains to airing movie clips. Make sure to dig into Fair Use, too. Keep in mind fair use isn't a pass, it's mainly a defense, if ever accused. As for the drops, I did a vid about creating movie sweepers and have links in the description. Can't remember all the sites now.
Process your voice track audio FAST w/ my Audacity Macros (8 in the set!) → radiodjdude.com/vt-macros
Hello Jeff!
I watch every one of your super-slick videos and I very much appreciate the thought, planning, and effort you put into making them. Being a video production professional, I know the time it takes to do them. Your quirkiness serves you perfectly and you pull it off without a sweat -- except for the video in which you sweat on purpose! Your production quality doesn't go unnoticed and I joyfully learn a ton from each of 'em.
My comment here isn't related to this particular video. Instead I have two topic suggestions for you:
1.) I'm not sure how to explain this first suggestion that I want to keep from happening on my station except by providing an example. It's not out of the realm of possibility for related artists to play back-to-back-to-back-to-back ad nauseam, even though I've set up my RadioDJ rotation to not repeat an artist for a few hours. The following can still happen unintentionally: my rotation might play a Paul McCartney song, immediately followed by a Beatles song, immediately followed by a Ringo Starr song, immediately followed by George Harrison song, immediately followed by a Wings song, immediately followed by a John Lennon song, immediately followed by a Paul McCartney & Wings song. Thankfully, I don't have any Yoko Ono music (*WHEW*), but if I did, well, you know where I'm going with this...
2.) A while back you turned me on to Stereo Tool for audio processing. WOW!!! It's one mighty powerful program!!! I have mine sounding pretty darn good, I might say (in fact, I did say it!), using only settings that don't require a license. After carefully listening to your xxx80s station, I bet you're also using Stereo Tool, but with some licensed settings active. I think a tour of your final processing set up would make for a wonderful video. My scheme looks like this: I have RadioDJ feeding VoiceMeeter Banana, which feeds a live audio board in my studio (via HDMI-to-SDI-to-analog audio converters and back), which feeds Stereo Tool, which feeds back into VoiceMeeter Banana, which feeds OBS Studio (to add my currently playing album cover, song text, and to insert streaming data), which lastly feeds my MIST stream server. EVERYTHING I described happens in the same computer tower (including the streaming!), except for the feed to and from my live studio audio board, and it all sounds amazing! That audio chain allows me run station automation with the ability to break in with a live-assist radio show (or a completely manual show, if that's my preference) whenever I please, and everything -- live or not -- all gets the same processing. Since I host my own RTMP audio stream, I have complete stream control and I'm completely commercial-free.
You might or might not remember I contacted you early on in your dive into your RadioDJ Dude TH-cam channel and asked you about a few things to which I wish to provide an update:
1.) In addition to the audio chain I described above, I selected an audio board with SUB outputs (a Behringer Xenyx 1204USB Mixer). Doing that allows me to run my station through the board 24/7/365 so I can go live any time I wish AND do audio production in my studio on the same audio board without disturbing the radio feed (except when I wish to interrupt the radio feed for a live show). With a couple hybrid telephone interfaces and a couple free Google Voice telephone lines, I can even take multiple calls live anytime I wish -- albeit with no audio delay button, so I have to be careful about the callers I allow. Other than that little caveat, it all works brilliantly! Being a DJ from way back in the old fully manual '70s and '80s analog days, there's still no other feeling like talking right up to a vocal or hitting a hard music post live! With remote desktop, I can see exactly what my primary live RadioDJ playout is doing in real time (all my intro and outro cues are active) and I can manipulate it to my desire from my studio.
2.) Along the same lines, I'm here to tell you that connecting multiple instances of RadioDJ from various locations to the same database does work! And it works very well! Why do I bother? While my live RadioDJ stream uses the DB primarily, at the same time I can use my studio production instance of RadioDJ to add new music and other audio elements to the DB, then modify all their cue elements (even "hook" cues!), then tell the DB that new files are ready to insert into the live rotation -- all via my remote instance of RadioDJ.
3.) Lastly, I wondered a while back if you know of a way for RadioDJ to automatically calculate and select songs so they end EXACTLY at the top of the hour -- to the second -- so I could play a live news break from, say a satellite feed or an internet source, then go back to music via RadioDJ. Since I'm having difficulty finding a legal, reliable, and free news source, I've all but abandoned that whole conception. I might revisit the idea, but I'm not dwelling on it anymore.
Please keep up the great work!
Bob, you're awesome! I SO appreciate the kind words. 😀Happy to hear everything is humming along nicely for you. (Hopefully, without any hum) Love the ideas. Thanks! I may collaborate on a video with you on how you pulled off multiple instances of RDJ. As for the TOH code, I asked a friend to work on it. I'll check in and let you know. Best!
@@RadioDJDude No hum -- totally clean (I see what you did there)!
I'd love to help any way I can.
@@bobcervera Thanks!
Hey Jeff, love the videos (you should be getting WAY more hits and likes). Any chance you could share with us your 'basic' Categories-Sub Categories - Genre setup? I find myself having to constantly shift items around and create new sections to accommodate the (unhandy) way that Folder Sync works with updating, and adding things like your rotation elements etc. You do show some brief examples in the vids, thankfully, but a brief "Setup Overview" would be really useful. Thanks, and keep it coming, great information that's really useful in tweaking every ounce out of RadioDJ. Really appreciate the work you put in to drilling down in to the work around end of it.
Thanks SO much! I really appreciate it. 😃 Sure, I'll try to include that in a future vid. The brief answer: When I add a new type of Jingle into the mix, I create a new Sub-Cat just for that jingle style and assign those jingles to that sub-cat. I probably have 25 different jingle sub-cats. It lends more flexibility when programming rotations.
@@RadioDJDude Ahh that makes sense, I had a feeling I was getting carried away with Cats and SubCats, and was trying to figure out a way to keep them from getting out of control. Thanks! Looking forward to your next video.
Jeff, what can I say. You never disappoint, and always fresh ideas. Keep it up. Best classes I have attended since leaving school 50 or so years ago. 😂
Oh, thanks much for that! If you watch every video, I'll send you a certificate you can print and hang on the wall with pride. 😆
I've been recording voice tracks from home almost everyday since covid, doing very few live shows because of time zones and my schedule. I do not use the same workflow since our playout software has voice tracks features built in, but for my future project, this workflow seems useful! After 10 years in radio I knew about this method but I've never think about doing it myself. The only (really small) problem I would have is your advices about PREP are great but maybe slightly too focused on american style radio. In some countries, playing movie clips or even taking phone calls without a reason (like a contest or some other content) would not be seen as a great break and would seems a bit old style. Of course, nothing wrong with doing an old style break, especially on an 80's station! American radio is way different from radio overseas so it's difficult to give inclusive advices for people around the world. But honnestly, thank you for your great work Jeff!
Thanks! Happy you enjoyed it. As I've only done radio in the US and the majority of my viewers are from here, that's my main audience...that's what I know. Of course, it's not the only way. We love hearing international perspectives! Perhaps that's a future video. I travel a lot and enjoy tuning in to radio all over the globe.
To me, phoners are the one of the BEST forms of listener engagement. Time and temp doesn't move the needle. Tune in to any major market US station and you'll hear a break with a listener 2-3x an hour...at least the top stations. BUT, there's a right and wrong way to do them. Lately, I hear more of the latter. A good phoner's tight, has forward momentum and is entertaining. Anything else shouldn't be on the air. Younger jocks haven't been taught this and most PD's aren't very creative...SO, you end up with a lot of mediocre radio.
1:26 - You need the Electro-Voice 309A shock mount! 8:47 - I see you're using the Music Radio Creative macros.
Already spent enough money. :)
While I have the MR macros, the ones on offer are my own. I get a better sound with my custom versions. Plus, mine are SO much cheaper that his. :)
@@RadioDJDude I only noticed it because I too, have the Music Radio Creative plugins installed in my copy of Audacity.
Great Info Jeff.
Thanks for watching!
Jeff What iPad apps are you using to cue the callers
I knew peeps were going to ask. Check the description. I've got options for Mac & PC.
Using the movie and TV drops, what do you do about copyright issues? Where do you find the drops?
Since I can't offer legal advice, you'll need to research copyright law and how it pertains to airing movie clips. Make sure to dig into Fair Use, too. Keep in mind fair use isn't a pass, it's mainly a defense, if ever accused. As for the drops, I did a vid about creating movie sweepers and have links in the description. Can't remember all the sites now.
Can I ask how you got the “Extreme 80’s” VO made
That's a guy I found on Fiverr. Not sure if he's still active.
Cool. What is voice tracking?
Hi Nino! Voice tracking is the pre-recording of your talk breaks. It's just a recorded voiceover file that runs over music or wherever you program it.
Whatever you say, say it with confidence! Need some help? Check out my FREE Radio DJ 101 Mini Course --> radiodjdude.com/radio-dj-mini-course/